IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLI- CATION OF STEAM OR OTHER MOTIVE POWER IN LOCOMOTIVE AND MARINE ENGINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Beesley, of Camden Town, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLI-
CATION OF STEAM OR OTHER MOTIVE POWER IN LOCOMOTIVE AND MARINE
ENGINES."
Sealed the 1st May 1877, and dated the 28th December 1876.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Beesley at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th December 1876.
EE
GEORGE BEESLEY, of Camden Town, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer.
'IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF STEAM OR OTHER MOTIVE POWER IN
LOCOMOTIVE AND MARINE ENGINES."
1. The improvements contemplated by my Invention are grounded in and have
been derived from the principles of the lever and its mechanical operation when
embodied in the form of a wheel.
2. The wheel as a mechanical agent or power is a compound lever consisting of
a congeries of simple bar levers united together in the middle of their lengths,
thereby creating a common centre for the whole, namely, the axis of the wheel.
When a wheel is suspended on a shaft or axle it can be made to revolve continuously
to the right or to the left in accordance with the direction of the impelling power
or force. In this case the axis of the wheel is the centre of motion; but when a
wheel is applied to locomotion the extremities of its arms, or the rim or vane to
which they are affixed, either rest upon the ground, or in the case of railway
locomotives on the rails, or as in the case of the paddle wheel ship propeller are
immersed in the water. In the one case the vertical pressure or weight upon the
wheels, in the other the resistance of the water counteracts the tendency to rotation
round the axis of the wheel. In both cases the primary centre of motion is
transferred from the axis of the wheel to its circumference, the axle itself with the
entire wheel virtually revolving momentarily round its own circumference. Thus
a fulcrum is provided for the leverage of the wheels, by means of which the engine
power is made available in producing locomotion.

page_text: 3. In applying the principle explained above to locomotive machines it will be
seen that the centre of the progressive motion is not in the axis of the propelling
wheels but in or near the circumference, and that during the revolution of the
wheels this centre only exists momentarily at any one point in the rim, &c., but is
constantly at that point which at the moment is the centre of resistance, either the
point of contact with the rails of the driving wheels of a locomotive or the centre
of pressure on the floats of a paddle wheel. By this fulcrum the engine power is
made available in effecting locomotion, the progressive movement. The load or
resistance is applied at the axle or shaft passing through the axis of the driving
wheels, and the pressure of the steam in the cylinder is transmitted by the piston
to one of the arms of each wheel or to a crank upon the axle to which they are
affixed. As the wheels are prevented by the resistance of the ground &c. from
actually revolving round the centre of motion in the periphery their circular form is
run out into a straight line as the engine advances, the axle with its load being
carried forward simultaneously through a distance in the line of notion equal to the
length of the circumference of the driving wheel.
It is demonstrable that the direction of the impelling force at the point of com-
munication with the driving wheels or crank shaft must correspond with that
of the progressive movement of the engine, and if it be desired to move the engine
in the opposite direction the impelling power at the point of communication with
the driving wheels, &c., must also be exerted in the opposite direction.
4. The manner of applying the steam power to lever propellers, namely, the
driving wheels of locomotives or the paddle wheels of boats, &c., heretofore practised,
is at variance with the established principles of mechanical science. The steam in
the cylinder acts on each face of the piston, driving it from end to end of the
cylinder in opposite directions alternately. This action is transmitted to the
driving wheels which it actuates with motion corresponding in force and direction;
the forward stroke of the piston urging the engine forward on the rails and the back
stroke of the piston tending to destroy the motion previously imparted and to
reverse the direction of the progressive movement. This would actually take place
in every revolution of the wheels if the moment of the opposing forces were equal;
but by reason of the difference of leverage of the driving point in the two strokes,
the forward stroke imparting a greater inoment of force to the wheels than the
back stroke, only a part of the motion created by the forward stroke is destroyed,
and the progressive movement is continued in the original direction by the pre-
ponderating momentum but the resultant propelling efficiency is impaired.
Instead of the sum of the two moments of force generated by the two strokes
in each revolution of the wheels, their difference is the full measure of the whole
propelling efficiency.
In all existing locomotives the steam power is applied to the driving wheels or
propellers on the double-acting principle and the alternating motion of the piston
is transferred direct to the driving point, there tending to induce a corresponding
reciprocating movement, the forward stroke coinciding with the direction of the
progression, the back stroke with the opposite direction. The forces of the two
strokes act against each other, and in consequence the effective force available in
propelling is only a small fraction of the force exerted on the pistons. In the best
modern locomotives only about one-fourth of the full power of the engines is
rendered effective in propelling, whether applied to overcome the inertia of a train
of carriages or the resistance of water to the progress of a ship.
5. The fundamental mechanical principle of the Invention is the application of
the power of the engine to the machinery of the driving wheels or propellers in
such a manner that the rectilinear motion of the pistons is transmitted to the
working point on the crank arm, &c., in one direction only, the direction of the
progressive movement.
The mechanical arrangements for accomplishing this purpose by directing and
controlling the application of the steam power on the mechanism of the driving

