IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Smith, the younger, of No. 18, Richmond
Terrace, Clapham Road, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND RAILWAY
CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 15th September 1865, and dated the 19th June 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
June 1865.
I, GEORGE SMITH, the younger, of No. 18, Richmond Terrace, Clapham
Road, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND RAILWAY
CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, in the first place, in the adaptation and application
thereto of a swivelling truck at each end of the engine or carriage combined
with intermediate wheels without flanges, for the purpose of enabling engines
and carriages of increased length to travel safely over sharp curves, the breadth
of the tyre of such flangeless wheels being proportioned to the sharpest curve
required to be traversed.
My Invention consists, secondly, in the use of segmental bearings applied to
the lower part of the side framing of the engine or carriage, and to the upper
part of the frame or frames of the trucks, for the purpose of giving them the
requisite swivelling motion required on the curves. These bearings are
composed of two saddles; the upper one of which is fixed to the side framing

page_text: of the engine or carriage, and the lower one to the frames of the trucks. In
the upper saddle is formed a segmental groove to receive the correspondingly
formed head of a bolt, which is passed through an aperture in the lower saddle,
and keyed to the frame of the truck. The object of this arrangement is to
give increased steadiness to the engines and carriages.
My Invention relates, in the third place, to the wheels of locomotive engines
and railway carriages, and consists in the several modes of construction
herein-after stated. First, short hollow axles are keyed into the bosses or naves
of the wheels, and the solid axles are put through such hollow axles, the
bearings resting on the latter; the parts may be arranged either for outside,
inside, or double bearings. Secondly, the bosses or naves are cast separately
with arms to them, on to which arms are sprung circular springs, which are
compressed either into the collar or the tyre of the wheels. Thirdly, a collar
with a shoulder on it is keyed on to the axle of the wheel, and the boss or
nave is bored accurately to fit the shoulder. Fourthly, this arrangement may
have combined with it a spring inserted at the back of the boss or nave, and
confined by a plate, so as to admit of the wheel yielding laterally in order to
lessen the effect of concussions in a lateral direction. In all the above
arrangements plates are bolted to the backs of the bosses, naves, or collars, to
keep the wheels in their places, as well as to allow of self-adjustment when
travelling over curves or defective roads. And, fifthly, the wheel is con-
structed separately and connected to the back of the tyre, which is grooved,
by means of disc or ring plates rivetted or bolted to the spokes or arms of the
boss or nave, and having turned-in edges or flanges to be inserted in the
grooves of the tyre, such grooves being of sufficient depth to allow of easy
play and to afford elasticity of action and means of adjustment to the tyre.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
December 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE 3
SMITH, the younger, of No. 18, Richmond Terrace,. Clapham Road, in the
County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year 3
of Her reign, did, for Herself; Her heirs and successors, give and grant

page_text: unto me, the said George Smith, the younger, Her special licence that I,
the said George Smith, the younger, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said George Smith, the younger, my
executors, administrators, and 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND RAILWAY CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Smith, the younger, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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, 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 I, the said George Smith, the younger, 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 Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of "Improvements in Locomotive Engines and Railway
Carriages" consists, in the first place, in the adaptation and application
thereto of a swivelling truck of the kind herein-after described at each end of
the engine or carriage combined with intermediate wheels without flanges, for
the purpose of enabling engines and carriages of increased length to travel
safely over sharp curves, the breadth of the tyre of such flangeless wheels
being proportioned to the sharpest curve required to be traversed.
My Invention consists, secondly, in the use of segmental bearings applied
to the lower part of the side framing of the engine or carriage, and to the
upper part of the frame or frames of the trucks, for the purpose of giving
them the requisite swivelling motion required on the curves.
These bearings
are composed of two saddles, the upper one of which is fixed to the side
framing of the engine or carriage, and the lower one to the frames of the
trucks. In the upper saddle is formed a segmental groove to receive the
correspondingly formed head of a bolt, which is passed through an aperture
in the lower saddle, and keyed to the frame of the truck. The object of this
arrangement is to give increased steadiness to the engines and carriages.
My Invention relates, in the third place, to the wheels of locomotive
engines and railway carriages, and consists in the several modes of construction.

