IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Franklin Prestage, of Wylye, Heytesbury, in the
County of Wilts, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE
ENGINES."
Sealed the 15th April 1856, and dated the 6th February 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Franklin Prestage at
the Office of the Commissioners of. Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th February 1856.
I, FRANKLIN PRESTAGE, of Wylye, Heytesbury, in the County of Wilts, do:
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE.
ENGINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in arranging locomotive engines in the following.
manner: The boiler, in place of being made cylindrical, as is usually the
case, is flattened at the top, so as to decrease its height, and the tubes are.
distributed over the whole sectional area of the boiler, and are covered by
the water, which thus comes up to the top of the boiler, and on the top of the,
same a hollow longitudinal ridge is formed, which conducts the steam to the
steam chest.
The working parts of the engine and the driving axle are placed over the
boiler, the cylinders being placed on the smoke box above the ends of the,
boiler tubes, and by thus getting the working parts over the boiler I am.

page_text: enabled to place a water tank under the boiler, conformable in shape to the
under part of the same. This tank is made to hold-all the water necessary
for the journey, and the footboard of the engine is extended, so as to contain
a corresponding amount of coke, so that engines thus constructed will require
no tender.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Franklin Prestage in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANKLIN
PRESTAGE, of Wylye, Heytesbury, in the County of. Wilts, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Franklin Prestage, Her special licence that I, the said Franklin Prestage, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Franklin
Prestage, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE
ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Franklin
Prestage, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Franklin Prestage, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to 'be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in arranging locomotive engines in the following
manner The boiler, in place of being made cylindrical, as is usually the
case, is flattened at the top, so as to decrease its height, and the tubes are
distributed over the whole sectional area of the boiler, and are covered by
:

page_text: Figure 1 is a side view, Figure 2 is a longitudinal section, Figure 3 is a
transverse section, taken partly at the line A, B, and partly at the line C, D,
Figure 2; Figure 4 is another transverse section, taken partly at the line
E, F, and partly at the line G, H, of Figure 2; Figure 5 is an end view,
partly in section, and Figure 6 is a front view, of a locomotive engine arranged
according to my Invention.
a is the fire box, and a¹ is a midfeather in the same; 6 is the boiler, which
is of an eliptical or flattened form and completely filled with tubes, and it has
a ridge along its top by which the steam passes to the steam chest, and
through which the steam pipe c passes to the valve box d. For the cliptical
boiler a circular boiler may be substituted, as is shown by the red lines in
Figure 4. e, e, are the steam cylinders, which are placed in the smoke box
above the level of the boiler tubes, and they are therefore kept hotter than
when placed in the ordinary lower position. The piston rod e¹ gives motion by
means of the connecting rod e² to the crank axle e, which is placed above the
body of the boiler. There are excentrics on the crank axle for working
the valves and feed pumps, as in locomotives of the ordinary construction.
Under the boiler 6 is placed a water tank f, a suitable non-conducting
material as wood or felt being interposed between them. f is a pipe by which
the water tank is filled; g is the footboard of the engine, which is of sufficient
size to carry the supply of fuel. The other parts of the engine are similar to
those in engines of the ordinary construction, and where any differences of
arrangement occur they will be easily understood by reference to the
Drawings.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the exact details herein described; but what I claim is,
Firstly, the use in locomotive engines of a boiler of an eliptical or flattened
form, and having a longitudinal ridge or steam passage on its top, as herein
described..
Secondly, the placing a water tank under the boiler of a locomotive engine,
as herein described.
Thirdly, the placing the steam cylinder in the smoke box above the level of
the boiler tubes, as herein described.
In witness' whereof, I, the said Franklin Prestage, have hereunto set my
hand and seal; this Fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Vitness,
Elekber
FRANKLIN PRESTAGE. (L.s.)