IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ROAD ROLLERS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Aveling, of Rochester, in the County of
Kent, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ROAD
ROLLERS."
Sealed the 17th September 1867, and dated the 19th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Aveling at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th March 1867.
I, THOMAS AVELING, of Rochester, in the County of Kent, Engineer, do
5 hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ROAD ROLLERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in steam road rollers, and consists
in the combination in the main framing of three rollers, which serve to
support the entire weight of the machine; two of these rollers are disposed
one on each side of the machine, and the third roller, which is made also to
serve as a steering roller, is situate at one end of the framing, and is so fitted
into the frame as to admit of it locking to any desired angle, and with a view

page_text: to facilitating this motion I prefer to make it in two or more parts, so that
one end of the roller may be free to revolve in one direction whilst the other
is revolving in the opposite direction when turning or locking. One or both
of the side rollers are driven by an endless chain or other convenient arrange-
ment of gearing from the crank shaft of the engine, and the central or
steering roller is of such a length as to cover the intervening space of roadway
left between the two side rollers, so as to effectually roll a width of roadway
equal to the entire width of the machine. In using this steam roller it is
not necessary to turn it round, as by reversing the engine the machine may
be made to travel alternately in opposite directions over the roadway, the
locking action of the central roller enabling the machine to take a fresh track
each time
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Aveling in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
AVELING, of Rochester, in the County of Kent, Engiueer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Aveling, Her special license that I, the said Thomas Aveling,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Aveling, my executors, administrators, or 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
STEAM ROAD ROLLERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Aveling, my executors and administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my band and seal, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Aveling, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to improvements in steam road rollers, and
consists in the combination in the main framing of three rollers, which serve
to support the entire weight of the machine; two of these rollers are dis-
posed one on each side of the machine, and the third roller, which is made
also to serve as a steering roller, is situate at one end of the framing, and is so
fitted into the frame as to admit of it locking into any desired angle, and with a
view to facilitating this motion I prefer to make it in two or more parts, so
that one end of the roller may be free to revolve in one direction, whilst the
other is revolving in the opposite direction when turning or locking. One
or both of the side rollers are driven by an enlless chain or other convenient
arrangement of gearing from the crank shaft of the engine, and the central
or steering roller is of such a length as to cover the intervening space of
roadway left between the two side rollers, so as to effectually roll a width of
roadway equal to the entire width of the machine. In using this steam
roller it is not necessary to turn it round, as by reversing the engine the
machine may be made to travel alternately in opposite directions over the
roadway, the locking action of the central roller enabling the machine to take
a fresh track each time; but if desired, by disconnecting one of the side rollers,
it can turn round in the space of its own length.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall
refer to the Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in both Figures.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved steam road roller,
and Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same. A is the main framing.
of the machine, which according to my Invention is supported upon the two
side rollers B, B, and upon the central roller B¹; to this framing is secured
the boiler C, with its furnace and the usual fittings; D is the steam engine
carried on the top of the boiler, and E is the main crank shaft. Motion is
transmitted from the crank shaft E to the second motion shaft F by gearing f;
and this shaft F transmits its motion to the side rollers B, B, by means of an
endless pitch chain G, which gears into a pinion H fast on the second motion
shaft F of the engine, and into a chain wheel or pulley I fast on the main

page_text: axle K of the two side rollers, such axle working in ordinary bearings or axle
boxes carried by the main framing; these rollers may either both be fast on
both may be loose thereon, fu which case each of the
driven by an endless pitch chain of its own.
In my
their axle, or one or
side rollers may be
Drawings I have only shewn one of such pitch chains. I wish it to be dis-
tinctly understood, however, that although I prefer the use of pitch chains, I
do not confine myself to any particular arrangement of mechanism for
imparting a rotatory or propelling motion to the side rollers, as it is obvious
that various arrangements may be employed for that purpose. The central
roller B' should be sufficiently wide to extend slightly beyond the inner edges of
the side rollers B, in order that no intervening portion or track of the roadway
may remain unrolled after the machine has passed over it; this roller B₁ is by
preference made in two separate lengths 6', 6', so that greater facility may be
afforded for turning or locking the same when steering; this locking motion
or adjustment of the horizontal angle of the roller B¹ may be carried out in
various ways, but I prefer to adopt for that purpose a species of horizontal
turntable or ring 1, which carries the bearings L for supporting the axle M of
the locking roller B¹. This turntable or ring is contained inside the front
end of the main framing, which is also made circular or of an annular form so
as to allow the turntable or ring to revolve freely inside it. As the turntable
or ring is adjusted or moved in a horizontal circular direction to a greater or
less extent, it is obvious that the roller B' carried by it may be locked or
turned to any angle required, and hence the machine without being turned
round may be guided or steered as it travels to and fro so as to take a fresh
track at each course. Various contrivances may be adopted for transmitting
the steering or circular motion to the turntable ring, but I prefer to
employ a chain pinion N gearing into a chain O secured to the ring or turn-
table . This pinion is mounted on the lewer end of a vertical spindle
contained within a hollow supporting pillar P, secured to one side of the
main framing, the upper end of the pillar P oarrying a short shaft having a
hand wheel Q keyed thereon, and provided with a worm R for transmitting
motion to the vertical steering shaft or spindle through a worm wheel on the
upper end thereof.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is er may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
berein-before in part resited Letters Patent is, the combination in steam road

page_text: rollers of two side rollers and a central locking or steering roller, whereby the
full width of the track of the machine is rolled, and facility is afforded for
steering the machine so as to cause it to change its track at each course,
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Aveling, have to this my Speci-
fication set my hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of September, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
THOS AVELING. (L.B.)