page_text: herein-after stated. First, short hollow axles are keyed into the bosses or
naves of the wheels, and the solid axles are put through such hollow axles;
the bearings resting on the latter; the parts may be arranged either for
outside, inside, or double bearings. Secondly, the bosses or naves are cast
separately, with arms to them, on to which arms are sprung circular springs;
which are compressed either into the collar or the tyre of the wheels. Thirdly,
a collar with a shoulder on it is keyed on to the axle of the wheel, and the boss
or nave is bored accurately on to the axle of the wheel. Fourthly, this arrange-
ment may have combined with it a spring inserted at the back of the boss or
nave, and confined by a plate, so as to admit of the wheel yielding laterally in
order to lessen the effect of concussions in a lateral direction. In all the
above arrangements plates are bolted to the backs of the bosses, naves, or
collars, to keep the wheels in their places, as well as to allow of self-adjust-
ment when travelling over curves or defective roads. And, fifthly, the, wheel
is constructed separately, and connected to the back of the tyre, which is.
grooved by means of either disc or ring plates, rivetted or bolted to the
spokes or arms of the boss or nave, and having turned-in; edges or flanges to:
be inserted in the grooves of the tyre, such grooves being of sufficient depth
to allow of easy play, and to afford elasticity, of action and means of adjust
ment to the tyre.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed. to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by,
reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which are represented the, parts,
of locomotive engines and railway carriages, above referred to.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Sheets I. to IV. inclusive relate to the, construction and arrangement of
swivelling trucks and segmental bearings for locomotive engines and car-
riages, the same letters of reference in the, several Figures.on such Sheets
indicating corresponding parts.
Sheets V. to XII. inclusive relate. to the construction of railway wheels,
the same letters of reference.in the several Figures on which likewise indicating
corresponding parts.
In Sheets I. to IV. inclusive A is the framing of. the engine, or carriage;.
B is the framing of the swivelling truck; C, C; are the wheels of the engine,
or carriage; D is the upper saddle, which is fixed to the side framing of the
engine or carriage; E is the lower saddle, which. is. fixed to, the framing of
the swivelling trucks; F is a. bolt, which is passed through an aperture in the
lower saddle. E and keyed into the framing of the truck; this bolt is formed

page_text: with a segmental head which is inserted in a segmental groove formed in the
upper saddle D, in which groove the suitably formed head of the bolt is
enabled to move as required; G, G, are friction or bearing plates inserted in
the lower part of the framing of the engine or carriage and in the upper part
of the framing of the truck for the purpose of relieving the strain on the
bolts F.
In Sheet I. Fig. 1 represents in elevation the frame of an engine or
carriage with a swivelling truck at each end and with intermediate broad
flangeless wheels; Fig. 2 represents the same in plan while passing over a
curve; Fig. 3 represents the same while running on a straight line.
The arrangement represented on this Sheet shews the application of the
segmental bearings to the side framing of a swivelling truck at each end of
the engine or carriage with the grooves in the upper saddles forming a segment
of a circle having for its centre the centre of the truck.
'In Sheet II. Fig. 1 represents in elevation the frame of an engine or
carriage with a swivelling truck at one end only; Fig. 2 represents the same
in plan on a straight line, and Fig. 3 represents the same on a curve. In
this case the segmental bearings are applied to the side framing of the engine
or carriage, but the grooves in the upper saddles form segments of a circle,
the centre of which is in the centre of the axle of the pair of wheels next to
the truck.
In Sheet III. Fig. 1 is a plan on a larger scale than the preceding Figures
of a swivelling truck with the segmental bearings applied to the side framing
thereof, and with the segmental grooves in the saddles formed as represented
in Sheet I.; Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of
the same; Fig. 4 is an elevation on an enlarged scale of the upper and lower
saddles with the segmental-headed bolt; Fig. 5 is a vertical section; Fig. 6
a plan, and Fig. 7 a cross section of the same. On reference to Figs. 2 and 3
it will be seen that the upper saddle D of each segmental bearing is bolted to
the side framing A of the engine or carriage, and the lower saddle E to the
side framing B of the swivelling truck. In Fig. 3 is also shewn the insertion
of the friction or bearing plates G, G, in the lower part of the framing A and
the upper part of the framing B, for the purpose of relieving the bolts F from
undue strain. H, H, are compensating levers between the springs, which
are combined into a system longitudinally and transversely, as shewn, for
the purpose of counteracting the effect of shocks due to the inequalities
of the line or other causes, and distributing the strain among the several
wheels.
In Sheet IV. the several Figures represent in views similar to those in

