US239206A - Car brake and starter - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

` T. B. WEBSTER.

Car Brake and Starter.

Wm y..

N- PEERS. FHOTD-LITNOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' THOMAS B. WEBSTER, OF ELIZABETHPORT, NEW JERSEY.

CAR BRAKE AND STARTER.

`SPECIFICATIION forming part of Letters Patent No. 239,206, dated March 22, 1881.

i Application lcd November 30, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS B. WEBSTER, of Elizabethport, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in GarBrakes and Sta-rtersaiulin Clutches therefor, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is applicable, principally, to horse-cars for street-railways; and its object is to provide, in a simple and convenient manner, for storing up powerl derived from the momentum of the car when brakes are applied to stop it, and to effectively apply such power to aid inl starting the car.

My invention consists in the combination, with the two axles of a car or cartruck, ot' a drum upon one axle, which may be locked fast thereto when the car is to be stopped, and by its rotation, acting' through chains or other connections, rotates a drum loosely mounted upon the other 'axle ofthe car, and through other chains or connections attached to the last-mentioned drum compresses or applies tension to a spring or springs and stops the car.

permit the drum to rotate freely on the axle While tension is applied to the spring or` springs, but which prevent the drum from being rotated in the opposite direction by the resilience of said spring or sprin gs without imparting motion to the car-axle upon which itis mounted. Where two clutches are employed in connection with the last-mentioned drum they are arranged upon said axle so that one prevents the rotation of the axle independ-` ently of the drum in one direction, while the other prevents its rotation independently of the drum in the opposite direction, and I employin connection with said drum and clutches novel means for rendering either one ot' said clutches inoperative, so as to provide for moving the car in either direction.

The invention also consists in a novel construction of clutch, which Im use in carrying out my invention.

The invention also consists in various novel details of construction, to be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l` represents Va plan, partly in section, of the run- I einploy,in connection with the last. mentioned drum,a clutch or clutches, which the parts D',

ninggear of a car having my improved devices connected therewith, and a dotted outline of the frame ofthe platform. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section thereof upon the dotted line w x, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a portiouof one of the axles and a central longitudinal section ofthe drum, which is connected by chains or other connections with the spring or springs. Fig. trepresents a similar section at right angles to Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a transverse section .upon the dotted line y y, Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 represents a similar section on the dotted line z z, Fig. 4t.

vSimilar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures. 4

A designates the frame of avcarplatform, and B and U designate, respectively, the front and rear axles, supported in suitable bearings attach ed to the frame, and having secured upon them wheels C', the axles being adapted to rotate with the wheels.

Upon the front axle, B, is a clutch, consisting of a central female portion or drum,\D, which is mounted loosely upon theJ axle B, and two male parts, D', which are placed upon opposite sides of .said central part or drum,D,

and are secured to the axle by means of feath-` ers, so as to rotate therewith, but also so that they are capable of longitudinal movement thereon. The parts D are constructed with conical portions or projections a, adapted to enter correspondingly-shaped recesses in the part D, and, when the parts D are moved to- Ward each other, to lock the central part, D, fast to the axle, so as to rotate therewith.` As shown in Fig. the recesses in the` part D,

`into which the projections a enter, are lined with Wood, so as to prevent abrasion from iron 4working against iron.

E designates levers, pivoted at b to suitable supports depending from the car-platform, forked at one end to engage with grooves in andconnected at the other end by toggle-links E with a draw-bar, E2. By thisA arrangement `of levers, when the car is beingdrawn forward, the axle B rotates freely of the centralpartfor drum, D.

`Upon the axle Gis loosely mounted a drum, F, which is divided into three annular recesses orfgrooves, c c c. In the outer recesses or grooves, c c, are attached chains dud", or simi- IOO lar flexible connections, which are wound once or more around the drum, and are thence passed one to the upper and the other to the under side of the drum D, and are Wound thereon in opposite directions and attached at the ends thereto.

Gr designates bolts or rods, which project inward from the end of the car-frame A; and H designates spiral springs arranged upon said bolts, and flttin g between the ends thereof and a cross-head, I, which is adapted to slide longitudinally thereon., To the cross-head I is attached a chain or other connection, e, which is wound around the drum F in an opposite direction to the chains d cl, and in the central annular recess or groove, o', and hasits end attached to said drum.

In lieu of the two springs G, asingle spring, properly arranged, might be employed.

When it is desired to stop the car the drawbar E is moved inward by the driver 0r conductor by any suitable means-as,for instance, by a brake-spindle, J, having an arm or toe, adapted to en gage with a collar upon the drawbar, and the inward movement of said drawbar, acting through toggle-links E and levers E, moves the parts D nearer together and toward the part D,thereby locking said part firmly upon the axle, and causing it to rotate therewith. The turning of the drum D, actin g through the chain d, passed around the upper side thereof,will rotate the drum F, and through the chain c will draw the cross-head I along` the bolts or rods G and compress the springs H, which offer a rapidly-increasin g resistance to the turning of the drums D and F, and nally stop the car. In some cases, where the car is not turned round at the end ofthe route, i

it will be necessary to be able to move the car in a reverse direction to that here indicated,`

and when the car is thus drawn the chain d', passed around the under side of the drum D, will act in the same manner as previously described to compress the springs H.

