IMPROVED STARTING GEAR FOR TRAM CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVED STARTING
GEAR FOR TRAM CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES."-A communication from abroad
by Herman Moschcowitz, of Paris, France.
ealed the 20th February 1877, and dated the 24th August 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th August 1876.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVED STARTING GEAR FOR TRAM CARS AND OTHER
VEHICLES."
This Invention relates to improved starting gear for enabling the horses or other
power to more readily overcome the inertia, and facilitate the setting in motion of
tramway cars and other vehicles, and it consists in a mechanical arrangement
whereby the first effort of the horses applied to the draw bar is transmitted directly
to the axle of one of the pairs of wheels, and exerted thereon by a kind of lever
action in a rotary direction, the leverage thus applied to the axle and wheel materially
assisting the horses to start the vehicle.
After the vehicle is started the traction is applied through the draw bar to the
vehicle itself, and a reaction spring returns the starting gear to its first position,
when the tractivo effort ceasos.
Tramway cars and other vehicles which are turned at the end of the journey, and
are therefore always drawn from the same end, would have but one set of starting
gear, but those cars to which the horses are harnessed at either end indifferently
would have two independent sets of gear, one applied to each axle
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood I have illus-
trated an example in the accompanying Drawings as applied to a tram car framing,
two sets of gear being shown, one on the axle of each of the two pairs of
wheels.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 1, 2, Figure 2, of the
car framing and starting gear out of action; Figure 2, a plan of the same.
Figure 3 shows the starting gear at the moment it is brought into action; and
Figure 4 shows the same after the vehicle is started.

page_text: Figure 5 shows the starting gear drawn on a larger scale; Figure 6, a horizontal
section of same taken on line 3, 4, Figure 5, and Figure 7, a vertical section taken
on line 5, 6, Figure 6.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures.
a, car framing; b, b, axles, c, c, two pairs of wheels keyed on axles b, b.
To avoid confusion I will here describe one set of gear only. d, sleeve with
flanges koyed on axle b, the sleeve being made in two parts united by bolts f
passing through ears e to enable it to be applied to the axle One flange of sleeve d
is provided with ratchet teeth g; h, sector turning loose on sleeve d, to which it is
attached by a strap i and screws j; h, pawl pivoted at 7 on the side of sector h; m, -
arm of pawl; n, elastic cord for holding pawl out of gear with ratchet g, said cord
being attached at one end to arm m, and at the other to an eye or pin o on sector /;
P. guide pins for cord u; n, draw bar connected to a chain & by a screw coupling t.
The chains passes around the periphery of sector h, and is attached to a hook or
stud u; v, chain attached at one end to arm m of pawl k, and the other end to a :
rod connected to a lever pivoted to the draw hook y; z, chain attached to the
periphery of sector h at a diametrically opposite point to that at which chain a is
connected, the chain z being connected to an india-rubber or spiral spring w.
Where starting gear is applied on each axle, as shown, the spring w is attached
to the chains of both sets, but when a single set is employed the spring w is fixed
to any point of framing a.
The whole being arranged as described the action of the apparatus, which is very
simple, is as follows:-Suppose the apparatus to be in the position indicated in
Figures 1 and 2, viz, at the moment of stopping, the first effort exerted by the
horses upon the draw bar y brings the lever x to the position shown in Figure 3,
during which movement 1od v¹ and chain v are pulled in the direction of the
arrow 1, throwing the pawlk into gear with the ratchet g, as seen in Figure 3, and
the draft then coming on the draw hook y and the draw bar r itself the latter is
drawn in the direction of arrow 2 until a stop 3 on it abuts against the block 4 on
the frame a, as seen in Figure 4. By this movement the sector h is rotated though
the medium of the chain 8, and as the sector is connected with the sleeve d by
the pawl engaging with ratchet wheel it follows that the axle band wheels c
participate in this movement of rotation, thereby starting the vehicle. The extent
of this rotary movement is limited by the stop 3, which may be adjusted in position
upon draw bar to regulate the extent of rotation as required. On the block. 3
abutting against stop 4 the draft is applied directly upon the frame a, as in
ordinary.
When the tractive effort ceases, the spring w, which has been put in tension by
the chain on the forward rotary motion of sector h, rotates the sector in the opposite
direction, and returns the draw bar and all the parts to their first position seen in
Figure 1.
-
It will be evident froin the Drawing how with a set of gear applied on each axle
in the case of vehicles hauled alternately from either end one set only will act at a
time. One of the two chains z forms in this case a fixed attachment for the spring w,
the gear in connection with that chain being held fixed by the shoulder 5 on its
draw hook.
Tt will be understood that NASA Counting wellow nN LAYAN Max be amulawed :...
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st 50
February 1877..
:
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent. " IMPROVED STARTING GEAR FOR TRAM CARS AND OTHER

