IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES AND IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE PRESSURE OF STEAM
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Barclay, of Kilmarnock, in the County of
Ayr, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TRACTION ENGINES AND IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE PRESSURE OF
STEAM."
Sealed the 21st August 1863, and dated the 11th March 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Barclay at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th March 1863.
I, ANDREW BARCLAY, of Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TRACTION ENGINES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE PRESSURE OF STEAM,"
to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates in the first place to certain improvements in the
construction and arrangement of traction engines, which improvements are
based upon an Invention of a similar kind for which Letters Patent were
granted to Mr. A. Barclay, dated 10th March 1862, No. 646.
Under one modification of the present Invention as applied to traction
engines of the "right-angled class," the crank shaft of each pair of engines
has its bearings at one end arranged in the side standard or frame whilst the
other end is connected to the main axle or to the centre of the driving wheel,
so that this end of the shaft vibrates with the motion of the spring of the
driving wheel, whilst the other end remains a fixture in its bearing. The
other pair of engines have their crank shaft arranged in like manner, the fixed
bearings being on opposite sides of the machine. In this way the vibratory

page_text: motion of the wheels as they traverse over the inequalities of the road is
imparted to one extremity of each crank shaft but without affecting the opposite
ends, which revolve steadily in their bearings.
The object of the arrangement is to prevent the vibration of the driving
wheels from affecting the beat of the valves. The driving wheels are arranged
one with a long tubular axle to which the wheel is keyed and extending across
the framing, the other wheel is fitted with an axle which passes through the
tubular one, and is fastened by a nut. Or the two axles may be arranged
parallel to rotate in contact, and thus obtain an extended bearing surface when
the engines are driven at different speeds. The traction engine is coupled to
the vehicle accompanying it by a T-shaped connecting piece which is carried
on a vertical spindle, its prolongation passing through two bushes carried by the
framing of the connected carriage, the bind weeels of which are connected with
the engine by means of a shaft and wheels or by connecting rods direct, so as
to angle along with the engine when going round a curve. This arrangement
admits of the lateral and vertical movements of the coupled engine and vehicle.
The traction engine may also be guided as well as regulated in speed by means
of a duplex break action which is operated by a single hand lever, so that the
motion may be-checked or the break applied to either side of the machine and
so guide it by the different speeds of the driving wheels. The improved
pressure gauge consists of a metal or other chamber, formed in two parts and
divided by an elastic air-proof diaphragm. Above the chamber is fitted a
graduated glass tube, partly filled with water, which rests on the elastic diaphragm.
The pressure of the steam raises the diaphragm and column of water causing
the air to be compressed, and in the ordinary gauges the air escapes through
the water when subjected to long continued pressure, but by interposing the
diaphragm of elastic air-proof material this escape is prevented and the gauge
continues correct in its indications.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Andrew Barclay in the Great Seal Patent Office on the s
7th September 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
BARCLAY, of Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of March, in the year of our

page_text: Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Andrew Barclay, Her special license that I, the said Andrew
Barclay, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Andrew Barclay, 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES AND IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE PRESSURE
OF STEAM," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Andrew
Barclay, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of ono of them, should parti-
cularly 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 Andrew Barclay, 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 bad to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates, in the first place, to certain improvements in the
construction and arrangement of traction engines, which improvements are
based upon an Invention of a similar kind, for which Letters Patent were
granted to me dated 10th day of March 1862, No. 646.
Under one modification of the present Invention as applied to traction
engines of the "right-angled class," the crank shaft of each pair of engines
has its bearings at one end arranged in the side standard or frame whilst the
other end is connected to the main axle or to the centre of the driving wheel
so that this end of the shaft vibrates with the motion of the spring of the
driving wheel whilst the other end remains a fixture in its bearing. The other
pair of engines have their crank shaft arranged in like manner, the fixed
bearings being on opposite sides of the machine. In this way the vibratory
motion of the wheels as they traverse over the inequalities of the road, is
imparted to one extremity of each crank shaft but without affecting the
opposite ends, which revolve steadily in their bearings.
The object of the arrangement is to prevent the vibration of the driving
wheels from affecting the beat of the valves. The driving wheels are arranged

