IMPROVEMENTS; IN STEAM TRACTION ENGINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM CHARLES MORTON of Coleshill in the County of Warwick Officer.
Inland Revenue do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS;
IN STEAM TRACTION ENGINES" to be as follows, that is to say:-
My invention has reference to improvements in steam traction engines for
agricultural and other similar purposes where direct tractive force is needed such'
as drawing loaded wagons along roads or over fields and for general farm and other
work but it is especially applicable for drawing ploughs harrows, seed-sowing
machines, reaping, harvesting and other agricultural impliments across land in a
soft or semi soft state. The Engine in its general design as a whole is specially
adapted to such work. The bulk of the weight is carried upon the two driving
wheels and the wheel base when adapted to agricultural purposes is so short in
conjunction with other features that corners may be turned with great facility and
ridges mounted without greatly disturbing the centre of gravity or the stability of
the engine. The wheels themselves are also so constructed as to tend to improve
the condition of the land over which they pass and which is being worked at the
time rather than to deteriorate it, for my wheels do not make ruts like other wheels
but simply leave light marks behind them with a scattering of loose soil; yet they
take an effective grip of the soil or of the hard road without injury to it more than
is fairly due to its weight passing along and yet they possess very perfect qualities
for sustaining weight which is very nearly equal when at rest to a flat surface.
The weight of the boiler is carried almost wholly upon the two front or traction
wheels. The Cylinders are situated at each side of the rear end of the Boiler and
the chain wheel driving gear is at the front end upon a cross shaft which also
carries the disengaging clutches which are placed one on each side of the fly wheel
so that either of the driving wheels may be engaged separately or both at once (or
both may be stationary for stationary purposes) for convenience of turning the
engine upon its own centre at the sharp corners of fields or other positions.. (I am
describing the engine now as it would generally be when used for ploughing). The.
traction wheels are placed one on each side of the engine with a friction brake on
the inside part of each wheel and also the chain driving wheel all being fast to the
knave of the wheel as the wheels run loose upon a fast axle. The after carriage
is peculiar in construction consisting of a frame work formed by an arc trough
next to the engine and a segmental frame and quadrant arms stoutly connected

page_text: together on two small wheels of the kind hereafter to be explained for the main
wheels and carrying at the back suitable connections for attachment to the
plough or other impliment. The arc trough answers several purposes:-)
-First
it is the base piece, of the carriage next to the engine upon which the foot
plate of the engine rests when turning round in either direction and it holds feed
water and exhaust pipes. The engine and carriage are connected by means of
stout radial bands rivetted or otherwise fastened to the back carriage which pass to
and around a centre block firmly fixed upon the top and bottom of the boiler at
about its centre or other position according to design and it is from the centre
of these blocks that the arc of the trough of the after carriage is struck. It will
thus be seen that while the after carriage has the facilities for attaching to its
rear one or more ploughs or other impliments it acts as a tail piece having great
freedom to move in either directions radially or latterally but always controlled
from the main pivots.
The wheels which are suitable for many other purposes than traction engines are
most peculiar in their construction. Each wheel appears to have two rims (before
certain central ribs are attached) each set upon the knave with the bevelled part of
each rim facing each other inwards, the bevel however being very considerably
more than is usual in a single rim. Now between these two rims I fix connecting
cross bars or ridges at suitable intervals (i.e if the wheels are other than cast ones
in which case the ridges would be cast in). These cross bars do not radiate to the
centre of the knave but to the circumference of a circle struck generally between
the knave and the rim so that in taking a tread upon the earth the edge of the
cross bar is not presented but partly the edge and partly the flat which constitutes
a most important feature in my wheels as the loose soil is thus prevented from
forming hard corks in the recesses between the two rims and cross bars.
.
For special purposes a front balance protection wheel, may be attached to the
engine but it would not be required in such work as ploughing. Also a hind
steering wheel may be attached with worm gear and chain so that when travelling
along roads the engine may be steered from the back foot plate to save the necessity
of manipulating the driving wheels in stratforward running.