page_text: Sheet III. (except that Fig. 3 in the present Sheet is a vertical section), &
swivelling truck and segmental, bearings applied to the centre of the same.
The forms and arrangements of the several parts will be seen on reference to
the Figures without any further description.
•
In the foregoing description the segmental bearings have been described
as having the bolt passed through the lower saddle, and the segmental bead
of the bolt traversing the segmental groove in the upper saddle, but this
arrangement may be reversed if thought desirable, (that is to say,) the bolt
may be passed through the upper saddle, and the head or lower end of the
bolt may be made to work in a groove in the lower saddle. Again, the
centre pin or bolt used in the ordinary trucks or bogies may also be combined
with an arrangement of the above-described bolt and saddles.
I proceed now to describe the several Sheets of Drawings relating to my
improvements in the construction of wheels for locomotives and carriages.
In Sheets 5 to 12 inclusive, A is the axle; B, the nave or boss;
C, C, are disc or ring plates for connecting the tyre with the spokes or arms
of the wheel; D is the tyre; E is a locking plate applied to the back of the
boss, nave, or collar to keep the wheel in its place and to admit of self-adjust-
ment as required; F, F, are bolts for fastening the plate; G is a hollow axle,
through which the ordinary axle is passed and on which the bearings rest;
g is a collar screwed on to the end of the axle; g¹, g', are half collars inserted
on the end of the axle; g³ is a collar or ring to cover and keep the half
collars g', g', in place; H, H, are the spokes or arms of the wheel; J, J, are
circular springs inserted between the boss or nave and the tyre to render the
wheel elastic; K is an internal boss or nave; L is a shoulder on the same
to admit of its being keyed tightly in the boss or nave B; M is a spiral
spring fitted on the axle, and confined as required by the locking plate E;
N, N, are loose filling-in pieces inserted between the circular springs J and
the bosses B.
In Sheet V. Fig. 1 is a transverse section of an improved elastic wheel on
a hollow axle G with outside bearing. It will be seen that the ordinary
axle A is passed through the hollow axle G, on which the bearings rest at the
right-hand side of the wheel, as shewn. The hollow axle G is keyed to the
boss B, at the inner side of which the lock plate E is bolted in order to keep
the parts together as required. Fig. 2 is a similar section of an ordinary
wheel on a hollow axle G with inside bearing at the left-hand side of the
wheel, as shewn; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the half collar rings g', g', and
the ring 9 for securing the same on the end of the axle A; Fig. 4 is a
transverse section of an improved elastic wheel with double bearings, (that is

