Improvements in Steam Motor Carriages.
Year: 1895

page_text: Improvements in Steam Motor Carriages.
I, HENRY PERCY HOLT of No. 22 Chancery Lane in the County of London,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the construction and arrangement of the boilers and
engines of steam motor carriages or locomotives adapted for common roads or
tramways. The boiler consists of a water chamber below connected by a number
of inclined water tubes to a steam and water chamber above, which communicates
also with the lower chamber by a return pipe or set of pipes passing under the
firebox. I prefer to divide the boiler into several lengths or sections, say three,
the upper and lower chambers of which are tightly jointed together by longitudinal
bolts passing through them. Below the inclined water pipes I arrange three oil
lamps or burners one for each boiler section. The middle burner besides heating
its own section beats also a vaporiser made in three compartments and supplied
with oil of a more or less volatile character. This oil is supplied under pressure to
the three compartments of the vaporiser and the oil vapour passes thence to the
three burners, one for each boiler section. The supply of oil to each compartment
is controlled by a valve acted on by a diaphragm subject to the pressure in the
boiler. When that pressure exceeds a certain limit the oil valve for the burner on
the one hand is closed, at a higher pressure, that for the burner on the other hand
is closed, and at a still higher pressure the valve for the middle burner is closed
except that there is a small hole or by-pass by which sufficient oil can pass to
prevent extinction of the middle burner. The outside flames are relit by the centre
one when oil is readmitted.
The boiler feed is by preference automatically regulated in the following manner.
To the side of the upper chamber of the boiler at the normal water level I attach
by a short piece of flexible pipe, a pipe arranged to act as a lever arm connected to
a stop for the suction valve of the feed pump, this lever arm and its connection
being balanced by a weight or spring. When the water in the boiler rises above
the normal level it charges the pipe, which being thus loaded with water, descends,
moving the stop so as to prevent the suction valve from closing, and thus stop the
feed. When the water in the boiler sinks below the normal level, the pipe
becoming emptied and lightened rises removing the stop from under the suction
valve and so allowing the feed to go on. The steam generated in the boiler is
applied to work an engine of any known kind, its clyinder or cylinders being by
preference arranged within the upper compartment of the boiler, and its shaft
driving through reducing gear the driving axle of the car. The cylinder covers
containing the distribution valves may form the ends of the boiler. The cylinder
is formed of tube.
When a compound engine is used, the low pressure cylinder crank which is loose
on the shaft may be coupled to the crank shaft by means of a silent pawl or its
equivalent, so that when the full power is not required, the low pressure crank may
make a less number of revolutions than the high pressure crank. The low pressure
cylinder valve is driven from a moving part connected with its own crank.
Instead of an engine, a steam turbine with suitable variable speed reducing gear
(which may be a small wheel in contact with an integrating disc or of an

page_text: epicyloidal form) may be employed having several nozzles, the number to which
steam pressure is admitted being regulated according to the power required..
Additional nozzles may be provided for reversing.
The exhaust steam is caused to pass through a number of tubes in which it is
condensed, by the cooling effect of a current of air carrying with it water spray
which in the form of a jet induces more air through an induction nozzle or nozzles
directed upon the tubes. The water of condensation is used for feeding the boiler,
and the cooling water is collected and used repeatedly. The air current for the
condenser is obtained under pressure from a pump worked by the engine or turbine
which serves also to charge the oil reservoir with air under pressure controlled by
a loaded valve, or a diaphragm may be used to lift the suction valve of the air
pump when the pressure rises too high.
The steering may be effected by a pivotted cross bar which may be arranged to
rotate round its own axis to regulate the speed of the motor.
Dated this 26th day of November 1895.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
I HENRY PERCY HOLT of No. 22 Chancery Lane in the County of London
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
My invention relates to the construction and arrangement of the boilers and
engines of steam motor carriages or locomotives adapted for common roads or
tramways, as I shall describe referring to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section and Figure 2 is a part transverse section of
the boiler which I employ,
Figure 3 is a plan of the tube plate,
Figure 4 is a plan of the burners.
The boiler consists of a water chamber A below connected by a number of inclined
water tubes B to a steam and water chamber C above, which communicates also
with the lower chamber A by a return pipe or set of pipes D passing under the
fire box or lamp chamber. I prefer to divide the boiler into several lengths or
sections, say three, as shewn in Figure 2, the upper and lower chambers of which
are tightly jointed together by longitudinal bolts E passing through them. Below
the inclined water tubes B I arrange three oil lamps each with three
burners F F¹ F2.
Each of these lamps which is of known construction has at the top a vaporising
chamber, below which the flames issue on both sides. When the middle lamp F
is used alone, its flame, besides heating its own vaporising chamber, keeps those
of F and F sufficiently hot to become effective when oil is supplied to them, and
also ignites them.
The flames and products of combustion from the lamps are caused by a baffle
plate G to take their course as indicated by the arrows through amongst the
tubes B to the outlet H. The boiler is enclosed within a plate casing I I.
The oil is supplied under pressure to the vaporisers of the burners; the supply
in each case being controlled by a valve acted on by a diaphragm subject to the
pressure in the boiler.
Figure 5 is a section, Figure 6 is an end view and Figure 7 is a plan of the

