IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE TRAMWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Duncan, William Ashley Wilson, and George
Ashley Wilson, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE TRAMWAY CARRIAGES."
Scaled the 23rd March 1880, and dated the 29th September 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Duncan, William
Ashley Wilson, and George Ashley Wilson, at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents on the 29th September 1879.
GEORGE DUNCAN, WILLIAM ASHLEY WILSON, and GEORGE ASHLEY WILSON, all of
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE
TRAMWAY CARRIAGES."
Our Invention relates to that class of tram cars in which the body of the vehicle
rests on two bogies, one of which carries the engine for giving motion to the said
vehicle, and consists of various arrangements and combinations of parts designed to
facilitate and cheapen the working of such vehicles, and to reduce the cost of
maintenance.
In carrying our Invention into practice we proceed as follows:-
First. We make the framework of the bogie carrying the motive power engine
hollow, and we utilize the interior thereof as a partial condenser of the exhaust
steam from the cylinders, such steam being afterwards led through a surface
condenser or condensers, and finally carried to the chimney. One form of condenser
has water, and another air cooled surfaces. The latter may be in the roof covering
the engine and boiler.
Second. We construct the driving wheels in two portions, an inner portion or
disc, and an outer portion or ring, the two parts being connected together by
friction rollers. A clutch and lever or the like appliance is provided, whereby the
outer portion or ring may be securely clamped to the driving axle, so as to revolve
therewith when desired. When the tram car is moving along a level or nearly
level road the clutch is in operation, and the driving wheels revolve at full speed.
When the car is starting from rest or is rising up a steep incline the clutch is
placed out of action, and the outer portion of the driving wheel receives motion
hrough the intervention of the friction rollers, thereby enabling greater power
o be utilized in propelling the car at a reduced speed.

page_text: Third. A single handle or lever is connected to the following parts:-(u) to the
valves or gear for admitting and shutting off steam from the cylinders; (b) to
expansion gear for controlling the admission of steam to the cylinders, and (c) to
the brakegear acting on the wheels, so that by moving the said handle or lever
forwards or backwards a greater or lesser distance, the starting and stopping of the
vehicle is placed under the control of the attendant. The said handle or lever may
be connected to the reversing gear of the engines so as to reverse, but in practice a
separate handle or lever is used for that purpose. In one arrangement the lever is
free to oscillate on a stud, and is joined by a connecting rod to a lever acting on a
toggle joint placed between the eccentric actuating the slide and expansion valves
and the said slide and expansion valves. The brake levers are connected to the
said toggle joint.
Fourth. We place a ported plate or diaphragm between each slide valve and
expansion valve, and so fit the said plate or diaphragm in the valve chamber that
it may be free to move towards the slide valve as wear takes place, and maintain
steam tight connection therewith.
Fifth. In tram cars having the appliances above set forth, we fit the rear or
following bogie with brake blocks and gear, which said brakes and gear may be
of any ordinary or desired construction, and provide connections whereby the said
brakes may be operated from the front end of the vehcicle where the engine and
boiler is situated, thereby onsuring that the vehicle may be brought to rest if the
forward gear should fail.
Sixth. In tram cars fitted with motive power engines, substantially as above
set forth, we connect the bogies by chains or jointed rods in any ordinary or
convenient manner, and give motion to such chains or jointed rods, and thereby to
the bogies by means of a hand wheel or like appliance. Both bogies and their
wheels are thereby caused to incline to the right or left, so as to enter bays or pass
facing points with ease and certainty.
Seventh. A steam generator for use on tram cars, and where it is required to
generate large quantities of steam in small space is constructed of a box or steam
chamber fitted with "Field " tubes projecting from the bottom thereof; the internal
tubes are connected to a second chamber or to a pipe, which said chamber or pipe
is in communication with a head of water having a pressure greater than the
pressure of the steam it is required to generate. Water is thereby caused to flow
down through the central tubes, and up through the external tubes towards the
steam chamber. The external tubes are by preference heated by dipping into a
bath of metal kept molten by means of a furnace fed with solid, liquid, or gaseous
fuel. Steam is generated whilst the water is passing up the external tubes to the
steam chamber.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Duncan, William Ashley Wilson, and George Ashley Wilson,
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th March 1880.