page_text: to say,) with bearings on each side of the wheel for the hollow axle; G, Fig. 5,
is an elevation of the half collar rings g', g', and the ring g³ for securing the
same on the axle A inside the bearings in the manner shewn in Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is a transverse section of an ordinary wheel having an inner boss K
keyed on to the axle A, such boss being formed with a shoulder L, the outer
boss B being turned to fit the boss K, and there is a spiral spring M fitted
on the axle A on the inner side of the wheel, and confined by a plate O
with bolts passing into the inner boss K; the object of the spring M is to
give lateral elasticity to the wheel on the boss K keyed to the axle A. Fig. 7
is a similar section of an ordinary wheel on an inner boss K, connected thereto
by a locking plate E and bolts, as shewn.
In Sheet VI. Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the upper half of an
improved elastic wheel with circular springs J, J, and channelled tyre D, the
circular springs J, J, being sprung into the channel of the tyre D and kept
therein as required by means of loose filling-in pieces N, N, inserted between
the springs J, J, and the boss B, and suspended in a ring plate P, the said
filling-in pieces being also confined laterally as required by means of the lock
plate E. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the lower half of the same wheel, and
Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same.
In Sheet VII. Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the upper half of an
improved elastic wheel with circular springs J, J, channelled to suit a tyre D,
with a rib on its interior, the filling-in pieces N, N, being also formed with a
rib on them, as shewn in Fig. 3, the wheel being otherwise similar to that
last described; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the lower part of the same wheel,
and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same.
+
In Sheet VIII. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the upper half of an
improved elastic wheel with circular springs J, J, placed round the boss B,
and secured as required between the boss and the tyre by means of disc
rings C, one of which is removed in this Figure, the filling-in pieces N, N,
being inserted as shewn; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the lower half of the same
wheel, and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same.
In Sheet IX. Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the upper half of an
improved elastic wheel similar to that last described, but with a different
section of tyre and without filling-in pieces; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the
lower half of the wheel, and Fig. 3 is a' transverse section of the wheel.
In Sheet X. Fig. 1 is an elevation of the upper half of a suspended wheel
with the disc plate C removed; in this case the tyre D is grooved and the
edges or flanges of the disc plates C, C, are turned inwards and inserted in
the groove of the tyre, such groove being of sufficient depth to allow of easy

page_text: play with elasticity of action and means of adjustment to the tyre; Fig. 2 is
an elevation of the lower half of the same wheel, and Fig. 2 is a transverse
section of the wheel.
In Sheet XI. Fig. is a sectional elevation (in the line R, S, of Fig. 3)
of the upper half of a suspended wheel with arms or spokes H, H, bolted
into ring plates C, the section of the tyre being the same as that in the last
example, and the edges or flanges being turned inwards and inserted in the
groove of the tyre; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the lower half of the wheel;
Fig. 3 is a transverse section of part of a driving wheel constructed in this
manner; and Fig. 4 is a similar section of a smaller wheel.
And in Sheet XII. Fig. 1 is an elevation of a quarter of a suspended
wheel with three intermediate springs J, J, shewing such portion of the wheel
with the disc plate C removed, the section of the tyre D being formed with a
rib on its interior clutched by the turned-in edges or flanges of the disc
plates C; Fig. 2 shews another portion of the wheel in elevation, and Fig. 3
is a transverse section of the wheel; Fig. 4 represents a quarter of a sus-
pended wheel with a single intermediate circular spring shewing the disc
plate C removed; Fig. 5 is an elevation of the remaining portion of the
wheel; and Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the wheel.
The mode of constructing wheels in the manner shewn .in the Drawings
will be sufficiently understood from the detailed representations of the several
parts of the wheels without any further description.
Having thus described the nature of the said. Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I do not claim
as of my Invention any of the parts of locomotive engines and carriages
herein-before referred to otherwise. than as herein-after stated; but what I
do claim as of my Invention is,
First, the adaptation and application to each end of locomotive engines and
railway carriages of swivelling trucks of the kind represented in Sheets III.
and IV., and described combined with intermediate broad flangeless wheels,
for the purpose described.
Secondly, segmental bearings for locomotive engines and railway carriages
and swivelling trucks with upper and lower saddles and segmental-headed
bolts, as shewn in Sheets I., III., and IV., and with slots, as shewn in
Sheet II.
Thirdly, the use of short hollow axles keyed into the naves or bosses of the
wheels of locomotive engines and railway carriages for the bearings to rest
upon, as shewn in Sheet V.
Fourthly, moveable bosses, as shewn in Sheet V.

page_text: Fifthly, springs for giving lateral elasticity, as shewn in Sheet V.
Sixthly, the several arrangements of circular springs in combination, with
loose tyres, as shewn in Sheets VI., VII., VIII., and IX.
Seventhly, the mode of suspending wheels represented in Sheets X. and XI.,
and described.
And, lastly, the mode of suspending wheels represented in Sheet XII., and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
G. W. R. WAINWRIGHT,
Stapl. In.,
Sol".
GEO. SMITH, JUN³. (L.S.)