page_text: regulator of oil supply for one of the lamps F F1 F2. The oil is admitted under
pressure at fand flows to the lamp by the pipe f¹. A pipe f' communicates with
the boiler so that the boiler pressure acts through a piston valve f³ on a spring
lever and a thin plate constituting a flexible diaphragm. When the boiler
pressure exceeds a certain degree, which is determined by adjusting the spring f
that acts on the lever f, the diaphragm f is pressed against the mouth of the
pipe closing it and so cutting off supply of oil to the lamp. The regulator
for the middle lamp F has in the mouth a notch cut to allow always a little oil
to pass, to maintain the middle lamp alight. Water can escape from the regulator
by the outlet f. When the boiler pressure rises to a certain limit the oil valve
for the burner on the one hand say F is closed, at a higher pressure, that for the
burner on the other hand F is also closed, and at a still higher pressure the valve
for the middle burner is closed except that a little oil passes by the notch in f
In some cases, the regulator for the middle lamp F may be dispensed with,
sufficient control being provided by the regulators for the two side lamps F' F'.
The boiler feed is by preference automatically regulated as shewn in Figure 1.
To the side of the upper chamber C of the boiler, at the normal water level,
I attach, by a short piece of flexible pipe J, a pipe K made with a chamber and
arranged to act as a lever arm connected to a stop M for the suction valve of the
feed pump N, this lever arm and its connection being balanced by a spring O or
it might be a weight. When the water in the boiler rises above the normal level,
it charges the pipe chamber K which being thus loaded with water descends,
moving the stop M so as to bring a projection under the stem of the suction
valve, to prevent the suction valve from closing and thus to stop the feed. When
the water in the boiler sinks below the normal level, the pipe chamber K
becoming emptied and lightened rises, removing the stop M from under the
suction valve, and so allowing the feed to go on. The steam generated in the
boiler is applied to work an engine of any known kind driving through reducing
gear the driving axle of the car.
When a compound engine is used, the low pressure cylinder crank which is loose
on the shaft may be coupled to the crank shaft by means of a silent pawl or its
equivalent, so that when the full power is not required, the low pressure crank
may make a less number of revolutions than the high pressure crank.
Figure 8 is a plan mostly in section and Figure 9 is a transverse section
shewing this arrangement. a is the crank for the high pressure cylinder fixed on
the sleeve a¹ which is free to revolve on the shaft a2. On the end of this shaft
is keyed a disc a³ which carries the crank a for the low pressure cylinder. On
the sleeve a' is keyed a hollow disc as having several recesses containing rollers a.
The recesses are somewhat sloped so that when the sleeve and hollow disc revolve
in the one direction, the rollers being moved into a wide part of their recesses do
not bear forcibly on the disc a³, which consequently may move independently of
the crank a. But when the hollow disc a moved by the low pressure crank
attains the speed of the high pressure crank, then the rollers a, being moved into
a narrower part of their recesses, become wedged between the recesses, the
disc a³ thus serving as a clutch coupling the high and low pressure crank together.
Each of the cranks a and a has an external crank a' and a for working their
respective valves.
Instead of an engine, a steam turbine, with suitable variable speed reducing
gear, may be employed, and this may be arranged in a known manner with several
nozzles the number to which steam pressure is admitted being regulated according
to the power required, and with additional nozzles for reversing.
The exhaust steam is caused to pass through a number of tubes in which it is
condensed by the cooling effect of a current of air, carrying with it water spray
which, in the form of a jet induces more air through an induction nozzle or nozzles
directed upon the tubes.
Figure 10 is a vertical section and Figure 11 is a plan partly in section of a
condenser arranged to operate in this manner. A number of lower chambers b

