IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM CARS OR CARRIAGES AND SIMILAR VEHICLES for TRAMWAYS OR COMMON ROADS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Robertson, junior and Alexander Henderson, both
of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, for the Inven-
IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM CARS OR CARRIAGES AND SIMILAR VEHICLES
for TRAMWAYS OR COMMON ROADS."
tion ot
Sealed the 1st September 1877, and dated the 20th March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Robertson, and
Alexander Henderson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
20th March 1877.
THOMAS ROBERTSON, junior, and ALEXANDER HENDERSON, both of Glasgow, in
the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
CARS OR CARRIAGES AND SIMILAR VEHICLES FOR TRAMWAYS OR COMMON
ROADS."
This Invention has reference to an improved general construction or arrangement
of the parts of steam tramway cars, carriages, or other road vehicles; and to special
improvements connected with the steam engines, boilers. and mechanism or appara-
tus for propelling the same; all for the purpose of making such steam cars or
carriages so smokeless, noiseless, and manageable as to be suitable for passenger
traffic on tramways and on common roads through towns and populous places,
without danger to the lieges, or to the horse traffic or property.
And the nature and novelty of the Invention or improvements consist all as
follows: First, as regards the improved general arrangement of the propelling
machinery, when applied to the ordinary construction of tramway car (with two
axles and their wheels mounted below the main frame and middle of the car at
sufficient distance apart, as from four to six feet, to give steadiness and yet allow it
to freely turn all ordinary curves): the steam engine, either with two or three cylin-
ders, is mounted horizontally or at an angle with its crank shaft, all self contained
and portable, within or between the main axles on or with a frame of its own, by
which it is secured to and carried by the under beams of the main frame of the car,

page_text: or to and by the axles or their bearing boxes, with one or two pinions on its crank
shaft, gearing into correspondingly toothed cog wheels large enough to give the
reduced speed desired to the axle shaft to be driven by the latter wheels which are
keyed or otherwise fixed on it. The cylinders are so proportioned and fitted in
relation to each other that they may either work as a high-pressure compound ex-
pansive engine, or as an engine with separate or individual expanding cylinders,
each fitted with inlot steam valves and branches direct from the boiler, to enable the
engine to thus work high pressure in all the cylinders with greater power when
ascending steep gradients, and at a low pressure by expanding into one cylinder, or
into two when there are three cylinders, out of the first high-pressure one when
running light, or on level roads, or down inclines.
The steam boiler which would be of the vertical, tubular, or Field class, with copper
fire box and great heating surface and power of raising steam, is placed preferably at
one end and corner of the car (well lagged or covered in, so as to prevent the escape
of heat), to leave the end door quite free for the entrance and departure of the pas-
sengers by the end platform and steps as usual, where the driver would feed tho
furnace and control the working of the engines by an ordinary quadrant lever fitted
on each end platform, with rods led forward below the car from the link or other
reversing valve motion of the engine, and with controlling handles of inlet steam,
and of condensed water taps or valves, and steam and water gauges, and other
handles, all convenient for the driver, perfectly controlling the action of the
engines, boiler, and apparatus, and motion of the car at either end platform.
Both an injector and feeding pump, with their setting on and off taps and
handles, would be connected to the boiler for feeding the water into it, either
while standing at stations or while running, with water as highly heated by the
exhaust steam as it could be fed in from supply tanks placed below the top or inside
seats, or below the end floor and platform framing, while the charcoal or other non-
smoke-producing fuel to be user may be carried in a receptacle or box below the
seat or below the stair leading to the top of the car, with doors at the level of
the platform convenient for charging the fuel into the furnace mouth of the
boiler.
A further and special improvement consists in fitting a very short and nearly
invisible chimney or outlet fine branch leading up from the top of the fire box and
boiler, fitted with a valve or damper near the outer end, and a continuation of the
flue pipe led down past the side of the boiler, with an open mouth near the ground,
through which when the damper is closed the waste smokeless gases of the furnace
and a portion of the exhaust steam are discharged, and a portion of the exhaust steam
would he used to assist the draught to be dispersed over and condensed on the cold
surface of the ground while these new steam cars are running. The brauch above
the damper is preferably fitted with a removable or jointed folding-down chimney,
to be used when the damper is opened to get up steam in the morning (with coal or
other fuel at the starting depot), either by the natural draught of the fire, or by
forced or suction air, fan, or steam jet, or other stationary blowers fitted and worked
there for this said new purpose, with coupling hose or other connecting pipes to the
fire boxes of all the cars, and thus save much time in getting up steam in the
morning at starting.
Another special improvement consists in leading the exhaust steam or a portion
of it, from one or all of the cylinders through a pipe, controlled by a tap or valve,
to an open discharge branch or mouthpiece down within a close feed water or other
extra water cistern for the purpose (carried preferably below the floor frame and
platform at the opposite end of the car to the steam boiler to balance each other),
and which is fitted with a silent steam discharge and condensing water nozzle of a
short annular trumpet shape, round the open discharge end of the steam pipe a little
above the bottom of the cistern, with a fixel central curved cone below, which would
disperse the hot water through the cistern and keep up a circulation in it, and a
constant return current of the water down through the annular trumpet nozzle,

page_text: which condenses a great proportion of the exhaust steam without noise or the escape
of hot vapour
When special condensing water cisterns are used, they would be fitted with supply
and drawing-off taps and coupling branches, so that the water when too hot for
condensing would be drained off from time to time (according to the amount of
steam se condensed), and re-filled with cold water at the terminal stations. The
rest of the exhaust steam not so condensed and used for heating the feed water-in
the said cisterns is by a further improvement led by another pipe and tap from the
main exhaust steam pipe into a large close hollow vessel,preferably of a ball or dome-
onded shape, either fitted above the fire place near the escaping flue as a baffle plate,
to be heated by the heat of the escaping gases from the fire (or, when not desired
to be so heated, it may be fitted in any other convenient place near or outside the
boiler flue), and allowed to escape from the vessel by another branch or nozzle (pro-
jecting into it like the inlet branch), and led into the flue or pipe before-mentioned
for conducting the waste gases from the top of the furnace to the ground, so as to
assist their dispersion and the draught of the furnace by this jet of the exhaust
steam, either superheated in the close vessel or not, as desired.
