IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM TRAM CARS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Perrett, of No. 23, Abingdon Street,
Westminster, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM TRAM CARS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Perrett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th November 1874.
I, EDWARD PERRETT, of No. 23, Abingdon Street, Westminster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM TRAM CARS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in steam tram cars.
I employ two boilers, one at either end of the car, thus balancing each
other. The two boilers are connected in their steam spaces and in their
water spaces though the latter connection is not absolutely necessary.
The boilers being thus combined can be attended to by the driver. The
fire of the boiler at the driver's end can be kept up to its full power,

page_text: while the fire of the other boiler may be banked and left to itself, when
it will assist to some extent the other boiler to supply steam, and the
fire will be ready for the return journey. By these arrangements I am
able to dispense with the aid of a fireman. I also obtain in this manner
a large water space compared to the effective fire area, so that safety
is secured and the boilers may be left for a long period of time
unattended to.
In order to pass easily round curves I place the body of the car upon
a fixed wheel base consisting of 2 pairs of wheels and axles set a small
distance apart towards the centre of the car. To these wheels the driving
power is applied. The ends of the car I support each upon a pair of
wheels and axle on a frame pivotted somewhere between its axle and
the middle of the car, in the manner of a Bissell bogie, thus enabling
these axles to assume a direction radial to any curve over which the car
may be passing, and these bogie frames I control by means of hand
gear, so that I can guide them at will independently or both together to
pass from the main line on to a branch, or vice versa.
In order to steer these swivel frames I connect to them either before
or behind the pivot levers carried on shafts which again are provided
with hand levers under the control of the driver at each end of the car.
These levers are usually connected together by means of a catch, so that
as one bogie moves the other will also move and the wheels of both will
set themselves radially to any curve over which the car may pass, but
when it is desired to pass down any siding the driver controlling the
levers by his hand sets both over together, thus turning the leading
bogie in the required direction. Or where he judges it to be necessary
the driver can disengage the two levers and set one in one direction and
the other in the opposite direction, or in the same direction subsequently.
After passing the point the driver brings the levers together and
connects them.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Perrett, Her
special license that I, the said Edward Perrett, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Perrett,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
1 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 STEAM TRAM CARS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Edward Perrett, my executors or administrators, 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 Edward Perrett, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in steam tram cars.
I employ two boilers, one at either end of the car, thus balancing each
other. The two boilers are connected at their steam spaces and in their
water spaces though the latter connection is not absolutely necessary.
The boilers being thus combined can be attended to by the driver. The
fire of the boiler at the driver's end can be kept up to its full power,
while the fire of the other boiler may be banked and left to itself, when
it will assist to some extent the other boiler to supply steam, and the
fire will be ready for the return journey. By these arrangements I am
enabled to dispense with the aid of a fireman. I also obtain in this
manner a large water space compared to the effective fire area, so that
safety is secured and the boilers may be left for a long period of time
unattended to,

page_text: In order to pass easily round curves I place the body of the car upon
a fixed wheel base consisting of two pairs of wheels and axles set a small
distance apart towards the centre of the car. To these wheels the
driving power is applied. The ends of the car I support each upon a
pair of wheels and axle on a frame pivotted somewhere between its axle
and the middle of the car, in the manner of a Bissell bogie, thus enabling
these axles to assume a direction radial to any curvo over which the car
may be passing, and these bogie frames I control by means of hand
gear, so that I can guide them at will independently or both together to
pass from the main line on to a branch, or vice versa.
In order to steer these swivel frames I connect to them either before
or behind the pivot levers carried on shafts which again are provided
with hand levers under the control of the driver at each end of the car.
These levers are usually connected together by means of a catch, so that
as one bogie moves the other will also move and the wheels of both will:
set themselves radially to any curve over which the car may pass; but
when it is desired to pass down any siding the driver controlling the
levers by his hand sets both over together, thus turning the leading bogie
in the required direction. Or where he judges it to be necessary the
driver can disengage the two levers, and set one in one direction and the a
other in the opposite direction or in the same direction subsequently.
After passing the point the driver brings the levers together and con-

page_text: the leading end of the car will be able to give all the supervision
requisite; b, b, are the two pair of wheels and axles which support the
car in the middle; these axles always remain parallel to each other and
at right angles to the length of the car, they cannot assume radial
positions, and the wheels they carry form the fixed wheel base of the
vehicle. The two pair of wheels are coupled together and they are
driven by the steam power.
The steam engines are not represented in the Drawings, there being
no peculiarity in their construction. The cylinders are fixed beneath
the car body, and connecting rods convey the motion of the steam pistons
to cranks on the axis of one pair of the wheels b. The ends of the car
are in addition supported by two other pairs of wheels c, c, one pair at
each end. The axis of each pair of wheels is carried by axle boxes held
in a frame d in which the axle boxes are able to move up and as
the play of a vulcanized india-rubber block spring may require. The
frame d is supported upon a bed fixed to the under side of the car
body and arms d², d, forming a part of the frame a connect it with a
fixed centre ƒ about which the frame is able to move.
In order to control the wheels c, c, two lever handles ġ and h are
provided at each end of the car. The handle g of each pair is mounted upon
an axis or rod i, and the other handle / upon a tubular axis & encircling
the axis or rod i. By a spring bolt g¹ the two handles can at pleasure
be locked together or unlocked, that they may be used independently.
The handles need not be permanently fixed; indeed I prefer that they
should be removable. I make them with sockets which fit short stumps
on the parts i and k. Levers ², i¹, and k³, k³, are fixed on the axis i, i,
and k, k, and they are connected together in pairs across the car by
links 1, 2, which are also jointed to the arms d', d', of the frames d, d,
beyond the fixed centres f. By this arrangement complete control of
the leading and trailing wheels is given to the driver; if he locks the
handle together and inclines them to either side the axles of these
wheels will radiate or incline equally, but in opposite directions to the
axles of the wheels 6; or by separating the handles he can control either
of the pairs of wheels c separately. Thus great facility and certainty is
given to the direction of the car in entering upon junctions and freedom
in travelling around curves.

page_text: car, the water spaces and the steam spaces of the boilers being connected,
substantially as described.
Second. The method of mounting the car upon a short and fixed wheel
base at the centre, and at either end upon a pair of wheels upon an axle
which can be controlled and set radially, substantially as described.
Third. The construction of steam tram cars, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Perrett, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.