IMPROVEMENTS IN LocOMOTIVE ENGINES AND VEHICLES INTENDED TO RUN ON RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Black and Thomas Hawthorn, both of
Gateshead on Tyne, in the County of Durham, Engineers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LocOMOTIVE ENGINES AND VEHICLES
INTENDED TO RUN ON RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS."
Sealed the 1st March 1870, and dated the 23rd September 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Black and
Thomas Hawthorn at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 23rd September 1869.
We, WILLIAM BLACK and THOMAS HAWTHORN, both of Gateshead on
Tyne, in the County of Durham, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of the sd Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND VEHICLES
INTENDED TO RUN ON RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS," to be as follows :—
This Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement or mode of fitting
the axles of the wheels of locomotive engines and railway rolling stock
generally whereby they are allowed a lateral play in order to facilitate
the progress of such locomotive engines and other vehicles around

page_text: curves, and so prevent them from running off the rails or track for the
guidance of the wheels.
According to this Invention it is proposed to provide locomotive
engines and other vehicles with axles having lateral play, these axles
when on straight roads and not receiving any side pressure remaining
steady and firm in their centre position, but when curves or irregularities
of way produce a lateral pressure against the flanges of the wheels this
pressure is relieved by the shifting of the axles to either side, the axles
being at the same time propelled and steadied in the ordinary guides or
horns of locomotive engines and other vehicles. The most essential
feature of our Invention is the application of gravity as a means of
steadying an ordinary axle (guided in the usual manner) through the
ordinary springs, such axle being allowed an amount of lateral play
suitable to the curves on which it has to run, the action of gravity being
applied according to our Invention as a means of keeping the axle in its
central position except when removed to either side by an inordinate
pressure on the flanges of the wheels. By our said Invention we obtain
the advantage of a simple application of means for facilitating the
traversing of curves of engines having all wheels coupled it being per-
fectly safe and practical to couple the wheels having our peculiarly
arranged axles by putting a vertical pin in the coupling rods. The
simplicity of its adaptation to existing engines whether coupled or non-
coupled is another important advantage obtained by our Invention.
The axle is provided with axle boxes, which are fitted tight into journals
in the usual manner, and are fitted also between guides as is the usual
custom, but are constructed so as to have a lateral play to each side of,
say, from three-quarters of an inch to one and a quarter of an inch. A
girder is suspended across and parallel to the axle, also fitting into the
four guides but having no lateral play. Between the axle boxes and this
girder, which is guided vertically, and on which the springs carrying the
engines bear, are fitted small triangular supports in such a manner that
the vertical height of the supports is least when the axle is in its centre
position, and that the pressure of the axle box against the spring may
gradually increase as the axle box is removed to either side by the
pressure of the rail against the flanges of the wheels, each box acting
simultaneously. The girder is intended to insure the vertical lifting in
the guides, for if the parts on which the triangles act above the boxes
were not connected the pressure would tend to tilt these parts by reason

page_text: of its not acting exactly on the centres above the axle boxes. Inclined
planes may be substituted for these triangles, and long and deep guides
may be substituted for the girders should either application better suit the
particular case. We are aware that in passing around curves on railways
it is theoretically desirable that the axle should as near as possible be at
right angles or form a radius to that curve, but in order to effect this
it is necessary to apply a bogie, long radial levers, or curved guides.
Now the application of our said Invention to the curved guides might
answer well in practice, but the two former are complicated and
expensive, and do not admit of ready application to all engines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Black and Thomas Hawthorn in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd March 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
BLACK and THOMAS HAWTHORN, both of Gateshead on Tyne, in the
County of Durham, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in
the thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said William Black and Thomas
Hawthorn, Her special license that we, the said William Black and
Thomas Hawthorn, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said William Black and Thomas Hawthorn, our
executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS.
IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND VEHICLES INTENDED TO RUN ON RAILWAYS AND
TRAMWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
William Black and Thomas Hawthorn, our executors. or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: 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 Thomas Hawthorn, on behalf of
myself and of the said William Black, do hereby declare the nature of
our 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 and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our said Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement or mode of
fitting the axles of the wheels of locomotive engines and railway rolling
stock generally, whereby they are allowed a lateral play in order to
facilitate the progress of such locomotive engines and other vehicles
around curves, and so prevent them from running off the rails or track
employed for the guidance of the wheels.
According to this Invention it is proposed to provide locomotive
engines and other vehicles with axles having lateral play, these axles
when on straight roads, and not receiving any side pressure remaining
steady and firm in their central position, but when curves or irregu-
larities of the way produce a lateral pressure against the flanges of the
wheels this pressure is relieved by the shifting of the axles to either
side, the axles being at the same time propelled and steadied in the
ordinary guides or horns of the locomotive engines and other vehicles.
The essential feature of our Invention is the application of gravity as a
means of steadying an ordinary axle (guided in the usual manner) :
through the ordinary springs, such axle being allowed an amount of
lateral play suitable to the curves on which it has to run, the action of
gravity being applied according to our Invention as a means of keeping
the axle in its central position, except when removed to either side by
an inordinate pressure on the flanges of the wheels. By our said In-
vention we obtain the advantage of a simple application of means for
facilitating the traversing around curves of engines having all wheels
coupled, it being perfectly safe and practicable to couple the wheels
having our peculiarly arranged axles by putting a vertical pin in the
coupling rods. The simplicity of its adaptation to existing engines
whether coupled or non-coupled is another important advantage obtained
by our Invention. The axle is provided with axle boxes, which are fitted
tight on to journals in the usual manner, and are fitted also between