Provision is also made for the use of a small jet of live steam direct from the
boiler when the engine is not working, or the exhaust steam by branch pipes, con-
trolled by taps or valves, leading into the escape flue or chimney to blow up or
increase the draught of the tires, which, by another improvement, is assisted by
forming the plate below the fire grate for receiving the hot ashes, with widening or
expanding ends and sides, made to swivel or otherwise move to open out in the
direction the car is running or the wind is blowing, and close at the opposite side, so
as to direct the current of air up through the fire grato.
The combination of these improvements makes a good practical tramway passenger
car and street. locomotive combined, without inconvenience from noise, smoke, or heat,
while some of the improvements are applicable to other arrangements of steam
engines for propelling tramway and roadway cars, namely, the arrangement for
working the cylinders on the compound or single expansive principle. the arrange-
micuts for blowing up the fires of steam tramway cars by stationary blowers at the
starting or terminal stations or depots, and the arrangement for utilizing and noise-
lessly discharging the exhaust steam of steam tramway and road passenger cars
or carriages by silent circulating and condensing nozzles and jets through heated
and close vessels, made to act on and discharge the waste gases from the fire down
to the roadway.
In some cases, as for large iramway cars, a set of wheels may be mounted near
each end on swivelling frames or bogies, for their axles to move radially in turning
curves, either automatically,hy connecting them with equal length (or parallel acting)
diagonal stays, or by fitting them with any of the ordinary steering motions hereto-
fore in use, so as to steer or guide these wheels and the carriage by hand on either
end platform, and if these end wheels were used with guiding rims working in the
grooves of the rails, the middle driving or running wheels may be made without rims,
and for roadway steam carriages or omnibuses one broad or two narrow swivelling
wheels may be used in the centre at the front end of the carriage only for guiding
it by hand steering gear, all the wheels of course being plain on the rim, or only
roughened by fixed or loose linked sheathing, as the traction engines are over plain
rim or india-rubber ring tyers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Robertson and Alexander Henderson in the Great Seal l'atent
Office on the 20th September 1877.
THOMAS ROBERTSsox, junior, and Alexander HenDERSON, both of Glasgow, in
the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers. *IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
CARS OR CARRIAGES AND SIMILAR VEHICLES FOR RAMWAYS Ok COMMON
ROADS."
Our said Invention has reference to an improved general construction or arrange-
ment of the parts of steam trainway cars, carriages, or other road vehicles, and to
special improvements connected with the steam engines, boilers, and mechanism or
apparatus for propelling the same, all for the purpose of making such steam cars
or carriages so smokeless, noiseless, and managable as to be suitable for passenger
traffic on tramways and on common roads, through towns and populous places,
without danger to the lieges or to the horse traffic or property.
And in order that the nature and novelty of our said Invention and the manner
of performing the same may be properly understood, we shall now proceed to
describe the several Figures on the two Sheets of Drawings which we have here-
unto appended for that purpose, the same reference letters or uumerals indicating
the same parts in all the Figures where shown.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 is a side elevation, partly in section through the steam
boiler, of a new or improved steam tramway car 1, 1, and through its lower
framing 1, 1, and end platforms, as taken on the line 1---1 in Figure 2,
which is a plan of the same steam carriage corresponding to Figure 1, but with the
passenger carriage part 11 removed, to show the general construction and arrange-
iment of the lower frames 1", 1", and brake and engine controlling hand gear at
both platforms 4, all constructed in accordance with and illustrative of one modi-
fication of our said Invention, or general arrangement of steam engine and car
combined, embodying our improvements connected therewith.
Figures 3, 4, and 5, on Sheet 2, are respectively a longitudinal section, plan, and
transverse section of the lower part of the steam car, shown on Sheet 1, showing the
steam engine E, E¹, E", E", water cistern I, and driving gearing J, J, below the
framing 1, 1, the sections being taken respectively on the lines 3---3 and
55, through the initial steam slide valve casing D and cylinders E², E", E,
to show the construction and arrangement of these parts more clearly.
Referring to these Figures, 1 to 5, the nature, novelty, and mode of performing
or putting our Invention or improvements into effect or practice consist all as
follows: When our improvements are applied to the ordinary construction of tram-
way car 1, 1, 1, 111, carried and running on two axles 2, 24, their two pairs of
wheels are mounted below the middle of the lower main frame 11 at a sufficient
distance apart, as from four to six feet, to give steadiness to the whole and yet allow
the car to turn all ordinary curves, as shown in these Figures.
The improved general arrangement of the propelling steam engine and machinery
consists, first, in making the steam engine either with three cylinders E¹, E", E¹i,
or with two as E, E", mounted horizontally (or it might be at an angle) with its
crankshaft E, preferably all portable or self-contained, on a frame E of its own,
within the space between the main axles 2, 21, and by which and flanges on the
cylinders at E it is screwed io and carried by the under beams 11 of the main
frame of the car 1, 1, (but it might be to and by the axles 2, 21. or their bearing
boxes 3) with one or two toothed spur pinions on its crank shaft E. gearing
into correspondingly toothed or cog wheels J, secured to and large enough to give
the desired reduced speed to the axle shaft 2, to be driven by the engine shaft E,
which is carried in bush journal bearings E' in the frame E, and actuated by
cranks e, c, c, preferably divided equally at 120° to each other, and ordinary con-
necting rods and guide block, not shown in the Drawing, but connected to the

page_text: cross head and piston rod F of each cylinder over the guide slides . The carriage
shaft or axle driven direct from the engine by the gearing wheels J, J, gives
motion to the second axle 2 by the pitch chain wheels K keyed on them through
the endless pitch chain K passing over them, as seen in Figure 4.
