A NEW OR IMPROVED TRACTION CAR FOR DRAWING OR PROPELLING VEHICLES ON Tramways
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Gowans, of Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, for the Invention of "A NEW OR Im-
33
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Gowans at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th October 1871.
I, James Gowans, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian,
North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of
"A NEW OR IMPROVED TRACTION CAR FOR DRAWING OR PROPELLING VEHICLES ON
Tramways," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention which relates to a new or improved traction car to be
employed for drawing other cars, wagons, trucks, or other vehicles upon
tramways consists in placing an engine and boiler inside a car specially
constructed, and carried upon wheels which run on the tramway rails.
By thus arranging an engine inside a car the working parts are hidden,

page_text: and the engine or traction car has more or less the appearance of an
ordinary passenger car at the exterior.
The cylinders of the engines are arranged horizontally or inclined,
and their pistons are coupled to a crank shaft carrying a pinion at
each end, which being put in gear with toothed wheels on the shaft
of the driving wheels causes them to be rotated at the required velocity,
or in place of coupling the pistons to an intermediate crank shaft the
driving wheels may be placed on the crank shaft and the pistons
coupled direct thereto. The steam is admitted to the engine from the
boiler by a steam pipe provided with a throttle valve, and distributed
in and exhausted from the cylinders by ordinary slide valves; and the
exhaust steam is discharged through a funnel either directly into the
atmosphere but preferably through an air condenser, through which
a great volume of air is or may be circulated by a fan driven by the
engine.
The engine is also provided with reversing gear for enabling it to
run cither backwards or forwards upon a tramway, and to enable the
traction car to be moved off one line of tramway to another line; the
front or leading wheels are carried upon a swivel pivot or bogic which
is under the control of the driver, so that by moving the leading wheels
through a small angle horizontally either in a right or left hand
direction by the guiding lever, the traction car at once tends to move
off at a crossing on to the line of rails desired, or this last mentioned
object may be effected by placing a guiding or deflecting rail between
the tram rails at a crossing, on to which a guide attached to the traction
car is lowered at the time of passing from one line of rails to another,
in which case the first wheels of the car need not be swivelling.
.
One of the objects aimed at by this Invention is to avoid the use of
horses for drawing tramway cars, and to prevent the frightening of the
horses in the streets or roads by keeping all the working parts of the
propelling mechanism out of view.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Gowans in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
GOWANS, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the 36th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Gowans, Her special license that I,
the said James Gowans, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said James Gowans, my executors, administrators,
or 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED TRACTION CAR
FOR DRAWING OR PROPELLING VEHICLES OF TRAMWAYS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Gowans, by an instrument in
writing, under my hand and seal, 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
Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Gowans, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
My said Invention, which relates to a new or improved traction car
to be employed for drawing other cars, wagons, trucks, or other vehicles,
upon tramways, consists of one or more engines and a boiler placed
inside a car carried upon wheels which run on the tramway rails. By

page_text: thus arranging an engine or engines inside a car the working parts are
hidden and the engine or traction car has more or less the appearance of
an ordinary passenger car at the exterior.
The cylinder or cylinders of the engine or engines is or are arranged
horizontally or inclined, and their pistons are coupled to a crank shaft
which may be the shaft on which the driving wheels are fixed, or it may
be an intermediate shaft carrying a pinion at each end which being in
gear with toothed wheels on the shaft of the driving wheels causes them
to be rotated at the required velocity. The steam is admitted to the
engine or engines from the boiler by one or more steam pipes provided
with one or more throttle valves, and distributed in and exhausted from
the cylinders by ordinary slide valves, and the exhaust steam is
discharged through a chimney either chiefly into the atmosphere but
preferably through a condenser, which may be arranged in various ways.
To enable the traction car to be moved off one line of tramway to
another line, the front or leading wheels are carried upon a swivel pivot
or bogie, which is under the control of the driver, so that by moving the
leading wheels through a small angle horizontally either in a right or
left hand direction by the guiding lever, the traction car at once tends
to move off at a crossing on to the line of rails desired, or these last
mentioned objects may be effected by placing a guiding or deflecting
rail between the tram rails at a crossing on to which a guide attached to
the traction car is lowered at the time of passing from one line of rails
to another, in which case the front wheels of the car need not be
Bwivelling.
One of the objects aimed at by this Invention is to avoid the use of
horses for drawing tramway cars, and to prevent the frightening of the
horses in the street or road by keeping all the working parts of the
propelling mechanism out of view.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manuer
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say:
-
On Sheet 1, of the Drawings hereunto appended, Figuro 1 is a side
elevation of one arrangement of the traction car which constitutes
this Invention. Figure 2 is a longitudinal section; and Figure 3 a