page_text: I WILLIAM CHARLES MORTON of Coleshill in the County of Warwick Officer
Inland Revenue do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM TRACTION ENGINES" and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
My Invention has reference to improvemente in steam traction engines for
agricultural and other similar purposes where direct tractive force is needed such
as drawing loaded wagons along roads or over fields and for general farm and
other work but it is specially applicable for drawing ploughs, harrows, seed-sowing
machines, reaping, barvesting and other agricultural implements across land in a
soft or semi-soft state The engine in its general design as a whole is specially
adapted to such work. The bulk of the weight is carried upon the two driving
wheels and the wheel base when adapted to agricultural purposes is so short in
conjunction with other features that corners may be turned with great facility and
ridges mounted without greatly disturbing the centre of gravity or the stability
of the engine. The wheels themselves are also so constructed as to tend to improve
the condition of the land over which they pass and which is being worked at the
time rather than to deteriorate it for my wheels do not make ruts like other
wheels but simply leave light marks behind them with a scattering of loose soil,
yet they take an effective grip of the soil or of the hard road without injury to
it more than is fairly due to its weight passing along and yet they possess very
perfect qualities for sustaining weight which is very nearly equal when at rest to
a flat surface.
The weight of the boiler is carried almost wholly upon the two front or traction
wheels. The cylinders are situated at each side of the rear end of the boiler and
the chain wheel driving gear is at the front end upon a cross shaft which also
carries the disengaging clutches which are placed one on each side of the fly
wheel so that either of the driving wheels may be engaged separately or both at
once (or both may be stationary for stationary purposes) for convenience of turning
the engine upon its own centre at the sharp corners of fields or other positions.
(I am describing the engine now as it would generally be when used for ploughing).
The traction wheels are placed one on each side of the engine with a friction brake
on the inside part of each wheel and also the chain driving wheel all being fast to
the nave of the wheel as the wheels run loose upon a fast axle.
The after carriage is peculiar in construction consisting of a frame work formed
by an arc trough next to the engine and a segmental frame and quadrant arms
stoutly connected together on two small wheels of the kind hereafter to be explained
for the main wheels and carrying at the back suitable connections for attachment
to the plough or other implement. The arc trough answers several purposes :-
First it is the base piece of the carriage next to the engine upon which the foot
plate of the engine rests when turning round in either direction and it holds fuel
water and exhaust pipes. The engine and carriage are connected by means of
stout radial bands rivetted or otherwise fastened to the back carriage which pass to
and around a centre block firmly fixed upon the top and bottom of the boiler at
about its centre or other position according to design and it is from the centre of
these blocks that the arc of the trough of the after carriage is struck. It will thus
be seen that while the after carriage has the facilities for attaching to its rear one
or more ploughs or other implements it acte as a tail piece having great freedom

page_text: to move either directions radially or laterally but always controlled from the main
pivots.
The wheels which are suitable for many other purposes than traction engines
are most peculiar in their construction. Each wheel appears to have two rims
(before certain central ribs are attached, each set upon the nave with the bevelled
part of each rim facing each other inwards, the bevel however being very con-
siderably more than is usual in a single rim. Now, between these two rims I fix
connecting cross bars or ridges at suitable. intervals (ie if the wheels are other
than cast ones in which case the ridges would be cast in). These cross bars do not
radiate to the centre of the nave but to the circumference of a circle struck
generally between the nave and the rim so that in taking a tread upon the earth
the edge of the cross bar is not presented but partly the edge and partly the flat
which constitutes a most important feature, in my wheel as the loose soil is thus
prevented from forming hard corks in the recesses between the two rims and cross
bars. For special purposes a front balance protection wheel may be attached to
the engine but it would not be required in such work as ploughing. Also a hind
steering wheel may be attached with worm gear and chain so that when travelling
along roads the engine may be steered from the back foot plate to save the
necessity of manipulating the driving wheels in straightforward running.
In order that my invention may be the better understood and more easily
carried into practice I have appended hereunto two sheets of drawings which shew
the principal parts in sufficient outline to enable me to explain the principle upon
which it works. Of course the details may be worked out in numerous ways,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the engine and Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
The weight of the boiler A is concentrated as much as possible upon the two
driving wheels B and C. The cylinders D and E are secured to the foot plate F
of the engine. The driving shaft H is at the front of the engine carrying the fly
wheel J and the clutch K on the one side and the clutch L on the other side either
of which may engage separately with its pinion on the outer side or both may be
engaged together and by this means either one or both the traction wheels B and C
may be run together. The short shaft M is driven from the main shaft H and
carries the chain wheel N which drives on to the chain wheel O on the right side
of the engine and the short shaft P drives the left side wheel B through the chain
wheels and R. The driving wheels are also fitted with a friction brake on the
inner side of each wheel which may be worked either by foot or hand. The chain
wheels R and O and the friction brake drums are fast to the nave of the driving
wheels. The after carriage S carries the two back wheels which may be either
plain or of the kind used for the driving axles. The ploughs are attached to
either side of the engine after carriage or to both-they are shewn broken off.
The back wheels do not carry much weight save coal and water, the coal being
stored on each side of the after carriage and the water may be carried by a
suitable tank underneath the after carriage. The back wheels are depressed or
elevated going up or down hill by the hand wheel gear T and levers U one on
each side carried under the trough V and the frame of the after carriage.
The engine may be quickly turned to the sharpest corners in two ways :—First
by the disengaging clutches K and L at the front of the engine and :-Secondly
by the steering gear W and chain drum X carrying chains on under the parts
and Y of the foot plate F of the engine.
The connection between the after carriage and the engine is peculiar to my
invention being made through the radial bands which encircle the top pivot 1
and the bottom pivot 2 both being securely fixed to the boiler A It will thus
be seen that all the draught is transmitted from the centre of the machine through
these radial straps Z and that whatever the angle of the engine may be to the
after carriage the pull is always very direct and effective.
The wheels A and B are constructed with the bevel rims B¹ and B' and the
intermediate cross bars or ridges U³ which are fixed on the bevel as shewn by,
broken narta on aide elevation of wheel Figure 1.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the the nature of my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
--
First The Traction Engine pivoted to the after carriage through the centres 1
and 2 and substantially as herein set forth.
Second The Special Wheels substantially as herein described for Traction
Engines.
Thirdly: The Improvements in Steam Traction Engines for Agricultural and
other similar purposes consisting in the steering arrangements and general
construction substantially as herein set forth.
GEORGE BARKER,
Agent for the Applicant,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.