The steani boiler A which is of the vertical Field tubular class, preferably oval
in plan, with copper fire-box A' and great heating surface and power of raising
steam, is placed preferably at one end and corner of the carriage part 1' of the car 1.
well lagged or closed in so as to prevent the escape of heat and leave the car door
at this end quite free for the entrance and exit of the passengers by the end plat-
form and steps, as usual, with the furnace grate A sufficiently below the floor
and platform, over which the door A of the furnace opens conveniently for the
driver to feed in the fuel, and also control the working of the engines or cylinders
by an ordinary portable hand lever I, shipped over the notched quadrant L', on
the side of the brake pillar 6 and lever, fitted on each end platform 4, with
rods,,led inwards below the car frame 1" to the lever of the rocking
shaft of the link valve motion of the engine or other reversing valve gear, and
with a like controlling hand lever S, and quadrant St and lever s, on the opposite
side of the pillar G¹, with rods s', s, led back to the lever on a rocking shaft,
carried in bearing standards s, projecting up from the cylinder casings, and which
by the bevel wheels st. s, turns the spindle and key T of the four-way cock T,
bolted over and opening by its lower branch ', into the exhaust chest D of the
central cylinder E, and leading by its two side branches and to the valve
casings D, D, of the two cylinders E and E, while the top branch is cou-
nected to receive the steam from the end pipe C of the steam pipe C, leading direct
from the boiler, controlled by a usual stop valve not shown in the Drawings. Both
wheels 3, 3, of each axle 2, 21, are fitted with brake blocks 31, 31, attached to cross
heads 3", 311, hung by oscillating links 3, 3, at their onds from the frame of
the car or engine above, and worked by the connecting rods 5 jointed at their inner
end to the middle of each cross head and at their outer ends to powerful brake
levers 5, fulcrumed below each platform 4 and coupled by a swivel screw nut on
its long horizontal arm to the lower screwed end of the vertical brake actuating
spindle 6, mounted in a strong cast-iron pillar in the centre of each platform 4,
with hand brake wheel 7 on top at a proper height to be worked at either or both
platforms, so that the car can be stopped either by the driver or guard, or by both
when required.
Although not shown in the Drawings the steam boiler A would be fitted with an
injector for feeding it with hot water when the car is standing at stations, supplied
from the tank I, or it might be from a small special feed cistern, the water in which
might be heated by the exhaust steam direct from the engine before reaching the
cistern I, and it might also be fed by a feed upmp worked by the engine to feed the
boiler when the car is running light or down inclines, and the boiler would also be
fitted with the usual mountings for repair, cleaning, and safe working, as man-hole,
cleaning sludge hole, blow-off cock, stop and safety valves, and water and pressure
gauges, indicating at both platforms 4, and with controlling handles also there for
the driver to see and keep all right, at whichever end platform 4 he may be con-
trolling the working of the car and engines. The coke, charcoal, or other non-
smoke producing fuel preferred to be used in the boiler furnace A, A', of these
steam cars while running may be carried in a receptacle or box below the seat at
1 on the opposite side to the boiler, or at below the end stair leading to the top
of the car, and fitted with doors at the level of the platform 4, adjacent to and
convenient for the attendant charging the fuel into the furnace mouth A of the
boiler A. The cylinders E. E, E are so proportioned and fitted, and their steam
casings J, D, 103, so connected in relation to each other by their inlet, steam, and
exhaust pipes C, C¹, d", "", and reversing cock T, T, and exhaust valve g, g', and
actuating hand gear S, s, s', s, that they may either work as a high-pressure
compound expansive engine, or as an engine with separate high-pressure expanding
steam cylinders, all as will herein-after be more particularly described; thus, the

page_text: steam from the boiler A is led by the steam pipe and branch C'direct to the
casing D of the cylinder E', which, when working on the compound expansive
principle, exhausts round a jacket E* into the chamber D² between it and the
cylinder E, and from which it passes through the four-way cock T", and its three-
way key T by the pipes d", d, into the casings D", D, respectively of the a
cylinders E, E, so as to work expansively in these two latter when the carriage
is running light, or on level roads, or down inclines, the exhaust steam passing off
from these cylinders by the exhaust or discharge pipe G, G¹, as will herein-after he
explained.
When the whole of the cylinders are required to work high pressure with great
power, as when heavily laden or ascending steep gradients or inclines, the key Tof
the cock gets a half turn by its gearing wheels s',, and a third of a turn or so
of the wiper shaft through its rods and hand gears s, sl, sl, S, all as before stated,
so as to shut the communication through the branch of the cock into the
chest D, and open the two branches, into the two side pipes ", and
allow steam to enter direct from the boiler A through the pipes C, C, into the
valve casing D, D, of the cylinders E, E, so that these may now work high
pressure; and for allowing the central cylinder E' also to work high pressure (and
exhaust into the same discharge or exhaust pipe G as the other two cylinders) its
exhaust chamber D is fitted with an outlet branch and valve g, g', leading into the
exhaust pipe G, actuated by the rod g, passing out through a stuffing box in the
top of the chest D and an eccentric g working into a box on its upper end, the
eccentric being so keyed on the end of the spindles (which actuates the three-
way key T of the cock T") as to shut the valve g' and branch g when it turns the
key T to make the engines work compound, and vice versa, open the valve when
the cylinders have all to work high pressure with steam direct from the boiler, and
so that the action of the same hand lever S, removed to either platform 4 by
the connecting rods, ", controls and gives this greater or less power to the
engines.
