IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ENGINES AND CARRIAGES TO BE USED ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TAYLOR, of Holbeck, near Leeds, in the County of York, Mechanic, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Third day of June, in the tenth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, 'the said
George Taylor, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said George Taylor, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
and such others as I, the said George Taylor, my executors, administrators,
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 mentioned, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plan-
tations abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and
Man, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ENGINES AND
CARRIAGES TO BE USED ON RAILWAYS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso obliging me, the said George Taylor, by an instrument in writing.
under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of
Chancery, within six calendar 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, I, the said
George Taylor, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention relates, firstly, to certain improved arrangements of the
cylinders of locomotive engines, and the parts which communicate the recipro-
cating motion of the pistons of such cylinders to the driving wheels, the
several objects of which arrangements are, first, to concentrate the driving
power of the actuated pistons so as to communicate an even rotating motion
to the axle or axles of the driving wheels, and, secondly, to distribute the
moving power (without first concentrating it) to one, two, or more pairs of
driving wheels in an even and uniform manner. The advantages which I
'consider to be attendant on this part of my Invention are a considerable
'reduction in the wear and tear of the engine, and the attainment with safety
of an increased speed in consequence of the diminished amount of oscilla-
tion in my improved engines when compared with engines as at present
constructed.
:
Secondly, this Invention refers to an improved construction of apparatus
with which the carriage of the engine as well as the tender and passenger
carriages of a train are to be furnished, for the purpose of stopping their
progress along the line of railway at certain periods, such apparatus being also
suitable for sustaining its carriage on the rails in case of the breaking of
an axle.
Thirdly, this Invention relates to an improved arrangement of tender.
And fourthly, to certain improvements in mounting the wheels of railway
carriages.
In the accompanying Drawings. my improved arrangements of locomotive
engines are shown in several views.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 is a plan view, of an arrangement
in which I concentrate (in a line drawn longitudinally through the centre of
the plane of the engine) the motive power communicated to the pistons
of the working cylinders by the steam or other moving agent. A, A, are a
'pair of cylinders of equal capacity placed immediately over that end of the
.boiler B nearest to the smoke box; C, C, are the piston rods provided, as
usual, with cross heads which slide in guides fixed to the outside casing of the
boiler, or otherwise; D, D, are rods for connecting the piston rods to the

page_text: cranks E, which cranks are attached one to either side of a. central wheel F.
The periphery of this wheel is provided with cogs or indentations for the.
purpose of gearing into or driving a wheel G keyed to the axle of the driving
wheels H. In order to insure the proper gearing together of the wheels F
and G, and allow of the play of the bearing springs, the guides in which the
axle boxes or journals of the driving wheels H slide are made at an angle,,
as shewn at I, Figure 1. By referring to the Drawing it will be seen that
the axles are placed above the boiler, and, therefore, wheels of large diameter.
(say from ten to fifteen feet) may, if required, be employed with safety, the
oscillation of the engine being in great part avoided by the central and
uniform driving of the axle of the wheels H, and the weight of the engine
.being near the ground. When it is desired to make all the wheels driving.
wheels, their shafts may be connected together by rods and crank pins as now
generally employed.
At Figure 3 two other arrangements of mechanism for communicating the
reciprocating motion of the pistons to the axles of the driving wheels are.
shewn in plan view, but I will first describe that which is shewn in longitudinal
elevation at Figure 4 and in cross section at Figure 5. A is one of two
cylinders of equal capacity, placed, as in the former arrangement, above, the
boiler; and B is the piston rod which works in a guide C, and is formed at
about the middle of its length with a slot B+. The sides of this slot form
bearings for a pin which carries a short vibrating link D. This link is jointed
to the upper end of a vertical frame E (see Figure 5), which vibrates.upon a
horizontal pin F mounted in a frame attached to the bottom of the boiler, and
also by means of stancheons to the main framing at either side of the engine..
To this vibrating frame E a connecting rod G is also jointed, which rod, being:
affixed to a crank pin on the boss of the wheel H, communicates rotary motion,
thereto when actuated by the motion of the piston.
The third arrangement of actuating parts is also shewn at Figure 3. A* is.
one of a pair of cylinders placed over the boiler; B is the piston rod; C, the
cross head which is provided with two guide rods D, D. These rods work
also slide in, the
in lugs provided for them at the sides of the cylinder, and
guides E. The outer end of the cross head C is connected to the boss of the
driving wheel H* by the rod G; and when in this, as well as in the former
arrangements, two or more pairs of wheels are required to be made driving
wheels, the coupling rods I, I, are employed.
The improved apparatus to be applied to railway carriages for retarding
and stopping the train is shewn at Figure 4, but its peculiar construction will
be better understood by referring to Figures 6 and 7; Figure 6 being a side

