IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION of STEAM ROAD ROLLERS AND ROAD LOCOMOTIVES.
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Aveling, of Rochester, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION of
STEAM ROAD ROLLERS AND ROAD LOCOMOTIVES.'
Sealed the 29th July 1879, and dated the 2nd May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Aveling at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd May 1879.
THOMAS AVELING, of Rochester, in the County of Kent, Engineer. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ROAD ROLLERS AND ROAD LOCOMOTIVES."
This Invention relates to certain details in the construction of steam road rollers
and road locomotives, the objects being to reduce the cost of manufacture of
certain parts and to contract the width of such engines without reducing their
efficiency.
In the Specification of my Patent for steam road rollers dated July 5th 1878,
No. 2698, I have described a mode of mounting a pair of front cylindrical rollers
so that they might yield to any irregularities in the road. The wrought iron
framing which I there describe for receiving the axle of the front rollers and for
carrying the pivot shaft, I now propose to replace by a cast iron saddle piece, of
which the pivot shaft also of cast iron will form a part. To provide however
against the fracture of the pivot shaft, which, when made in cast metal, would be
unable to sustain a severe lateral strain (to which it would be frequently exposed)
I so arrange the slotted casting through which the pivot shaft passes to support the
front of the engine that it will present a bearing surface to the saddle piece on either
side of the pivot shaft when the latter is tipped out of the vertical by reason of the
front rollers meeting with an equality on the road.
Thus the oscillating pivot shaft will never be subjected to lateral strain, but will
play freely in the slot provided for it on the casting which is attached to the front
of the boiler.
In order to reduce the width of steam road rollers, which width is at present
successive, I propose to place within the horn plates the fly wheel as well as the
geering. To this end I provide a space for the fly wheel by indenting one or more

page_text: of the crown plates of the boiler at that part, and if necessary I modify the sec-
tional form of the rim of the fly wheel to adapt it to move freely in a minimum
amount of space thus provided for it.
The placing of the By wheel within the horn plates enables me to bring the hind
rollers nearer together, and thus a less width of front rollers will be required to
cover the space between the hand rollers. I am therefore enabled not merely to
obtain a narrow road roller without reducing the capacity of the boiler but one that
will steer more readily than those at present in use.
This arrangement of the fly wheel upon the crank shaft is equally applicable to
road locomotives as it enables me in like manner to reduce their width, an
advantage which will be readily appreciated.
As a further improvement in these locomotives I propose instead of rivetting as
heretofore to the driving wheels steel cross bars or ribs for taking a firm bite of the
ground to cast the wheels with cross ribs on their periphery, chilling the same in
the act of casting. These ribs will present far harder surfaces than can be con-
veniently obtained by rivetting steel bars upon the wheels.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Aveling in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th October
1879.
THOMAS AVELING, of Rochester, in the County of Kent, Engineer. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ROAD ROLLERS AND ROAD LOCOMOTIVES."
This Invention relates to certain details in the construction of steam road rollers and
road locomotives, the object being to reduce the cost of manufacture of certain parts
of road rollers and to contract the width of road rollers and road locomotives
without reducing their efficiency.
In the Specification of my Patent for steam road rollers dated July Fifth, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy eight, No. 2698, I described a mode of mounting
a pair of front cylindrical rollers so that they might yield to any irregularities in
the road.
The wrought iron framing there described for receiving the axle of the front
rollers and for carrying the pivot shaft I now propose to replace by a cast iron
saddle piece, of which the pivot shaft (also of cast iron) will form a part.
To provide however against the fracture of the pivot shaft (which, when made
in cast metal, would be unable to sustain a severe lateral strain) I so arrange the
slotted casting through which the pivot shaft passes to support the front of the
engine that it will present a bearing surface to the saddle piece on either side of
the pivot shaft when the latter is tipped out of the vertical by reason of the front
rollers meeting with an inequality in the road.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shewn in several views a steam road roller
constructed according to the above mentioned improvements; Fig. 1 shews the road
roller in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a front eleva-
tion; and Fig. 4, a back elevation of the road roller.
In these views A, A, are the hind rollers, and B, B, are the front rollers situate
so as to act upon the ground lying intermediate of that over which the hind rollers
pass. The front rollers B are mounted loosely on a transverse axle C carried by a
saddle piece D of cast iron, with which is also cast the pivot shaft D¹. This pivot
shaft is free to oscillate like the pivot shaft of my above named Patent in the slotted
casting E, which is made fast by bolts to the crown of the boiler.
In order to limit the range of oscillation of the pivot shaft D' and thereby to
prevent its receiving any side strain when the front rollers meet with any obstruc-
tion in the road I form upon the underside of the casting E bearing surfaces E¹,
which stand over the ends of the saddle piece and in near proximity thereto, as
shewn best in Fig. 3.
When an inequality in the road is met with by the front rollers, and the saddle
piece is consequently tipped, one or other of these bearing surfaces will arrest the
free motion of the saddle piece before the pivot shaft has reached the end of the
slot in which it plays; thus the strain which would otherwise come upon the pivot
shaft will be prevented and the upward pressure of the saddle piece will be taken
by the casting E through one or other of its bearing surfaces E', and the liability of
the pivot shaft to fracture, although made of cast iron, will be avoided.
In order to reduce the width of steam road rollers, which width is at present
excessive, I propose to place within the horn plates the fly wheel as well as the
gearing.
The mode of carrying out this part of my Invention is best shewn at Figures 2
and 4, where F, F, are horn plates which enclose the fly wheel and gearing between
them. By reference to Fig. 4 it will be seen that I provide a space for the fly
wheel G by indenting one or more of the crown plates of the boiler at that part.
In some cases I may also modify the sectional form of the rim of the fly wheel to
adapt it to move freely in a minimum amount of space thus provided for it.

page_text: The placing of the fly wheel within the horn plates enables me to bring the hind
rollers A, A, nearer together, and thus a less width of front rollers will be required
to cover the space between the hind rollers, I am therefore enabled not merely to
obtain a narrower road roller without reducing the capacity of the boiler but one
that will steer more readily than those at present in use.
The train of gearing for transmitting rotary motion from the crank shaft to the
hind rollers is clearly shewn in the Drawings, thus the pinion 1 of the crank shaft
gears into and drives the spur wheel 2, which is mounted loosely on a transverse
shaft carried by the horn plates. and has fitted to it a pinion 3. This pinion gears
into and drives a spur wheel 4 on a transverse shaft having its bearings in the horn
plates, and carrying a pinion 5 which gears into a spur wheel 6 affixed to the roller
A at the right hand of the engine.
The arrangement of the fly wheel upon the crank shaft, as shewn at Figures 2
and 4, is equally applicable to road locomotives, as it enables me in like manner
materially to reduce their width, an advantage which will be readily appreciated.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in the
Construction of Steam Road Rollers and Road Locomotives," and explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
.
First. The means above described for superseding the use of the wrought iron
framing and pivot shaft of the front steering rollers of steam road rollers.
Secondly. The means above described whereby I am enabled to contract the
width of steam road rollers without effecting their efficiency.
Thirdly. The means above described for reducing the width of road locomotives
without effecting their efficiency.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Aveling, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Sixteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
THỨ. AVELING. (LS)