A NEW CONSTRUCTION OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND RAILWAY'S CARRIA
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to T. F. E. Clewe, of Paris, in the Empire of France,
for the Invention of "A NEW CONSTRUCTION OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES,
"
Sealed the 10th September 1855, and dated the 24th March 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said T. F. E. Clewe at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
March 1855.
I, T. F. E. CLEWE, of Paris, in the Empire of France, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW CONSTRUCTION OF LOCOMOTIVE.
ENGINES, TENDERS, AND RAILWAY'S CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, first, to a peculiar construction of the framing of the
rolling stock of railways, and also to a peculiar arrangement of the running
wheels, whereby the present axles are entirely dispensed with, and the wheels
have each a separate and distinct movement of their own.
And, second, to a peculiar arrangement of caoutchouc or other elastic
springs to be used in lieu of the present metal or steel springs. The improve-
ments in the construction of the framing of railway rolling stock consists in
making each side of the frame double, that is, composed of two longitudinal
beams, placed a sufficient distance apart to receive between them the running
wheels of the vehicle. A wrought-iron plate is bolted on to each side of

page_text: the beams, and these plates are securely tied together by transverse bolts.
The plates thus secured projects downwards below the carriage framing a
sufficient distance to contain the bearings of the axles of the running wheels.
Each and every wheel in the carriage or truck is keyed or otherwise-fastened
on to a short axis of its own, which axis runs in bearings carried inside or
between each pair of wrought-iron plates, herein-before referred to, so that
although all the wheels are fast on their axes or axles, yet they have each a
separate set of, bearings, and will rotate quite independantly of each other,
which is a great desideratum in passing over curves. According to the
ordinary arrangement, the torsion of the axle, which must necessarily occur
in passing over sharp curves, tends to injure the fibres of the metal, and
eventually to fracture the axle, but this defect will be entirely obviated by
giving each wheel an independant axle or axis of its own. The correct guage
of the wheels is maintained by interposing between the longitudinal beams, at
the part where the ordinary axle would be, a light but strong wrought-iron
diagonal or other framing, which is bolted to the insides of the main frame of
the carriage or other vehicle. The carriage is also still further secured and
braced together by horizontal diagonal tie bars or rods attached to the four
corners of the main framing. The springs which are proposed to be employed
consist of blocks of caoutchouc or other suitable èlastic medium placed above
the bearings, and contained inside the space between the wrought-iron plates,
herein-before referred to. A short rod or spindle passes from the bearings up
through each spring, and works at its upper end in a guide hole formed in the
under side of each beam of the carriage framing. This spindle serves to
keep the springs in their proper places over their respective bearings. By
this arrangement the spring boxes are entirely dispensed with, the guard or
"horn plates" forming the cavity for the springs, which are thus completely
consoled
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said T. F. E. Clewe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3
24th September 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, T. F. E.
CLEWE, of Paris, in the Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of March, in the year of our. Lord 3

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said T. F. E. Clewe, Her special license that I, the said T. F. E. Clewe,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
T. F. E. Clewe, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "A NEW
CONSTRUCTION OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES, TENDERS, AND RAILWAY CARRIAGES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said T. F. E. Clewe, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said T. F. E. Clewe, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, & to the
letters and figurs marked thereon, that is to say :---
My said Invention relates, first, to a peculiar construction of the framing of
tenders and railway carriages, and also to a peculiar arrangement of the
running wheels of locomotive engines, tenders, and railway carriages, whereby
the present axles are entirely dispensed with, and the wheels have each a
separate and distinct movement of their own; and, second, to a peculiar
arrangement of caoutchouc or other elastic springs to be used in lieu of the
present metal or steel bearing springs of railway rolling stock.
The improvements in the construction of the framing of railway rolling
stock consists in making each side of the frame double, that is, composed of
two longitudinal beams, placed a sufficient distance apart to receive between
them the running wheels of the vehicle. A wrought-iron plate is bolted on to
each side of the beams, and these plates are securely tied together by trans-
verse bolts. The plates thus secured project downwards below the carriage
framing a sufficient distance to contain the bearings of the axles of the running
wheels. Each and every_wheel in the carriage or truck is keyed or otherwise
fastened on to a short axis of its own, which axis runs in bearings carried
inside or between each pair of wrought-iron plates, herein-before referred to, so.
..