page_text: same.
As shewn by these Figures the body A of the car (which as is more
particularly seen at Figure 1, is constructed so as to resemble in external
appearance an ordinary passenger car) is carried on three pairs of wheels
B, C, and D, respectively, which run on the tramway rails, and the
working parts are so arranged inside and underneath the body of the
car as to be hidden from sight as the car travels along the tramway.
Inside of the car A a boiler E is situated, and supported by means of
brackets a rivetted to the boiler and held by bolts to the side frames F
of the car, as shewn at Figures 2, 3, and 4. For convenience of
arrangement the lower part of the boiler and the fire-box E is let down
through the flooring of the car as shewn.
The cylinders G of the engines, by which the car A is propelled, are
inclined at an angle and secured to the side frames F of the car by
means of brackets c, and the pistons of these cylinders are coupled by
connecting rods H direct to the cranks d of the crank shaft I, whercon
the driving wheels D are fixed. Steam is admitted to the cylinders G
from the boiler E by steam pipes e provided with a throttle valveƒ, and
distributed in and exhausted from the cylinders by ordinary or other
arrangements of slide valves. The exhaust steam is conducted from the
cylinders G through exhaust pipes 9, 9', which converge towards the roof
of the traction car A into a single branch through which the exhaust
steam is preferably discharged into a chamber J, shown at Figure 2. In
direct connection with the chamber J a tank or vessel K containing the
feed water for the boiler is situated as shewn at Figures 2 and 3. The
tank or vessel K is constructed with a series of tubes k, by preference
slightly inclined from the front towards the back part of the tank, and
which are kept surrounded with water, so that as the steam is exhausted
from the pipe h into the chamber J it passes into the tubes k, and being
condensed therein drips out as water into the chamber L and thence
through the short pipe into the receiver M, shewn at Figure 2, from
which the water may be discharged by an overflow pipe or in any other
convenient manner. The head given off by the exhaust steam as it
passes through the tubes k, and is condensed therein, serves to heat the
feed water contained in the tank or vessel K. It is obvious that one
advantage resulting from the employment of a combined condenser and

page_text: feed tank K, is that the weight of the water therein serves to increase
the adhesion of the traction car to the rails.
The driving wheels D are coupled to the wheels C by means of outside
cranks m, fixed on the shafts whereon the said wheels respectively are
carried and connected by side rods n, as more particularly seen at
Figures 1 and 4, Sheet 1 of the Drawings, the shaft N whereon the
front or leading wheels B are carried so as to revolve freely thereon, is
formed to swivel on a pin o, held by a strong framing P, situated at the
forward end of the body of the traction car A, as shown at Figures 3
and 4. On the shaft N, and at the upper side thereof, a toothed rack,
is fixed, into which a pinion s is geared, the pinions & being situate on
the lower extremity of a vertical shaft t, the upper end of which is
provided with a hand wheel u, as shewn; so that the driver by turning
the hand wheel u, and therewith the shaft and pinion s in a right or
left hand direction controls the angular position of the leading wheels:
B relatively with the line of rails through the intervention of the rack r;
thus the traction car A can at once be guided in passing at a crossing
from one line of rails to another.
The engines are also provided with reversing gear v of the ordinary
link construction as shewn at Figures 2 and 4, Sheet 1, of the Drawings,
so as to enable the traction car A to run in a forwards or backwards
direction. It is however desirable that a turn-table be provided at either
end of a line of tramway in order to reverse the position of the traction
car, or a loop line or other equivalent contrivance may be adopted, thus
enabling it always to run with the swivelling wheels foremost.
In lieu of arranging the cylinders G of the engines inclined at
angle, and coupling their pistons direct to the driving shaft I as herein-
before described, and moro particularly shewn at Figures 2 and 4,
Sheet 1 of the Drawings, the cylinders G may be placed horizontally
or at any angle.
Instead of a water condenser being employed to condense the exhaust
steam from the cylinder G, as herein-before set forth and shewn on the
Drawings, an air condenser through which a great volume of air is
circulated by a fan driven by the engine may be employed, or a chamber
either combined or not with either kind of condenser and containing a
porous matter such as coke in small pieces, sawdust, wool, or other
ย

