IMPROVEMENTS IN Loco- MOTIVE STEAM ENGINES, AND IN PART APPLICABLE TO OTHER ENGINES.
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Millar, of Stirling, in the County of Stirling,
North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN Loco-
MOTIVE STEAM ENGINES, AND IN PART APPLICABLE TO OTHER ENGINES.".
Sealed the 23rd June 1865, and dated the 29th December 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Millar at the Office.
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
December 1864.
I, JAMES MILLAR, of Stirling, in the County of Stirling, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE STEAM ENGINES, AND IN PART APPLICABLE TO OTHER ENGINES,"
to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention comprises improvements in various parts of locomotive steam
engines, and is in part applicable to other engines.
It is the object of a part of the Invention to distribute the weight of the
locomotive in such a way that a larger portion of it bears upon the driving
wheels, the axle of which is situated immediately forward, of the fire-box,
according to a common arrangement. The steam cylinders are placed forward
of, but as near as possible to, the driving wheels, their piston rods working
[Price 8d.]

page_text: out at their front ends, and acting on the crank pins by return connecting
rods. There may be two cylinders on each side, with the connecting rod in
each case working between them, or there may be one cylinder only on each
side, with double forked or bowed connecting rods.
By these arrangements the weight of the cylinders and of the parts im-
mediatelyco nec ted therewith is made to bear more on the driving wheels
instead of bearing almost entirely on the leading wheels, as in ordinary
arrangements.
The improved arrangements also possess the advantage of a long connecting
rod, and are also applicable in "coupled engine," with a second pair of
driving wheels coupled to the first pair. When there are two cylinders at a
side the ports may be united under a single valve, but it is preferred to keep
them separate, and to dispose the two port faces directly facing and parallel
to each other, and a combined slide valve for the two faces is formed by con-
necting two separate valves back to back with an intervening shell of a bent
or undulating form, which, whilst it takes off injurious pressure from the backs
of the valves, has still sufficient elasticity to permit of the valves bearing
closely upon the port faces. The combined valve is of course actuated by
one rod, and it constitutes an equilibrium valve which can be applied to single
cylinders of locomotive or other engines, provided double faces parallel to
each other are used, with ports or corresponding spaces in both faces.
Another improvement consists in arranging the connections between the
valve motion link and the valve rod, so that any play or looseness from wear
may be made up with facility. The valve rod has fixed to it a frame which
works in guides, and which is fitted with blocks bearing on opposite sides of
the link. These blocks are arranged to swivel to adapt themselves to the
varying inclinations of the link, and they can be set up with facility by means
of screws or wedges.
In another modification the link is made in two pieces, which can be set
up closer together upon the block contained between them, and the block may
also be in two pieces, so that they can be set up upon the pin of the valve
rod. This improvement is also applicable to various classes of engines.
An improvement specially applicable to locomotive engines consists in
applying vertical brasses (in addition to the ordinary bearings) to the driving
wheels or axle, to receive the horizontal backward and forward thrust of the
connecting rods. These brasses may be set up by means of wedges. It will
in general be most convenient to apply these brasses to the bosses of the
wheels, but they may be applied to the axle itself where space can be got for
them.

page_text: Another improvement specially applicable to locomotive engines consists
in fitting across the fire-box a horizontal or inclined water space traversed
by tubes for the upward passage of the fire gases. The object of this
arrangement is to get additional heating surface, and to prevent the too
direct escape of the fire gases towards the ordinary tubes, whilst it will also
tend to prevent smoke, with which object a little coke may be burnt above
the water space when necessary.
Another improveinent, also applicable to locomotive steam engines,con-
sists in providing at the front thereof above each rail a rotating brush or
scraper for cleaning the rail. This rotating brush or scraper is set with its
axis parallel or oblique to the rail so as to remove matters sidewise rather
than longitudinally. If the brush or scraper is set obliquely it will turn by
frictional contact with the rail, but it may also be driven in any convenient
way, and it may be arranged to be put into or out of action at pleasure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Millar in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
June 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MILAR, of Stirling, in the County of Stirling, North Britain, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign,did,for Herself, Her heirs and successors,give and grant unto me,
the said James Millar, Her special licence that I, the said James Millar,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Millar, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and to 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 the Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE
STEAM ENGINES. AND IN PART APPLICABLE TO OTHER ENGINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Millar, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument 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,

