AN IMPROVED APPLICATION OF STEAM POWER TO LOCOMOTION ON ORDINARY ROADS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the Firm of John Gedge
and Son, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPLICATION OF
STEAM POWER TO LOCOMOTION ON ORDINARY ROADS."-A communication from
abroad by Alfred Taillendoo
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th April 1865.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No. 11,
Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPLICATION
OF STEAM POWER TO LOCOMOTION ON ORDINARY ROADS," (a communication to me
from abroad by Alfred Taillendeau,, of Nantes, France,) to be as follows:-
Each wagon or other vehicle is propelled by its own wheels, and receives no
traction but such as is required to change its direction.
Motion is communicated from one vehicle to the other by means of trans-
mitting gearing fitted on the centre of the coupling joint of the several
vehicles. This centre of articulation or point of attachment being the only

page_text: one which does not change position in the different manoeuvres of the train, is
the only one capable of carrying a mechanical movement from one vehicle
to the other.
The train works as follows:-The first vehicle carries the steam engine and
its boiler apparatus; it is provided with a fore carriage. The driver acts on
an ordinary rudder or guide when he wishes to depart from a straight line.
The steam engine gives motion to the vehicle on which it is placed by
means of a crank fitted on a shaft which carries a driving pinion; this pinion
by means of toothed gearing acts on the driving wheels of this vehicle. The
shaft of the crank is further provided with a pulley, which by means of a band
transmits the motion to a double pulley fixed on a vertical shaft fitted in the
centre of the joint, coupling the first vehicle with the following one.
The coupling joint is formed of two principal parts. The first is an iron
piece bent at right angles and fixed to the hind part of the vehicle which carries
the steam engine; this piece of iron ends in a ring of the same metal in form
of collar. The second piece is fixed to the vehicle which follows the first; it is
composed of a wrought-iron plate, ended by a semicircle, the diameter of which
is equal to the distance apart of the two vehicles, and which rests on the first
piece. In the centre of the iron plate is fixed a drum or iron ring, which
enters the ring or collar ending the piece of the first vehicle, so as to serve as
point of attachment and coupling joint between the two vehicles. This drum
or iron ring carries the supports of the vertical shaft, which passes through its
centre; this shaft being furnished with a double pulley receives motion from
the pulley of the first vehicle, and transmits it by means of a band and pulley
to the driving shaft of the wheels of the second vehicle. This driving shaft is
also double, in order to transmit motion to the vertical shaft which passes
through the centre of articulation or coupling point of the second and third
vehicle. The pieces which form this point of attachment or coupling joint are
precisely similar to those above described. The vertical shaft which is fitted
at this point is also provided with a doublo pulley, which receives and transmits
the motion to the wheels of the third vehicle, in the same manner as already
described, and so on to the fourth vehicle, or to as many as may form the train
It will be evident that this motion which is received and transmitted by
means of bands and pulleys might be received and transmitted by means o
cranks and connecting rods, or even by means of toothed gearing and iron
shafts. These two motive parts are lodged between the timbers composing
the framing of the wagons or other vehicles, and under the bottom planking
which covers them, so as not to interfere with the load.

page_text: The driving wheels are provided with ordinary breaks, and the first carriage
may even carry on its fore part a windlass or axletree and chain, worked when
required by the steam engine, and intended to lift the train from any critical
position.
Thus the main object of this Invention is the method of causing the steam
engine to act as transmitting agent, and not as traction power. To arrive at
this result it was necessary to discover the point capable of receiving and
transmitting motion from one vehicle to the other, no matter what the position
of the train. This point, as above shewn, is situated in the centre of the
articulation or coupling point of the vehicles.
It should be observed that the arrangements of the gearing are calculated
so as to give to the train a speed of from 3 to 4 miles an hour.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th October 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wellington
Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William
Edward Gedge, Her special licence that I, the said William Edward Gedge,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Edward Gedge, 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 APPLICATION
OF STEAM POWER TO LOCOMOTION ON ORDINARY ROADS," (a communication to me
from abroad by Alfred Taillendeau, of Nantes, France,) upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Gedge, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their bands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and

page_text: 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 Edward Gedge, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 Sheet of Drawing, and to
the figures and letters of reference placed thereon.
Each wagon or other vehicle is propelled by its own wheels, and receives no
traction but such as is required to change its direction.
Motion is communicated from one vehicle to the other by means of trans-
mitting gearing fitted on the centre of the coupling joint of the several
vehicles. This centre of articulation or point of attachment being the only
one which does not change position in the different manoeuvres of the train,
is the only one capable of carrying a mechanical movement from one vehicle
to the other.
The train works as follows:-The first vehicle carries the steam engine and
its boiler apparatus; it is provided with a fore carriage. The driver acts on a
guide when he wishes to depart from a straight line.
The steam engine gives motion to the vehicle on which it is placed by means
of a crank fitted on a shaft, which carries a driving pinion; this pinion, by
means of toothed gearing, acts on the driving wheels of this vehicle. The
shaft of the crank is further provided with a pulley, which by means of a band
transmits the motion to a double pulley fixed on a vertical shaft fitted in the
centre of the joint, coupling the first vehicle with the following one.
The coupling joint is formed of two principal parts. The first is an iron
piece bent at right angles and fixed to the hind part of the vehicle which
carries the steam engine; this piece of iron ends in a ring of the same metal
in form of collar. The second piece is fixed to the vehicle which follows the
first; it is composed of a wrought-iron plate, ended by a semicircle, the
diameter of which is equal to the distance apart of the two vehicles, and which
rests on the first piece. In the centre of the iron plate is fixed a drum or
iron ring, which enters the ring or collar ending the piece of the first vehicle, so
as to serve as point of attachment and coupling joint between the two vehicles.
This drum or iron ring carries the supports of the vertical shaft, which passes
through its centre; this shaft being furnished with a double pulley receives
motion from the pulley of the first vehicle, and transmits it by means of a band
and pulley to the driving shaft of the wheels of the second vehicle. This
driving shaft is also double in order to transmit motion to the vertical shaft