page_text: made in the form of segments bolted together communicate with corresponding
upper chambers 61 through sheaves of tubes 62 which are flatteued and preferably
made convex on the one side and concave on the other. The chambers b and b¹
have communications through the parts where they are jointed together, so
arranged that exhaust steam from the engine or turbine, entering at 6 one of the
lower chambers, and flowing up one sheaf of the tubes to the corresponding upper
chamber, passes on the one hand to the adjoining upper chamber, descends the
tubes from it to the lower chamber, and so on ascending and descending the
alternate sheaves of tubes, until it becomes condensed, water of condensation
escaping from each of the lower chambers into a collecting pipe leading to the
suction of the feed pump. Passages 64 for entrance of air are provided, each with
an injector nozzle 6 for air and water, the jets from which draw in additional air
to the middle space of the condenser whence it passes with the water spray through
between the tubes 62 to an outlet 6. Instead of using air for supplying the jets 65
a portion of the exhaust steam from the engine or turbine may be employed. The
outlet from the condenser may be connected by a conduit to the outlet H for the
products of combustion from the boiler, so that the air, charged with vapour from
the condenser, may mix with the hot escaping products of combustion, rendering
the vapour less visible, and the products of combustion less hot.
The air current for the condenser is obtained under pressure from a pump
worked by the engine or turbine, which serves also to charge the oil reservoir with
air under pressure controlled by a loaded safety valve. Or a diaphragm subject to
the pressure of the air may be used to lift the suction valve of the air pump when
the pressure rises too high.
The carriage to which my invention is applied may be of various forms. I shew,
by way of example, a carriage of which Figure 12 is a side elevation with a hind
wheel removed, Figure 13 is a front view, and Figure 14 is a plan with the body of
the carriage removed. On a framing e, preferably made of tubes, are fixed the
boiler c', the condenser c², the high pressure engine 3, the low pressure engine c*,
the engine shaft c, with reducing gear c working a counter shaft c, on both ends
of which are fixed sprocket wheels 8, driving by suitable chains larger sprocket
wheels fixed on the hind wheels 10 of the carriage. One of the sprocket
wheels is mounted on the shaft c' with a slip clutch like that described with
reference to Figures 8 and 9 so as to allow of one of the wheels co to outrun the
other in travelling round curves.
When a turbine is employed instead of an engine the arrangement may be as
shewn in elevation Figure 15 and plan Figure 16. On each side is a turbine T,
each connected to one of the wheels co through reducing gear t.
For steering the carriage, the levers d d are hinged to the axis of the steering
forks so that they can be raised or lowered. These levers terminate in swivels to
which are jointed the ends of a rod d² which connects them and serves as a
steering handle. On this rod turns a sleeve on which is fixed a pulley which is
connected by a cord or chain passing over suitable guide pulleys to a slide valve d³,
urged by a spring to a position in which it shuts off steam supply to the engines or
turbines. On turning the rod d' on its pivots the valve is more or less opened
according as greater or less power is required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. A boiler for a steam motor carriage constructed and operating substantially
as described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.
2. Automatic feed apparatus comprising a lever having a water chamber
communicating with the boiler just above the water level, and connected to a
moveable stop which prevents the suction valve of the feed pump from seating
itself when the water chamber becomes charged with water, substantially as
described.

page_text: 3. Apparatus for regulating the oil supply to the boiler lamps consisting of a.
diaphragm subject to the boiler pressure arranged in face of the mouth of the oil
supply pipe, substantially as described with reference to Figures 5, 6 and 7.
4. In combination with the cranks of the high and low pressure engine cylinders
the roller clutch arranged and operating substantially as described with reference.
to Figures 8 and 9.
5. The use of steam turbines in substitution for steam engines, substantially as.
described with reference to Figures 15 and 16.
6. A condenser constructed substantially as described with reference to.
Figures 10 and 11.
7. In combination with the pivotted steering handle a steam regulating valve-
substantially as described.
Dated thin 20th day of Santamber 1806
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.