IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY VEHICLES, FOR THE SPECIAL PURPOSE OF ALLOWING THEM TO RUN FREELY ON SHORT CURVED LINES."
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmond Roy, of No. 36, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris,
in the Empire of France, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY VEHICLES, FOR THE SPECIAL
PURPOSE OF ALLOWING THEM TO RUN FREELY ON SHORT CURVED LINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmond Roy at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
.3rd June 1857.
:
.:
I, EDMOND ROY, of No. 36, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of
France, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY VEHICLES, FOR THE SPECIAL
PURPOSE OF ALLOWING THEM TO RUN FREELY IN SHORT CURVED LINES;" to be as
follows:
1°, in a new arrangement of the axle boxes and axle bearings, the latter
being to slide in the former in an inclined direction whenever the train is
running on a curved line, allowing thus the axletrees to converge, so as to
remain constantly at right angles with the line of rails.
2°, in the mode of attaching the waggons together or to the locomotive
engine, in applying a single buffer block in the middle, in order to help to
the converging motion of the trains running on curved lines.
077

page_text: By the application of this improved mode of constructing railway vehicles
the rails require no longer to be laid in straight lines. The axletrees of the
vehicles used hitherto on railways always remain parallel to each other when
running, which is a great cause of the wearing out of wheels; but with this
new system, as the axles are at liberty to converge, the wearing out and
the danger of running off the line are much lessened. With this system all
the axletrees of a vehicle remain parallel when the train is running inastraight
line, but as soon as it runs on a curved line they become convergent, and as
the middle part of the axletrees remain very nearly at equal distances from
each other the axletrees of locomotive engines may be coupled by central
coupling rods, and such engines could be made with four or five axletrees,
all coupled with each other, and as many pairs of driving wheels, and such
engines could run on curved lines of one hundred yards radius. The only
buffer block, as represented on the annexed Drawing which is the plan of
part of a waggon frame, has for its object to prevent shocks, and to unite the
waggons with one another, replacing thus both the dragging chains and side
buffers. This dragging mode making the trains more compact allows them
to turn more freely on curved lines, and prevents the tiresome swinging
motion (mouvement de lacet).
Figure 1 is a plan of part of a waggon frame supposed to possess three
axletrees, in which case the middle one should be steady, and fitted in with
common axle boxes. The one shewn on the Figure is to converge; its axles
a, a, run in bearings b, b, which can slide in the axle boxes c, c, in the inclined
direction of the line i, j, and the axletree should then follow, assuming the
direction g, h, convergent to the axis of the waggon. B. coupling buffer
block, entering on a hooked part of the dragging bars D, D. This block
is shewn in side elevation, Figure 2, and in vertical section, Figure 3.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edmond Roy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd December 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDMOND
Roy, of No. 36, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, France, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,

page_text: did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edmond Roy, Her special licence that I, the said Edmond Roy, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Edmond Roy, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE:
CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY VEHICLES, FOR THE SPECIAL PURPOSE OF ALLOWING THEM TO
RUN FREELY ON SHORT CURVED LINES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Edmond Roy, my executors or administrators,. by an instru-
ment in writing under my or their or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edmond Roy, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement:-
My Invention consists in a new arrangement of the axle boxes and bearings,
and in the mode of connecting together the waggons or carriages of either,
for the purpose of allowing the train to run freely on curved railway lines...
Firstly, the axle bearings are fitted in their boxes in such a way that they
can slide in an oblique direction whenever the wheels are running on curved
lines, through the action exerted on the flanges of the wheels by the rails,
which action brings the axles always at right angles with the said line of
rails.
Secondly, the mode of attaching the waggons, either together or to the
locomotive engine, is by applying a single connecting buffer block in the
middle between each vehicle, which allows the waggons hinging freely with.
each as they run on curved lines.
My Invention is illustrated in the annexed Drawings, where the arrange-
ments of the sliding bearings are represented in their several positions and
features, and it will be obvious that the axles will move either to the right
or left, and thus be brought into right angles with the rails. In straight
lines the axles will remain parallel to each other, and in curved lines they
will be placed in the direction of the radii.

