CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES, TENDERS, AND CARRIAGES TO BE USED UPON RAILWAYS, AND WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1837

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDMUND
BUTLER ROWLEY, of Chorlton-upon-Medlock, in the Parish of Manchester, and
County of Lancaster, Surgeon, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Nineteenth day of December, in the first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edmund Butler Rowley, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said Edmund Butler Rowley, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Edmund Butler Rowley,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES, TENDERS, AND
CARRIAGES TO BE USED UPON RAILWAYS, AND WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso that I, the said Edward Butler Rowley, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edmund Butler Rowley, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Inven-

page_text: tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained in and by Drawings hereto annexed, and by the
foregoing explanation thereof, that is to say:-
My Improvements applicable to Locomotive Engines, Tenders, and Carriages
to be used upon Railways, and which Improvements are also applicable to other
Useful Purposes, consist, firstly, in the novel construction of the locomotive
engine, whereby I am enabled to effect the rotation of the driving wheels by
means of a revolving wheel inclosed in a steam-tight cylinder, instead of
employing the reciprocating piston engines now in general use, and which
engine is also applicable for marine or stationary purposes. Secondly,
in the application of a novel construction of the buffing apparatus to be
attached to locomotive engines, tenders, and railway carriages, and which
consists of pneumatic or vacuum springs, either alone or in connection with
metallic springs, either of an elliptical or other form, together with a novel
plan of connecting the buffing apparatus of the carriages by means of a bolt in
the centre of the said apparatus, and being enabled to raise this bolt by a
pulley or lever, and so detach a carriage from the train when the same is
running, and thus avoiding the necessity of stopping the train at any station
upon the line of railway.
In order that these improvements may be better explained, I have attached
to these presents a Sheet of Drawings, in which the various Figures have similar
letters of reference marked upon corresponding parts of the apparatus. Figures
1, 2, 3, and 4, exhibit the principal features of my improvements, and are
representations of the various parts composing the engine, which is there
represented as mounted in framework as applicable to stationary purposes, and
is shewn as applied to a locomotive engine at Figure 5. It is composed of an
outer ring or cylinder, and of two side plates a, a, which are formed exactly
similar in every respect, and the whole is bolted together by the flanches with
which they are provided. In the interior of each of these plates or cylinder
sides there are two grooves or races formed as at b, b, and c, c; the outer
groove 6 is perfectly circular and concentric, and the inner groove c is partly
circular and partly an irregular curve, as represented. There is a circular
apparatus d, d, d, formed with a rim and spokes or arms similar to a wheel (or
the same may be formed in one piece), but having two or more steam-tight
chambers e, e, formed in it for the purpose of receiving the pistons f.f, and
allowing the same to slide in and out; the whole of the apparatus is keyed
firmly upon the central shaft g, which revolves in proper bearings and passes
through the side plates a, a. The outer rim d, d, d, of this revolving wheel fits
exactly as a steam-tight joint into the circular grooves or races b, b, and thus