page_text: wheels or propellers are as follows, viz. -In locomotive engines the cylinders must
be placed horizontally, or nearly so, and fixed in position as usual. But the piston
rods and connecting rods instead of being attached to crank arms, &c., at right
angles to each other must be attached to opposite cranks, i.c., cranks 180 degrees
apart or thereabouts.
By a suitable arrangement of the valves, &c., the steam will be admitted to each
end of the cylinders and the pistons be driven forward alternately and in the
direction of the engine's advance, the steam working from one end of the cylinder
only when the engine is proceeding in one direction, and from the opposite end
when the direction of the progressive movement is reversed.
The engines used are of the single-acting class, and as the strokes of the pistons
of the two engines occur alternately one continuous and nearly uniform force is
constantly exerted on the mechanism of the driving wheels or propellers. By this
means the influence of the back stroke of the double-acting engines at present
employed, which counteracts the agency of the forward stroke and greatly impairs
the propelling efficiency is entirely removed.
The same principle is applicable in navigation to paddle wheel ship propellers,
which act upon the lever principle or directly.
To the ordinary screw or other rotative propellers, whose centre of motion is in
the axis of revolution, the principle of this Invention does not apply.
6. In cases where wheel gearing is not inadmissible and may be desirable, as in
colliery, railway, and common road locomotives where slow speeds only are required,
as also in marine engines, the principle of the Invention is realized by means of
wheels and shafting intervening between the pistons of the engines and the working
point in the machinery of the driving wheels or propellers as follows:-The pistons
with their connecting rods are attached to cranks on separate wheels or shafts, and
the motive power is thence transmitted to the circumference of a wheel fixed upon
the shaft or wheel of the propeller, constantly actuating it in the direction of the
progressive motion. By this arrangement the double-acting principle may be
resorted to if expedient, and smaller cylinders or lower pressure of steam will thus
provide for the developinent of an equally effective power. And as the point in the
wheel of the driving shaft, which receives the power of the engines, is always at its
maximum distance from the centre of motion or fulcrum at the rail, &c., and con-
sequently acts with the most effective leverage, a greater tractive force is developed
with equal steam pressure.
7. The benefits that will be derived from the improvements contemplated need
not be here detailed. It is sufficient to state that-—
1st. The effective tractive force of the locomotive engine will be doubled with
one-half the consumption of steam as at present employed, and consequently with
equal boiler power engaged the efficiency of the steam will be quadrupled.
2nd. As the slipping of the driving wheels of locomotives on the rails, &c., is
caused chiefly by the action of the back stroke, much lighter engines than those
now employed will have sufficient adhesion to draw an equal load.
3rd. The tendency to horizontal rotation is occasioned principally by the resisting
agency of the back stroke, and consequently there will be less liability to run off
the rails when this resistance is removed.
4th. A very great reduction in the cost of construction and maintenance of the
permanent way of railways, as also in the first cost and working expenses of the
rolling stock is a necessary consequence of the above-mentioned advantages.
5th. By simple alteration of the valve gearing and change of the relative position
of the cranks, &c., existing locomotives can be adapted to work on the single-acting
principle, and their power will be at once greatly augmented and the consumption
of steam reduced one-half.
6th. In the application of steam power to locomotion in water by means of paddle
wheels or other direct-acting propellers, corresponding improvements will be effected
by the adoption of the single-acting principle above described, the slip of the wheels
will be diminished, the effective power on the propellers will be augmented and

page_text: the consumption of steam reduced by one-half, or if the original generative
capabilities of the boilers be exercised the efficiency of the steam will be quadrupled.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Beesley, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
GEORGE BEESLEY. (L.S.)