AN IMPROVED ENGINE. FOR. COMMON. ROAD_ and Tramway Cars, and IN THE MODE OF APPLYING THE SAME.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Grange, of Leeds, in the County of
York, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED ENGINE. FOR. COMMON. ROAD_
and Tramway Cars, and IN THE MODE OF APPLYING THE SAME.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Grange at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th March 1873.
I, WILLIAM GRANGE, of Leeds, in the County of York, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED ENGINE FOR
COMMON ROAD AND TRAMWAY CARS, AND IN THE MODE OF APPLYING THE SAME," to
be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is the better adapting of steam or other
motive power engines to common road or tramway cars.
I by preference mount two cylinders horizontally on a suitable circular
table or frame. The slide valves are of ordinary construction, and placed
on the top of the cylinders. In order to take up as little room as possible
I provide guides on the sides of each cylinder, and make the connecting

page_text: rods forked, the ends of which are fitted and provided with slide blocks,
which slide within the guides. By this arrangement I dispense entirely
with a cross head. The connecting rods work direct from the slides or
guides on the sides of the cylinders to the cranks, which cranks are
arranged on the axle of the front wheels, dispensing thereby with spur,
frictional, and other gearing, the axle boxes for which are carried by the
circular table on which the engines are mounted. The piston rods are
coupled to the same slide blocks as the connecting rods by suitable
forked arms or rods.
A rotary movement may be given to the circular table or framework
by suitable steering gear of ordinary construction, whereby the front
guide wheels may be turned in any direction. By the herein described
arrangement the front wheels serve or are employed as the traction as
well as guide wheels.
When steam is employed as the motive power I fix the boiler on the
same circular table or framework as the engines. The engine and boiler
are at the same time carried round with the table.
The framework for carrying the vehicle is made of suitable form. I
make the hind wheels to run independently of each other on their
own respective axles and within slots in the carrying framework, the
axle boxes permitting of a vertical movement, and are provided with
carriage springs of ordinary construction, placed over cach axle box and
coupled to the frame. The engine is placed in the lower part of the
front of the vehicle, and entirely hidden from view.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said William Grange in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GRANGE, of Leeds, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give

page_text: and grant unto me, tho said William Grange, Her special licence that I,
the said William Grange, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Grange, 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 "AN IMPROVED ENGINE FOR COMMON
ROAD AND TRAMWAY CARS, AND IN THE MODE OF APPLYING THE SAME," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Grange, my exe-
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 William Grange, 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 of reference marked thereon, that is to
say:
--
The object of my Invention is the better adapting of steam or other
motive power engines to common road or tramway cars.
In order that my Invention may be more completely understood,
reference is given to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, which give
an example of a locomotive or traction engine constructed in accordance
with my Invention.
In constructing a traction or locomotive engine I arrange the engines
to work direct on to the axle of the traction and steering wheel or wheels
(my Drawings shew engine arranged with one central traction and
steering wheel). The engines are arranged within the circular table or
frame, and on one side of the crank shaft. They are by preference
placed horizontally. The boiler or boilers are also within the circular
table or frame, and on the other side of the crank shaft. The seat for
the man steering is placed either on the fixed external frame or on the
movable table or frame. This applies also to the steering gear.

page_text: When preferred, instead of a central wheel I provide two external
guide and traction wheels, by which arrangement the engines may be
brought nearer together.
I will now proceed to explain the Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a
plan, and Figure 2 a cross section through A, B.
a is the external framework, within which is fitted so as to work freely
the table or internal framework b. Within the table or framework b I
by preference mount two cylinders c and d. The slide valves e and fare
of ordinary construction, and are here placed on the top of the cylinders.
In order to take up as little room as possible I provide guides g on the
sides of each cylinder, and make the piston rods / forked, the ends of
which are fitted and provided with slide blocks i, which slide within the
guides g. By this arrangement I dispense entirely with a cross head, or
rather the latter is made in the form of forked arms or rods h¹, h³, coupled
to the slide blocks i. The connecting rods ; work direct from the slide
blocks i on to cranks k on the axle of the guide and traction wheel m
(which wheel is made in halves, as shewn on Figure 2), dispensing
thereby with spur, frictional, and other gearing. The axle boxes n for
the axle are carried on the circular table b.
A rotary movement may be given to the circular table or framework
by means of the hand wheel o, through which motion is transmitted to
the worm p' and worm wheel p, then to the pinion q, which gears into
the circular rack on the internal framework b, whereby the front guide
or steering wheel or wheels may be moved in any required direction.
Other suitable steering gear may be used than that here shewn. By the
herein described arrangement the wheel m serves or is employed as the
traction as well as guide or steering wheel.
Ordinary brakes may be applied to the trailing wheels of the vehicle
and also to the traction or guiding wheel or wheels.
When steam is employed as the motive power I fix the boiler or
boilers & within the circular framework b. The engines and boiler or
boilers are at the same time carried round with the table 6 by means of
the herein-before described arrangement of steering gear
Instead of one central wheel m, when preferred, I employ two wheels
Instead of one central wheel m, when preferred, I employ two wheels
outside the framework.

page_text: The cistern for supplying water to the boiler or boilers may, as well
as the coal box, be placed in any convenient position on the external
framework a.
x is
The external framework for carrying the vehicle is made of suitable
form, and the vehicle may be attached thereto by ordinary springs. I
make the hind wheels t to run independently of each other on their
respective axles in axle boxes, as shewn at u, and within slots in the
external carrying framework a, the axle boxes a permitting of a vertical
movement, and being provided with carriage springs w of ordinary con-
struction placed over each axle box u, and coupled to the frame a.
the link motion or reversing gear, which is of ordinary construction and
actuated by levers y and y¹ through rods 2. The eccentrics 1 for actuating
the slide valves c are also of ordinary construction. Steam is admitted
to the cylinders through pipes 2, and passed off from the cylinders
through the exhaust pipes 2. The admission of steam from the stop
valve 3 is regulated by means of the hand lever 4. I provide the rod 5
in connection with the hand lever, whereby the man at the steering
wheel has command of the stop valve 3. The engine and parts connected
therewith are placed in the lower part of the front of the vehicle, and

page_text: Thirdly. The general arrangement and combination of parts, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Grange, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.