GEORGE DUNCAN, WILLIAM ASHLEY WILSON, and GEORGE ASHLEY WILSON, of
Liverpool, in the County of Lancastor, Engineers.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE
TRAMWAY CARRIAGES."
Our Invention relates to that class of tram cars in which the body of the vehicle
rests on two bogies, one of which carries the engine for giving motion to the said
vehicle, and consists of varrious arrangements and combinations of parts designed to
facilitate and cheapen the working of such vehicles, and to reduce the cost of
maintenance.
In carrying our Invention into practice we proceed as follows:-
First. We make the framework of the bogie carrying the motive power engine
hollow, and we utilize the interior thereof as a partial condenser of the exhaust
steam from the cylinders, such steam being afterwards led through a surface
condenser or condensers, and finally carried to the chimney. One form of condenser
has water, and another air cooled surfaces. The latter may be in the roof covering
the engine and boiler.
Second. We construct the driving wheels in two portions, an inner portion or
dise, and an outer portion or ring, the two parts being connected together by
friction rollers. A clutch and lever or the like appliance is provided, whereby the
outer portion or ring may be securely clamped to the driving axle, so as to revolve
therewith when desired. When the tram car is moving along a level or nearly
level road the clutch is in oporation, and the driving wheels revolve at full speed.
When the car is starting from rest or is rising up a steep incline the clutch is
placed out of action, and the outer portion of the driving wheel receives motion
through the intervention of the friction rollers, thereby enabling greater power to
be utilized in propelling the car at a reduced speed.
Third. A single handle or lever is connected to the following parts:-(a) to the
valvos or gear for admitting and shutting off steam from the cylinders; (b) to
expansion gear for controlling the admission of steam to the cylinders, and (c) to
the break gear acting on the wheels, so that by moving the said handle or lever
forwards or backwards a greater or lesser distance, the starting and stopping of the
vehicle is placed under the control of the attendant. The said handle or lever may
be connected to the reversing gear of the engines so as to reverse, but in practico a
separate handle or lever is used for that purpose. In one arrangement the lever is
free to oscillate on a stud, and is joined by a connecting rod to a lever acting on a
toggle joint placed between the excentric actuating the slide and expansion valves
and the said slide and expansion valves. The brake levers are connected to the said
toggle joint.
Fourth. We place a ported plate or diaphragm between each side valve and
expansion valve, and so fit the said plate or diaphragm in the valve chamber that
it may be free to move towards the slide valve as wear take place, and maintain
steam tight connection therewith.
Fifth. In tram cars having the appliances above set forth, we fit the rear or
following bogie with brake blocks and gear, which said brakes and gear may be of
any ordinary or desired construction, and provide connections whereby the said
brakes may be operated from the front end of the vehicle where the engine and
boiler is situated, thereby ensuring that the vehicle may be brought to rest if the
forward gear should fail.
Sixth. In tram cars fitted with motive power engines, substantially as above
set forth, we connect the bogies by chains or jointed rods in any ordinary or
convenient manner, and give motion to such chains or jointed rods, and thereby to

page_text: the boggies by means of a hand wheel or like appliance. Both bogies and their
wheels are thereby caused to incline to the right or left, so as to enter bays or pass
facing points with ease and certainty.