When only a two-cylinder engine is desired, the arrangement would be substan-
tially the same, only dispensing with the cylinder and its valve casing D,
and inlet and exhaust steam branches and G, as also the working crank, con-
necting rods, slide frame, and eccentrics, and link motion connected with this
cylinder, and the cock and key T, T, in this case having three and two ways
respectively, would only require a fourth of a turn by its hand gear to change the
working of the engines.
An improvement connected with the steam boiler A consists in erecting over the
top of its fire-box A, a very short and nearly invisible chimney or outlet flue
branch A, fitted with an ordinary valve or damper near the outer end, not shown
in the Drawings. A continuation of this flue pipe A3, or a branch from it A', is led
down past the side of the boiler with an open mouth near the ground, through
which, when the damper of the outlet branch is closed, the waste smokeless gases of
the furnace and a portion of the exhaust. steam are or may be noiselessly and
nearly imperceptably discharged, and the portion of exhaust steam to be so used by
the special improved arrangements to be herein described, would be made to assist.
the draught of the furnace A', and disperse and partially condense the vapours
over the cold surface of the ground during the running of these new or improved
steam cars.
When desired, a branch or part of the uptake flue or chimney A, above the
damper, may be jointed to fold up and down, or made removable, to be used as a
chimney when the damper is opened, to get up steam in the morning with coal or
other fuel at the starting depot, either by the natural draught of the boiler
furnace A, or, as we prefer, by forced combustion and new stationary arrangement
of air forcing or suction pumps, or other blowers, erected and worked at the starting
station-house or depot of the steam cars, which, for this new purpose, would have
coupling branches fitted to the close fire-boxes or the closing-in ash-plate of all the
cars, for quickly attaching and disengaging hose or other connecting pipes and

page_text: closing caps, which improvements would save much time in getting up steam and
sending out these steam cars in the morning or at starting.
Another special improvement consists in leading the exhaust steam or a portion
of it from one or all of the cylinders, from the exhaust pipe G through the pipe G¹,
controlled by a tap or valve G, into an open discharge nozzle branch or mouth-
piece H, H, immersed within a close feed-water cistern or other special tank I, for
the purpose of noiselessly condensing the steam, and carried preferably below the
floor frame 1, 1, and platform 4 at the opposite end of the car to the steam boiler A,
to steady it and balance each other. This silent steam discharge and condensing
water nozzle consists of one inner jet nozzle H, fitted with a silent current pro-
ducing short annular trumpet shaped nozzle H', supported by the open arms round
the open discharge end of the steam pipe or nozzle H, some distance above the
bottom of the cistern T, with a fixed central curved cone carried by the open
arms a little below the latter nozzle, and which would disperse the condensing
water circulating through the nozzle H' and along the bottom of the cistern I, thus
keeping up a thorough circulation through it by the force of the issuing exhaust
steam, and a constant return current of the water down through the wide annular
trumpet-shaped nozzle H, all as indicated by the arrows in Figure 3, and which
condenses the exhaust steam without noise or the escape of the mere vapour left
above the water, depending on its temperature. This condensing water cistern I
would be fitted with a proper man-hole cleaning door I', and a drawing-off and an
overflow branch 1", which would regulate the height or level of the water in the
tank I, and couplings would be fitted to these and the inlet or supply branches, so
that the water when too hot for condensing, could be drained off from time to time
(according to the amount of steam thus condensed in it) and re-filled with cold
water at the terminal stations. The rest of the exhaust steam not used for heating
the feed water for the boiler, or thus condensed in the said tank I, is, by a further
improvement, led by another pipe and tap from the main exhaust steam pipe GI
along and down into the side of a large close hollow vessel, preferably of a
hollow ball shape to assist the noiseless discharge of the steam by a nozzle at
the top of the hollow ball, as seen in Figure 1, the jet of exhaust steam escaping up
the discharge flue or chimney A³ of the boiler furnace A', and when it is desired to
superheat this exhaust steam, the hollow spherical vessel is fitted above the
fire-place near the escaping flue A (as a baffle plate to spread the flames through
the tubes A), so as to be heated by the hot waste gases escaping from the fire;
but when not desired to be so heated, this hollow vessel "may be fitted in any
other convenient place near or outside the boiler flue, the exhaust steam jet being
allowed to escape from it, in this case, by a branch projecting up from it at the top,
and led to the nozzle i, which in either case is fitted in the centre of the flue A³
for conducting the waste gases from the top of the furnace to the ground, so as to
assist their dispersion and the draught of the furnace by this jet of the waste
exhaust steam, either superheated in the close vessel or not, as desired.
Provision is also made for the use of a small jet of live steam direct from the boiler
when the engine is not working, or the exhaust steam from the pipe G, G¹, direct
when the engine is working, by branch pipes fitted to these, controlled by taps or
valves leading into the escape flue or chimney A³, to blow up or increase the
draught of the furnace A', which, by another improvement, is assisted by forming a
plate below the fire-grate for receiving the hot ashes, with widening or expanding
ends and sides made to swivel or otherwise move, to open out in the direction the
car is running, or the wind is blowing for the time being, and close up at the
opposite side, so as to direct the current of air up through the fire-grate A".
