US140229A - Improvement in car-starters - Google Patents

Description

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A. W HITTEM 0 RE.

Gar-Starters. P10140229. Patentedlune24,18 7.

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A. WHITTEMOBE.

Car-Starters.

NO. 140,229, I PatentedJune24J873- AM PHoro-urnosmmzc co NX osBan/vs's Pnucsss.)

UNITED STATES PATENT AMOS WHITTEMORE, OF GAMBRIDGEPORT, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT lN CAR-STARTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,229, dated J une 24, 1873; application filed October 17, 1872.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AMos WHITTEMORE, of Oambridgeport, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Starting Street-Cars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, Plate 1, is an elevation of one side of a car-bed having my improvement applied to it. Fig. -2, Plate 1, is a bottom view of the same. Fig. 3, Plate 1, is a longitudinal section through the same, showing the starting device out of operation. Fig. 4, Plate 2, is an enlarged view of the starting device. Fig. 5, Plate 3, is an enlarged sectional view, showing the starting device and some of the parts connected therewith in position ready to start the car ahead.

Similar letters of reference indicatecorrespondin g parts in the several figures.

The object of this invention is to utilize the momentum of a street-car, while stopping it, so as to accumulate a force which will start the car again, and thus relieve the horses from considerable labor, as will be hereinafter explained.

The following description of my invention will enable others skilled in the art to understand it. 7

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the bed of a street-railway car, which is mounted on wheels 13, the axle-boxes a of which are allowed free vertical play in their brackets O, in the usual manner. This play I take advantage of for keeping the wheels B on the track while applying the starting device, as will be hereinafter explained. I arrange at one end of a car, or, if desirable, at both ends, or, in the middle of a car, a starting device, which consists oftwo eccentric wheels, G G, applied fast on an axle, c, which axle-has its end hearings in brackets c 0. These wheels are somewhat of a heart-shape--that is to say, the radiuses increase from a flat portion, 9, to a point, 9 the greatest radius being from the axle c to the point g so that when the wheels or starters G are in the position indicated in Figs. 1, 4, and 5, the end of the car will be lifted. The wheels G are arranged in line with the treads of the car-wheels B, so as to impinge on the heads of the rails when in the position shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5. When the wheels G are in the position shown in Fig. 3 they do not touch the rails. My object is now to employ, in combination with the brake-rods J, on which are the usual crankhandles j, certain devices which will enable a driver at either end of the car to adjust the eccentric-wheels upon the rails at pleasurethat is to say, to turn these wheels until the shortest radiuses of the curved portions touch the rails, when, if the car is in motion, they will roll nearly one-half around to the position indicated in Figs. 1, 4, and 5, and lift one end of the car. The brake-rods J 'at both ends of the car are screw-threaded, and turn in nuts so as to receive vertical movements; and around the lower portions of these rods are winding-chains j one of which is connected to the cross-bar j of the brake-shoes D by means of a rod, j", as shown in Fig. 2, while the other chain is connected to the cross-bar of brakeshoes D by means of a rod, j. By these means brakes can be applied to wheels B from either end of the car. For the purpose of aiding my description, I shall hereinafter designate that end of the car under which the eccentric-wheels G are applied as the front end. To each brake-rod J beneath the carbed a collar, 6, is applied, and on the collar 0 of the front brake-rod J rests the forked end of a pivoted arm, E, from which a long rod, E, is suspended by means of a link, E The rod E is pivoted to the cross-bar 7' of the brakeshoes D, so that, when the latter shoes are applied to their wheels, by winding up chain on the front brake-rod J the rod E will be moved forward, and at the same time lowered to the position shown in Fig. 5, Plate 3. When the rod E is thus adjusted, a stop, shoulder, f, on it will receive against it a bar 9 on the eccentric-wheels G, and arrest these wheels in the position indicated in Fig. 5 in full lines, and in Fig. 4 in dotted lines, in

which position the car will be lifted and ready to move forward when the brakes are released and rod E lifted from bar 9 On the collar 0 of the rear brake-rod J the forked end of an angular lever, E rests, the opposite end of I Felon;

which has connected to it a rod, N, which extends forward over the axle c of the eccentric G, and is connected to one arm of a rightangular lever, E, which has its fulcrum at a, and to the other arm of which a rod, 151*, is connected by a link, E This rod E extends back, and is pivoted to the cross-bar of brakeshoes D. It is notched atf for the purpose of engaging with the bar g of eccentrics G, and locking the latter in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4; in 'full lines, when the car is moving in the opposite direction to that above described. The normal position of the eccentrics Gr, when not in operation, is represented in Fig. 3, and in this position the bar 9 lies in the crotch of a shifter, L, which is applied rigidly to a rod, P, that is pivoted at each end to a lever, k. These levers are arranged on the sides of their respective brake-rods J, and have arms k hinged to them, as shown in Fig. 5. The object of the arms 70 is to allow the levers to be operated when desired by the crankarms j on the brake-rods J at the same time that the brakes are applied. These hinged arms k are therefore made long enough to allow the arms j to strike them when arms 70 are moved in a vertical position by the knee of the driver; but when said arms are allowed to fall back, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5, the rod J can be turned and the brakes applied without moving the arms 70. This will be necessary in descending hills, in turning curves in the road, and in checking the speed of the horses.

It will be seen that when it is desired to apply the eccentrics G, in going either one way or the other, the upper arm of the proper lever K'is moved forward, which'will cause the shifter L to swing the eccentrics around until a portion of each one impinges on its respective rail. The brakes are applied simultaneously with the application of the eccentrics to the rails, so that when eccentrics are caught and held by one or the other of the stop-shoulders ff, these eccentrics will not have to slide very far; but as far as they do slide, they will operate as auxiliary brakes. Having thus applied the brakes to the wheels B, and the eccentrics to the rails, and stopped the car, it will be found that the front end of the car is lifted, and the car is prevented from -moving forward and downward by the brakes and one or the other of the locking-rods. When the brake-rod is now elevated to release the brakes, the locking-rod will be released from theeccentrics, and the car will, of its own weight,' m'ove forward with a force proportionate to theweight in the car.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The lifting rolling eccentrics G, arranged beneath a car-bed so as to operate substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with lifting-segments G, of a shifting device, L, arranged to be operated substantially as described.

3. The locking-rods E E in combination with the eccentrics G, substantially asdescribed.

AMOS WHITIEMORE. Witnesses:

J. N. CAMPBELL, JAMES MARTIN, Jr.

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