Seventh. A steam generator for use on tram cars, and where it is required to
generate large quantities of steam in small space is constructed of a box or steam
chamber fitted with "Field" tubes projecting from the bottom thereof. The internal
tubes are connected to a second chamber or to a pipe, which said chamber or pipe
is in communication with a head of water having a pressure greater than the
pressure of steam it is required to generate. Water is thereby caused to flow
down through the central tubes, and up through the external tubes towards the
steam chamber. The external tubes are by preference heated by dipping into a
bath of metal kept molten by means of a furnace fed with solid, liquid, or gaseous
fuel. Steam is generated whilst the water is passing up the external tubes to the
Fig. 1 is a plan view, and Fig. 2 a side clevation of a locomotive tramway
carriage constructed in accordance with our Invention and illustrative of the seven
heads thereof. The body of the tram car, which may be of any ordinary or
desired construction, is not shown.
First part. a, hollow bogie framework carrying the motive power engine. The
exhaust steam from the cylinders b passes the hollow framework a, where it is
partly condensed; such steam then passes into the water tube condenser c, and
finally to the chimney & through the pipe f.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of an air cooled condenser to be employed under the
first part of our Invention. The steam after leaving the hollow bogic frame passes
The cooling
into the said condenser, which is placed on the roof of the tram car.
and condensing of the steam is effected by the atmosphere coming into contact with
the tube projections on the top of the said condenser. Other forms of air cooled
cooled condensers may be used, but we prefer the one above illustrated and described.
Second part. The driving wheels consist of an inner portion or disc g, and an
outer portion or ring h, connected together by friction rollers i; j, clutch caused to
slide on the crank shaft k by means of the lever l, so as to connect together or leave
free the inner and outer portions g, h, of the wheels. When the clutch is con-
nected to the ring h, the axle k and such ring / revolve together. When the clutch
is free from the outer portion h, the said outer portion is driven from the axle k
through the roller i.
Third part. The handle m pivotted at n is connected by the lever o to the expansion
gear and to the brake gear 9, so that by moving the said handle the supply of
steam to the cylinders is diminished or cut off, and the brakes are applied.
Fig. 4 is a view of a modification of apparatus under the above third part, in
which the handle or lever m is free to oscillate on the stud n, and is joined by a
connecting rod n¹ to the lever n³ acting on a toggle n³ placed between the
excentric pactuating the slide and expansion valves, and the said slide and
expansion valves p², p². The levers 23 for applying the brakes are connected to
the said toggle joint n³.
Fourth. q is a ported plate or diaphragın in the valve chest r, between the slide
valve p' and the expansion valve 2. The said plate or diaphragm fits accurately
to the sides of the valve chamber, but is free to move in the direction of the slide
valve as wear takes place.
Fifth. The rear or following bogie is fitted with brake blocks and gear s;
t connections and lever, whereby the said brake blocks may be applied from the
engine platform in case of necessity.
Sixth. The boggies u, v, are connected by rods w, and motion is given to such
rods and to the bogies by means of the hand wheel and connections 2.
Seventh. y, stean chamber fitted with Field tubes ¹ projecting from the

page_text: bottom thereof; y', internal tubes connected to a water pipe y³. Water is forced
into the pipe y and through the internal tubes y by pumping or suitable means
at a greater pressure than that of the steam it is required to generate. Whilst the
water is flowing out of the lower ends of the tubes y3 and up the tubes y', which
are subjected to the action of heat from the metal bath 3', heated by an ordinary
steam boiler furnace, such water is vapourized, and passes into the chamber y in the
form of steam.
The improvements herein set forth under the first, second, third, fourth, and
seventh heads, are applicable alone or in combination to locomotive tramway cars,
and may be used in combination, or not, with the fifth and sixth parts.
Having now described and illustrated our said Invention in such manner that
others will be enabled to carry our improvements into effect, we claim,-
First part. Constructing and combining appliances for condensing steam in
locomotive tramway carriages, substantially as set forth.
Second part. Constructing driving wheels for locomotive tramway cars, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Third part. Combining and operating valve and break gear, substantially in the
manner and for the purposes set forth.
Fourth part. The improvements, substantially as set forth.
Fifth and sixth parts. The combination of parts, substantially as set forth.
Seventh part. Constructing steam generators, substantially in the manner and
for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Ashley Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
GEORGE ASHLEY WILSON. (L.S.)