The combination of these improvements in steam tramway passenger cars and
street locomotive engines has now rendered these thoroughly practical, without
inconvenience from noise, smoke, or heat, and constitutes the substance or essence
of our Invention, while some of the special improvements are applicable to other
forms or arrangements of steam cars, or locomotive, or portable engines, than that
shown in the Drawings, for propelling tramway and roadway cars, namely, the

page_text: arrangement of steam and exhaust pipes, and four-way cock and three-way key, for
making the cylinders work on the compound expansive principle, or on the single
high-pressure expansive principle in each cylinder. The arrangements for noiselessly
discharging or condensing the exhaust steam (of steam tramway or road cars, or
of engines for propelling these, or of road engines) by silent water circulating and
condensing nozzles H, H, H", and for utilizing a part or jet of the exhaust steam
through heated and close vessels 7, 1, made to silently discharge the waste gases
from the fire down to the roadway, and the arrangement for blowing up the fires of
steam tramway or other portable road engines by stationary blowers at the starting
or terminal stations or depots.
In some cases, as for long tramway cars, a set of wheels may be mounted near
each end on swivelling frames or bogies, for their axles to move radially in turning
curves, either automatically by connecting them with equal length diagonal stays,
or by fitting them with any of the ordinary steering motions heretofore in use, so
as to steer or guide these wheels and the carriage by hand on either end platform 4,
and if these end wheels were used, with guiding rims working in the grooves of the
rails; the middle driving or running wheels 3 driven by the motive engine may be
made without rims, and the axles of these end wheels might be driven by pitch
chains and wheels in the centre from the axis of the middle wheel 3.
For steam roadway carriages or omnibuses one broad or two narrow swivelling:
wheels may be used in the centre, below the front end of the carriage only, for
guiding it by hand-steering gear, all the wheels of course being plain on the rim or
running periphery, or only roughened by fixed or by loose-linked sheathing over
plain rim or india-rubber ring tyres, as some traction engines are.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, we have to state that we do not confine ourselves to the
precise details herein described or delineated, but what we consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The general construction or improved arrangement or combination of the
part of steam tramway cars or carriages, all substantially as and for giving the
differential, compound, and high-pressure powers, and other advantages, herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere
modification thereof.
Second. The fitting and propelling of steam tramway cars with two or three
cylinders and their fittings and hand gearing arranged to work compound (expanding
from one into the other) or high pressure direct in each and all the cylinders, all
substantially as and for giving the advantages herein described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Third. The fitting and condensing of the whole or a great part of the exhaust
steam of steam tramway cars, with arrangement of water tank and immersed
noiseless combining and water current producing or circulating nozzle and their
fittings, substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accom-
panying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Fourth. The arrangement and use of a hollow vessel and its fittings for noiselessly
utilizing a portion of the exhaust steam of steam tramway cars, for assisting the
draught of their furnaces and discharging the waste gases therefrom, all substantially
as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any
mere modification thereof.
Fifth. The fitting of the furnace, ash-pit, or take-up flue or chimney of steam
tramway cars, with coupling branches for attaching the ends of the hose or other
pipes, to lead from stationary air or steam blowers for blowing up the boiler fires
quickly at the starting depots or stations, all substantially as herein described, or
any mere modification thereof.
Sixth. The application and use of the pitch chain and chain wheels for driving
the second axle shaft of steam tramway cars from the first axle shaft, which is
driven by the gearing wheels from the crank shaft of the engine, all substantially

page_text: as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or
any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Robertson, junior, and Alexander
Henderson, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Nineteenth day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
SAFAR
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
THOS. ROBERTSON, JUR. (L.S.)
ALEXR. HENDERSON.
(L.S.)

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS ROBERT-
SON, Junior, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her Most Excellent Majesty, Queen Victoria, by Her Royal Letters
Patent bearing date the Twentieth day of March, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-seven, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,.
the said Thomas Robertson, conjointly with Alexander Henderson, of Glasgow,
aforesaid, Engineer, Her special license that we, the said Thomas Robertson and
Alexander Henderson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said Thomas Robertson and Alexander Henderson, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns should 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 of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM CARS OR CARRIAGES, AND SIMILAR VEHICLES FOR TRAMWAYS OR COMMON
ROADS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we the said Thomas Robertson
and the said Alexander Henderson, or one of us, by an instrument in writing under
our, or one of our 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: And whereas,
we, the said Thomas Robertson and Alexander Henderson, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, did declare the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and caused the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office on the Twentieth day of September, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy seven: And whereas by deed of assignment

page_text: dated the Thirtieth day of November, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
eight, the above-named Alexander Henderson did assign and transfer unto
me, the said Thomas Robertson, all the estate, right, title, and interest of
him, the said Alexander Henderson, in and to the aforesaid Letters Patent
and Invention, and the said deed was duly registered in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the ninth day of December, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
eight: And whereas since the said Specification was filed as aforesaid, I have
discovered that certain of the parts or features therein separately claimed were not
at the date of the aforesaid Patent, new, alone, and in themselves, and taken inde-
pendently of certain of the other parts or features described in the said Specification,
am therefore desirous of amending the said Specification by striking out therefrom
such claiming clauses as claim matters not new, alone, and in themselves as afore-
said, such clausos being the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth claiming clauses in
the said Specification contained, and also of amending certain other parts of the
Specification in the manner herein after set forth.
NOW KNOW YE that I, the said Thomas Robertson, by and with the leave of
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for the reasons aforesaid, do alter and amend the
said Specification in manner following, that is to say, I strike out the words
"and to special improvements connected with the steam engines, boilers, and
mechanism or apparatus for propelling the same all," which occur at lines 9, 10,
and 11 of page 4 of the Queen's Printer's copy of the said Specification published
at the Great Seal Patent Office in one thousand eight hundred and seventy seven.
I olso strike out the words "one modification of," which occur at lines 26 and 27
of the said page 4. I also strike out the words "of the propelling steam engine
and machinery," which occur at line 42 of the said page 4. I also strike out the
words and letters "an improvement connected with the steam boiler A, consists
in erecting over the top of its fire box A³," which occur at lines 37 and 38 of
page 6 of the said Queen's Printers copy, and substitute therefor the words and
letters "over the top of the fire box A¹ of the boiler A is erected." I also strike
out the words "special improved," which occur in line 45 of the said page 6.