The brake should be always under control of the driver as well as the conductor 5 and to enable the driver to apply the brake when the car is drawn backward, I provide at the rear end of the car a second brake-spindle, J The two spindles J J are provided with pulleysor wheels g g,- and g gf designate chains or other connections wound around and xed to said pulleys, by pins or otherwise, and extending in opposite directions from each spindle around guide-pulleys g2 g2. The chains g might extend the length of the car; but the chains which extend to the right and left of the spindles', after passing around the guide-pulleys g2, are preferably connected by two small rods, g3.

' When the horses are attached to the drawbar E2, the parts D are made to engage with the drum D by the driver, but are disengaged from said drum to -free it from the axle by the forward pull of the horses upon the draw-bar in starting the car. When, however, the horses are attached to what is here the rear of the car,the driver not only moves the draw-bar inward to lock the drum D to the axle, but he must also move it in the opposite direction to release said drum from the axle.

So far as described the mechanism for stopping the car is complete; but in order to apply the power of the springs H, itis necessary that the drum F be locked fast to the axle O when turned in the opposite direction to that in which it is turned to compress said springs.

As the drum F may be turned to compress the springs by 'the turning of the drum. D in either direction incident t0 themovement of the car inV either direction, it is obvious that when the car is moving forward the drum F should be locked fast to the axle C when turned in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 1, and turn free in the opposite direction, while when the car is moved backward the drum F should turn free of the axle when turned in the direction indicated by said arrow, and be locked fast thereto when turned in the opposite direction. This is elfected by means of a clutch of any suitable character at each end of the drum F, and mechanism for rendering either clutch inoperative at the pleasure of the driver or conductor. For this purpose I prefer to use a peculiar construction of clutch. (Shown best in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6.)-

The drum F, which, as before stated, is loosemounted upon the axle C, is constructed at to form parts of two clutches, the other parts, F F2, of which are made fast to the axle, so as to rotate therewith. rIhe connection between the parts F and F is such -that the former may turn free of the latter in one direction, and the connection between the parts F2 and F is such that the former may turn free of the latter in the other direction. The drum F has in its ends annular spaces l1, h', while the parts F and F2 have each a lip or rim, t', adapted to slip over the drum F and hold the three parts concentrically.

K K K K designate dogs, of which a pair, K K, are arranged between the parts F and F, and a pair, K K', between the parts F2 and F, and which are provided with proiections j, fitting in the annular spaces h and h', and the form of which is shown in dotted outline in Figs. 5 and 6. Upon the inner face of each part F and F2 arel two lugs, 7c, opposite each other, and adapted to engage with the faces of the dogs at opposite points, l.. The only difference in the connection between the parts F and F and the parts F2 and F is that the dogs K in one case are arranged directly opposite to the arrangement of the dogs K in the other case, as seen by a comparison' of Figs. 5 and 6. Although the arrows in Figs. 5 and 6 point in opposite directions, they really indicate the movement of the drum F in the same direction, as said iigures show opposite ends of the said drum. When the drum F is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 5, it will turn freely of thepart F; but when turned in the opposite direction by ly each end so as ICO ` F2, turn said part, and with it the axle, while when turned in the opposite direction the the force of the springs H the outer side of the annular space [i will bite upon the edges of `the projections j at j', and forcing the oppo` site angle of said projections again st the inner side of said annular space and locking the dogs will canse them both to move with said i drum, and bythe faces lof said dogs engag` ing withn the lugs k upon the part F', said part.,`

with the axle C, will be turned and the car impelled forward. When the drum F is turned in the direction of the arrow, Figs. 5 and 6, the dogs K between it and the part FZ (see Fig. 6) will be locked in the annular space h',

in the manner just described with `reference to the dogs K, and will, by the faces l of the dogs K bearing against the lugs 7c on the part drum F will turn free of the part F2.

When the car is to be moved forward the clutch-connection between the drum F and the part Fzjs to be rendered` inoperative, while when the car is to be moved backward the similar connection between the drum Fand the part F is to be rendered inoperative. This l effect by means of two anges or collars, L L2, mountedloosely on the hubs of the parts Fand F2, and adapted to be shifted longitudinally of the axle C by means of forks a n engaging with grooves therein and actuatedby levers M M2. The flan ges or collars L L2 carry pins or projections o, which are inclined upon theirinner sides, and by theV movement of the langes or collars inward are inserted through holes in the parts F F2 out! side the dogs K K', and `by their inclined inner sides4 bearing uponsaid dogs the dogs of each pair are'moved toward each other, which prevents theannular spaces h h' from locking the dogs when the drum F is turned in either direction. When both anges or collars L L2 are moved inward to render both clutches inoperative,`the drum F is entirely free, audcan- `not transmit the power of the springs H to turn the axle C. When the ange or collar L( is moved inward, the car is adapted for .moving backward, and when the iiauge or collar Ii2 is moved inward, as seen in Figs. l and 4, the car is adapted to move forward. Vhen both flanges or collars `LKL2 are moved outward, both clutches are operative and the drum locked fast to the axle C.

l/.Vhere the car is intended to be turned round at the end of each trip, the part F2 is dispensed with., and in such case no means are employed for rendering the clutch-connection between thedrumF and the part F inoperative, and

in place of the chains d d' only one chain .is

y necessary.

