IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND TENDERS, AND IN THE WORKING OF THE SAME, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Allason Fletcher, of Millgrove, near White-
haven, in the County of Cumberland, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND TENDERS, AND IN THE WORKING
OF THE SAME, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY
Sealed the 26th July 1864, and dated the 6th February 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Allason Fletcher
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th February 1864.
I, HENRY ALLASON FLETCHER, of Millgrove, near Whitehaven, in the
County of Cumberland, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND TENDERS, AND IN THE
WORKING OF THE SAME, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGGONS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in working the valve gearing of locomotive engines
from an axle of the engine other than the driving axle, the valve gearing
being either a modification of any of the forms usually adopted, or it may be
arranged and constructed in any other suitable manner. It is also proposed
in locomotive engines to place the driving axle of the engine under the fire-

page_text: box. In forming the frames of locomotive engines, tenders, railway carriages,
or waggons, according to this Invention, it is proposed to construct them each
of two or more bars or plates of metal placed a little distance apart, and
secured in that position by the "horn plates" and the other attachments. It is
further proposed so to construct and arrange locomotive engines of the kind
known as "tender engines," so that the water for the use of the engine shall be
conveyed in the tender, and the fuel on the engine, or the fuel shall be con-
veyed in the tender and the water on the engine, or a portion only of either
the water or fuel, or both, shall be conveyed in the tender, and the rest on the
engine. It is also proposed to couple or unite two locomotive engines of the
kind known as "tank engines" back to back, in such a manner that there shall
be but one driver's platform between the fire-boxes of each, and to connect
the starting and reversing gear of each so that they may be both controlled
simultaneously, and worked in fact as one engine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Allason Fletcher in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd August 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
ALLASON FLETCHER, of Millgrove, near Whitehaven, in the County of
Cumberland, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Allason Fletcher, Her special license that I, the said Henry
Allason Fletcher, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Henry Allason Fletcher, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND TENDERS, AND IN
THE WORKING OF THE SAME, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE
TO RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGGONS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Henry Allason Fletcher, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and

page_text: seal of one of them, 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 Henry Allason Fletcher, 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 consists in working the valve gearing of locomotive
engines from an axle of the engine other than the driving axle, the valve
gearing being either a modification of any of the forms usually adopted, or it
may be arranged and constructed in any other suitable manner. It is also
proposed in locomotive engines to place the driving axle of the engine under
the fire-box. In forming the frames of locomotive engines, tenders, railways,
carriages, or waggons according to this Invention, it is proposed to construct
them each of two or more bars or plates of metal placed a little distance
apart, and secured in that position by the "horn plates" and the other attach-
It is further proposed so to construct locomotive engines and tenders,
and to combine the same together in such a manner that the engine shall
carry the fuel, and the tender the water, or "vice versa," or either of them
shall carry only a portion of the water or fuel, or both, and the other the
remainder. In using or working locomotive engines of the kind known as
"tank engines," it is proposed to unite or combine together two such engines,
so that both shall be under the control of one driver, and shall, in fact, be
worked as one engine.
ments.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the two Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Fig. 1 of my Drawings is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 a half plan of
a four-wheeled locomotive engine constructed according to the first part of my
Invention.
The driving axle a is placed beneath the fire-box, with a shield to protect it
from the heat of the fire; the eccentrics which give motion to the valves are
in this instance placed upon the leading or front axle 6 (which is coupled with
the driving axle), and the valve gear is in this case a modification of the kind

page_text: known as Allan's patent straight link, but any other suitable valvular
arrangement may be adopted in its place. These Figures also show my
improvements in the frames of locomotive engines and railway vehicles.
Here the frames are represented as consisting of two bars c, c, of iron placed
some distance apart, and held in position by means of angle irons d, d, at
each end, and by the horn and motion plates e, e. A similar framing is also
shewn in the tender, Fig. 3.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of a locomotive engine and tender in illustration of
that portion of my Invention relating to locomotive engines which are
intended to carry a portion of their fuel and water, whilst the tender carries
the rest. In this instance a receptacle for fuel f is placed on the after part of
the engine, and the water is carried by the tank g of the tender. This may
be called a combined tank engine,
The proposed plan of coupling two tank locomotive engines back to back
(principally with a view to working inclines and sharp curves) is represented
by Fig. 4. The coupling bar or bars ½ is or are intended to be made very
strong, and with a long bearing, or two or more shorter bearings, in each
engine, so as to give such an amount of vertical rigidity that one engine may
bear the other up in case of the fracture of an axle, or other accident, but
without preventing their swivelling with one another laterally. i is a pipe and
valve to connect the two boilers together above the water lines; there may be
also a similar pipe or pipes to connect them below the water lines. This may
be called a twin tank engine.
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 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 working of the valve gearing of locomotive engines from any axle
of the engine other than the driving axle, as herein-before described.
Second, the placing of the driving axle of a locomotive engine immediately
underneath the fire-box, as herein-before described.
Third, the peculiar construction of the framing of locomotive engines,
tenders, carriages, and waggons, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the herein-before described peculiar construction and mode of
combining together locomotive engines and tenders whereby the engine shall
carry the whole or a part of the fuel, and the tender shall carry the whole or
a part of the water, or vice versa.
Fifth, the uniting or combining together of two tank locomotive engines, in

page_text: such manner that both may be under the control of one driver, and practically
form one engine, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Allason Fletcher, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-four.
HENRY ALLASON FLETCHER. (L.S.)