CER- TAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY FOR PROPELLING LOCOMOTIVE CARRIAGES
Year: 1826

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, TIMOTHY
BURSTALL, of Leith, and JOHN HILL, of Bath, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-second day of August, One thousand eight hundred
and twenty-six, in the seventh year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs
and successors, give and grant unto us, the said Timothy Burstall and John
Hill, His especial licence that we, the said Timothy Burstall and John Hill,
our exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Timothy Burstall
and John Hill, our exors, admors, or assigns, should, at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all
His said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, our Invention of "CER-
TAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY FOR PROPELLING LOCOMOTIVE CARRIAGES;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging us, the said
Timothy Burstall and John Hill, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us; particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calender months next and immediately after the
date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Timothy Burstall and John Hill, do hereby declare that the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and
the following description thereof (that is to say):-
Our improvements in propelling locomotive or steam carriages are improve-
ments on a former Patent, dated February, One thousand eight hundred and
twenty-five, and consists principally in the following additions, viz:-
First, in a third pair of wheels for supporting the boiler, by which means it
is kept with the chimney further back from the carriage and passengers.
Second, two methods of attaching these wheels and boilers to the body of the
carriage, with a provision for its turning in describing curves on the road, the
application of twisting joints in the steam pipe for conveying the steam from
one of the boilers to the engines, which in the other boiler we purpose to do by
the use of the elastic pipe mentioned in our former Patent.
Third, a method of constructing the engines with two motions, by the use of
which we are the better enabled to go up hill or over uneven or bad roads,
although at a slower rate, by encreasing the velocity, and consequently, the
power of the engines.
And, lastly, in a new method of constructing the fore-carriage, the steering
to be effected by the use of an iron chain instead of gearing; the whole of which
are explained by the accompanying Drawing and following: description: 1.3
Fig. 1 shews a general side elevation of one of our boilers, chimney, and
carriage. In making this view, we found it necessary to draw the outline of
the carriage complete, to shew in what manner our present improvements,
apply to the original contrivance. For distinction.sake we call this the hori
zontal, and the other the vertical boiler. Fig. 2, at back end view of the boiler
and chimney; Fig. 3, a plan or bird's-eye view of the lower part of the carriage,
with a horizontal section of the boiler. Fig. 4, a view of, the top of the boiler,
with the steam,pipe and cylinders; Fig: 5, a cross section; of the boiler.
Figs. 6 and 7 are sections of the jointed steam and exhaustion pipes; and 8, a.
screw bow to keep the joints together. Fig. 9 represents a side elevation, of
another boiler with its supporting frame; Fig. 10, a section of ditto; Eig.11;
a plan of the same; and Fig. 12 shews, the action of the additional-wlicels in
following the others in a curve line. Fig. 13 is a cross view of the engine,
looking forward from the back end; and Figs. 14 and 15 shew! the steam and
exhaustion pipes. Throughout the whole of these Drawings the same letters and
figures of reference are used to indicate the same parts whenever they occur
ן.'
A shews the horizontal boiler in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, made of wrought'

