IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LOCKING AND DRIVING GEAR OF TRACTION ENGINES, STEAM PLOUGH ENGINES, AND OTHER ENGINES OF A LIKE NATURE
Year: 1884

page_text: We ALFRED GREIG and RICHARD HOLGATE SHAW both of the Steam Plough
Works in Leeds in the County of York Engineers and JOHN WHITTINGHAM
of Nantwich in the County of Chester Engineer do hereby declare the nature
of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LOCKING AND DRIVING GEAR OF
TRACTION ENGINES, STEAM PLOUGH ENGINES, AND OTHER ENGINES OF A LIKE
NATURE" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the locking and driving gear
of traction engines, steam plough engines, and other engines of a like nature.
In the Specification of the Patent granted to John Whittingham N° 3860-1880
a means is described by which the leading wheels of a traction engine may be
driven without interfering with the locking of the axle.
The axle is surrounded by a pair of rings and the parts are connected by gimbal
joints.
The outer ring is supported upon rollers and the power to drive the axle is
applied to it. Thus, whilst the axle is free to incline to accomodate itself either
to the inequalities of the road or to the steerage of the engine the axle is compelled
by the driving gear to rotate continuously.
In Whittingham's arrangement however the two leading wheels are fast upon the
axle, and consequently must rotate at the same speed.
The present Invention provides that the two wheels on the fore axle may
rotate at different speeds, by which the steerage of the engine and its passage
around curves is greatly facilitated. We effect this by connecting the inner ring of
the gimbal joint with a tube surrounding the axle, and carrying a frame in which
bevilled pinions upon stud axes are mounted. These axes are radial to the axle,
and the pinions which they carry gear with two bevilled wheels concentric with
the axle, and one on either side of them.
One of the bevilled wheels is fixed to one of the road wheels which revolves
loose on the axle and the other bevilled wheel is fixed to the axle.
The axle passes from side to side of the engine through the driving tube and has
one of the road wheels fast upon it. The rotation of the bevilled pinions then
allows of the road wheels to travel at different rates and to accomodate themselves
to the steerage.

page_text: The arrangement may be modified by mounting the bevilled pinions upon studs
radiating from the axle itself at the centre thereto, the same studs then serve as the
pivots connecting the axle with the inner ring of the gimbal.
These pinions engage with other bevilled pinions formed or fixed at the inner
ends of tubes surrounding the axle. These tubes pass right and left of the engine
and upon then the two road wheels are fixed.
The outer ring of the gimbal has spur teeth upon it and is driven by a pinion
upon a horizontal transverse axis beneath the smoke box of the engine.
In some cases in place of supporting the outer ring of the gimbal upon rollers, we
cause it to revolve as an axis within a bearing of large dimensions beneath the
boiler of the engine at the smoke box end; the ring then rests upon brasses with
which this bearing is bushed.
Beneath the bearing there is a cup enclosing the under side of the wheel, this
cup serves as a trough to contain oil to insure the effectual lubrication of the parts
revolving in the bearing.

