IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake of the firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES" communicated
to him from abroad by Konrad Weisz of Buda-Pesth in the Empire of Austria
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th September 1883.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO LOCO-
MOTIVE ENGINES [a communication to him from abroad by Konrad Weisz of
Buda-Pesth in the Empire of Austria Superintendent Engineer of the Royal
Hungarian State Railways]
This invention relates to locomotive engines and has for its object to regulate
the power of a locomotive according to the load and the speed with which the said
load has to be moved. In locomotive engines heretofore constructed the dimensions
of the boiler could not be increased beyond a certain limit and consequently the
power of the said locomotive engines could not exceed a corresponding limit
According to this invention, and in order to be able to increase the power of
locomotive engines, I place the steam generator or boiler upon a separate truck to
that carrying the steam engine itself so that the size of the said steam generator or
boiler may be independent of the motor machinery.
In carrying this invention into practice I provide a truck whereupon I arrange
a steam-engine the boiler for the same being mounted upon a separate truck, these
two trucks being connected together by means of couplings in the same manner as
a locomotive engine and tender. I also provide, in order to convey the steam from
the boiler to the engine, a movable pipe-coupling composed of two different parts
which may be connected or disconnected when required. I arrange upon the engine
truck provided with three or four pairs of wheels coupled, a steam cylinder and
two connecting rods for transmitting the movement of the piston to the crank, and

page_text: I mount upon the other truck an ordinary boiler with square fire box and movable
steam pipe coupling. I sometimes arrange a steam engine upon a truck provided
with two pairs of coupled wheels, in which case the cylinders are placed at the
bottom of the said truck. In this case the transmission of the movement of the
piston to the crank is effected by means of a connecting rod. The cylindrical boiler
and cylindrical fire place rest upon a separate truck and a steam pipe coupling is
also provided
A steam engine may also be arranged upon a truck provided with two pairs of
coupled wheels and two leading wheels, a double boiler being mounted upon another
truck and a steam pipe coupling being also provided. The transmission of the
movement of the piston to the crank is effected in this case by means of suitable
gearing arranged upon the frame of the engine.
I sometimes arrange the steam-engine upon a truck provided with four pairs of
wheels coupled the truck carrying the boiler in this case resting part of its weight
upon the truck carrying the engine. A movable steam-pipe-coupling is also
provided in this case. I construct an express locomotive engine with two coupled
motor shafts and a frame provided with two pairs of wheels the cylinder being
placed upon the frame of the engine and the transmission of the movement from
the piston rod to the wheel crank being effected by means of connecting rods and
two shafts; the engine truck is arranged to carry a water reservoir; The boiler
may sometimes be provided with a cylindrical furnace at the bottom of which is an
aperture for the fitting of a pipe, and one horizontal and two vertical steam
chambers are so arranged upon the boiler truck that proper space is provided for
a water tank and a coal box. The engine-driver stands upon the engine truck and
the stoker upon the boiler truck. The steam passes from the boiler into the steam
chamber and thence reaches the cylinder through one branch of a set of steam
pipes and after depressing the piston in the said cylinder escapes therefrom through
a second branch of the said set of pipes in the funnel of the engine.
The
The boiler is carried upon two frames provided each with two pairs of wheels.
Water tanks may be placed, if desired, upon the engine-truck, or the frame thereof
may be so arranged as to be converted into a water-tank and thus the load of the
engine-truck may be increased or decreased within certain limits. Such water
tanks may be connected with the feeding water tank of the boiler-truck by means
of a movable set of pipes, and injectors or pumps may be used to effect the rapid
passage of the water from the boiler truck to the engine truck or vice versa.
steam engine may be placed upon the solid frame of the engine-truck and the
transmission of the movement from the piston to the wheel crank may be effected
by means of shafts and gear wheels or shafts and connecting rods as herein-before
mentioned whereby the injurious linear pressure resulting, in locomotive engines
heretofore constructed, from the oscillation of the moving mass may be obviated.
In the arrangements above described any kind of steam engine may be used,
however compound high pressure engines are preferable.
The boiler may be of any desired construction and dimensions, its width however
being such as to be in accordance with the rail gauge employed.
The fire-box may also be made of cylindrical form
In consequence of being easily able to alter, by means of the above described
arrangement the load of the engine truck, and also in consequence of being able to
connect several large boilers to one and the same steam engine, it is possible to
increase or decrease the load of the whole motor and thus correspondingly alter the
traction power of the locomotive engine

page_text: Figure 4 18 an end view of the boiler and truck.
The locomotive comprises a leading vehicle or truck A upon the frame of which
a steam engine is securely mounted, and protected from injury by means of a casing
erected upon the said frame.
The transmission of the motion of the piston to the crank of the connecting rod
is effected by means of shafts and rods arranged upon the frame of the engine truck.
The engine driver stands on the engine truck and has arranged thereon all the
necessary appliances for driving the engine
A second truck B termed the boiler truck is connected with the above mentioned
engine truck by means of couplings D such as are used to connect ordinary railway
carriages. The truck B carries the boiler, and also the water and fuel required.
The steam is conveyed to the engine through pipes which can be connected or
disconnected by suitable couplings when required, and the exhausted steam is
conveyed from the said engine into the funnel through similar pipes and couplings.
The stoker stands upon the boiler truck in the space left between the fuel box and
the rear end of the boiler.
The engine truck is placed in front of the train to which it is attached thus
occupying the same place as an ordinary locomotive engine.
The frames of the engine truck may be made hollow so as to form a reservoir for
carrying water ballast, or separate water receptacles may be suspended between
the frames, for the purpose of altering, whenever required, and within suitable
limits, the weight of the engine truck thereby increasing or diminishing the
adhesive power of the locomotive upon the rails. In this latter case, the water-
receptacles of the engine-truck are connected with the water-tank of the boiler-
truck by means of a pipe H and movable couplings in which pipe is suitably
arranged a pump E or other suitable device for forcing, whenever required, the water
from the receptacles of the engine truck to the water tank of the boiler truck, and
vice versa
Any kind of steam-engine may be mounted upon the engine truck, and on the
boiler truck any form of boiler within the limits imposed by the gauge of the rails,
can be arranged.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondent and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I Claim :—
First. In a locomotive engine, the arrangement of the engine and boiler upon
separate trucks or carriages

page_text: Second. The variation, when required, of the weight of the locomotive by means
of water ballast which can be conveyed from the engine truck to the boiler truck
and vice versa
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Nineteenth day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty four
W. ROB², LAKE (L.S.)