page_text: one with a long tubular axle to which the wheel is keyed and extending across
the framing, the other wheel is fitted with an axle which passes through the
tubular one, and is fastened by a nut. Or the two axles may be arranged
parallel to rotate in contact, and thus obtain an extended bearing surface when
the engines are driven at different speeds. The traction engine is coupled to
the vehicle accompanying it by a T-shaped connecting piece which is carried
on a vertical spindle, its prolongation passing through two bushes carried by
the framing of the connected carriages, the hind wheels of which are connected
with the engine by means of a shaft and wheels, or by connecting rods direct,
so as to angle along with the engine when going round a curve.
This arrange-
ment admits of the lateral and vertical movements of the coupled engine and
vehicle. The traction engine may also be guided as well as regulated in
speed by means of a duplex break action which is operated by a single hand.
lever so that the motion may be checked or the break applied to either side
of the machine, and so guide it by the different speeds of the driving wheels.
The improved pressure guage consists of a metal or other chamber formed in
two parts and divided by an elastic air-proof diaphragm. Above the chamber
is fitted a graduated glass tube partly filled with water, which rests on the elastic
diaphragm. The pressure of the steam raises the diaphragm and column of
water, causing the air to be compressed, and in the ordinary gauges the air
escapes through the water when subjected to long continued pressure, but by
interposing the diaphragm of elastic air-proof material this escape is prevented
and the gauge continues correct in its indications.
And in order that my said Invention of "Improvements in Tractions Engines
and in Apparatus for Indicating the Pressure of Steam," may be properly under-
stood, I shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on the explanatory
Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing
certain modifications under which my improvements may be judiciously carried
out in practice, that is to say:-
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is an outline plan of a
traction engine and frame of a truck or carriage showing the necessary parts,
as arranged in accordance with one modification of my Invention, in relation
to the coupling of traction engines with trucks or carriages; Figure 2 is an
elevation partially in section of a pair of driving wheels and their shafts for
traction engines, showing one modification of my improvements for obtaining
long bearings combined with independent action in the wheels of traction
engines; and Figure 3 is a plan of another modification and arrangement of a
pair of traction engine wheels and their shafts for accomplishing the same
object as the last, in accordance with my
Invention.

page_text: The first part of my invention has reference to the aforesaid Letters Patent,
and consists in arranging the crank shafts of these engines so that one end
upon which a pinion is keyed vibrates with the motion of its supporting spring
or springs, but so connected with the main axle of the driving wheels that both
vibrate simultaneously in the same direction. This is accomplished by means
of a rigid connecting link through which the crank and driving shafts pass.
The crank shaft end of this link is fitted with brass bushes and the crank
shaft revolves freely therein; the other end of the crank shaft is supported in
the side standards forming part of the main framing, and this end does not
vibrate with the supporting spring's action, and in this case the throw of the
valves is as regularly wrought by the eccentrics as if both ends of the shaft
were stationary as regards the machine itself. The chief feature being the
arrangement for allowing only one end of the engine crank shaft to vibrate and
not the other.
Another part of my Invention has also reference to the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent, and consists in the connecting of traction engines to
their accompanying trucks or carriages, by a T-shaped swivel, coupling bar A,
as shown partially in dotted lines in Figure 1 of the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings. The T-shaped coupling bar A is arranged between the engine and
carriage, one modification of it is described and shown as marked P and F, in
Figure 1 of Sheet 2, in the Specification and Drawings of the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent.
In the present arrangement the centre of the shorter vertical arms of this
bar A, Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, is coupled to the
engine framing immediately underneath the centre of the main axle B, and its
horizontal arm A' is connected with the accompanying carriage, in a manner
somewhat similar to that previously described and shown in the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent, except that the part of the frame c to which it
is attached is formed of iron and hinged to the axle K of the fore wheels D,
so that the coupling bar swivels on three centres, on a vertical axis at A, on a
horizontal longitudinal one at A', and on a horizontal transverse one at K.
The truck or carriage C is supported on four wheels in this modification, and
instead of the fore pair of wheels D swivelling on the carriage, it is the rear
pair of wheels E, on the axle L, which is made to swivel simultaneously with
the traction engine F, which engine may be of a similar construction to that
previously described in the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, and
also shown in plan in Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
The fore axle K of the truck or carriage C maintains its position square
across the carriage, and the direction of the dotted lines G, J, and I, J, with