page_text: elevation of a tendër with the apparatus attached thereto, and Figure 7 an
end elevation of the same. a is one of two levers attached to the bottoni
of the carriage, and intended to vibrate slightly upon centre pins or studs 6 at
their outer ends; these levers are connected together by a cross rod c, and are
thereby caused to move simultaneously when any motion is communicated
to them. d, d, are flanged skids attached to the outer end of the levers a, and
they are provided at their under surface with a block of wood the grain of
which is vertical. These skids are intended to be depressed on to the rails
when the speed of the train is to be checked, and the flanges which are
formed on the inner side of the skids will act as guides and keep the carriages
on the line of rails in case of the breakage of an axle. é is a strong spring
stretching across from one skid to the other, and taking into slots or openings
formed in the upper part of the skids. This spring is embraced at the
middle of its length by a hoop f, which is jointed to a vertical shaft 9 com-
posed of two parts, and capable of being adjusted in its length by a threaded
connecting piece h. The upper end of the shaft g is forked, and between its
prongs two. antifriction rollers i, i, are mounted. In the sides of these prongs,
. and between the centres of the rollers i, longitudinal slots are cut for the
purpose of receiving the axle k of a cam which is in contact with the
peripheries of the antifriction rollers. The axle k is mounted in bearings
affixed to the end of the tender, and to its outer end a worm wheel m is
keyed. This wheel gears into a worm n mounted on one end of a shaft o
which turns.in. bearings at the side of the tender, and at its other end a hand
wheel p is keyed for the purpose of giving it a rotary motion. Let it now
be supposed that the skids are required to be let down on to the rail, the
hand wheel p is turned in order, by means of the worm n, to move round
the wheel m and its axle which carries the cam 7. The larger radius of this
cam being now brought into contact with the lower antifriction roller, it will
depress the vertical shaft g, and communicate through the spring e an elastic
pressure to the skids, whereby they will be made to bite the rails and retard
the progress of the train. When, by the breakage of an axle, the skids are
intended to carry the weight of the carriage, this pressure instead of being
put on the spring and the parts in connection with the shaft g (which would
soon give way under such a burden as, for instance, the weight of an engine),
check pins or stops q (see Figure 4) are provided, and thus the machinery
for depressing the skids is relieved from all strain. The front end of the
engine, as will be seen at Figure 4, is furnished with a fixed block or skid r
beneath the fire box for the purpose of supporting the engine on the rails in
case of the breakage of the front axle.

page_text: My improvement in tenders is shewn in vertical section in Figure 8, and
consists in carrying the axles through or above the water tank, whereby the
weight is brought near the rails in a manner similar to that of the engines.
The tender is divided by a horizontal partition, the upper and open portion
being intended for fuel, and the enclosed part for water, which is supplied
to the tender by a vertical pipe, as shewn in the Drawing. By this arrange-
ment of tender it will be seen that larger wheels than usual may be em-
ployed with safety, the weight of the load which the tender carries being
brought much nearer to the rails, whereby the oscillation is in great part
prevented.
The fourth part of my Invention, viz, improvements in mounting the wheels
of railway carriages, is shewn at Figures 9, 10, and 11, where three modifica-
tions of my improved mode of mounting such wheels are represented: My
Invention refers to that kind of railway axle which is composed of two parts,
one being solid and the other tubular. The solid axle carries one of a pair of
wheels, and the tubular axle, which is slidden over the solid axle, or otherwiso
placed over it, receives the other wheel. The advantage of mounting wheels
in this manner is, that they will be allowed to turn independently of each
other. In applying my improvement to axles as now constructed, I turn
down one boss, leaving merely a collar, as shewn at a, Figure 1. I then coat
the axle with "Paris white" or other suitable substance, and heat the axle
in a furnace to a dull red heat. When in this state, I cast a tube or hollow
axle 6 around it, the ends of the hollow tube being enclosed between the boss
and the collar of the inner axle. On the contraction of the metals the inner
and outer axles will, by reason of the intermediate filling substance, be
enabled to revolve independently of each other, but will be in no danger of
separating as the collar a keeps them securely together. When, therefore,
the wheels are respectively secured in their places by the ordinary means,
they will be free to revolve independantly, and be as little liable to derange;
ment as if mounted on one solid axle.
A modification of this part of the Invention for securing wheels on a
compound axle so as to run independently of each other, is shewn at Figure 10:
The solid axle A is provided with a solid collar a, and the hollow axle B,
formed of either cast or wrought iron, is slidden over the axle A, the wheel C
is then affixed in the usual way to the axle A, its box coming flush against
the end of the tube B. It will thus be seen that as long as the wheel C is
retained in its place the hollow axle or tube B will be secured between the boss
of that wheel and the collar a, and a wheel D being mounted on the outer

page_text: end of B, the two wheels will be free to revolve independently as in the
former instance. The inner diameter of the axle B is enlarged at certain
parts to prevent unnecessary contact of the surfaces, and greater strength is
given to the axle by the hollow and solid parts dividing the strain upon them.
In the two arrangements of axles above described outside bearings are used,
but when bearings within the wheels are required, I employ the modification
shewn at Figure 11 in lieu of that just described. b, b, are solid collars,
cither cast with the hollow axle B, or, when that axle is composed of wrought
iron, welded thereto. The collar a of the axle A in this instance is formed
at the end of the axle, and the boss of the wheel at the other end secures
the hollow axle in its place. The mode of lubricating these axles will be
evident to any practical mechanic, and therefore no description thereof will be
requisite.
•
Having now described my Invention, and the manner in which the same
is to be carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First, the three several arrangement of parts for communicating the motive
power of locomotive engines to the axle or axles of the driving wheels, as
above described and shewn in the Drawings.
Secondly, I claim the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts shewn
at Figures 6 and 7, applicable to or forming a part with the carriages used on
railways, such construction and arrangement of parts being intended to secure.
the safety of such carriages individually when their axles are broken, and
also to retard the progress of a train of carriages along a line of rails when
required. I also claim the application of the fixed skid to locomotive
engines.
Thirdly, I claim the arrangement of tender as above described.
Fourthly, I claim the mode of applying a hollow axle to a railway carriage
axle, as described with reference to Figure 9, and also the mode of retaining
a hollow axlo in its place upon 'an inner or enclosed axle by a solid boss or
collar (formed on such inner axle), and the boss of the wheel which is mounted
on the inner axle embracing the ends of the hollow axle, as shewn in the
Drawings.
..
In witness whereof, I, the said George Taylor, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
GEORGE (L.s.) TAYLOR.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Third day of December,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid George Taylor came before
our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Third day of December, in the year above written.