page_text: forms one side or wall of the annular steam chamber h, h; and guide pins or
rollers ii, upon each side of the pistons f,f, (see Fig. 6,) travel in the curved
grooves or races c, c. Thus it will be seen that as the expansive force of steam,
introduced through the inlet pipe j, exerts itself against the pistons, it will
drive round the wheel d, d, and as the guide pins or rollers i, i, upon the pistons
travel in the curved grooves c, c, the pistons will be alternately drawn towards
the centre to enable them to pass the steam stop or abutment k, k, and pro-
jected again into the steam chamber to meet the entrance of the steam; after
the steam has exerted its force upon the pistons, it will escape by the exit
pipe l. In order to assist the parallel motion of the pistons, the guide pins or
rollers i, i, also run in parallel grooves or mortices m, m, in the piston chamber,
and each piston is also furnished with a guide rod n, passing through the main
central shaft g. It will be readily perceived by reference to Figure 5, that if
this revolving wheel or engine is applied to a locomotive carriage, as at a, a,
the central shaft g, will drive the carriage by means of the bevilled geering
6,6; and if applied to stationary purposes, as at Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, the
main driving wheel must be keyed also upon the central shaft g, and revolve
with it. The sides of the piston and the steam stop or abutment must be
furnished with suitable metallic packing. It will bo sufficiently obvious that
the steam wheel or revolving apparatus d, d, must be furnished, with two or
more pistons, as, if it had bat one, the engine might be stopped when the piston
was exactly opposite the steam abutment, in which case the steam would enter
aud escape without being able to exert itself upon the piston; but as it is here
proposed to construct the apparatus with two or three pistons, it is impossible
that they shall all be retracted at the same time, so that there must always be
one present to resist the pressure of the steam, and thus a continuous rotary
motion is produced. Figure 6 represents an induction and eduction pipe
constructed with two branches, one of which shall open on each side of the
steam stop or abutment, the valves of which are both worked by one rod, and
thus, by opening either of the branches at pleasure, the pistons may be acted
upon on either side, and the engine thus caused to revolve either to the right
or to the left, so that when applied to locomotive purposes the engine may be
driven either backwards or forwards, as may be required. Fig. 8 represents a
plan or horizontal view of my improved buffing apparatus as attached to tho
framework of a locomotive engine, tender, or passenger carriage. a, a, are
two cylinders open at one end, and fitted with pistons and rods b, b, and made
perfectly air tight in order to constitute pneumatic springs, and fixed at each
end of the framework of the carriage; c, c, are the heads of the piston rods,
connected with elliptical or other metallic springs d, d, in the boxes e. f,f, are

page_text: bars of timber constituting the buffers, which are connected to the above
system of springs by the rods 9,9; these rods pass through oblong mortices
formed in the end of the carriage frame, and are connected with the piston
rods by swivel joints at h, h, in order to allow of lateral motion. Thus it will
be seen that when any concussion takes place between the buffers of two
carriages, the pistons will be driven towards the centre of each carriage,
thereby forming a vacuum in the opposite end of the cylinder, offering a
powerful resistance and constituting a vacuum spring. After the receipt of the
shock the piston is forced back to its former place by atmospheric pressure, and
by the assistance of the metallic springs d, d. It will be evident that the
effects of concussion will be equally obviated in starting as stopping the trains
of carriages, as the buffing springs will act precisely in the same manner as
traction or drawing springs. Figures 9 and 10 exhibit the contrivance for
connecting and disconnecting two carriages, Figure 9 being a front view of the
buffer bar f, and Figure 10 a section taken through two of the same when
connected. a is a strong link of iron inserted in the buffing bar f, and having
an eye formed in it to receive the connecting bolt 6, which also passes through
the other buffing bar c, and thus constitutes a horizontal joint working in the
metal bush d. It will be seen that there is a space or opening left in the
buffing barf to allow of the vertical action of the connecting link a. The
connecting bolt 6 has a passage or groove formed through its head to allow a
small spring to act upon it with just sufficient pressure to keep it in its place.
Now in order to disconnect any one carriage from the train, owing to any
accident or other cause, while the whole is in motion, the connecting bolt may
be lifted or raised by pulling the cord e, which may be either attached to a
pulley or lever, Thus one or any number of carriages may be disconnected
without stopping the whole.
Having now described my improvements as applicable to locomotive engines,
tenders, and railway carriages, or other useful purposes, I wish it to be under-
stood that I do not intend to confine myself to any precise dimensions or
materials of any of the parts thereof, but claim as my Invention the application
of my improved rotative engine as a driving power, either for locomotive or
stationary purposes, and whether it is driven by steam, air, water, or any
vaporous or elastic fluid, and for any other purpose to which such an apparatus
may be applied, as it will be evident it is equally applicable as a pump for
raising or forcing water, &c.
And also I claim the use of pneumatic springs, either alone or in connection

page_text: And, lastly, the contrivance represented for attaching and disconnecting the
carriages.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Butler Rowley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight
EDMUND BUTLER (L.B.) ROWLEY.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixteenth day of June, in the
first year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said Edmund
Butler Rowley came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery,
and acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the Instrument
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-
of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
fifth year
Inrolled the Eighteenth day of June, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-eight.