IMPROVE- MENTS IN ROAD STEAMERS AND IN LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER ENGINES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Sacré, Civil Engineer, of 26, Parliament
Street, in the City of Westminster, for the Invention of “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ROAD STEAMERS AND IN LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER ENGINES.“

page_text: to any desired extent to overcome the difficulties of bad roads, steep
inclines, or other obstacles. This is accomplished by hydraulic pumps
driven by the steam engine, the pumps being worked by levers having
adjustable fulcrums or suitable gear that will vary the length of the
stroke, or enable it to deliver a smaller quantity of water per revolution
of the engine. The pumps deliver into an accumulator loaded with a
variable load, and thence to rams working directly on to the driving
axlc. The power developed by. the steam engine is thus transmitted
by the hydraulic gear to the place where it is wanted. The pressure
in the accumulator as its ram rises varies to suit the tractive force ]
required. By this arrangement any power necessary to overcome
obstacles can be readily obtained. This arrangement is specially
adapted to mountain locomotives and other engines that are liable at
times to great variation in the force they are called upon to excrt.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Sacré in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
SACRÉ, Civil Engineer, of 26, Parliament Street, in the City of West-
minster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of Junc, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Edward Sacré, Her special license that
I, the said Edward Sacré, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Edward Sacré, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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, usc, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROAD STEAMERS
AND IN LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Edward Sacré, my exccutors or administrators,
Ly an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands a

page_text: and scals, 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 Groat Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that Ì, the said Edward Sacré, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to he
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in road steamers and
in locomotive and other engines which are exposed to great variations
of load. The power is obtained by combining a steam engine with
hydraulic gear, and working the pumps in such a manner that the
quantity of water delivered at each revolution of the engine can be
varied to any desired extent by varying their throw. The advantage
obtained by this arrangement of machinery over that usually employed
is, that the steam engine is enabled under all circumstances to give off
its full power, whereas in the case of ordinary locomotives, for example,
they are only able to do so when running at very high speeds.
In traction engines the double set of spur gear with which they are
usually provided enables them in a limited degree to obtain the desired
end. The speed of the machine however falls off when it meets with.
a difficult part of the road, and hence the engine at once ceases to
give out its full power, and at starting the power exerted is very small
compared with that obtained when running at maximum speed. The
superior advantages obtained by the variable hydraulic gear in this
instance is very apparent, as it enables the driver to regulate the speed
of the machine itself to the difficulties of the road without curtailing
the power of the engine by reducing its speed, and is also able to exert
the full power of the engine at starting, an advantage hitherto un-
attainable by any known mechanical contrivance. This also permits of
the engine being made of much smaller power than hitherto on the old
plan to perform the same amount of work.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings
bamounts annexed

page_text: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a road steamer showing the arrangement
of the rams, pumps, and engine; Figure 2 is a plan, and Figure 3 is an
and elevation of the same; Figure 4 is a locomotive engine of similar
construction.
(a) is the engine; it is placed on the centre line of the machine. The
crank shaft extends right and left, and on the ends of it fly wheel discs
are placed; these are provided with pins for working the pumps (b, b,)
which are placed on either side of the machine. The pumps deliver to
the rams direct through a pipe connected to them, and the pipe also
leads to an accumulator (c).
Figures 8 and 9 are views of the accumulator to a larger scale. It
stores up any excess of water that is not at once used by the rams.
(d) is the adjustable fulcrum of the pump, and will be better understood
by referring to Figures 5, 6, and 7; (e, e,) are sliding blocks to which
screws are attached; these are worked backwards and forwards by the
worm wheels (f. f.) and worms which are coupled together to give
simultaneous movement, a square hollow box (g) provided with trunnions
that fit into the sliding blocks (e, e). The lever (m) passes through (g)
and is free to move in it. When any variation is required in the power
of the machine the block (g) is moved towards the pump rams (½),
which at once enables thic pumps to deliver a smaller quantity of water
at a higher pressure. When the block (g) is immediately over the
centre of the pump rams (h) they are motionless, and in starting the
machine it is proposed to push the blocks into this position, then full
steam to be turned on to the engine, the mamimum speed of which is
regulated by governors in the ordinary manner. The driver will then
draw the blocks (g) slowly into gear, the machine will then begin to
move and exert its full power at the same time, regardless of the speed
of the machine itself. (j,j.) Figure 1, are the rams through which
the power is transmitted to the driving axle, the water being passed to
them through the piston valve (k, k); these are worked from a rocking
link (2) by which they are also reversed. The engine itself always runs
in one direction, and remains untouched until it has completed its work,
the machine being under complete control by the movable fulcrums for
stopping, starting, or varying the speed.

page_text: Figures 8 and 9 are views of the accumulator, which consists of a
pair of cylinders with rams packed in the ordinary manner, and pressing
against discs of india-rubber (n, n,) which are compressed in resisting the
ascent of the rams, by this means any surplus power is stored up to be
used again as soon as required.
When the resistance to the progress of the traction or locomotive or
other engine increases and the throw of the pumps is lessened; to meet
it the rams of the accumulator will rise to the increased pressure, and so
the load of the accumulator is variable and self-adjusting, and at all
pressures the accumulator maintains a uniform action upon the rams
and load upon the pumps.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would mention that I do not confine myself to
the precise detail above described, but I claim as my improvements in
road steamers and in locomotive and other engines,―
1st. The combination of hydraulic driving gear with a steam engine
substantially as described and in such manner that the steam engine
whilst running at a constant or nearly constant speed can supply water
or liquid to the hydraulic gear at any pressure which may be requisite
to overcome the variable resistances met with in working.
2nd. The combination with such combined hydraulic and steam
machinery of an accumulator the load of which is so applied that it
adjusts itself to the resistance, and increases as the ram of the accumu-
lator rises, substantially as described.
3rd. The method of connecting the pumps of the hydraulic gear with
the steam engine by means of a lever with a variable fulcrum, sub-
stantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Sacre, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.