page_text: guides as is the usual custom, but are constructed so as to have a lateral
play to each side of, say, from three-quarters of an inch to one inch and
a quarter. A girder is suspended across and parallel to the axle, also
fitting into the above mentioned guides, but having no lateral play.
Between the axle boxes and this girder, which is guided vertically, and
on which the springs carrying the engines bear, are fitted small triangular
or other suitable shaped supports in such a manner that the vertical
height of the supports is least when the axle is in its centre position, and
that the pressure of the axle box against the spring may gradually
increase, as the axle box is removed to either side by the pressure of the
rail against the flanges of the wheels, each box acting simultaneously.
The girder is intended to insure the vertical lifting in the guides, for if
the parts on which the triangles act above the boxes were not connected
the pressure would tend to tilt these parts by reason of its not acting
exactly on the centres above the axle boxes. Inclined planes may bo
substituted for the triangular supports, and long and deep guides may be
substituted for the girders should either application better suit the par-
ticular case. We are aware that in passing around curves on railways
it is theoretically desirable that the axle should as near as possible be
at right angles or form a radius to that curve, but in order to effect
this it is necessary to annly a bogie long radial levers or cured

page_text: A represents a portion of the framing of a locomotive engine; B, one
of the axles, the journals of which work in the axle boxes C in the
ordinary way. The axle boxes C slide vertically in the horns or guides
D, and are also free to slide laterally therein in order to allow for any
inordinate pressure against the flanges of the wheels. In a recess formed
in the top of the axle boxes O there is fitted a supporting piece E which
turns on the pin F. The upper surface of these supporting pieces is
recessed or corrugated, as shewn in the Drawings, and work in and
against correspondingly recessed or corrugated surfaces formed at or
near the ends of the transverse beam or girder G situate immediately
above and parallel with the axle B. This girder is free to work vertically
in the guides D, but has no lateral motion therein. The springs H which
carry the engine bear upon the upper surface of the girder G, consequently
the whole weight of the engine on the axle is carried by the pieces E.
When the engine is travelling in a straight direction and not receiving
any side or lateral pressure the supporting pieces E will remain in the
position shewn in Figure 3, and the weight of the engine will bear on
the pieces E at the point a in a vertical line with the centre of the pin F,
but when the engine is traversing around a curve a certain amount of
strain or lateral pressure will be exerted against the flange of the wheels
causing the axle to slide laterally in the guides D, which will have the
effect of bringing the weight of the engine to bear on the supporting
pieces E, either at the part b, as shewn in Figure 4, or at the part c
according to the direction of the curve which the engine is traversing, the
centres of support remaining the same whether the engine be running in
a straight or in a curved direction.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what wo
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The application of the weight or gravity of the body of a railway
carriage or waggon or of its load combined for the purpose of steadying
the axles of such vehicle when allowed an amount of lateral play, as and
for the purpose herein-before described.
Second. The peculiar arrangements of apparatus or means for
affording lateral play to the axles of railway rolling stock, as and for tho
purpose herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings.

page_text: Third. The special combination of the oscillating supports or
inclined planes, the girder or long and deep guides, and the axle boxes,
in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated
by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hawthorn, on behalf of
myself and the said William Black, have to this our Specification
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of March One
thousand eight hundred and seventy.
THOMAS HAWTHORN. (L.S.)