page_text: or maleable iron, and strongly bolted and stayed,, as seen in Fig. 5, where
the proportion of water is also represented.. This arrangement or con-
struction of fire-place and flue we prefer to burn coals in, as it presents a
greater quantity of water surface to the action of the fire in proportion to
its weight and the water it contains than any other shape we have hitherto
contrived. For good and even roads we propose to support and bolt.the back
end of the boiler on the axle, and the end next. the engines or fore end on a
centre pin a, fastened. to the engine frame, by which it. is drawn on to the
forked perch, as circumstances may dictate, without being supported on springs;
but on roads where springs are necessary, we encompass it..with a strong
wrought-iron frame hung on the before-mentioned pin a, and bolti itto.the
axle, on which frame we place the springs (see the dotted lines in Eigs.. 1
and 3). To the boiler we screw or otherways fasten the lower part of the
chimney b, Figs. 1 and 2, into which the upper part. c is attached. and supported
by the cross bar and stays. This kind of chimney we propose to use in cases or
on such roads as will not admit of its being. firmly fixed, and is made to turn
or lower down in the direction of the dotted line on the cross bar; it is supported
as a centre and is kept in its perpendicular position by the three. stays. In
lowering it the stay from the boiler has to be disengaged; it is then brought
down to a horizontal position where it is supported in going forward by the leg
and wheel d. Over the fire door is fixed the feeding hopper for carrying and sup-
plying the coals. c is a seat where the engineer may occasionally sit to examine
his fire, and from which we propose, by means of very light steps fixed in any
convenient way, he may ascend to the part of carriage fixed on the boiler, where
he may carry a few necessary tools, &c. and from which place he can command
the clutch leverf for putting either of the tooth wheel motions into action, as
also the steam regulating a throttle valve. Under, the-fire-place.we suspend a
receptacle.for the ashes, the sides of which we propose to make in. such way,
either hung to the boiler or to slide like a perforated sliding, ventilator, for the
purpose of regulating the admission of or excluding the oxygen or air to or
from the fire, by which means we can more perfectly prevent the generation of
steam than by a damper in the chimney when it is not wanted... A's, the boiler
at every turn in the road will change its position with regard to the carriage,
we have provided the steam joints, Fig. 6 and 7, to allow the steam to pass to
the engines in all positions. First, for twisting inotions, the stuffing. box joint g,
allows the boiler to stand at any angle with the carriage and still affords a
supply of steam to the engines without any escape or leak, the stuffing box
being packed and screwed down in the usual way. Next, when the boiler
wheels, or either of them, are above or below the line of the others, caused by

page_text: any inequality in the road, the length of the pipes from h to i are shortened or
lengthened by sliding in or out of the stuffing box k, similar to g, formed in the
middle of the length. This joint also allows a twist when either of the four hind
wheels falls into a low place in the road. There is also another joint at each
end h, i; of the horizontal steam pipe, which allows the line of the pipe to be
either parallel with the boiler or not, as the road requires. These joints we
make as shewn, Fig. 7, where the pipe r enters a small circular recess of the
pipe o, which recess, as also the projection of n, may be made steam-tight by
being turned and ground; or as the action is very little, a packing of cotton
may be put between, and the two faces screwed together perfectly close
with the clamp screw or bow. The exhaustion pipe for conveying the steam to
the chimney, after having passed through a pipe or pipes placed in the water
cistern, is also furnished with these joints, one of which is shewn at p. The
steam pipe is provided with a throttle valve at q, and with a safety valve at r,
enclosed in the exhaustion pipe. The boiler is supplied with water from the
force pump fixed in the water cistern, and may be worked by the engines, as
seen at Fig. 10. The water pipe is also provided with a compensation joint,
similar to the steam pipe Bin Figs. 3. 10, 11, and 13, shews plan and elevation
of the engines. s, s, are the cylinders with connecting rods descending from
the cross heads to the cranks t, t, which are situated at right angles with each
other, as described in our former Patent. On the middle of the cranks are
fixed two tooth wheels u, v, which work into and turn two other wheels w, x,
on the carriage axle, which in this case is in one piece, the wheels to be of
such relative proportions to each other and to the power of the engines as the
service that the carriage is designed for requires. Between the wheels w, x,
which are loose on the axle, is a striking clutch, sliding on a feather sunk into
the axle, which can be engaged with either wheel at pleasure by the use of
the hand lever above, the piston rods to be kept in a perpendicular position
by friction wheel, paralel motions, or slides, the steam valve to be moved by
small cranks or excentric rings on the outer ends of the main cranks. C, in
Figs. 1 and 3, represents our improved fore carriage and manner of steering;
is a wrought-iron frame bolted to the axle, on which three friction wheels
run, which are hung in the lower side of the upper frame at 1, 2, and 3; to this
frame is attached the collars of the perch or pole connecting the fore and hind
carriage; to the parts 1 and 3 of this upper frame is fastened a chain, which
goes forward and passes around two grooved pullies 4 and 5, and is moved
forward or backward by a small sproket wheel 6 on the spindle 7, made to fall
into the links of the chain; on the top of this spindle are the handles for
steering. The chain being screwed tight all strake or back-losh which takes
Y