page_text: CONTDEIL
SPECIFICATION.
We ALFRED GREIG and RICHARD HOLGATE SHAW both of the Steam Plough
Works in Leeds in the County of York Engineers and JOHN WHITTINGHAM
of Nantwich in the County of Chester Engineer do hereby declare the nature
of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LOCKING AND DRIVING GEAR OF
TRACTION ENGINES, STEAM PLOUGH ENGINES, AND OTHER ENGINES OF A LIKE
NATURE " and in what manner the same is to bo performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object improvements in the locking and driving gear
of traction engines, steam plough engines and other engines of a like nature.
In the Specification of the Patent granted to John Whittingham No 3860-1880
a means is described by which the leading wheels of a traction engine may be
driven without interfering with the locking of the axle.
The axle is surrounded by a pair of rings and the parts are connected by gimbal
joints.
The outer ring is supported upon rollers and the power to drive the axle is
applied to it. Thus, whilst the axle is free to incline to accomodate itself either to
the inequalities of the road or to the steerage of the engine the axle is compelled
by the driving gear to rotate continuously.
In Whittingham's arrangement however the two lending wheels are fast upon the
axle, and consequently must rotate at the saine speed.
The present invention provides that the two wheels on the fore axle may rotate
at different speeds, by which the steerage of the engine and its passage around
curves is greatly facilitated. We effect this by connecting the inner ring of the
gimbal joint with a tube surrounding the axle, and carrying a frame in which
bevelled pinions upon stud axes are mounted. These-axes are radial to the axle,
and the pinions which they carry gear with two bevelled wheels concentric with
the axle, and one on either side of them.
One of the bevelled wheels is fixed to one of the road wheels which revolves
loose on the axle and the other bevelled wheel is fixed to the axle.
The axle passes from side to side of the engine through the driving tube and has
one of the road wheels fast upon it. The rotation of the bevelled pinions then
allows of the road wheels to travel at different rates and to accomodate themselves'
to the steerage.
The arrangement may be modified by mounting the bevelled pinions upon studs
radiating from the axle itself at the centre the same studs then serve as the pivots
connecting the axle with the inner ring of the gimbal.
These pinions engage with other bevelled pinions formed or fixed at the inner
ends of tubes surrounding the axle. These tubes pass right and left of the engine
and upon them the two road wheels are fixed.
The outer ring of the gimbal has spur teeth upon it and is driven by a pinion
upon a horizontal transverse axis beneath the smoke box of the engine.

page_text: which this bearing is bushed.
Beneath the bearing there is a cup enclosing the under side of the wheel, this
cup serves as a trough to contain oil to insure the effectual lubrication of the parts
revolving in the bearing.
In order that our said invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of apparatus in accordance with our
invention; the section is taken on the centre line of the front wheels of a
traction engine boiler. Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 1, 2-Figure 1
and shows the bracket by which the apparatus is attached to the boiler. Figures 3
and 4 show a modification. Figures 5 and 6 show another modification. In
Figures 1 and 2 A is the boiler barrel, B B¹ the road wheels and C the fore axle of
the engine. On this axle is mounted a tube D which embraces it, and keyed to
this tube is a ring E having on its outer circumference pins e e. Outside this ring
is a gimbal ring F made in halves jointed transversely to the axle and bolted
together with four bolts, in such manner that it embraces the pins e e, it has on its
outer diameter pins f,f which are embraced by another gimbal ring G built up in
segments holted firmly together and on the outside of this ring is another ring G¹
having around its external circumference spur teeth into which the teeth of a
pinion H gear, this pinion is keyed onto a shaft H' driven by the engine.
Beneath the barrel of the boiler is attached a strong frame I carrying rollers K K
arranged in three pairs their flanges and also those of the pinion which forms the
fourth roll serving as guides in which the ring G may revolve in a vertical plane.
It will be seen that the axle C can be locked to a considerable angle for guiding
the engine round curves and that it may also have a large amount of cant without
in any way interfering with the teeth of the pinion H gearing truly with the teeth
of the spur segment ring G¹.
x
The two road wheels B B¹ are both driven through the tube D on which the
ring E is firmly keyed. This tube has at its outer end a frame d carrying three
bevil pinions d' mounted on pins d² and gearing into two bevil wheels c c one of
which is keyed firmly onto the road axle or shaft C and the other c¹ is bolted
firmly onto the road wheel B¹, this wheel is not secured to the shaft but it can turn
on it when the engine is passing round curves-the other wheel B being keyed
firmly on to the shaft C always revolves with it. The shaft C can turn in the
tube D but the tube D¹ may be fixed to the shaft and turn with it as it merely
serves as a distance collar.
The shaft H of the pinion H is driven from the engine by a chain and chain
wheels or it may be in other convenient manner; and the pinion gearing into the
teeth of the spur ring G¹ carries round with it the tube D the bevil pinions d¹ and
the bevil wheels c c' into which they gear and which are fast with the road wheels.
So long as the engine pursues a straight course the whole gearing shaft and road
wheels rotate together at a uniform speed but so soon as the shaft is locked to
steer the engine round a curved track the tube D rotates slightly in one or
other direction thus allowing the road wheels to accommodate themselves to the
curve.
At Figures 1× and 2× we have shown how the front driving wheels may be
arranged so that they may be released from the driving gear by pulling out locking
pins, thus enabling the engine to be steered in the ordinary manner and not
interfering with the driving gear of the front wheels. The gear for driving the