page_text: VEHICLES."
France.
A communication from abroad by Herman Moschcowitz, of Paris,
This Invention relates to improved starting gear for enabling the horses or
other animal power to more readily overcome the inertia of tramway cars and other
vehicles, and it consists in a mechanical arrangement whereby the first effort of the
horses at starting is transmitted and applied to rotate one of the axles, and conse-
quently the pair of wheels fixed thereon in order to set the vehicle in motion.
After the vehicle is started the traction is applied through the draw bar directly
to the vehicle itself, and a reaction spring returns the starting gear to its first
position, when the tractive effort ceases.
Tramway cars and other vehicles which are turned at the end of the journey, and
are therefore always drawn from the same end, would have but one set of starting
gear, but those cars to which the horses are harnessed at either end indifferently
would have two independent sets of gear, one applied to each axle.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood I have illustrated
an example in the accompanying Drawings as applied to a tram car framing, two
sets of gear being shown, one on the axle of each of the two pairs of wheels.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 1-2, Figure 2) of
the car framing, the starting gear being represented out of action; Figure 2 shows
a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a part sectional elevation showing the starting gear at the moment it
is brought into action; and Figure 4 is a similar view showing the same after the
vehicle is started.
Figure 5 shows the starting gear separately drawn on a larger scale; Figure 6
represents a horizontal section of the same taken on line 3-4, Figure 5; and
Figure 7, a vertical section taken on line 5-6, Figure 6.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures.
a car framing; b, b, axles; c, c, two pairs of wheels keyed on axles b, b.
To avoid confusion I will here describe one set of gear only. d is a sleeve with
flanges keyed on axle b, the sleeve being made in two parts united by bolts f
passing through cars e to enable it to be applied to the axle. One flange of sleeve d
is provided with ratchet teeth g; h represents a sector turning loose on sleeve d, to
which it is attached by a strap i and screws j; k is a pawl pivoted at 7 on the side
of sector h; m is an arm of the pawl; n is an elastic cord for holding the pawl out
of gear with the ratchet g, said cord being attached at one end to the arm m, and at
the other to an eye or pin o on the sector h; p are guide pins for the cord n; r is
the draw bar connected to a chain s by a screw coupling t. The chain & passes
around the periphery of sector h, and is attached to a hook or stud u; v, chain
attached at one end to arm m of pawl k, and the other end to a rod v³ connected to
a lever pivoted to the draw hook y, z, chain attached to the periphery of
sector h at a diametrically opposite point to that at which chain 8 is connected, the
chain being connected to an india-rubber or spiral spring w.
Where starting gear is applied on each axle, as shown, the spring w is attached to
the chains of both sets of starting gear, but when a single set is employed the
spring wis attached to any point of framing a.
The whole being arranged as described the action of the apparatus, which is very
simple, is as follows:-Suppose the apparatus to be in the position indicated in
Figures 1 and 2, viz, at the moment of stopping, the first effort exerted by the
horses upon the draw hook y brings the lever x to the position shown in Figure 3,
and the rod and chain v are pulled in the direction of the arrow 1, throwing the
pawl into gear with the ratchet g, as seen in Figure 3, and the draft then coming
on the draw hook itself the draw bar v is pulled in the direction of arrow 2 until a
stop
on it abuts against the block 4 on the frame a, as seen in Figure 4. By
this movement the sector h is partly rotated through the medium of the chain 8,
and as the sector h is rigidly connected with sleeve d by the pawl k engaging with
ratchet wheel g it follows that the axle 6 and wheels c participate in this movement

page_text: of rotation, thereby starting the vehicle. The extent of this rotary movement is
limited by the stop 3, which may be adjusted in position upon draw bar r to
regulate the extent of rotation as required. On the block 3 abutting against stop 4
the draft comes directly upon the frame a, as in ordinary.
When the tractive effort ceases the spring w, which has been put in tension by
the chain z on the forward rotary motion of sector h, retuins the sector, the draw
bar, and all the other parts to their first position, seen in Figure 1.
It will be evident from the Drawing how with a set of starting gear applied on
each axle in the case of vehicles hauled alternately from either end one set only
will act at a time. One of the two chains z forms in this case a fixed attachment
for the spring w, the gear in connection with that chain being held fixed by the
shoulder 5 on its draw hook.
It will be understood that a sleeve, pulley, or lever may be employed in place of
the sector 1.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the inanner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the hercin-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the improved starting gear for tramway
cars and other vehicles, substantially as herein shown and described, consisting
imainly in the combination with the draw bar of a lever, sector, or other multiplier
of power arranged and applied in such manner that by the first effort of tlie horses
it is geared with one of the axles, and the power applied to rotate the axle and
wheels in order to start the vehicle, after which the tractive effort is applied to the
vehicle itself, the starting gear being returned to its original position by a spring
when the vehicle again stops.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.