US374619A - Car brake and starter - Google Patents

Description

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H. H.l oLCoTT.

vUAB. BRAKE AND STARTER. No. 374,619.y v Patented Dec. `13,1887

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` UNITED STATES PATENT rE-ICE.

HERBERT HIRAM OLCOTT, OF ROCHESTER, ILLINOIS.

CAR BRAKE AND STARTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,619, dated December 13. 1887.

Application filed June 14,1887. Serial No. .llflTS. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, HERBERT HIRAM OL- GOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Combined Street Car Brakes and Starters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in street-car brakes and starters; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a portion o f a streetcar provided with a starter and brake embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is avertical section. Fig. 4 is an end view.

Arepresents the platform of the car. B represents the bearing brackets or hangers which depend therefrom, and C represents the shaft, journaled in the said brackets or hangers and provided with the usual wheels, D, which are rigid with the shafts. Each shaft is provided near one end, on the inner side of one of the wheels, with a rigid collar, E, the inner edge of which is provided with engaging-teeth F.

G represents sliding clutches, one of which is provided on each of the shafts. The said clutches are adapted to engage collars E, and are provided with arms H, which extend upward toward the bottom of the car.

At each end of the car is journaled a vertical shaft, I. The upper ends of the said shafts are squared, and are thereby adapted to fit an openingin a removable crank-handle, K,which is adapted to be attached to either of the shafts. The lower ends of the said shafts project downward below the bottom of the car, and the said shafts are each provided with a ratchetwheel, L.

M represents dogs which are fulcrumed on the ends of the platform, and are'adapted to be operated by the foot of the driver, the said dogs being capable of being turned into or out of engagement with the ratchet-wheels.

Under the center of the car-bottom is secured a depending keeper, N. In this keeper is centrally fulcrumed the cross-bar or lever O.

Prepresents longitudinal rods,which extend from the end of the bar O in opposite directions and reach nearly to the ends of the car. Chains R connect the said rods to the lower ends ofthe shafts I, and the rods P are pivotally jointed ata suitable distance from the bar O and connected to the upper end ofthe clutcharm H.

S represents a pair of coiled retractile springs which are arranged on opposite sides' of the bar O. The outer ends of the said springs are secured to the bottom of the car, and the inner ends of the springs are connected to the bar O, near the ends thereof.

T represents a pair of bars which are pivoted to the under side of the keeper N, as at T3, and have their inner ends pivoted together, as at T4. the car and have their outer ends pivoted to the lower ends of shifting-levers U, which are fulcrumed on the ends of the car. Each bar T has a laterally-projecting arm, T', the outer end of which is connected to an annular strap, T2, which engages an annular groove in the adjacent clutch G. By having the inner ends of the bars T pivoted together at T" when either of the said bars is turned on its pivot T3, so as to cause its clutch to engage the sleeve on one of the axles, the other bar will be turned in the opposite direction, and thereby cause its clutch to disengage the sleeve on the other axle, as will be readily understood. The bars T are moved by means of the shifting-bars U.

The operation of my invention is as follows: While the car is in motion the shifting-levers are moved, so as to disconnect the clutches from the shafts. In order to 'stop the car, the driver moves the shifting-lever U at the end of the car at which he is stationed,'so as to cause the clutch on the front axle to engage the sleeve thereof and the clutch on the rear axle to disengage the sleeve thereon. This causes the arm H of the said front clutch to turn with the axle, and thereby cause the 1ever-bar O to draw upon the springs until the resistance of the springs stops the rotation of the axle, and thereby brings the car to astandstill. While the arm H of the clutch is turning the rod P, attached to the sa'id arm, is forced forward and the driver turns the shaft I, so'as to coil the chain on the lower end The said bars extend to the ends of IOO thereof to take up the slack in the chain. As soon as the car stops, the driver forces the dog to engage the ratchet-Wheel of the lever I, and the energy expended in stopping the car is 5 stored in the springs. The front lever U is then operated to move the bar T, so that the front clutch is disengaged from the front axle and the rear clutch is caused to engage the rear axle. The driver then trips the front dog Io from the front lever-I and releases his hold on the crank-handle of the said lever, and the springs, by drawing partly rotate on the bar O, causing the latter to partly rot-ate the rear clutch, G, and as the said clutch remains in engagement with the rear shaft While being moved forward by the springs it necessarily partly rotates the sha-ft, and thereby starts the car, thus greatly lessening the labor of the draftanimal. As soon as the car is started, 2o the shifting-lever is moved, so as to cause the clutch to disengage the shalt, as before.

By means ot' my improved apparatus thccar may be stopped and started from either end, and may be caused to start in either direction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim* 1. The combination, in a car brake and starter, of the shaft or axle, the clutch to engage the saine and having the arm H, the 5o spring, the rod connected to the spring and to the arm, the lever l, connected to the said rod, for the purpose set forth, and means, snbstantially as set forth, to throw the clutch into or out of engagement with the axle, substantially as described. l

2. The combination, in a car brake and starter, of the shaft or axle, the clutch G thereon, adapted to engage the same and provided with the arm H,'the spring, the rod connecting the said spring to the arm H, the crankshaft I, connected to the said rod, the pivoted bar T, having the arm T engaging the clutch to move the same into or out of engagement with the axle, and the shifting-lever connect-ed to the bar to operate the latter, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a ear Vbrake and starter, of the axles, the clutches thereon adapted to engage the same and provided with the arms H, the lever-bar O, fnlcruined between the axles, the springs S, extending in opposite directions, arranged on opposite sides of the levers R, and having their inner ends connected to the same, the rods P, connecting the lever-bar O and the arms II, the crank-shaft l, the chains connecting the said shaftwith the arms I), and the levers to move the clutches into or ont ot' engagement with the axles, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HERBERT HIRAM OLCOTT.

Vitiiesses:

Z. G. CnoUoiI, J AMEs ToBrN.

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