page_text: front wheels can also be put out of motion, thus enabling the engine to be used as
an ordinary traction engine, when the work required to be done is not sufficient to
require the full tractive power of all the four wheels.
A modification of the preceding is shown by Figures 3 and 4 where Figure 3 is
a vertical cross section; all the parts excepting the shaft and one road wheel being
shown in section the line of section being taken through the centre of the pinion
shaft and the road axle or shaft and Figure 4 is a side view of the front part of the
boiler and bracket carrying the front axle of a traction engine, some of the parts
being shown in section, the line of section being taken on the centre line of the
boiler. In these figures similar parts are marked with like letters of reference to
the first figures. The mode of carrying the gimbal ring G on rollers K is very
similar to the preceding arrangement, but in addition to its being guided by flanges
formed on the rollers it revolves within flanges formed in the frame I and in place
of the bevil pinions ď ď being carried on a frame on the tube D they are mounted
on a stud or pin d' passing through the axle or shaft C where it is secured by a
bolt, this stud also serves as a pivot for connecting the shaft to the inner ring F of
the gimbal.
The pinions d' d' carried by the pin d' engage with bevil wheels c¹ c¹ formed
or fixed at the inner ends of the tubes D D surrounding the axle. These tubes pass
right and left and have at their outer ends flanges to which the road wheels B B
are bolted. Both tubes and road wheels are loose on the shaft the latter being
bushed with brass.
The outer ring G of the gimbal is made in halves each having a boss embracing
one of the pins f on the inner ring and outside the ring G is another ring G' having
spur teeth on its outer circumference and into these teeth gear the teeth of a
pinion H keyed on to a horizontal transverse shaft H¹ situated beneath the smoke
box of the boiler. This shaft is driven direct from the engine.
Another modification is shown by Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a vertical cross
section on a line passing through the centre of the road axle or shaft, all the parts
excepting the shaft, gimbal pin, and one of the road wheels being shown in section,
and Figure 6 is a side view of the front part of the boiler of a traction engine and
bracket carrying the front axle, some of the parts being shown in section. In
these figures parts similar to the other arrangements are marked with like letters
of reference.
In this arrangement in place of the outer ring G of the gimbal being mounted
on rollers it revolves as an axis within a large bearing L bored to receive it, the
bearing is carried by the strong frame I and has fitted (at the top side where the
weight comes) brasses to reduce the friction and at the lower portion of the bearing
is a cap L' completing the bearing and it forms also at the bottom a cup enclosing
the under side of the toothed ring G of the gimbal the cup serves as a trough to
contain oil to insure the effectual lubrication of the bearing.
In this arrangement the outer ring G. is cast in halves which are firmly bolted
together it also has its spur teeth cast on.
The mode of driving the wheels is exactly similar to that shown in Figures 3
and 4.
In order to relieve the weight which would otherwise come wholly on the large
bearing two small plain friction rollers K are fitted and so adjusted that a large
portion of the weight comes upon them.
At Figures 7 and 8 we have shewn a modification of the arrangements shown at
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6.-In this modification the outer ring G in place of having a
central ring of teeth around it has a toothed wheel secured to one of its ends for
the pinion H to gear into.
In each of the modifications the axle of the steering wheels is able to move
universally about a central point whilst simultaneously each of the wheels upon the
axle is driven at a speed in accordance with the distance the wheel has to pass
over.

page_text: : Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. The combination in the locking and driving gear of. traction engines, steam
plough engines and other engines of a like nature of gimbal rings, interposed
between the axle and the body of the engine and of differential toothed gearing
interposed between the wheels upon the axle and the outer gimbal ring to which
the driving power is applied substantially as described.
2. The combinations of locking and driving gear of traction engines, steam
plough engines and other engines of a like nature substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the drawing annexed.