page_text: that although all the wheels are fast on their axis or axles, yet they have each
a separate set of bearings, and will rotate quite independently of each other,
which is a great desideratum in passing over curves. According to the
ordinary arrangement, the torsion of the axle, which must necessarily occur in
passing over sharp curves, tends to injure the fibres of the metal, & eventually
to fracture the axle, but this defect will be entirely obviated by giving each
wheel an independant axle or axis of its own. The correct guage of the wheels
is maintained by interposing between the longitudinal beams, at the part
where the ordinary axle would be, a light but strong wrought-iron diagonal
or other framing, which is bolted to the insides of the main frame of the
carriage or other vehicle. The carriage framing is also still further secured
and bolted together by horizontal diagonal tie bars or rods attached to the
four corners of the main framing. The springs which are proposed to be
employed consist of blocks of caoutchouc or other suitable elastic medium
placed above the bearings, and contained inside the space between the wrought-
iron plates, herein-before referred to. A short rod or spindle passes from the
bearings up through each spring, and works at its upper end in a guide hole
formed in the under side of each beam of the carriage framing. This spindle
serves to keep the springs in their proper places over their respective bearings.
By this arrangement the spring boxes are entirely dispensed with, the guard
or horn plates forming the cavity for the springs, which are thus completely
concealed.
And in order that my said Invention may be more properly understood, I
shall now proceed to describe and refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, the same letters of reference indicating corre-
sponding parts throughout all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents an elevation of a portion of the
framing of a railway tender or carriage constructed on my improved principle;
Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same; Figure 3 is a sectional view
corresponding to Figure 2, and taken along the line A, B, in Figure 2; and
Figure 4 is a section taken along the line C, D, in the same Figure.
A is the axle, upon which is keyed the ordinary carriage or wagon wheel B;
C, C, are the bearings in which the axle A turns, such bearings being
composed of any of the well-known composition metals. These bearings are
fixed to the wooden beams D, D, which are fastened to the cross bars E by
the double angle irons F, F, and are also connected with the intermediat
cross pieces G and the diagonal frames H. The beams D, D, are covered
on two sides by the wrought-iron plates I, secured to them by the bolts J,

page_text: thereby increasing the strength and durability of the beams. A wrought-
iron diagonal frame K, L, M, N, fixed by means of bolts or rivets to the
interior of the beams D, D, answers the purpose of the ordinary axle by
maintaining the wheels at the true guage or proper distance assunder. This
frame may be of any suitable form. A plate of wrought iron O and the
transverse bolts P also assist in keeping the wheels at the
proper guage. Q is
a block of caoutchouc or other elastic substance, fitted inside the space con-
tained between the side plates I, I, and traversed by the spindle R, which
slides in a hole S in the main framing. This block forms the spring of the
carriage or truck, and obviates the necessity for the ordinary and more
expensive steel springs.
It will thus be seen that according to my Invention the ordinary axles now
in use for locomotive engines, tenders, carriages, and waggons, and all vehicles
employed on railways, are dispensed with, and the wheels are rendered
independant of each other, thereby greatly facilitating the passage of the
vehicle over. sharp curves, and avoiding the great wear and tear of the tyres,
which must always occur when both wheels are made fast on one axle.
Altho' I have described and shewn my improvements as being applied to
carriages and waggons on railways, I may here observe that portions of such
improvements are equally applicable to locomotive engines and tenders, since
by suitably modifying the ordinary tender and locomotive framing, the same
arrangement of wheels and springs illustrated on my Drawings may be
obviously applied thereto, the two leading and two trailing wheels of the
locomotive being fitted each with separate axles of their own.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion
to describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my said Invention; but what
I consider, to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general construction and arrangement of the framing of railway
tenders and carriages, as herein-before described and illustrated on the
annexed Sheet of Drawings.
Second, the application and use of wheels, each having a separate and inde-
pendant axle of its own, to and for locomotive engines, tenders, and carriages,
as herein-before described.

page_text: 1 га,
position of
elastic
springs as applied to locomotive engines, tenders, and carriages, as herein-before
described, in lieu of the ordinary arrangement of steel springs employed on
railways.
In witness whereof, I, the said T. F. E. Clewe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-five.
T. F. E. CLEWE. (L.S.)