page_text: Pl.I., Fig. 1, plan of a waggon frame fitted with inclined sliding bearings.
There are three axles. The middle one is fitted with common steady bearings;
the two end axles a, b, & c, d, are fitted with oblique sliding bearings. The
bearings of these axles can slide in their boxes in a transverse direction, so
that when arriving at a curved portion of the line, the middle axle being
steady, the two end ones are brought round in the right or left direction,
according to the direction of the curve, on account of the action of the rails
against the wheel flanges, and the axis of the axle bearings m & n, & 0, r,
are brought to m', n', & o', ', the distance between the lines m, n, & m', n',
being equal to the radius of the arc included betwixt the two end axles.
Then, on account of the obliquity of the sliding pieces, the said axles move
at the positions a, b, & c, d, which are at right angles with the curved line
A, B, of the way, shewn by a dotted line. The obliquity of the slide pieces
vary according to the following circumstances: firstly, the distance between
the axles; secondly, the distance from centre to centre of same axle bearings.
This obliquity is easily found out by calculation. It is constant for the same
axle to bring it constantly at right angles with the line of rails on curves of
any radius.
The bearings can be placed either inside or outside of the line
motion line of the bearings
The slide pieces are made
of rails, as shewn in Fig. 1. The trajectory or
may be a straight line, as shewn in Figs. 8 & 9.
with straight edges, but the bearing or bearings must be of the rotula shape,
in order to prevent the axles shifting in their bearings, on account of their
obliquity. In order to avoid this inconvenience, a curved trajectory line can
be adopted instead of a stright one. The graphical cut of these curved
edges are shewn by dotted lines for the axles c, d, Fig. 1; Figs, 3, 4, 5,
& 6, are the details of such bearings with curved oblique slide pieces.
In order to shew the practicabillity of applying sliding bearings to loco-
motive engines, I give Figs. 13 & 14, Pl. I, the sketch, in side elevation and
plan, of a machine of that description disposed for propelling either passenger
or goods trains. The goods engine is shewn by plain lines, and the disposition
of the passengers engine is shewn by dotted lines. In the first one the
axles before and behind the fire box are fitted with common bearings. Of
course they remain steady and constantly parallel to one another. They
are coupled with each other by a coupling rod, fitted as usual at both ends;
and they are also provided with a middle crank, for the purpose of coupling
them with the end axles with a single coupling rod, as shewn, Fig. 14.
After trying experiments on this subject, I can affirm that this arrangement
can be safely adopted, because in passing round curves of 100 yards radius

page_text: the distance of the axles from centre to centre will not vary more than
o to Too of an inch, notwithstanding their change of position and their con-
verging together, whence follows the practicabillity of constructing loco-
motive engines with 8 or 10 driving wheels capable of running on short curved
lines. All the cranked arms and crank pins are disposed as shewn in Fig. 15,
so as to have all the dead points at cross ways. On long curved lines, by the
application of sliding axle bearings, the adhesive power of the machines will
be increased by applying three axles as usual in a parallel and rigid position,
the two end ones being fitted in slide axle bearings, and coupled at their
middle part with the next rigid ones. By this arrangement use can be made
of the tenders of locomotive engines, as shewn in the sketch, Figs. 13 & 14,
and then the whole weight of water & fuel is made useful for adhesive
purposes. The passenger engine is with its two driving axles situated before
and behind the fire box; they are steady, and the two end bearing ones are
fitted in sliding axle bearings. The same system of axle bearings can be
applied in a similar manner to passenger engines with a single driving axle,
and my system of sliding axle bearings can be applied to any locomotive
engine, whatever may be the number of its axles, or the position of the
steady ones, or the size of the driving wheels.
In short curved lines, with the waggons in actual use, the converging
action causes the inward buffers only to work, whilst the outward ones do
hardly touch each other, and as the axles of my Invention can shift freely
to the right or left within the frame, it might result from this arrangement
that the motion of the whole vehicle might be too considerable. In order
to avoid these two inconveniences, I set a single buffer on the axis at either
end of the waggons.
Each draw bar K and g, Figs, 1, 10, 11, 12, 12ble,
Pl. I., bears a vertical half-cylindrical block or lump S. When two waggons
are brought near each other the adjoining half-cylindrical blocks S form
together a cylinder, as shewn, Figs. 10 & 12; they are coupled with each
other by two half-cylindrical surrounding pieces V & V₁, which pieces are
tied together by rings q & q', fitted at their top & bottom. The ring q
is steady on the cylindrical coupling pieces V, VI, to which it is attached by
suitable lugs i, Fig. 12, but it is loosely fitted, so as to allow the easy putting
on of the coupling pieces on the blocks S. The ring q' is then put on the
coupling pieces, and maintained on them by a key passing over a rivet, as
shewn, Fig. 12, or by any other suitable means. By this arrangement the
buffer blocks S can slide freely up and down between the coupling pieces to
obey the vertical action of gravity, and the adjoining draw bars cau assume

