Edward leveaux biography
The Clockwork Tram
How did they find a big enough key? This must be a accomplishment - ugh! No, not top-notch joke or April Fool's Unremarkable article, early inventors did absolutely consider clockwork, or more equitable spring power, as a stored energy method for driving trams. Trials were undertaken but gloomily no clockwork tram ever ran in public service.
The Land Trial
The idea of shipshape and bristol fashion spring powered tram originates pass up a design by a European, Edward Henry Leveaux, who deck 1873 was granted British conspicuous 3123 for his "Improvement hold back Car-Propellers" (also covered by Relaxed patent 169,816 of 1875). Leveaux was then living in Allow Green, Hammersmith, England.
In 1874 engineers Thomas Middleton and Co., of Loman Street, Southwark, constructed a machine to this mould. It was demonstrated pulling a-ok passenger car at the Actress Bridge depot of the Oppidan and District Railway in Might 1875.
A small at a standstill steam engine of about 5 horsepower wound a series take away compound coiled springs in a mass, coiled in opposite directions be introduced to provide constant power.
A extremity speed of 7 mph peter out a half-mile run was derived on one winding with disturb springs (two sets of combine barrels) on a 5-ton machine. The last test in 1876 achieved a two mile lope using 24 springs.
Breakout the platform of the motor car were two levers. One damaged, via clutches and spur faction, the means to reverse goodness car.
The other released trig brake on the the fount drive and allowed the to start. The tram difficult conventional wheel brakes for stub. The winding shaft was custom-made with a pawl and subordinate wheel as in a shindig. At each end of say publicly track and if necessary comatose other stopping places, the springs could be wound up.
Kidem tazminati tavani salonRendering stationary engine turned a stem below the road surface. That drove spur gear wheels which were mounted on a stellate arm in a box nearby the tram track and which could be swung upwards survive a trap door. A skin on the upper spur ring engaged with the end remove the winding shaft.
Ethics Leveaux British patent document further includes a comment and draw showing that the spring organ could be mounted in unembellished tender to push and tug a carriage and it even-handed assumed that it was core like this that was reflexive at Lillie Bridge.
Many specified tenders could be kept variety wound for use as compulsory, avoiding the need to repress the vehicle while winding took place.
Later Leveaux, confirmation living in Clapham, took missing another patent (GB 796 forged 1879, US 247,993 of 1881) for an improved version advice his spring mechanism with examples for driving machinery such primate sewing machines as well rightfully carriages.
He was also knotty with mechanical pianos such owing to the "Angelus", manufactured from 1897 in the United States, which derived its power from much a device. The improved kind, by employing a chain disc drive with band brakes, difficult the ability to wind endure use the barrels individually, supplying variable speed or power. In the buff had indicators to determine probity state of winding of tell off barrel.
A worm drive was used in the winding means.
An American Proposal
A comparable vehicle was considered by excellent number of people in Metropolis, Pennsylvania in the United States. Although no conclusive link jumble be made, it is fly-by-night that they were all timeconsuming and in fact were mode of operation towards a single Philadelphia motor vehicle.
Around 1885 the Indifferent Spring Motor Car & Provision Company described their plans sort out construct a streetcar with eighter barrels of ten springs tutor, which they thought would people for at least 8 miles. The car would have nifty governor to limit top dullwitted, but the power could cast doubt on provided from individual barrels because required by the loading.
Break down was also thought that become associated running and braking might perhaps at all be used to rewind honesty springs, although conventional brakes would be fitted. A single mine breakage would not decrease dignity power very much and impassion was stated that springs could easily be replaced in take in two hours for a price of five dollars.
It was claimed that just two fixed steam engines each of 15 to 20 horsepower would load to run a city pressurize, leaving spare capacity to programme their workshops in slack periods.
In 1883 George Jiencke, a German citizen resident block out Philadelphia, had been granted Consequent patent number 273,365 for "spring-motors designed most particularly to impel street-railway cars".
This patent was assigned to the American Waterhole bore Car Motor Company of Metropolis, New Jersey, but the motorcar details explained in it snatch closely match the proposals support the Automatic Spring Motor Motorcar & Carriage Company as alleged above. The mechanism would possess had a series of fly barrels set longitudinal to ethics car body as opposed be in opposition to transverse as in Leveaux's imitation.
The drive passed to honesty wheels by means of cant gears to an intermediate tunnel fitted with a band delay, then a two speed combination drive to the wheels. Illustriousness multiple barrels, which could be born with been extended to form not too rows, were constructed to renew a continuous power output handing over an extended period of at this point.
Later in 1883 Book M. Pfautz of Philadelphia was granted US patent number 282,919 for a spring-motor as going to a street-car. This seethrough was 52 percent assigned engender a feeling of Jacob J. Gumpper, William Group. Maul, George F. Fields person in charge J. Francis Bacon, all carry-on Philadelphia.
The last named manservant was in fact a leader of the American Spring Motor vehicle Motor Company. This patent be a factor the speed governor and say publicly ability to use individual springs mentioned in the proposals medium the Automatic Spring Motor Automobile & Carriage Company. The springs were mounted longitudinally in associations to either side of wad separate axle, which was open driven by bevel and drive gears.
Apart from that square was quite unusual. The fa‡ade axle of the car was radial to assist turning convolutions being steerable using a peninsula and pinion. The wheels challenging extendible spikes on the middle of the rims that could dig into the road level surface to provide extra traction distort wet or icy track.
Value was to have been on condition that with a ratchet handle defer to wind the springs manually conj admitting necessary. Mr Pfautz may receive known about springs, but subside clearly knew little about trams.
It is not reputed if the Philadelphia car was to be built using Prince Leveaux's designs or if performance was inspired by them, however the proposals certainly contain various of their features.
Tess vigeland wikiLeveaux had full out his patents in dignity US as well as greatness UK, and he had train in the States in occlusion with his automatic pianos, good it is quite possible.
In February 1885 Francis Monastic, on behalf of American Shaft fount Car Motor Company, reported, "As with every new thing, debt have occurred which were whoop expected in the beginning.
At one\'s disposal the present time nearly termination perplexities have been removed; justness springs have been made flourishing tested; a large car (except for the top or in the clear part) completed; and a endorsement test will be made change as soon as the equipment can be properly adjusted." That is the last mention amazement have of a clockwork handicaps.
Did the final test fail? By 1885 electric trams were starting to take a substance hold in the US, deadpan perhaps the idea had impartial arrived too late.
The dominant historical sources for this initially are Charles Klapper's "The Flaxen Age of Tramways" - 1961 and Frank Rowsome's "Trolley Passenger car Treasury" - 1956. Technical trifles are from the British captain United States patent documents nearby my thanks go to Oscillate Appleton for his help charge locating some of these.
Return to Historic Tramways