Improvements in Road Wagon Trains and in the Propulsion of the same.
Year: 1886

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Road Wagon Trains and in the Propulsion of
the same.
I, JONAS BROWNE OSBORNE of Daggett, in the county of San Bernardino and
State of California, one of the United States of America, Mining Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to the class of waggon trains, and more especially to those
which are self-propelling. My invention consists in a waggon train, each member
of which is provided with its own propelling mechanism, while one is provided
with the means for generating the motive force or power, said force or power being
transmitted through suitable connecting mechanism to the propelling machinery of
each member, whereby each effects its own progression, and does not depend upon.
the tractile power of the others; all of which I shall hereinafter fully describe.
The difficulties of transportation, where rail-road privileges are denied, have led
to the formation of wagon trains drawn by traction-engines or road-locomotives.
These, while comparatively successful over good and well-defined hard roads, prove
complete failures in desert countries where the roads are sandy and soft.
This is due to the fact that much of the tractile power of the locomotives is lost,
because its great weight and the resistance of the train causes it to sink deep in-
the sand which impedes its progress.
The object of my invention is to overcome this difficulty by removing from any
one member of the train the work of pulling the others, and give to each its own
traction merely, furnishing from the leading-member the motive power only, and·
no tractile power whatever.
In other words, instead of concentrating the tractile power in a single member
of the train, I propose to divide it proportionately among all the members, giving
to the leading member the work of generating the original power, but no pulling.
or drawing obligation.
I do not mean particularly to directly economize the original power, for I well
know that a given force must be expended to move a given weight, but my purpose
is to change the application of the power from a single member to all, so that no
one member in the exercise of its power, is liable, by reason of undue traction, to
-

page_text: SINK In & SOIL or sandy road, and the whole train 15, therefore, better adapted for
such a road.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my
waggon train Figure 2 is a bottom view of two of the waggons.
The train is composed of the leading member A, and the following members B, C, D,
respectively. These may all be any suitable form of wheeled vehicle, though I find
that the simple two-wheeled trucks, here shown, are the best for the purpose
for
many reasons, the principal ones of which are the greater facility in turning without
cramping the connections; and the adaptability to be constructed with dumping
bodies or beds.
The wheels of all the trucks are of the usual character of traction wheels, and.
the trucks are coupled together by any suitable connections, such as are shown
by E, permitting each to have its necessary independence of movement.
On the leading truck A, is mounted a steam boiler a, an engine a' supplied by
the boiler, and having a driving shaft a³, from which power is transmitted to the
shaft as, the ends of which carry pinions a meshing with anulaf gears a³ secured
to the truck-wheels.
.
Any other, arrangement of the power-mechanism may be used, the object being
to transmit enough power to propel the truck A. The object now is to furnish a
portion of the original power directly, and not through traction, to the succeeding:
trucks. There may be several ways of accomplishing this.
I have herein illustrated two, namely:
Upon the truck B, it will be seen I locate two engines, consisting of steam
cylinders b, provided with the usual steam ports, valvo-chest, pistons, etc, and
having pitmen 61 connected with a crank-shaft 62, the ends of which carry
pinions bs, meshing with annular gears b' on the truck wheels.
A steam pipe F, leads from the boiler on truck A. to these cylinders 6, whereby
steam is furnished for their operation, and in this way the truck B is propelled by
its own machinery, operated by power transmitted directly from the source of
power on the leading truck. The leading truck does not, therefore, act as a
traction, engine, except to propel itself. It draws no load, for the succeeding
trucks follow, not by traction from the first, but of themselves.
These means for conveying the original motive force direct, may be employed
throughout all the members of the train, and at present I deem them preferable
to any others. But instead of thus conducting the steam from the boiler to each
truck, by means of a pipe suitably coupled in sections, I may use the power-
transmitting mechanism shown between the trucks C, and D.
Here an endless belt R passes around pulleys c, d, on shafts c¹, d¹, under the
trucks, said shafts carrying pinions.c³, d³, meshing with annular gears c³, d³, on the
truck wheels.
A vertically adjustable gravity pulley f, keeps the belt taut, while it is.
conducted in a straight line to its pulleys, no matter at what angle the trucks
may stand with relation to each other, by the vertically arranged guide-rollers c³, d',
on the adjacent ends of the trucks.
When such means as these are used for transmitting the power, the engine upon
the leading truck will, of course, be made powerful enough for the purpose.
The pinions which mesh with the wheel gears may be affected by clutches, to
throw them into and out of gear with the shafts upon which they are mounted,
thus providing for the discontinuance of the operation of any member of the train..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my Baid
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
"
1. In a wagon train, the members of which are suitably.coupled, propelling
machinery upon each member of the train, connected with its driving-wheels,
whereby each is separately advanced, and a power-source of mechanism upon one

page_text: of the members, and connected with and separately operating the propelling
machinery of each member, substantially as described.
2. In a wagon train, the members of which are suitably coupled, independent
gearing upon each member of the train, by which its drive-wheels are operated, in
combination with a steam boiler or other power-source upon the leading member
of the train, and connecting power-mechanisms between the boiler or other power-
source and the independent gearing of each member of the train, substantially as
described.
3. In a wagon train, the members of which are suitably coupled, independent
propelling engines or motors upon each member of the train and connected with
the driving wheels, and a steam boiler or other power-source upon the leading
member of the train, connected with and operating the engines or motors upon the
succeeding members, substantially as described.
4. In a wagon train, the members of which are suitably coupled, independent
gearing upon each member of the train, by which its drive-wheels are operated, in
combination with a steam boiler on the leading member of the train, steam engines
upon each member of the train and connected with the gearing thereof, and suitable
steam pipes, by which the steam from the boiler is conveyed to the engines of each
member of the Train, substantially as described.