Though I have only represented this form of clutch as applicable to my invention,it may be employed for any other purpose to which it is adapted, and when so employed, although the part F might not be a drum, as here shown, it would in all cases be loose upon an axle or shaft, while the part F would be fast thereon.

i the rear axle, C.

-ment with the car-frame, as shown dotted in Fig. 2, so as to be free to adjust themselves in lille withthe upper or lower periphery ot' the drum F, `to permit of the chain e pulling in a direct line with the bolts G, whether the car is moving ahead or backward.

It will be observed that the force of the springs in braking the car is all exerted upon the front axle, B, and that the power ot' said springs in starting the caris all exerted npon In case the load were principally over the axle (l, the wheels ofthe axle B might slip upon the track without effectively stopping the car, and in case the load were principally over the axle B the axle C, when impelled forward by the springs, might not act effectively in starting the car. To obviate both ot' these difficulties, I prefer to connect the two axles so that one cannot turn inde pendently of the other, and this may be cou-` veniently done by one or two chain-wheels ,p, tixed to each axle, and achain or chains, p', from one wheel to the other, as shown in dotted outline in Fig. l.

I am aware that a car braking and starting apparatus has been devised in which the two axles ot' a car are constructed with square por-` tions and com )risin 0 four drums two of which 7 are shifted upon said square portions to put tension uponsprings to brake the car,and the others of which are then shifted upon said square portions, to enable the springs to exert their power in starting, the two first-mentioned drums being simultaneously removed from said square portions. Such apparatus can, how` ever, only be employed to bring the car to a full stop, as the drums are locked fast to the axle, and there is no chance for slip, and therefore separate braking mechanism must be employed for checking the speed of the car on downgrades when it is not desired to come to a full stop. Another objection to such apparatus is, that it requires a special construction of car-axle, and cannot be readily applied to any car, as can mine.

I am also aware that it is old to combine with each of two car-axles two drums, one of which may be locked fasty to the axle for the purpose of compressing springs, and the other of which may be locked fast to theaxle for applying the power of the springs to turn the axle.

I Ydo not claim either ofthe above-described mechanisms as of-my invention, and in lboth of them it is necessary, after tension is applied to IOS IIO

the springs, to employ devices for holding the springs, while the drums through which tension is applied to them are released from the axles, and the drums through which their power is transmitted are locked fast to the axles. In my caseno-such holding devices are necessary,for as soon as the horses start ahead and exert a pull 0n the draw-bar (the clutch'connection through which the springs transmit their power to the axle being of such a nature that the said drum is automaticallylocked fast to the axle) the springs at once exert their power upon the axle.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the two axles ot' a car or car-truck, of a drum mounted loosely upon one axle, a clutch for locking said drum fast to said axle, a .draw-bar connected with said clutch, and means for moving said drawbar inward to disengage the said drum from said axle, a drum mounted loosely upon the other axle, a spring or springs, and chains or other connections wound upon the last-nnentioned drum in opposite directions, and connected, one with said spring or springs and the other with the first-mentioned drum, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the axles B, of the drum D, the clutch portions D', the levers E, toggle-links E', and draw-bar E2, all substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the axle B, of the drum D, the clutch portions D', the levers E, toggle-links E', draw-bar E2, and the brakespindles J J' at opposite ends ot' the car, connected with said draw-bar for moving it inward, all substantially as specified.

4. lhe combination, with the axles B and C, of a drum, D, on the axle B, a drum, F, loosely mounted on the axle C, the parts F F2, fixed to the axle C, a clutch-connection between the drum F and part F', for preventing the drum from turning independentlyof said axle in one direction only, and a similar connection between the. drum F and part F2, for preventing the drum from turning independentlyT of said axle in the. other direction only, means for rendering either clutch-connection inoperative', a spring` or springs, and chains or other connections, d, d', and e, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, in a clutch, of a part, F, having in its face an annular space, h, a

part, F', having upon its facelugs 7c, and dogs K K, arranged between said parts and on op- -posite sides ot' said lugs 7c, and having projections j, engaging with said annular space,

substantiallyT as and for the purpose specied.

6, The combination of the axle C, drum F, having in its ends annular spaces b L, the parts F F2, pairs ot' dogs K K K' K', having ,projections for itting in said annular spaces,

lian ges or collars L L2, movable longitudinally upon the axle, and provided with pins orprojections o, whereby the dogs of each pair are moved toward each other as said ianges or vcollars are moved inward, substantiallyT as speciiied.

7. The combination, with the two car-axles, the drum D and clutch portions D' upon one axle, the drum F and parts F'F2, each having a clutch-connection with the drum F, upon the Aother axle, n spring or springs, and the con-

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