page_text: place in tooth wheels is in this way avoided. The springs in this plan are
affixed under the platform of the conductor instead of being immediately
under his seat on the fore end of the frame y (see Fig. 1), which is strengthened
by the addition of a wrought-iron truss frame 8 bolted in the middle to the
axle, and at each end to the frame at 9 and 10, which makes the frame y very
strong although containing but little materials. Figs. 9 and 10, an outline and
section of the vertical boiler. D, fire-place, which is made on a circular plan,
and tapers from it to the chimney; E, E, shew the water, and F, the steam
space. There is also water contained in the small space G, G, into which it is
forced from the pump through the pipe H. Our object in enclosing water
in this small receptacle is that it may expose as much surface to the heat as'
possible, and at the same time allow a sufficient space for steam in the same.
altitude, and as this water will always be of a lower temperature than the
other it will be kept full by the pressure of the steam. Around the flue at I
we propose to fasten some circular ledges, in which a portion of water may be
contained when the surface of the lower water E gets below the opening J.:
The steam is conducted to the engines through the pipe K, see Fig. 14, which
we pass around the boiler in order to gain sufficient elasticity to compensate
for the irregularities of the road. The steam from the engines is conveyed
to a case L around the boiler for the purpose of protecting the outside of it
from the air, and from thence to the chimney by the pipe, Fig. 15, which is to
be fixed in any convenient situation; this steam case to be made either of
iron or copper, and to cover as much as possible of the boiler.
A small pipe
is provided at M for the purpose of taking back any uxter to the cistern that
may come from the engines or be condensed. The fire bars we propose to
make in two halves hung on a pin, as at 11, 12, Fig. 11, for the purpose of
letting down and clearing them of cinders, &c., the fire bars and ash pit to
be suspended from the boiler by loops or straps bolted to the bottom of the
boiler. We make the circumference of the ash-pit with two thin iron rings,
perforated as shewn, Figs. 9, 10, for the purpose of regulating the quantity of
oxygen to the fire, as before described for the horizontal boiler, the fire to
be poked or stird through the holes, the outer ring to be moved by the
engineer as may be required. In this boiler we intend principally to burn
charcoal, coke, coal, or any other fuel or mixture of fuel which produces great
beat with but little flame, a sufficient quantity of which we propose to put in
at stations or stopping places through the feeding door in the side of the
chimney above the boiler, as described on the Drawing; this boiler and
chimney to be supported either with or without springs on the wrought-iron
boiler frame, as Figs. 11 and 12, and stay'd in any convenient and secure

page_text: manner. This frame is made as at Figs. 11, and 12, the ends, 13, 14, to hang
in the engine frame as on a joint, and to be drawn by it; this joint allows a
motion up and down as the inequalities of the 'roads require. At the back
part or.junction of the two sides of this frame 15 there-is-a-centre pin, which
fastens it to the cast-iron joint plate N, and, beyond this proceeds a part or tail
to keep the plate level. This plate is firmly bolted to the axle; and is drawn
with the axle.by the centre pin, which is the centre of motion of the wheels, as
may be seen by the dotted lines. The general arrangement and relative.
position of, these improvements are similar to our former: Patent, but may be
varied so as to be used in any kind of employment to which a locomotive
carriage is applicable without departing from the mechanical contrivances; or
principal, as herein set forth.
Our claims under the protection of this Patent we limit to the following
particulars:
In the application of an extra pair of wheels for the support of the boiler,
and two methods of using them.
In the arrangement of the boilers and steam pipe for conveying the steam
to the engines from the horizontal boiler, and in producing a quick and slow
motion of the engines.
And, lastly, in the manner of using a chain for steering or directing the
carriage along the road, all of which we believe to be new and original, and
have never been used before by any other person or persons for this purpose in
the way we have here described them, to the best of our knowledge or belief.
In witness whereof, I; the said John Hill, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-second day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven.
JOHN HILL. (L.S.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-second day of February,
in the year of our Lord 1827, the aforesaid John Hill came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the