IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES' MECHANISM AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR PROPELLING AND WORKING CARRIAGES ON TRAM AND OTHER ROADS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Lowry, of Cross Street Iron Works, Salford, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES' MECHANISM AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR PROPELLING
AND WORKING CARRIAGES ON TRAM AND OTHER ROADS."
Sealed the 9th July 1878, and dated the 12th January 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Lowry at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th January 1878.
GEORGE LOWRY, of Cross Street Iron Works, Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES' MECHANISM AND ARRANGE-
MENTS FOR PROPELLING AND WORKING CARRIAGES ON TRAM AND OTHER ROADS."
Firstly. The main object of my Invention is to arrange the engine on a separate
carriage which can be attached to the tram cars or cars to be propelled, and convey
power from the engine carriage to the wheels of the tram car or cars, so that not
only the adhesion of the wheels of the engine carriage, but those of the tram cars
is available for propulsion, and my Invention consists in placing a boiler or boilers
and engine or engines (both boilers and engines vertical by preference), on a
carriage.
This engine or engines is or are arranged to drive a crank shaft, which is inde-
pendent of the axles of the carriage wheels and driven at a great speed, and from
this crank shaft by pulleys and a belt, motion is given to a countershaft having
bearings on the carriage framing, and from this countershaft by a belt and pulleys
motion is conveyed to one or both of the axles of the carrying wheels.
On the countershaft as an axis an arm or frame is made to oscillate, the lower end
of which carries a shaft which is driven by a belt and pulleys from the countershaft,
and the shaft carried by the oscillating frame has a grooved pulley upon it for an
endless rope to work upon, which rope also works upon a pulley or pulleys upon
the axle or axles of the tram carriage.
The endless rope is kept in tension by a weight or spring acting upon the oscil-
lating frame, the engine, carriage, and tram being rigidly coupled together in the
ordinary manner.

page_text: The endless rope, when the engine and tram carriage are to be separated, is taken
off the driving pulley, which is placed on the end of the shaft to allow of this being
done readily, and it is then suspended on a hook or hooks on the tram car so as to
be left clear of the pulleys on the tram car axles, or these pulleys are or may be
made loose on the shaft and connected with it by a clutch arrangement.
The endless rope is or may be made to pass between the groove pulley on the
Oscillating frame and a pulley on the carrying axle of the tram furthest from the
oscillating frame, so that in changing the engine carriage from one end of the tram
to the other the same endless rope is used, and hooks for suspending it when not in
use, as above named, are thus not required.
By another modification the countershaft and oscillating frame is dispensed with,
and the countershaft in the engine carriage having the grooved pulley for the endless
rope is made fixed, and the endless rope is or may be made to act as the connection
between the engine carriage and the tram carriage, the pull or drag of traction thus
brought upon it giving the tension and adhesion required, which will thus increase
and decrease with the power required for propulsion. The adhesion of the rope is
given when the engine is moved backwards by a buffer spring or springs placed
between the engine carriage and tram carriage, which spring or springs is or may be
arranged to have its tension increased or diminished by a screw or other suitable
means. This spring or springs is or may be used for giving the required adhesion
without relying upon the pressure of traction. There are guide pulleys on vertical
axes for the rope to work against when the engine and tram are passing over
curves.
By another modification of my-Invention the crank shaft of the engine or engines
is placed midway between and nearly on a level with the carrying axles of the
engine carriage and a countershaft for carrying the grooved or rope pulley which
drives the tram car axles is placed at each end of the engine carriage, and these
countershafts are driven by belts from the crank shaft of the engine; the carrying
axles are also connected by belts and driven from the countershafts. Thus arranged
the engine carriage may be connected and geared at either end with a tram car,
thus avoiding the necessity for turning round. Instead of the carrying axles being
connected with each other by endless belts or ropes they may be coupled by con-
necting rods, as in ordinary railway locomotives.
Another modification consists in arranging a shaft between and above the carrying
axles of the engine carriage, this shaft having upon it friction wheels which touch
and rest upon and between the carrying wheels so as to drive them by the friction
of contact; the weight of the shaft and wheels, and the pressure of springs to assist,
thus act to give sufficient adhesion. This shaft is driven by a belt or belts, or other
suitable means from the crank shaft of the engine or engines.
The endless rope from the engine carriage may pass to the furthest axle of the
tram from the engine, then back to the nearest tram axle, then to the furthest axle,
and then back to the engine carriage, and thus both axles will be driven by the
same endless rope.
In some cases the power from the engine or engines is or may be transmitted by
toothed or friction gearing arranged so that it may be readily changed, as in cranes,
to give a slow speed and greater power for ascending steep gradients when
required.
