Improved Method of and Apparatus for Operating Turntables for Railways and Tramways.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improved Method of and Apparatus for Operating Turntables for
Railways and Tramways.
I RICHARD RICHARDSON HUTCHINSON of 114 Edith Grove, Brompton, London,
S.W. Electrical and Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my Invention is to adapt an electric motor of any suitable design
and mechanical efficiency for moving or rotating turntables for railways and similar
purposes, interposing between said motor and the mechanism acting directly upon the
dead weight resting upon the turntable, suitable gearing for the purpose of reducing
the speed of said motor and augmenting the leverage thereof.
In order that my Invention may be clearly understood, I have appended the
accompanying sheet of drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a plan of a turntable
according to my Invention, with a portion broken away to shew the driving
mechanism and Figure 3 is a Section of the same upon the line A B.
In carrying out my Invention I prefer to suspend an electric motor of any
suitable type by means of hangers or suspension brackets to the under side of the
turntable A. A. A pinion Cupon the motor spindle is arranged to gear with a spur
wheel D, mounted upon a countershaft, which is also supported in suitable bearings
by hangers or suspension brackets from the lower side of the turntable-A pinion E
upon said countershaft gears with the spur wheel F, which is keyed or otherwise
rigidly attached to the shaft carrying the flanged wheel G, travelling upon the
circular rail H. I may, in cases where the diameter of the turntable A is very
large, and the weight carried excessive, employ two or more motors and sets of
gearing, said motors being coupled in parallel or series, or each motor may be supplied
from an independent circuit, and the person in attendance on a turntable arranged
according to my Invention may be able by means of a suitable switch to control each
or any of said motors at will, and also where required, a switch for reversing the
direction of rotation of said inotor. 1 may also provide the circular rail H with
teeth, forming in fact, a circular rack, with teeth angularly inclined, in which case
the wheel or wheels G would be provided with teeth to engage with those upon said

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rack. I provide an insulated circular rail I with a collector J attached to the motor,
to serve as the + or conductor to said motor, the conductor of opposite sign from
the source of the electric current being transmitted to the motor through the body
of the apparatus; or I may employ two insulated rails and two collectors for
transmitting said electric current to the motor.
In other cases, as an alternative arrangement, I may cause the electric motor and
intermediate gearing to be fixed to the foundation surrounding the turntable, and then
attach a circular rack or toothed annulus to the lower surface of said turntable, and
effect the rotation of the same by means of a pinion gearing with said rack or toothed
annulus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
First. The combination of an electric motor with a turntable for railways and
kindred purposes, with intermediate gearing and a device for collecting the electric
current from any source, substantially as herein described and set forth.
Second. The combination of a turntable and an electric motor, the method of
and apparatus for, rotating said turntable by an electric motor suspended to the
revolving table by means of intermediate gearing, and with or without a toothed rail,
substantially as herein described and shewn.
Third. The combination of a turntable for railways and kindred purposes, with
an electric motor, the latter being carried by the revolving table, or being rigidly
fixed and driving said table by means of a circular rack or toothed annulus sub-
stantially as herein described and set forth.
Dated th...
1000
FREDK. WALKER & HYDE,
4, Little Moorfields, London, E.C
Agents for Applicant.