I also strike out the word "new," which occurs at line 53, and also the word
new which occurs at line 55. both of the said page 6. I also strike out the
word “improvements" which occurs in line 1 of page 7 of the said Queen's Printers'
copy, and substitute therefor the word "arrangements." I also strike out the
words "another special improvement consists in leading the," which occur in
line 3 of the said page 7, and substitute therefor the word "the." I also insert
the words "is led" between the words "it" and "from," being the second and
third words of line 4 of the said page 7. I also strike out the words "by a further
improvement," which occur at lines 27 and 28 of the said page 7. I also strike
out the words "by another improvement," which occur. at line 47 of the said
page 7. I also strike out the words "while some of the special improvements,"
which occur at line 55 of the said page 7, and the following words down to and
including the words "or terminal stations or depôts," which occur at line 10 of
page 8 of the said Queen's Printers copy.
11
JJ
I also strike out the word "my" which occurs at line 25 of the said page 8,
and substituto therefor the word "our." I also strike out the word "First,"
which occurs at line 30 of the said page 8. I also strike out the second, third,
fourth, fifth, and sixth claiming clauses, that is to say, the words "Second. The
fitting and propelling of steam tramway cars," which occur at line 35 of the said
page 8, and the following words down to and including the words "any mere
modification thereof," which occur at line 2 of page 9 of the said Queen's Printers
copy.

page_text: And in order that the effect of the said Disclaimer and Memorandum of
Alteration may be clearly understood, I annex hereto a copy of the said Specifi-
cation as it will appear when so altered and amended, the preamble and testing
clause being omitted.
Our said Invention has reference to an improved general construction or arrange-
ment of the parts of steam tramway cars, carriages, or other road vehicles, for the
purpose of making such steam cars or carriages so smokeless, noiseless, and
manageable as to be suitable for passenger traffic on tramways and on common
roads, through towns and populous places without danger to the lieges or to the
horse traffic or property.
And in order that the nature and novelty of our said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same may be properly understood, we shall now proceed to
describe the several Figures on the two Sheets of Drawings which we have here-
unto appended for that purpose, the same reference lotters or numerals indicating
the same parts in all the Figures where shewn.
Figure 1 on Sheot 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, through the steam
boiler of a new or improved steam tramway car 1, 1, and through its lower
framing 1, 1, and end platforms 4, as taken on the line 1---1 in Figure 2,
which is a plan of the same steam carriage corresponding to Figuro 1, but with
the passenger carriage part 1' removed, to show the general construction and
arrangement of the lower frames 11, 111, and brake and engine controlling hand
gear at both platforms 4, all constructed in accordance with and illustrative of our
said Invention or general arrangement of steam engine and car combined, embodying
our improvements connected therewith.
Figures 3, 4, and 5, on Sheet 2, are respectively a longitudinal section, plan, and
transverse section of the lower part of the steam car, shown on Sheet 1 showing
the steam engine E, E¹, E", E, water cistern I, and driving gearing J, J', below
the framing 1, 111, the sections being taken respectively on the lines 3- 3 and
5---5 through the initial steam slide valve casing D', and cylinders E', E", E,
to show the construction and arrangement of these parts more clearly.
Referring to those Figures 1 to 5, the nature, novelty, and mode of performing or
putting our Invention or improvements into effect or practice, consist all as
follows: When our improvements are applied to the ordinary construction of
tramway car 1, 1¹, 1", 1", carried and running on two axles 2, 21, their two pairs
of wheels 3 are mounted below the middle of the lower main frame 1"1 at a
sufficient distance apart, as from four to six feet to give steadines to the whole, and
yet allow the car to turn all ordinary curves, as shown in these Figures.
The improved general arrangement consists, first, in making the steam engine
either with three cylinders E, E, E, or with two, as E¹, E", mounted hori-
zontally (or it might be at an angle) with its crank shaft E, preferably all portable
or self contained on a frame E of its own within the space between the inain
axles 2, 21, and by which the flanges on the cylinders at E³, it is screwed to and
carried by the under beans 1111 of the main frame 1 of the car 1, 1', (but it might
be to and by the axles 2, 2¹, or their bearing boxes 3*), with one or two toothed
spur pinions J on its crank shaft E, gearing into correspondingly toothed or cog
wheels J secured to and large enough to give the desired reduced speed to the axle
shaft 2 to be driven by the engine shaft E, which is carried in bush journal
bearings E in the frame E, and actuated by cranks e, e, e, preferably divided
equally at 120° to each other, and ordinary connecting rods and guide block not
shown in the Drawing, but connected to the cross head and piston rod F of each
cylinder over the guide slides E³. The carriage shaft or axle 2 driven direct from
the engine by the gearing wheels J, J, gives motion to the second axle 21 by the
pitch chain wheels K keyed on them through the endless pitch chain K¹ passing
over them, as seen in Figure 4.