page_text: 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 J, the said James Millar, 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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say :-
My said Invention comprises improvements in various parts of loco.
motive steam engines, and is in part applicable to other engines. And in
order that my said Invention and the manner of performing it may be
properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of explanatory
Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing modifications
of my improved arrangements.
It is the object of a part of my Invention to distribute the weight of
the locomotive in such a way that a larger portion of it bears upon
the driving wheels, the axle of which is situated immediately forward of
the fire-box, according to a common arrangement. The steam cylinders
are placed forward of, but as near as possible to, the driving wheels, their
piston rods working out at their front or back ends, and acting on the crank
pins through return connecting rods. There may be two cylinders on each
side, with the connecting rod in each case working between them, or there may
beone cylinder only on each side with double forked or bowed connecting rods.
By these arrangements the weight of the cylinders and of the parts
immediately connected therewith is made to bear more on the driving
wheels instead of bearing almost entirely on the leading wheels as in
ordinary arrangements.
My improved arrangements also' possess the advantage of a long
connecting rod.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a sectional side elevation, and
Figure 2 is a corresponding horizontal section of a locomotive steam engine as
constructed with various improvements according to one modification. I pre
fer to adopt two cylinders 1,2,on each side,as shown in this modification. The
engine is formed with inner and outer longitudinal frame plates 3, 4, but in
Figure 1 the whole of the outer plate 4 is supposed to be removed, as is also a
part of the inner plate 3. The cylinders 1,2,are bolted to the inside frame 3
immediately in front of the driving wheel 5; and the piston rods 6, 7,
issuing at the front ends have fixed to them a cross head 8. The cross
head is fitted with slide blocks to work upon guides 9 fixed to the cylinder

page_text: Covers and to the outer frame 4. The connecting rod 10 is jointed within a
slot formed in the centre of the cross head upon a pin 11 fixed in the cheeks
of the slot, and it passes aft between the cylinders 1, 2, to the driving
crank pin 12.
The application of the improved arrangement to "coupled engines" is
indicated in the diagrams, Figures 3 and 4, which exhibit respectively two and
three pairs of coupled wheels. The ports of the two cylinders may be united
under a single valve, but I prefer to keep them separate, and to dispose the
two port faces directly facing and parallel to each other, and I use a combined
valve for the two faces. The valve or steam chest 13 is shewn in horizontal
section in Figure 2, but the parts are more clearly seen in the transverse and
longitudinal vertical sections, Figures 5 and 6. The combined valve is worked
by a single rod 14, and comprises two valve plates 15, disposed back to back
and connected by an intervening hollow shell of a bent or undulated form,
which, whilst it takes off injurious pressure from the backs of the valve
plates 15, has still sufficient elasticity to permit of the valves bearing closely
upon the port faces. The intermediate shell 16 may be made of thin copper
or other suitable metal or combination. This combined arrangement con-
stitutes an equilibrium valve which can be applied to single cylinders of
locomotive or other engines, provided that double faces parallel and opposite
to each other are used with ports or corresponding spaces in both faces. In
the modification shown, the steam pipe 17 enters the valve chest 13 at the
front end (Figure 6 being an inside view of the further cylinders), and there
is a single exhaust pipe 18 which passes from below the bottom port face,
the upper cylinder's steam being exhausted through the valve.
Another improvement consists in arranging the connections between the
valve-motion link and the valve rod, so that any play or looseness from wear
may be made up with facility. In one modification, which is shown in plan
iu Figure 7, and in vertical section in Figure 8, the valve rod 19 has fixed to
it a frame 20, which works in guides 21, and which is fitted with blocks 22,
on opposite sides of the link 23. These blocks are arranged with swivelling
pieces which adapt themselves to the varying inclinations of the link, and
they can be set up with facility by means of screws 23, or wedges.
In another modification shown in side view in Figure 9, the link is made
in two pieces 24, 25, which can be set up closer together upon the block
contained between them; and the block 26 is also in two pieces, so that
they can be set up upon the pin 27 of the valve rod. This improvement
is also applicable to various classes of engines.
An improvement specially applicable to locomotive engines consists in

