IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, SUITABLE FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES AND TO Loco- MOTION ON COMMON ROADS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hippisley, of Stoneaston, in the County
of Somerset, Esquire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES, SUITABLE FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES AND TO Loco-
MOTION ON COMMON ROADS."
Sealed the 23rd August 1853, and dated the 19th May 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hippisley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 19th May 1859.
I, JOHN HIPPISLEY, of Stoneaston, in the County of Somerset,
Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, SUITABLE FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES
AND TO LOCOMOTION ON COMMON ROADS" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in a slow motion locomotive, which may,
however, become a stationary engine, and its power applied to various
agricultural purposes. The machine consists of a boiler with engine
and fly-wheel. The fly-wheel shaft is furnished with pulleys of equal
diameter at each end. The whole is mounted on a strong framing

page_text: carrying an axle with a pair of bearing or driving wheels of suitable
diameter. On each of these wheels is fixed a cog-wheel gearing into
another intermediate cog-wheel, which turns freely on its own axis, and
is driven by a pinion with any suitable number of teeth. This pinion is
furnished with a large pulley fixed to it, and this pulley is connected
with that on the fly-wheel shaft by a continuous band of a length such
that, except when it is tightened by a lever and pulley, the motion of
the fly-wheel pulley is not communicated to the pinion wheel and its
pulley, and thus, as the arrangement of cog-wheels, pulleys, lever, and
band is the same on both sides of the machine, either or both of the
driving wheels can be connected or disconnected at pleasure by means
of the tightening lever and pulley from the action of the fly-wheel
shaft.
The result of this contrivance is, 1st, that by a due observance of
the proportions of the cog-wheels and pulleys any required accumula-
tion of power (at the expense of speed) can be applied to the driving
wheels; and, 2ndy, that the turning or guiding of the locomotive can
be effected by the direct action of the engine on either of the driving
wheels, that one which is on the side towards which it is desired to
turn being for the time disconnected by relaxing the band, whereas
when the engine acts equally ou both driving wheels the locomotive
will proceed in a straight line.
The driving wheels are placed so as to support the chief part of the
weight of the engine and boiler. The other end of the framing is
supported by a pair of wheels turning on a pivot, as the fore wheels
of a waggon, except, however, that this pivot is so placed in front of
their axle that they follow like caster rollers, without requiring any
special guidance when the locomotive is advancing with the driving
wheels in front, which is the position in which it is intended to travel.
These pivot wheels are, however, furnished with the segment of
a large cog-wheel, into which a pinion with a winch handle works,
in case it should be. required to direct the locomotive in a retrograde
direction.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Hippisley in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 10th November 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN HIPPISLEY, of Stoneaston, in the County of Somerset, Esquire,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Hippisley, Her special licence
that I, the said John Hippisley, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as T, the said John Hippisley, my executors,
administrators, 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, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, SUITABLE FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES AND TO
LOCOMOTION ON COMMON ROADS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Hippisley, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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 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 John Hippisley, do hereby
declare the nature of my, said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being bad to the
drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:
My Invention consists, first, in the application to locomotive engines,
to be employed otherwise than ou railways, of a fly wheel or wheels
with intermediate slow motion gearing for the purpose of applying-an

page_text: accumulation of power to the driving wheels. And, second, in guiding
such engines by the application of the power of the engine to one or
other of the driving wheels, and disconnecting it wholly or partially
from the opposite driving wheel. And, third, in the employment, with
the method of guiding by the alternate action of the driving wheels, of
a wheel or wheels which shall follow the direction of the driving wheels
without separate guidance.
Figure 1, of the Drawings annexed is a side view of an engine
constructed according to my Invention; and Figure 2, a plan of part
of the same. A, is a stout framing for supporting the engine. B, is a
boiler. C, a steam cylinder of ordinary construction connected to a fly-
wheel D. The fly-wheel shaft carries a pulley E, on each end. F, F, are
the driving wheels, one of which only is shewn in the Drawing. On
cach driving wheel is fixed a cog-wheel G, which gears into an inter-
mediate toothed wheel H, driven by another toothed wheel I, which is
fixed to and mounted on the same axis as a large pulley K, which
receives motion through an endless band a, passed over the pulley E.
The endless band is of such a length as not to cause the pulley K, to
rovolve unless tightened by the lever L, and friction wheel M. The
arrangements of gear being the same on both sides of the locomotive
engine, either or both of the driving wheels can be connected with or
disconnected from the power of the engine by means of the tighteuing
lever and friction wheel. Each tightening lever carries a friction
break N, which acts on the boss of the toothed wheel I, by pulling
back the lever, when the rotation of the driving wheels through the
toothed wheels G, H, and I, can be checked or altogether stopped.
It will be seen that the turning or guiding of the locomotive can thus
be effected by the direct action of the engine, for whereas, if the
engine acts equally on both driving wheels, the locomotive will proceed
in a straight line; so if it acts on one driving wheel only while the
other is stayed or altogether stopped, the locomotive will turn aside.
It also follows, from the arrangements herein-before described, that, by
the due observance of the proportions of the cog and toothed wheels
and pulleys, any accumulation of power, at the expense of speed, may be
applied to the driving wheels. The driving wheels are so placed as to

page_text: support the greater part of the locomotive, but the after part of the
locomotive is borne on a pair of wheels turning on a pivot in a similar
manner to the ordinary fore wheels of a road waggon. These wheels
follow the driving wheels without requiring any separate guidance
when the locomotive is advancing with the driving wheels in front.
But in order to provide for guiding the carriage in the event of its
being required to advance in the contrary direction I connect a toothed
segment O, to the axle of the wheels, and guide them in any required
direction by turning a pinion P, which gears into the teeth of the
segment 0.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as
my improvements in steam engines,
First, the means herein-before described of accumulating power
in the driving wheels.
Second, the guiding of locomotive engines by the power of the engine
applied to one or other of the driving wheels, as herein-before le-
scribed. And,
Third, the employment of a wheel or wheels which follow the
direction of the driving wheels, without requiring any separate guiding
in combination with the guiding of the carriage by the alternate action
of the driving wheels, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hippisley, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-seventh day of October,
'One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
JOHN HIPPISLEY. (L.S.)