The steam boiler A. which is of the vertical field tubular class, preferably oval in
plan, with copper fire-box A', and great heating surface and power of raising steam,

page_text: is placed preferably at one end and corner of the carriage part 11 of the car 1, well
lagged or closed in so as to prevent the escape of heat and leave the car door at
this end quite free for the entrance and exit of the passengers by the end platform 4
and steps as usual, with the furnace grate A" sufficiently below the floor and plat-
form, over which the door A² of the furnace opens conveniently for the driver to
feed in the fuel and also control the working of the engines or cylinders by an
ordinary portable hand lever L shipped over the notched quadrant L' on the side
of the brake pillar 6¹, and lever & fitted on each end platform 4 with rods l³, ", led
inwards below the car frame 1" to the lever 12 of the rocking shaft 3 of the link
valve motion of the engine or other reversing valve gear, and with a like controlling
hand lever S, and quadrant S¹, and lever a on the opposite side of the pillar 6¹,
with rods 8, 8, led back to the lever g³ on a rocking shaft s³ carried in bearing
standards projecting up from the cylinder casings, and which, by the level
wheels &, s, turns the spindle and key T of the four way cock T¹ bolted over and
opening by its lower branch t¹ into the exhaust-chest D2 of the central cylinder E',
and leading by its two side branches t" and t¹ to the valve casings D, DI,
of the two cylinders E" and E, while the top branch t is connected to receive
the steam from the end pipe Cu of the steam pipe C leading direct from the
boiler controlled by a usual stop valve, not shown in the Drawings. Both
wheels 3, 3, of each axle 2, 2', are fitted with brake blocks 31, 3¹, attached to
cross heads 3", 3", hung by oscillating links 311, 31, at their ends from the
frame of the car or engine above, and worked by the connecting rods 5
jointed at their inner end to the middle of each cross head 31 and at their
outer ends to powerful brake levers 5', fulcrumed below each platform 4, and
coupled by a swivel screw nut on its long horizontal arm to the lower screwed end
of the vertical brake actuating spindle 6, mounted in a strong cast-iron pillar 6' in
the centre of each platform 4, with hand brake wheel 7 on top at a proper height
to be worked at either or both platforms, so that the car can be stopped either by
the driver or guard, or by both, when required. Although not shown in the Drawings,
the steam boiler A would be fitted with an injector for feeding it with hot water
when the car is standing at stations supplied from the tank I, or it might be from
a small special feed cistern, the water in which might be heated by the exhaust
stoam direct from the engine before reaching the cistern I, and it might also be fed
by a feed pump worked by the engine to feed the boiler when the car is running
light or down inclines; and the boiler would also be fitted with the usual mountings
for repair, cleaning, and safe working, as man-hole, cleaning sludge hole, blow-
off cock, stop and safety valves and water and pressure gauges indicating at both
platforms 4, and with controlling handles also there for the driver to see and keep
all right at whichever end platform 4 he may be controlling the working of the car
and engines. The coke, charcoal, or other non smoke producing fuel preferred to be
used in the boiler furnace A, A', of these steam cars while running may be carried
in a receptacle or box below the seat at 1× on the opposite side to the boiler, or at
4* below the end stair leading to the top of the car, and fitted with doors at the
level of the platform 4 adjacent to and convenient for the attendant charging the
fuel into the furnace mouth A2 of the boiler A. The cylinders E¹, E", E", are so pro-
portioned and fitted, and their steam casings D¹, D³, D³, so connected in relation to
each other by their inlet steam and exhaust pipes C, C, d, d, and reversing cock
T, T', and exhaust valve g, g², and actuating hand gear S, 8, 81, 8¹¹, that they may
either work as a high-pressure compound expansive engine or as an engine with
separate high-pressure expanding steam cylinders, all as will hereinafter be more
particularly described; thus the steam from the boiler A is led by the steam
pipe C and branch C₁ direct to the casing D³ of the cylinder E¹, which when
working on the compound expansive principle exhausts through a jacket E* into
the chamber D between it and the cylinder E", and from which it passes through
the four way cock T and its three way key T by the pipes d', d, into the
casings D", D¹¹, respectively of the cylinders E", E, so as to work expansively

page_text: in these two latter when the carriage is running light or on level roads or down
inclines, the exhaust steam passing off from these cylinders by the exhaust or
discharge pipe G, G', as will hereinafter be explained.
When the whole of the cylinders are required to work high pressure with great
power, as when heavily laden or ascending steep gradients or inclines, the key T of
the cock T¹ gets a half turn by its gearing wheels 8, 8³, and a third of a turn or so
of the wiper shaft 83 through its rods and hand gear 8, 81, 81, S, all as before stated,
so as to shut the communication through the branch t¹ of the cock T¹ into the
chest D³, and open the two branches t, t, into the two side pipes d¹¹, d¹¹¹, and
allow steam to enter direct from the boiler A through the pipes C, C³, into the
valve casing D¹¹, D11, of the cylinders E", El, so that these may now work high
pressure, and for allowing the central cylinder E' also to work high pressure (and
exhaust into the same discharge or exhaust pipe G as the other two cylinders) its
exhaust chamber D² is fitted with an outlet branch and valve g, g³, leading into
the exhaust pipe G, actuated by the rod g¹¹ passing out through a stuffing box in
the top of the chest D³, and an eccentric g³ working into a box on its upper end, the
eccentric g² being so keyed on the end of the spindle 83 (which actuates the three
way key T of the cock T¹) as to shut the valve g¹ and branch g, when it turns the
key T to make the engines work compound, and vice versa open the valve when
the cylinders have all to work high pressure with steam direct from the boiler, and
so that the action of the same hand lever S removed to either platform 4 by the
connecting rods &¹, &, controls and gives this greater or less power to the
engines.
When only a two-cylinder engine is desired the arrangement would be substan-
tially the same, only dispensing with the cylinder E and its valve casing D¹¹¹ and
inlet and exhaust steam branches d'11 and G, as also the working crank, connecting
rods, slide frame, and eccentrics and link motion connected with this cylinder and
the cock and key T, T', in this case having three and two ways respectively would
only require a fourth of a turn by its hand gear to change the working of the
engines.
Over the top of the fire box A' of the boiler A is erected a very short and nearly
invisible chimney or outlet flue branch A³ fitted with an ordinary valve or damper
near the outer end, not shewn in the Drawings. A continuation of this flue pipe
A³, or a branch from it A, is led down past the side of the boiler with an open
mouth near the ground, through which when the damper of the outlet branch is
closed the waste smokeless gases of the furnace and a portion of the exhaust steam
are or may be noiselessly and nearly imperceptably discharged, and the portion of
exhaust steam to be so used by the arrangements to be herein described would be
made to assist the draught of the furnace A¹ and disperse and partially condense
the vapours over the cold surface of the ground during the running of these new or
improved steam cars.