page_text: material, into which the exhaust steam is discharged, may be used to
deaden the sound produced by the escape of the exhaust steam.
On Sheet 2 of the Drawings hereunto annexed Figure 1 is a side
elevation, Figure 2 a transverse section, Figure 3 a longitudinal section,
and Figure 4 a plan of the mechanism, shewing another arrangement of
traction car, constructed in accordance with my said Invention.
Under this arrangement the body A of the car, boiler E, engine G,
end tank K, also the apparatus in connection therewith, being constructed
substantially similar to the arrangement herein-before described and
shewn on Sheet 1 of the Drawings, need not be herein further referred to.
As shewn by these Figures the body A of the car is carried on two pairs
of wheels B and C respectively, and in lieu of leading wheels on a
swivelling shaft as shewn at Sheet 1 of the Drawings, the traction car is
provided with two levers L and M, respectively, the fulcra of which are
supported on the brackets J, bolted to the framework E of the car.
The extremities of the short arms of the levers L and M, are attached to
the vertical rods N, which are constructed with shoes O and P, respec-
tively, at their lower extremities provided with feathers 8, 8, as shewn.
Bolted to the framework F of the car are strong brackets p, situate at the
back of the rods N, and guides O and P for supporting them, cach of the
brackets p is provided with a guide g or its equivalent for steadying the
rods N. The levers Land M are placed by preference one on each side
of the boiler E, and they are provided with segmental slide guides R, .
which are rivetted to the boiler E. The extremities of the long arms of
the levers L and M are provided with handles 2, by means of which the
driver elevates or depresses the lever L or M, and with it the guide O or
P, as may be required.
S is a guide or deflector placed between the tram rails at a crossing,
this is shown more particularly at Figure 5, which is a plan of a part of
a line of tramway, with right and left handed crossings c and c', respec-
tively, shewing the guides or deflectors S and S', in their positions for
cach crossing. It is evident on referring to Figure 5 that when the
traction car reaches the right-hand curved rails c, if the driver elevates
the lever L, by pulling upwards the handle 2, the guide O is depressed
and the feathers enters the groove in the guide or deflector S, which
is curved similarly to the rails c, thus causing the car to pass from the
straight line of rails to the curved rails of the crossing c, and in like
manner by elevating the lever M, the guide P is depressed, the feather

page_text: 8 entering the grove & in the guiding or deflecting rail S', causing the
car to pass to the left hand rails c'.
On Sheet 3 of the Drawings hereunto annexed, is represented in
longitudinal section another arrangement of my improved traction car.
Under this modification the engines A are arranged horizontally
within the body of the car.
The piston rods are coupled by connecting rods E to the intermediato
crank shaft. C, which is geared to the axle X of the driving wheels D, by
wheels E and pinions F. To facilitate the turning of the traction car
when passing a crossing or running on a curve, the axle boxes Gare
constructed with three recesses a, b, and c, respectively, in which are
placed spiral or other suitable springs d, by means of which the axle
journals e are retained in their positions, sufficient space being allowed
between them and the axle boxes G to admit of the axles shifting their
positions to the required extent for giving casiness of motion when the 1
car is on a crossing or going round a curve.
For guiding the car as for example at a crossing, the axle of the
leading wheels can be actuated by means of a rack and pinion as shown
on Sheet 1 of the Drawings, or other suitable appliance. For checking
the car when going down an incline it is provided with a steam brake 2
which consists of a cylinder g, in which are two pistons, having their
respective rods h and i attached to brake block's K. As steam is
admitted into the cylinder g between the two pistons by the steam pipe
the brake blocks' k are pressed against the peripherics of the wheels
D and D'.
2
Under this arrangement the chamber H, into which the exhaust
stcam pipes from the cylinders of the engines are lead previous to.
entering the condenser, is filled with sawdust, coke, or other porous
material through which the exhaust steam passes into the condenser,
whereby the noise caused by the steam in condensing is diminished. 3
The water formed by the condensed steam is conducted from the
chamber M of the condenser by the pipe I, which passes down beneath
the furnace of the boiler into an evaporator f, shewn in dotted lines
where it is evaporated, and from whence it escapes by means of the pipe
J shewn in dotted lines, into the funnel. The boiler is furnished with 3
a blast pipe K, through which a strong blast of air is driven, which

page_text: meeting the smoke as it ascends from the furnace causes it to be
burnt, so that very little escapes as black smoke through the chimney
into the atmosphere. The blast of air is produced in the pipe K by
means of a fan L, which is driven by a belt passing round a pulley
on the fan axle, and also round a larger pulley situated on the crank
shaft C.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and certain arrangements in or under which the same is
or may be used or carried into practical effect, I observe in conclusion
that I do not consider as constituting my Invention, the details of the
tramway traction cars herein-before described and shewn on the annexed
Sheets of Drawings, but what I do consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting
the tramway traction cars as herein-before described and shewn on the
annexed 3 Sheets of Drawings or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The use or employment of steam traction cars for drawing or
propelling passenger cars or other vehicles on tramways, in which the
engines and propelling mechanism are hidden from view by being placed
inside the body of the cars substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Gowans, have hereunto set
my
hand and seal, this Third day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-two.
JAMES GOWANS