Improvements in or connected with Tramcar Starters.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 26th June, 1890-Accepted, 26th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Tramcar Starters.
I, JOSEPH WILLIAM HOWE, of 9 Rusthall Villas, Ryde Vale Road, Balham, S. W.,
and HENRY JOBLIN JORDAN, 68 Lucy Road, Bermondsey, S.E., do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The object of our invention is certain improvements in or connected with tram car
starters, especially of the kind in which the momentum of a tram car, or other
vehicle while being stopped is stored up as a power by a spring put into tension by
the winding up of a chain on a drum mounted on an axle of the vehicle, or on a
countershaft, and retained in tension by a clutch mechanism until released by the
first pull of the horses, when it moves the car or vehicle onward.
Our improvements relate first, to the clutch appliances which I render noiseless in
their action, for which purpose, we form a ratchet clutch with fixed teeth, which
engage into another clutch having teeth which are movable or yielding when the first
mentioned clutch is thrown out of gear, and present a nearly level surface upon which
the fixed teeth may rub. The movable or yielding teeth are recessed into the face of
a disc (in the case of a revolving clutch) and provided with a spring which will allow
them to give or yield when pressed upon by the fixed teeth, but not in gear with them,
which takes place when the clutches are allowed to run free or slip by each other.
This yielding action greatly reduces the noise or rattle which is a great drawback
with the apparatus for starting tram cars and other vehicles above referred to.
In practice we prefer to employ only four movable teeth on the disc, but the
number may be increased if necessary, and they may be held in position by bolts or
otherwise.
According to another part of our invention, we provide a bridge extending
preferably from one of the running axles to the other and upon this bridge, we
imount levers actuated by chains or rods from the driver's foot board for throwing the
clutches into and out of gear. By this arrangement the clutch mechanism is rendered
independent of the rising and falling motions of the car or vehicle.
1000
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said J. W. Howe and H. J. Jordan.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Tramcar Starters.
We, JOSEPH WILLIAM HOWE, of 9 Rusthall Villas, Ryde Vale Road, Balham, S.W.
and HENRY JOBLIN JORDAN, 68 Lucy Road, Bermondsey, S.E. 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 our invention is certain improvements in or connected with tram car
starters, of the kind in which the momentum of a tram car, or other vehicle, while.
being stopped, is stored up as a power by a spring put into tension by the winding up
of a chain on a drum mounted on an axle of the vehicle, or on a countershaft, and
retained in tension by a clutch mechanism until released by the first pull of the
horses, when it moves the car, or vehicle onward.
Our improvements relate, first to the clutch appliances which we render noiseless in
their action, for which purpose we form a ratchet clutch with fixed teeth, which
engage into another clutch having teeth which are movable or yielding when the first
mentioned clutch is thrown in gear. The movable or yielding teeth (or tooth) are

page_text: recessed into the face of a disc (in the case of a revolving clutch) and provided with
a spring which will allow them to give or yield when pressed upon by the fixed teeth
but not in gear with them, which takes place when the clutches are allowed to run free
or slip by each other.
This yielding action greatly reduces the noise or rattle which is a great drawback
with the apparatus for starting tram cars and other vehicles above referred to.
In practice, we prefer to employ only four movable teeth on the disc, but the
number may be increased if necessary, and they may be held in position by bolts, or
otherwise.
A further improvement consists in extending the bracket which supports the draw
bar, in a forward direction, so that the fulcrum or pivotting point at the upper end of
the swinging link or lever to which the draw bar is jointed, is thrown at a more acute
angle to the hinge joint at its lower end where the draw bar is connected.
The first part of our invention will be understood by reference to Figures 1 and 2
of the annexed drawings which are face and part sectional views of our clutch shown
with one movable tooth only but any required number may be fitted in.
Figure 3 shows our second improvement in elevation and at Figure 4 the two
improvements combined and in which we show an intermediate lever by which great
power is obtained for moving the bell crank by which the movable clutch is operated,
said lever being between the bell crank and the draw bar link.
A is the clutch with the movable paul B set in its face, the shank of the paul being
recessed in a rounded hollow portion, so that no bolt is required on which it pivots.
The head of the movable paul B is stepped at C and a bolt D put through the clutch
plate forms a stop, against which the movable tooth can abut when pushed out by the
spring E, said spring being compressed should said movable tooth be brought close
and in contact with the teeth of the fixed clutch F of the other half clutch A. The
mvable tooth clutch in the arrangement shown at Figure 4 is mounted loosely on
th axle G and the half clutch with the full set of teeth fixed on the axle. The
mcable tooth half clutch slides to and fro by the bell crank H or other form of lever
by the rod I, this being connected to a lever J close to its pivotting point K. The
rod of the draw bar L is connected to the outer end of the lever J at one end, the
opposite end forming a portion of the draw bar M. This draw bar M is attached to
the hanging bracket N, which instead of being suspended from the point P shown in
dotted lines is suspended from the car from a point in advance, as at Q, so that the
bracket hangs at a more acute angle and moves over the arc of a circle indicated by
the dotted lines R instead of over the arc represented by the dotted lines S, whereby
we obtain a more level pull on the lower part without causing the swing bracket to
rise to a higher angle than under the existing arrangement.
We have described the first part of our invention as particularly applicable to
the clutch mechanism of a tram car starter but it can be adapted to any piece of
machinery in which such mechanism is needed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Affixing movable pauls within the face of a fixed or movable half clutch wheel as
described and substantially as shown at Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed drawings.
2. In combination with half clutch plate A with movable teeth B and bracket N
suspended in advance of the usual pivot pin, the lever J having the rods I, L, attached
at different parts of its length, as shown at Figure 4 of the annexed drawings, for the
purpose described.
T
1000
1634.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Joseph William Howe and Henry Joblin Jordan.