IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HEATON, of Birmingham, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster; the Ninth day of November,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, in the eleventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Heaton, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said George Heaton, my exors,
admors, and assigns, or such others I, the said George Heaton, my 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, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said George Heaton, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled
in Her said 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that, in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Heaton, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,

page_text: and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists of applying counterbalance weights moved in oppo-
site directions to the pistons of the steam cylinders of locomotive engines, in
order to prevent the oscillation and uneasy motion to which locomotive engines.
have heretofore been subjected. And in order that my Invention may be
fully understood, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed,
which represents so much of a locomotive engine as will enable me to describe
the improvements constituting my Invention. a is one of the driving wheels.
On the crank shaft or axis 6 is the connecting rod which connects the piston
rod c to the crank d of the cranked shaft or axis of the locomotive engine.
e is another connecting rod which is attached to a crank f on the same axis
as the crank d. The connecting rod e is attached at its other end to the
weight g, such weight being carried by arms or rods h, h, so as readily to be
made to swing to and fro; or in place of the weight being suspended it may
slide on a fixed guide rod, or be otherwise arranged so as to be moved to and
fro. The object of using this weight is to have constantly a weight moved to
and fro in an opposite direction to the piston, and such weight and apparatus
moved therewith should correspond, or nearly so, with the weight of the
piston and parts moved therewith. By the arrangement shown it will be
evident that the weight g will at all times be moved in an opposite direction
to that of the piston; and it will be found that by applying such a weight to
each of the engines of a locomotive that the uneasy and oscillating motion
heretofore so objectionable will be for the most part if not wholly overcome.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the details shewn and described, so long as the peculiar
character of my Invention, that of having a counterbalancing weight applied,
moving in opposite directions to the pistons of the steam cylinders of loco-
motive engines, be retained. And I would have it understood that what I
claim is, the application of counterbalancing weights moved in opposite direc-
tions to the pistons of locomotive engines, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Heaton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-eight.
GEORGE (L.s.) HEATON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourth day of May, in the year
of our Lord 1848, the aforesaid George Heaton came before our said Lady
the Queen in Her 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
Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty-eight.