page_text: applying vertical brasses (in addition to the ordinary bearings 28) to the
driving wheels 5 or axle 29, to receive the horizontal backward and forward
thrust of the connecting rods. This improvement is shown in Figuresland 2
and it will in general be most convenient to apply these vertical brasses 30
to the bosses 31 of the driving wheel 5, as shown, that they may be applied
to the axle itself where space can be got for them. The brasses 30 are
set up by means of wedges 32, which are inserted between them and
guards 33, rivetted to the frame 3.
Another improvement specially applicable to locomotive engines is also
shown in Figures 1 and 2, and consists in fitting across the fire-box 34 a
(horizontal or) inclined water space 35, traversed by tubes for the upward
passage of the fire gases. The object of this arrangement is to get additional
heating surface, and to prevent the too direct escape of the fire gases towards
the main or ordinary tubes, whilst it will also tend to prevent sinoke, with
which object a little coke may be burut above the water space when
necessary. Two fire doors are provided, one 36 below, and the other 37
above the water space. The fire space 35 may be fixed in various ways,
but I prefer to fix it by flanges at the sides as shown.
Another improvement also applicable to locomotive engines is shown in
Figures 1 and 5, and consists in providing towards the front thereof forward
of the driving wheels 5, and above each rail 38 a rotating or other brush or
scraper 39 for cleaning the rail. This brush if rotated is set with its axis
parallel or oblique to the rail so as to remove matters sidewise rather than
longitudinally. In the modification shown, the brush 9 rotates on a spindle
carried by a lever frame 40 fixed on a rocking shaft 41, which is mounted in
the frame plates 3 and which extends across the locomotive, and carries
similar parts at the other side. Each brush 39 is formed with a frictional
bevil wheel or rim, which is in contact with, and is driven by, a bevil wheel
42, near each end of a transverse horizontal shaft 43, carried by the lever
frame 40. At each end of this shaft there is a plain frictional pulley 41
receiving motion from the leading wheel, into contact with which it is brought
at pleasure by means of a lever 45 formed upon the upper part of the lever
frame, and which is connected by a rod to a lever or hand wheel at the foot
plate, but not shown. The same action which puts the pulley into contact
with the leading wheel depresses the brush on the rail. The brush is itself
cleaned by revolving in contact with a scraper 46 carried by the lever frame.
It will be obvious that the brushes or scrapers may be actuated in various
ways, and instead of rotating brushes or scrapers vibrating or reciprocating
brushes or scrapers may be used.

page_text: Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what I
believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1. The placing of the cylinders of locomotive steam engines between the
leading and driving wheels, and generally the arranging of the parts in con-
nection therewith substantially as herein-before described.
2. The constructing and arranging of the slide valves of locomotive and
other steam engines with a slightly flexible body, and to work between parallel
and opposite faces having duplicate ports or equivalent. openings in both
substantially as herein-before described.
3. The constructing or arranging of the connections between the valve-
motion link and the valve rod of locomotive and other steam engines so
that the parts can be adjusted for wear substantially as herein-before
described.
4. The applying of vertical brasses to the driving wheels or axles of loco-
motive steam engines substantially as herein-before described.
5. The constructing or arranging of a horizontal or inclined water space
traversed by tubes in the fire-box of a locomotive steam engine substantially
as herein-before described.
And 6. The providing of locomotive steam engines with self-actingrotating
or reciprocating brushes or scrapers for cleaning the rail by a transverse action
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Millar, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-fiv
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JAMES MILLAR. (L.S.)