page_text: which passes through the centre of articulation or coupling point of the second
and third vehicle. The pieces which form this point of attachment or coupling
joint are precisely similar to those above described. The vertical shaft which
is fitted at this point is also provided with a double pulley, which receives and
transmits the motion to the wheels of the third vehicle, in the same manner as
already described, and so on to a fourth vehicle, or to as many as may form
the train. It will be evident that this motion which is received and trans-
mitted by means of band and pulley might be received and transmitted by
means of cranks and connecting rods, or even by means of toothed gearing and
iron shafts. These two motive parts are lodged between the timbers composing
the framing of the wagons or other vehicles, and under the bottom planking
which covers them, so as not to interfere with the load.
The driving wheels are provided with ordinary breaks, and the first carriage
may even carry on its fore part a windlass or axletree and chain, worked when
required by the steam engine, and intended to lift the train from any critical
position.
Thus the main feature of this Invention is the method of causing the steam
engine to act as transmitting agent, and not as traction power. To arrive at
this result it was necessary to discover the point capable of receiving and
transmitting motion from one vehicle to the other, no matter what the position
of the train. This point, as above shewn, is situated in the centre of the
articulation or coupling point of the vehicles.
It should be observed that the arrangements of the gearing are calculated
so as to give to the train a speed of from 4 to 5 miles an hour.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
At Figure 1, A, A, A, indicate sheet-iron girders, forming the body of the
wagon or vehicle; B, B, cylindrical piece forming the fixed part of the fore
carriage; C, C, moveable part of the fore carriage, in which is keyed the ver-
tical shaft E, E, passing through the socket of the piece B, B; D, D, crank with
slide bar keyed on the shaft E, E, serving to turn the moveable part C, C, C,
of the fore carriage; F, screw acted upon by the conical cogs G, G, set in
motion by the shaft H and fly I, I; this screw communicates a come-and-go
motion to the grooved nut K, K, which is tied to the crank D, D, by the pin
with slide bar L, and communicates to the said crank the necessary move-
ment for changing the direction of the vehicles. M, axle, which carries
the wheels of the fore carriage, this axle carries two wheels N, N, about
2 feet 2 inches apart. 0, 0, cylinders of the steam engine acting at different

page_text: angles on the driving shaft P, carrying the toothed wheels Rand Q of different
dimensions corresponding with the toothed wheels R' and Q¹ of the inter-
mediate shaft S carrying the pinion U, which gears into the toothed wheel V, V,
fixed on the axle X, which carries the driving wheels of the vehicle; T, fly
pulley fixed on the driving shaft, and on which bears the break Y, which is
set in motion by means of the lever rods, screw, and fly Z, Z.
a, a, a, boiler
placed in the middle of the vehicle; b, b, driving wheels, the body of which is
of cast iron, carrying a wooden felly; V, V, toothed wheel with double furrow,
the one on its outer face corresponding with the pinion on the right U, the
other on its lateral face is that of the conical cog, which corresponds with the
bevel pinion c, c; d, d, horizontal shaft, which transmits to the bevel pinions c, e,
the movement of the vertical shaft f, f, situated in the centre of the coupling
of the first and second vehicle; g, g, bevel wheel which receives the movement
of the pinion e, e, and communicates it to the horizontal shaft i, i, by means
of h, h; j, bevel pinion, which gears with the bevel wheel 1, 1, and communi-
cates the movement to the axle which carries the wheels of the second
vehicle; m, second pinion, which gives motion to the vertical shaft t, t, situated
in the centre of the coupling joint of the second and third vehicle by the aid
of n, n, o, o, and p,p; u, u, tie pieces carrying the bearings or supports of
the horizontal shafts; y, y, tie piece fixed at the fore part of the second and
third vehicle, and resting on the sphere, which serves as support to the cap-
shaped beam; v, v, v, tie piece fixed to the fore part of the second and third
vehicle, and resting on the sphere y, y. This piece further carries the
fastenings of the collar or ring, which regulates the oscillation of the vehicle;
these two pieces are shewn detached.
Figure 2 illustrates the transmission of motion by means of cranks and
connecting rods. A, shaft, which carries the driving pinion of the driving
wheels of the first vehicle. This shaft carries a cranked shaft B, which by
means of a connecting rod e, e, gives a come-and-go movement to a strong
slide bar D to which it is jointed. D, slide bar, which by means of the con-
necting rod E, E, communicates a circular horizontal movement to the crank
G, G; G, G, crank, which by means of the connecting rod H gives a come-
and-go motion to the slide bar J; this slide bar by means of the connecting
rod K, which is jointed to it, turns the crank L carried on the shaft M, which
latter carries the driving pinion of the wheels of the second vehicle. N, N,
connecting rod fixed on the crank L carried on the shaft M, and which gives
at a same angle or at a different one a come-and-go movement to the slide
bar O, which by means of the connecting rods P, P, S, S, and crank R, com-

page_text: municates the movement to the driving wheel of the third vehicle, using a
slide bar and a rod, acting like the slide bar J and connecting rod K, K.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
W. E. GEDGE. (L.S.)