IMPROVE- MENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1854

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Staunton at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th November
1854. A communication.
I, THOMAS STAUNTON, of No. 1, Vineyards, -Bath, in the County of Somerset,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER" to be as follows:-
The improvements consist in the means of compressing air and using it as
a motive power, as herein-after mentioned. The air is compressed by means
of several pistons and cylinders, which may be called compressing cylinders.
The compressing cylinders must be of dimensions commensurate with the
power required to work the engine. The first compressing cylinder into which
the air enters from the receiving cylinder C should be of proportionably larger
internal dimensions than the next compressing cylinder, and which I call, for
the purpose of this description, the second, into which the air passes after
it has been to some extent compressed in the first compressing cylinder ;-and-
that such-second-compressing cylinder should be of proportionably greater
internal dimensions than the third compressing cylinder, into which the air
after it has been further compressed in the said second cylinder; and that the
third compressing cylinder into which the air passes should be of propor-

page_text: tionably greater internal dimensions than the fourth, and so on, according to
the number of compressing cylinders which may be employed, according to the
power required; the last of such compressing cylinders being of proportionably
less dimensions than all the others; but circumstances, may render it prudent
to vary the relative proportions of the cylinders. The air which is passed
through these several compressing cylinders by the actions of their several
pistons is forced from the last compressing cylinder into an intermediate
chamber, and from thence to the reservoir, for the store of, compressed air.
The nature of the Invention will be better understood by reference to the
accompanying Drawing, which is intended to shew, as an illustration, a side
elevation of a locomotive, partly in section; but it must be observed, that the
details of the machinery will be necessarily varied according to circumstances.
In a locomotive, such as shewn in the accompanying Drawing, and in which
many of the parts of the machinery_may_conveniently be the same as those
now in use on railways, there are two reservoirs for compressed air and two
sets of compressing, cylinders and of the levers, &c. connected therewith,,
set communicating with one reservoir, and the other set with the other
one
reservoir.
شام روان
A, the framework of the locomotive; B, B, the driving wheel; C, the
cylinder into which the air, is received from the atmosphere through the valves.
F; F, by the action of the piston;;. D, the first compressing cylinder into which
the air passes from the cylinder C; I, I, the second compressing, cylinder;
I, I, I, the third ditto; I, I, I, I, the fourth ditto; J, the intermediate chamber
between the last compressing cylinder and the reservoir; O, the reservoir for
compressed air; F, F, the valves at, which the atmosphere first enters; a²,
the piston rod, or rod connecting, the piston rod of the first cylinder C.with the
driving wheel; K, the cock or valve for regulating the introduction of the com-
pressed air into the reservoir; T, the whistle may be conveniently placed here;
W, the cylinder in which the driving piston works, and by, which motion
is imparted to the, engine; Y, the piston-or-rod connecting the piston rod
of the driving-cylinder_with_the_driving wheel; M, M, framework fixed to
the frame of the locomotive to sustain the levers L, LL; L, L, L, lovers
working on centres, and to which the piston rods of the compressing cylinders
are connected; N, a rod or arm connected with the axle of the bind wheel,
and working in such a way as to cause the levers L, L, L, to rise and fall by
the revolution of the wheel, and thereby put the pistons of the compressing
cylinders in motion; E, E, boxes serving to direct the air from the cylinder
C.through the pipes G, G; G, G, pipes or passages-for-the-air-from the

page_text: cylinder C to the cylinder D; H, H, pipes or passages for the air from the
compressing cylinder D to the compressing cylinder I, I; b², b², squares
projecting from the axles, on which winches may be fixed and worked by
manual or other power to compress air (before starting), after the engine has.
been raised, by means of a screw jack placed at d², so as to allow the driving
and hind wheels to revolve freely; X, passage for escape of compressed air
from driving cylinder; P, passage for compressed air from the reservoir to
the driving cylinder; Q, q, it may be convenient to place regulating cocks
here; C, an apron for facilitating the admission of air at F, F; R, safety
valve; U, V, cocks for regulating the passage of the compressed air from
the reservoir to the driving cylinders; S, pressure gauge; Y, the connecting
rod between the piston rod of the driving cylinder and the driving wheel;
Z, the piston rod of the driving cylinder.
I wish it, however, to be understood that I do not limit myself to the
particular number of compressing cylinders, nor the precise form of valves,
or other parts, as they must necessarily be varied according to circumstances.