page_text: H, J, show that the angles of the three shafts meet in the centre J, upon which
contre the engine turns. The rear axle L is pivoted between two snugs formed
on the lower side of the bevel segment M, and this segment is in gear with a
bevel pinion N, on the one end of the central shaft O, which shaft has also, on
its other end a similar pinion P in gear with a bevel segment Q, bolted to the
lower side of the engine foot plate, so that any angle given to the engine by
the steam steering handle is also imparted to the rear axle L of the truck or
earriage, and the whole turns on the required curve without any slipping or
slurring of the wheels, as each wheel is loose on its own axle. The shaft O is
formed in two parts connected by a universal joint O' over the centre of the
axle K, where the coupling bar A swivels to suit the inequalities or different
levels of the roadway. Instead of the bevel gear just described being employed
for actuating the rear axle L, two connecting rods R, R, shown in dotted lines
may be coupled direct between it and the axle B, or to the engine frame at a
limited distance behind and parallel to the axle, which will serve a similar
purpose, and turn the rear axle L simultaneously with the engine and so as
to turn in the same arc. The shaft or shafts of the engine driving wheels may
be constructed with an extended bearing surface by making one of these shafts
hollow, and the other passing through that hollow shaft, as shown in Figure 2
of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings. The driving wheels A, A', are repre-
sented one in vertical section and the other in elevation. The hollow shaft B
which is keyed in to the nave of its driving wheel A, extends the whole breadth
of the engine framing and within the hollow shaft B, the solid shaft C, which
is made fast to the nave of its driving wheel A¹, revolves freely either in
the backward or forward direction when going round a curve.
Another modification for extending the length of bearing in the driving
wheel shafts is represented in Figure 3; in this modification the axles B and C
are placed parallel to each other at any convenient distance apart, or they may
be arranged in almost close contact, the one driving wheel being to that extent
in advance of the other, as shown. A novel steam pressure guage is employed
for registering the boiler pressure, which consists in the use of an elastic
steam-tight diaphragm between the water contained in an air-tight glass tube
and the steam, so that the enclosed air cannot escape down through the water
and diaphragm. The contained water being constant and non-elastic rises up
the small sealed tube from the enlarged space above the diaphragm by the
pressure of the steam below it, so as to compress the contained air, and indicate
the pressure of the steam by the varying level of the water in the tube, and
graduated index divisions on its outside, in accordance with the first adjust-
ment of the instrument.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, the system or mode of constructing the crank shafts of traction engines
as adapted for ordinary roads, so that one only vibrates with the motion of the
spring, for the purpose herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of connecting traction engines as adapted for
ordinary roads with their accompanying carriage or carriages by a coupling
bar arrangement, as herein-before described.
Third, the system or mode of guiding as well as regulating the speed of
traction engines, as adapted for ordinary roads, by means of a duplex break
action so arranged that the actual break may be applied in such manner
that the motion may be checked or the break applied to either side of the
machine or engine, and thus guide it by the different speed of the driving
wheels.
Fourth, the system or mode of swivelling one or more axles of the accom-
panying truck or carriage simultaneously with the angular motion given to its
traction engine whether automatically or by the attendant through the steering
gear herein-before described.
Fifth, the system or mode of arranging the driving wheels of traction
engines as adapted for ordinary roads on hollow and solid axles, as herein-
before described.
Sixth, the system or mode of arranging the two driving wheel axles parallel
to each other in traction engines as adapted for ordinary roads, as herein-before
described.
Seventh, the use of an elastic diaphragm in air pressure guages, as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Barclay, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three.
ANDREW BARCLAY. (L.8.)