In some cases the engine is or may be placed on the tram car itself, and the
power is conveyed by belts or ropes to the axles of the carrying wheels of the
tram car.
When the engine is arranged on the tram carriage, the body of the carriage having
the engine and the upper part of the tram attached to it, is or may be made separate
from the lower framing in which are the axle boxes of the carrying wheels, and the
upper body is or may be made to turn on a pivot on the lower framing, the driving
rope or belt from the engine being changed from one pulley to another; when the
upper body of the carriage is turned round by this means the tram car can be made
to go in either direction without using a turntable to reverse it.

page_text: I arrange the carriage for the engine with ends (and sides also, if required) with
shutters that can be wound up and down so that either end or side may be opened
or closed as desired.
The brakes for both the wheels of the engine and tram car are or may be con-
nected by a shaft and universal coupling, so that the driver can simultaneously put
the brakes on by the same handle, or the brakes employed may be vacuum brakes,
and the connection between the exhaust apparatus upon the engine carriage and the
pipe to the vacuum brake of the tram car may be formed by india-rubber or other
elastic hose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Lowry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th July
1878.
GEORGE LOWRY, of Cross Street Iron Works, Salford, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES' MECHANISM
AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR PROPELLING AND WORKING CARRIAGES ON TRAM AND
OTHER ROADS."
Firstly. The main object of my Invention is to arrange the engine on a separate
carriage which can be attached to the tram car or cars to be propelled, and convey
power from the engine carriage to the wheels of the tram car or cars, so that not
only the adhesion of the wheels of the engine carriage but those of the tram car is
available for propulsion, and my Invention consists in placing a boiler or boilers,
and engine or engines (both boilers and engines vertical by preference) on a
carriage.
This engine or engines is or are arranged to drive a crank shaft which is inde-
pendent of the axles of the carriage wheels and driven at a great speed, and from
this crank shaft by pulleys and a belt or jointed chains motion is given to a counter-
shaft having bearings on the carriage framing, and from this countershaft by a belt
and pulleys or jointed chains motion is conveyed to one or both of the axles of the
carrying wheels.
On the countershaft as an axis, an arm or frame is made to oscillate, the lower
end of which carries a shaft which is driven by a belt or jointed chain and pulleys
from the countershaft, and the shaft carried by the oscillating frame has a grooved
pulley upon it for an endless rope to work upon, which rope also works upon a
pulley or pulleys upon the axle or axles of the tram carriage.
The endless rope is kept in tension by a weight or spring acting upon the oscil-
lating frame, the engine carriage and tram, being rigidly coupled together in the
ordinary manner.

page_text: The endless rope, when the engine and tram carriage are to be separated, is taken
off the driving pulley, which is placed on the end of the shaft to allow of this being
done readily, and it is then suspended on a hook or hooks on the tram car so as to
be left clear of the pulleys on the tram car axles, or these pulleys are or may be
made loose on the shaft, and connected with it by a clutch arrangement.
The endless rope is or may be made to pass between the groove pulley on the
oscillating frame, and a pulley on the carrying axle of the tram furthest from the
oscillating frame, so that in changing the engine carriage from one end of the tram
to the other, the same endless rope is used, and hooks for suspending it when not
in use as above named are thus not required.
By another modification the counter shaft and oscillating frame is dispensed with,
and the counter shaft in the engine carriage having the grooved pulley for the
endless rope is made fixed, and the endless rope is or may be made to act as the
connection between the engine carriage and the tram carriage, the pull or drag of
traction thus brought upon it giving the tension and adhesion required, which will
thus increase and decrease with the power required for propulsion. The adhesion
of the rope is given when the engine is moved backwards by a buffer spring or
springs placed between the engine carriage and tram carriage, which spring or
springs is or may be arranged to have its tension increased or diminished by a screw
or other suitable means if desired. This spring or springs is or may be used for
giving the required adhesion without relying upon the pressure of traction. There
are guide pulleys on vertical axes for the rope to work against when the engine and
tram are passing over curves.
By another modification of my Invention the crank shaft of the engine or
engines is placed midway between and nearly on a level with the carrying axles of
the engine carriage, and a counter shaft for carrying the grooved or rope pulley
which drives the train car axles is placed at each end of the engine carriage, and
these counter shafts are driven by belts or jointed chains from the crank shaft of
the engine, the carrying axles are also connected by belts or jointed chains, and
driven from the counter shafts. Thus arranged the engine carriage may be con-
nected, and geared at either end with a tram car, thus avoiding the necessity for
turning round. Instead of the carrying axles being connected with each other by
endless belts, ropes, or jointed chains they may be coupled by connecting rods, as
in ordinary railway locomotives.