page_text: oblique directions to one another on account of the outrounded shape of
the buffer's touching forces, but any transverse motion is prevented. The
drawing action is exerted on the springs by means of forked pieces e & f,
Fig. 1, whilst the dashings exert a direct action on the same springs through
the buffer rods & g of the buffers. The Fig. 10, 11, 12, & 12 are the
particulars of my coupling system.
The Figs. of Pl. II. shew another arrangement of the oblique sliding axle
bearings. In order to obviate the great readiness of the end axles shifting
to the right or left in the arrangement previously described, I give the oblique
sliding motion to the middle axle instead of the end ones. The end axles
a, b, & c, d, Fig. 14, can have no transverse shifting motion; they are fitted
in rotula-shaped bearings, whilst the middle axle can have a right or left
hand motion, according to the curvature of the line of rails, carrying along
with it the axle bearings m &n, with oblique or wedge-shaped sides, which
bearings move to m' & '. The sides of the axle bearing n push forwards the
rods e&f. These rods slide lengthways betwixt double guard plates, which
maintain them. The rods e & f being attached to the axle boxes a & c, the
latter partake of the motion of the rods; they recede from each other, and move
from à & c to a &c. The axle bearing m produces an inverted motion by
means of the bridle r, Fig. 14, attached to the bearing and embracing it.
This bridle passes in the grooveso of the adjoining connecting rods, forcing
them to draw near each other, and of course also the axle bearings b&d of
the end axles, which are brought to b' & d'. The same arrangement is to be
made with respect to the axle bearing », in order to cause it to produce the
same effect in a reverted curved line. For connecting the under frame of a
truck or waggon with the upper one, the axle bearings m & n of the middle
axle bears a small tongue, which slides in a groove cut in the plate Y, Fig. 10.
This plate, which carries the axle box, is fastened with the bearing spring;
it is maintained in all directions by the double guard plates. The Figs.
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, & 13, Pl. 2, are several views of the middle axle fittings,
shewing the arrangement of the oblique sliding axle bearings. The Figs.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6 are similar views of the arrangement of the end axle bearings.
The outside box Y, Fig. 2, of the axle bearings slides under the cross-guard
plate Z, which carries the axle box. This plate is likewise maintained in
all directions by the double vertical guard plates L, L, whilst the axle box Y
is maintained only in the transverse direction. Its longitudinal position is
determined by the sliding pieces of the middle axle through the connecting
rods e &f,. Fig. 1. The axles have a collar at the middle, which being closely

page_text: fitted in the bearings can be used for lubricating. It should then penetrate
in the oil box h, Fig. 5, and by the action of centrifugal force and the help
of some small cuts around it would carry along in its rotative motion the
oil required for its own and the axle lubricating.
The arrangement of sliding axle bearings could be applied in like manner
to the locomotive engine, sketched, Pl. I. The two middle axles, which
are steady, should then have a transverse shifting motion, and either of
them would carry an inclined sliding piece to actuate, by means of connect-
ing rods, as in the waggon, the end axletrees, which should then have no
transverse shifting motion.
In the waggon, represented Fig. 14, Pl. 2, the middle axle might also
actuate the converging motion of the end axles when the train is running
on a curved line. The axle bearings of the said middle axles for that pur-
pose would not require to have oblique sides; this motion would be produced
by means of the rods k & p, attached to the axle bearings, and connecting one
end of the middle axle to the opposite end of the end axle, as shewn in red
lines, Fig. 14, with the axle bearings placed inwardly to the wheels. In this
arrangement the obliquity of the connecting rods performs the same work
as the inclined sides of the axle bearings, presenting a moveable rectangle,
the permanent diagonal lines of which k & p, by altering their position at
& p¹, would impel two of the sides of the rectangle (the axis of the end
axles) to get out of their parallel position, and to assume another position
at right angles with the line of rails.
The converging motion of the axles can also be obtained by the hinging
motion of levers a, a, & y, y', Fig. 1, Pl. I., which levers would be moveable
at x&y around pegs or bolts, fixed on a cross sleeper of the frame, or any
other steady part of the waggon. The middle axles should be steady, and
the end ones could shift to the right or left, according to the curvature of
the line; but in this shifting motion, the axle bearings being attached to the
levers x, x, &y, y, could not move but in an arc of a circle, as is shewn
in Fig. 1 by dotted lines, the said levers working in the same manner as the
oblique sliding guides to bring the end axles to right angles with the line
of rails.
My Invention being now described, I wish to mention that I do not mean
to restrain myself to the precise arrangements and shape of the parts as they
are represented on the annexed Drawing, which is an illustration of my
Invention, & which consists, firstly, in a new arrangement of the axle boxes
& bearings for procuring a converging motion to the axles whenever the

page_text: trains run on curved lines, by any of the means described and illustrated by
the Figures of the annexed Drawing; secondly, in the mode of attaching the
waggons of a train to one another or to the locomotive engine by applying a
single connecting buffer block in the middle between each vehicle, as has
been described, to allow a free hinging motion of the said waggons as they
run on curved lines.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmond Roy, have hereunto set my
hand & seal, this Eighteenth day of November, A.D. Eighteen
hundred and fifty-seven.
igned and sealed in the presence of
L. D'AUBREVILLE, C. E.,
Rue de l'Echiquier, 36.
EDMOND ROY. (L.S.)