When desired a branch or part of the uptake flue or chimney A* above the
damper may be jointed to fold up and down or inade removable] to be used as a
chimney when the damper is opened to get up steam in the morning with coal or
other fuel at the starting depot, either by the natural draught of the boiler furnace
A¹, or, as we prefer, by forced combustion and stationary arrangement of air forcing
or suction pumps, or other blowers erected and worked at the starting station-house
or depot of the steam cars, which for this purpose would have coupling branches fitted
to the close fire boxes or the closing in ash-plate of all the cars for quickly attaching
and disengaging hose or other connecting pipes and closing caps, which arrange-
ments would save much time in getting up steam and sending out these steam cars
in the morning or at starting.
The exhaust steam, or a portion of it, is led from one or all of the cylinders
from the exhaust pipe G through the pipe G³, controlled by a tap or valve Gu
into an open discharge nozzle branch or mouthpiece H, H, immersed within
a close feed-water cistern or other special tank for the purpose of noiselessly
condensing the steam, and carried preferably below the floor frame 111, 111, and

page_text: platform 4 at the opposite end of the car to the steam boiler A to steady it and
balance each other. This silent steam discharge and condensing water nozzle
consists of one inner jet nozzle H fitted with a silent current producing short annular
trumpet shaped nozzle H¹ supported by the open arms / round the open discharge
end of the steam pipe or nozzle H some distance above the bottom of the cistern I
with a fixed central curved cone H", carried by the open arms h¹ a little below
the latter nozzle, and which would disperse the condensing water circulating
through the nozzle H' and along the bottom of the cistern I, thus keeping up a
thorough circulation through it by the force of the issuing exhaust steam and a
constant return current of the water down through the wide annular trumpet-
shaped nozzle H, all as indicated by the arrows in Figure 3, and which condenses
the exhaust steam without noise or the escape of the mere vapour left above the
water depending on its temperature. This condensing water cistern I would be
fitted with a proper man-hole cleaning door I and a drawing-off and an over flow
branch I", which would regulate the height or level of the water in the tank I,
and couplings would be fitted to these and the inlet or supply branches, so that the
water when too hot for condensing could be drained off from time to time
(according to the amount of steam thus condensed in it) and refilled with cold
water at the terminal stations. The rest of the exhaust steam not used for heating
the feed water for the boiler or thus condensed in the said tank I is led by another
pipe and tap from the main exhaust steam pipe G², along and down into the side
of a large close bollow vessel 1, preferably of a hollow ball shape to assist the
noiseless discharge of the steam by a nozzle at the top of the hollow ball, as
seen in Figure 1, the jet of exhaust steam escaping up the discharge flue or
chimney A³ of the boiler furnace A', and when it is desired to superheat this
exhaust steam the hollow spherical vessel i" is fitted above the fireplace near the
escaping flue A (as a baffle plate to spread the flames through the tubes A") so
as to be heated by the hot waste gases escaping from the fire, but when not desired
to be so heated this hollow vessel i may be fitted in any other convenient place
near or outside the boiler flue, the exhaust steam jet being allowed to escape from
it in this case by a branch projecting up from it at the top, and led to the nozzle
2111, which, in either case is fitted in the centro of the flue A³ for conducting the
waste gases from the top of the furnace to the ground so as to assist their dis-
persion and the draught of the furnace by this jet of the waste exhaust steam, either
superheated in the close vessel or not, as desired.
Provision is also made for the use of a small jet of live steam direct from the
boiler when the engine is not working, or the exhaust steam from the pipe G, G',
direct when the engine is working by branch pipes fitted to these, controlled by taps
or valves leading into the escape flue or chimney A³ to blow up or increase the
draught of the furnace A', which is assisted by forming a plate below the fire-grate
for receiving the hot ashes, with widening or expanding ends and sides mado to
swivel or otherwise move, to open out in the direction the car is running or the
wind is blowing for the time being, and close up at the opposite side so as to direct
the current of air up through the fire-grate A".
The combination of these improvements in steam tramway passenger cars and
street locomotive engines has now rendered these thoroughly practical without
inconvenience from noise, smoke, or heat, and constitutes the substance or essence
of our Invention.
In some cases, as for long tramway cars, a set of wheels may be mounted near
each end on swivelling frames or bogies for their axles to move radially in turning
curves, either automatically by connecting them with equal length diagonal stays,
or by fitting them with any of the ordinary steering motions heretofore in use so
as to steer or guide these wheels and the carriage by hand on either end platform 4,
and if these end wheels were used with guiding rims working in the grooves of the
rails; the middle driving or running wheels 3 driven by the motive engine may
be made without rims, and the axles of these end wheels might be driven by pitch
chains and wheels in the centre from the axis of the middle wheel 3.

page_text: For steam roadway carriages or omnibuses one broad or two narrow swivelling
wheels may be used in the centre below the front end of the carriage only for
guiding it by hand-steering gear, all the wheels of course being plain on the run or
running poriphery, or only roughened by fixed or by loose-linked sheathing over
plain rim or india-rubber ring tyres, as some traction engines are.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we have to state that we do not confine ourselves to the
precise details berein described or delineated, but what we consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the hereinbefore in
part recited Letters Patent is,-
The general construction or improved arrangement or combination of the parts of
steam tramway cars or carriages, all substantially as and for giving the differential
compound and high-pressure powers, and other advantages herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawing, or any mere modification
thereof.
In witness whereof, I, said Thomas Robertson, junior, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of Decembers, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.