Another modification consists in arranging a shaft between and above the
carrying axles of the engine carriage, this shaft having upon it friction wheels
which touch and rest upon or between the carrying wheels so as to drive them by
the friction of contact, the weight of the shaft and wheels and the pressure of
springs to assist thus act to give sufficient adhesion. This shaft is driven by a
belt or belts, or other suitable means, from the crank shaft of the engine or
engines.
The endless rope from the engine carriage may pass to the furthest axle of the
tram from the engine, then back to the nearest tram axle, then to the furthest axle,
and then back to the engine carriage, and thus both axles will be driven by the
same endless rope.
The brakes for both the wheels of the engine and tram car are or may be con-
nected by a shaft and universal coupling so that the driver can simultaneously put
the brakes on by the same handle; or the brakes employed may be vacuum brakes,
and the connection between the exhaust apparatus upon the engine carriage and the
pipe to the vacuum brake of the tram car may be formed by india-rubber or other
elastic hose.
Fig. 1 is a side sectional elevation of so much of an engine carriage to one modi-
fication of my Invention as will be necessary to illustrate the same. a represents
the two carrying axles; b, framing; c, boiler with a steam cylinder inside; d,
piston rod; e, connecting rod; f, crank shaft; g, fly wheel; h, framing of engine;
these parts are or may be of any ordinary construction. On the crank shaft f
there is a pulley f¹ for a belt or belts, rope or ropes, or jointed chain to work

page_text: upon and drive a pulley i¹ on a counter shaft i carried upon any suitable bearings
on the carriage framing. On is counter shaft i there is a bearing for an arm i³,
or frame to oscillate pendulum fashion, which at its lower end has bearings for a
shaft j, which has a pulley j¹ on the end of the shaft overhanging the bearing of
the shaft in the arm or frame. On the shaftj in the frame there is also a pulley
for a belt or belts, rope or ropes, or jointed chain, which works upon a pulley i* fast
on the counter shaft i. The pulley on this shaft also drives by belts, ropes, or
jointed chain a pulley on one of the carrying axles, which carrying axles (a) may
On the over-
be coupled by ordinary coupling rods, or by belts or jointed chain.
hanging pulley (1), on the shaft (j) carried by the oscillating arm or frame, there is
a rope working, which also works upon a pulley on the axle of the tram car, to
be drawn and propelled along, the engine in this case being rigidly connected with
the tram car, while tension is put upon the rope by a weight (3) or spring acting
upon the oscillating arm or frame (22) through a rope or chain passing over a pulley
having its bearing on the framing.
Fig. 2 illustrates another arrangement of engine and carriage, same as that shown
by Fig. 1, except that the axles of the carriage are both driven by separate belts,
ropes, or jointed chains working on pulleys on the crank shaft, as shown, and on the
carriage axles (a) upon each of which there is a grooved pulley for an endless rope
This engine.
(2) which works on this pulley and one on the axle of the tram car.
and carriage can thus be connected with the tram car at either end. The ropes are
or may be made with a hook coupling so as to be readily attached or detached
when the engine and tram car are to be separated.
The axles (a) of the engine carriage are or may be made in two halves, and
placed in suitable bearings with a space between the two ends, so that the rope can
be passed between them, and the grooved pulley is or may be fixed on one part of
the axle, to slide on a key in the axle, and form one part of a clutch to gear when
slided on the axle with the other part of the clutch, on the other part of the axle,
which two parts of the axle are thus connected together; k are guide rollers placed
on vertical axes carried in suitable bearings from the framing. Rounded surfaces
may be substituted for the rollers if desired, but I prefer the rollers. There is a
guide roller for each side of the upper side of the rope, and similar guide rollers for
the lower side of the rope, as the two sides of the rope move in opposite directions.
These guide rollers k act when the engine and tram car are passing curves, and not
running in a straight line.
The engine car and tram car in this arrangement (Fig. 2) are not rigidly con-
nected, the only attachment between them (except to provide against accidents)
being the endless rope which not only serves to pull the tram car along, but to im-
part at the same time rotary motion to the tram car axles, and it will thus be seen
that it is the drag of the tram car that puts the required tension on the endless
rope, and that this tension will be least when the drag is least, and greatest when
the drag is greatest, which is what is required. A block of india-rubber or a
spring is arranged on the engine, to come between it and the tram car; this india-
rubber block or spring is acted upon by a wedge or screw, to force it against the
end framing of the tram car to any desired extent, to give tension (when required),
to the endless rope, when the engine carriage is backing or pushing the tram car.
