IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ROAD ROLLERS AND TRACTION ENGINES
Year: 1885

page_text: We JOHN MCLAREN and HENRY MOLAREN of the Midland Engine Works
Hunslet in the Borough of Leeds, Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our
said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ROAD ROLLERS AND TRACTION
ENGINES" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the arrangement of the Front Carriage in steam road
rollers to enable the rollers to accommodate themselves to the inequalities of the
road without interfering with their capabilities of steering and further to the
arrangement of the driving gear, when the same is arranged inside the horn plates
or bracket plates of steam road rollers and Traction engines in such a manner that
the power is conveyed to the main xle from the crank shaft with only one inter-
mediate shaft instead of two or more, as at present thus simplifying and cheapening
the construction of the same without prejudice to their efficiency.
According to our Invention we construct the road rollers with locomotive boilers,
and at the front end we fit a saddle bracket over the smokebox which may also be
used to form the chimney bottom. This saddle bracket is carried forward beyond
the front of the smokebox door and has a vertical hole in it to take the shank end
of the fork which actuates and guides the "bridle" which carries the front road
rollera. This shank of the fork is turned to fit into the vertical hole in the saddle
bracket. It is free to move in a circular direction in the said hole when required
in the steering of the front rollers.
At the bottom end of the said shank or at the apex of the fork is a pin or pivot
upon which the bridle oscillates as the position of the road rollers varies from the
horizontal. The "bridle" consists of two or more plates of a shape corresponding
with the fork, but somewhat longer at the bottom ends. These plates are held
together in the proper position by means of bolts and distance pieces and are
pivotted in the centre upon the aforesaid point or pin in the shank of the fork.
The axle upon which the rollers revolve is carried in two blocks which also form
the distance pieces at the bottom end of the "bridle" and the said axle may be
long enough to take the sectors for the steerage chains.

page_text: In order to admit of a wheel of sufficient size to give the proper speed being got
in between the bracket plates of Road rollers or Traction engines we make the
firedoor plate which forms the end of the boiler with a slope backwards from the
top towards the bottom, by which means more room is left to admit a large
intermediate wheel and at the same time keeping the main axle and intermediate
shaft practically perpendicular thus avoiding placing the latter too far back so as to
be in the way of the driver and this without contracting the grate area or other-
wise interfering with the efficiency of the steam Road roller or Traction engine.
Dated this 26th day of August 1885.

page_text: Improvements in Steam Road Rollers and Traction Engines.
We JOHN MCLAREN and HENRY MOLAREN of the Midland Engine Works
Hunslet in the Borough of Leeds Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
4.
คว
This Invention relates to the arrangement of the front Carriage in steam road
rollers to enable the rollers to accommodate themselves to the inequalities of the
road, without interfering with their capabilities of steering and further to the
arrangement of the driving gear when the same is arranged inside the horn plates
or bracket plates of Steam Road Rollers and Traction Engines in such a manner
that the power is conveyed to the main axle from the crank shaft with only one
intermediate shaft instead of two or more as at present; thus simplifying and
cheapening the construction of the same without prejudice to their efficiency.
We will describe our Invention with reference to the accompanying Drawings.-
Figure 1 being a side elevation Figure 2 a plan and Figure 3 a transverse section
of a steam road roller constructed according to our invention We prefer to provide
the road rollers with locomotive or multitubular boilers and at the front end we fit
a saddle bracket B over the smoke box which bracket may also be used to form
the chimney bottom as shewn-This saddle bracket B is carried forward beyond
the front of the smoke box door and has a vertical hole B¹ in it to take the shank
end C. of the fork C. C¹ C₁ of the fore carriage which fork actuates and guides the
"bridle D which carries the front road rollers G.
The said shank of the fork is turned to fit into the vertical hole B¹ in the saddle
bracket and it is free to move in a circular direction in the said hole when required
in the steering of the front rollers.
At the bottom end of the said shank that is to say at the apex of the fork is
the bearing pin or pivot E upon which the bridle D oscillates as the position of the
road rollers varies from the horizontal to accommodate themselves to inequalities in
the road (see Figure 4)-The "bridle "D consists of two or more plates of shape
corresponding with the fork, but somewhat longer at the bottom ends. These
plates are held together in the proper position by means of the axle block H H
and by bolts and distance pieces H Hand are pivoted in the centre upon the
aforesaid pivot or pin E in the shank of the fork.
The axle upon which the rollers revolve is carried in two blocks which also form
the distance pieces at the bottom end of the "bridle " D and the said axle may be
long enough to take the sectors for the steerage chains.
In order to admit of one intermediate wheel of sufficient size to give the proper
speed being got in between the bracket plates M of road Rollers or Traction
Engines we make the rear end of the boiler or the firedoor plate which forms the
said end of the boiler A with a slope backwards from the top towards the bottom
as shewn at N N by which means room is left to admit the large intermediate
wheel L whilst at the same time keeping the intermediate shaft O practically
directly over the main axle P thus avoiding, placing the said shaft O too far back

page_text: so as to be in the way of the driver, and this without contracting the grate area
or otherwise interfering with the efficiency of the steam Road Roller or Traction
Engine or with the firing of the furnace.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
First: In steam road rollers, a saddle bracket a fork and a bridle for the front
rollers arranged and combined together substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Second-In steam road rollers and traction Engines the sloping boiler end or
fire door plate and the one intermediate shaft and wheel L substantially as and for
the purpose herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Third: The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the steam road
roller as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
DOCIL 1
1000
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
Agent for the said John McLaren & Henry McLaren.