Fig. 3 is a side sectional elevation, and Fig. 4 a plan illustrating another modifi-
cation of my Invention with the engine and tram car in connection; b is the
carriage for the engine; a, the carrying axles; c, boiler; c¹, the chimney. A two
cylinder engine works a cranked shaft f. The engine and boiler and connected
parts are of ordinary construction. There is a pulley (f') upon each end of the
crank shaft, upon each of which a belt or jointed chain works, which also works
upon a pulley on a shaft j, in suitable bearings attached to the carriage framing.
Upon each shaft ; there is a pulley which drives a belt or jointed chain working on
a pulley on the carrying axle a, one shaft j driving one axle, the other shaft the
other axle. Each shaft j has a grooved pulley j on its ends overhanging its inner
bearing, so that the endless rope 3 may be driven from either end of the engine
j

page_text: carriage, the arrangement also admitting of the rope being readily placed on and
removed from the grooved pulley (j') when the tram car is to be connected or dis-
connected.
The endless rope works between the engine and tram car as shown, and the
axles of the carrying wheels of the tram car I may be connected by a belt or jointed
chain, and pulleys, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.
The endless rope in Figs. 3 and 4, acts both for traction and conveying rotary
motion from the engine to the wheels of the tram car, as explained in reference to
Fig. 2; k are the guide rollers for the rope *.
Fig. 5 is a side, and Fig. 6 an edge view of a pulley and piece of a jointed chain
which I prefer to use. The links m are punched out of steel plate, and are con-
nected by a joint pin m¹, having a pulley or tubular part m³ upon it. The pulleys
n for the jointed chains have teeth that pass between the tubes on the joint pins.
Fig. 7 is a side sectional elevation, showing another part of my Invention, illus-
trated as applied to an engine intended to run on common roads.
P, frame of engine; q, short axle having a wheel at each end, this axle working
in a bearing or box sliding in a plate with two horns. Between the plate and the
axle box there are two carrying springs q². The plate q' is secured to turn plates
which are attached to a vertical shaft q³ in bearings on the framing, which shaft
has also bearings in a pillar 9. At the upper end of the shaft q³ there is a wheel
q fixed, by which the carrying wheels below can be turned to steer the engine; c,
the boiler placed at one end of a carriage; c', the chimney; a, the carrying axle ;
a², carrying wheels.
The axle (a) is in a box, which can slide in vertical guides, and on the top side
of each carrying wheel there are two wheels 8, having their bearings in two side
plates 8, which are jointed with the axle box t' of a shaft t above them, which has
à pulley (t) fixed upon it that works upon and between the pulleys 8.
The axle boxes t for the shaft t (there is one at each side) can slide in the
vertical guides, and there are carrying springs between the axle boxes and a cross
plate secured to the guides above the shaft. It will thus be seen that the greater
part of the weight of the engine boiler and carriage acts through the carrying
spring 3 to press the shaft t and its pulleys t upon the pulleys 8 (there are pulleys
on each side), and thus upon the carrying wheels (a'). The shaft t is driven by a
belt or jointed chain working upon a pulley on the crank shaft f and on the shaft t.
The crank shaft is supposed to be driven by one or more horizontal steam cylinders,
partly represented in Fig. 7 of the ordinary construction.
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the mode of
carrying the same into effect, and claim as my Invention,-
Firstly. The arrangements and combinations of mechanism for propelling engines
and conveying rotary motion from such engines or mechanism to tram and other
railway carriages, substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated by Figs.
1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Drawings.
Secondly. The system or mode by which traction is obtained between an engine
and tram car or other railway vehicle, and rotary motion is imparted to the axles
of such vehicles by the same endless rope, belt, or chain, substantially as herein-
before described, and illustrated by the Drawings.
Thirdly. The system or mode of traction by an endless rope or belt, driven by
the engine where the tension on the endless traction rope, to give adhesion for the
rotary motion, is imparted wholly or partly by the "drag" of the vehicle to be pro-
pelled, substantially as herein-before described.
Fourthly. The arrangement or combination by which the pulley to drive the
endless traction rope is made to overhang its shaft, so that the traction rope can be
readily placed on or removed from the pulley, when the tram car or other vehicle
is to be connected or disconnected, substantially as herein-before described, and illus-
trated by the Drawings.
Fifthly. The guides or guide rollers for the endless traction rope or belt, substan-
tially as herein-before described, and illustrated by the Drawings.

page_text: Sixthly. The combination and arrangement of engine and mechanisın, and driving
and steering mechanism, substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated by
Fig. 7 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Lowry, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
GEO. LOWRY. (L.S.)