A NEW SYSTEM OF LOCOMOTIVE WITH FOUR MAIN DRIVING-WHEELS ON EACH DRIVING-AXLE
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Raphael Hunter Brandon, of No. 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris,
in the Republic of France, Engineer and Patent Agent, for an Invention of
"A NEW SYSTEM OF LOCOMOTIVE WITH FOUR MAIN DRIVING-WHEELS ON
EACH DRIVING-AXLE." A .communication by Alfred Cottrau, Civil Engineer,
of Naples, in the Kingdom of Italy.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Raphael Hunter Brandon
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th January 1882.
"
RAPHAEL HUNTER BRANDON of No. 1 Rue Laffitte Paris in the Republic of
France, Engineer and Patent Agent. A NEW SYSTEM OF LOCOMOTIVE WITH FOUR
MAIN DRIVING-WHEELS ON EACH DRIVING-AXLE." A communication by Alfred
Cottrau Civil Engineer of Naples in the Kingdom of Italy.
The aim of the Invention is to have a locomotive for the driving of heavy or
light trains, either on level tracks, or on lines, as in the case of the Apenine passes
in Italy, where there are many & rapid slopes.
This new system can be very advantageously applied to tramways or smaller-
gauged railways which often go through very irregular tracts of land.
The so called artificial adherence systems (Fell, Riggenback, Wetly, etc.) adapted
for planes that are not too much inclined, or for curves of small radius could be.
substituted by the present Invention, which offers greater economy, greater
simplicity and greater security in preventing the train from running off the rails.
The Invention consist in adding externally or internally to the motor-axles (and
if necessary, also to the non-motor axles) of the engine, a second pair of wheels
which may be of a smaller or larger diameter.
This new contrivance can be adapted to all kinds of locomotives, either with
internal or external cylinders, and to the different system of rails. A special con-
trivance for applying externally or internally the extra-wheels, and the rails on
which these wheels are to run, is all that is required for the application of the new
system. The following description refers to the case in which the extra-wheels are
Den
:

page_text: external, but it is to be well understood that the same observations apply to the
case in which the extra-wheels are internal to the ordinary wheels of the
locomotive.
Each motor-axle will have four wheels, that move with the axle, and which all
depend from the same fly-wheels, the same beam and from the same boiler.
In the case taken as an example, the internal wheels are larger than the external
ones, and will serve for the higher speeds on level roads or on slightly inclined
slopes, whilst the external wheels of smaller diameter will be put to use only in
those parts, where the inclination is great, and where the velocity will have to be
lessened. The internal wheels roll on the ordinary rails of the line, the same on
which the wheels of the cars and trucks move. The external wheels, instead, will
come in contact with secondary rails only in those parts where the inclination is
great the secondary rails being external to the ordinary rails, and being at a higher
level.
Along the whole line, even in the steeply inclined parts, the wheels of the cars
and trucks move on the internal rails, while the wheels of the locomotive become
slightly raised above these rails, and move on those placed externally when the
inclined parts of the line are reached.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Raphael Hunter Brandon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th June 1882.
RAPHAEL HUNTER BRANDON of No. 1 Rue Laffitte Paris in the Republic of
France Engineer and Patent Agent. "A NEW SYSTEM OF LOCOMOTIVE WITH
FOUR MAIN DRIVING WHEELS ON EACH DRIVING AXLE."-A communication by
Alfred Cottrau, Civil Engineer of Naples, in the Kingdom of Italy.
'
The object of this Invention is to allow the working with one and the same
locomotive engine and without diminishing the load to be dragged, of a railway
made up of different tracks, some upon a plane, or with good gradients, and others
with bad gradients, such as the different lines crossing the Apennines in Italy.
This new system of locomotive engines also will find a very advantageous appli-
cation to the numerous steam tramways (" economical railways") already executed
or to be executed, precisely because in almost all these small secondary railways the
case always occurs that gradients, comparatively steep or bad, are to be surmounted
in respect of the remaining others of the line.
Lastly this new system can in many cases of gradients not extraordinarily
excessive or bad, and of curves of small radius, replace with advantage the systems
of locomotion so called by artificial adherence, such as the systems of Fell, Rigem-
bach, Wetly, etc., and this not only as regards the great economy and simplicity,
but also as regards safety and security in as much as it precludes the possibility of
any disaster proceeding from getting off the rails in those points of the way where
the danger is greater, that is to say on those tracks in which the steepest or worst
gradients and the narrowest curves are to be surmounted. Having premised this we
shall say that the new Invention consists in in adding to the driving axles of
locomotive engines (and if desired, also to the axles of the same which are not
driving) a second pair of driving wheels of less diameter either outward or inward
the whole nearly as it is clearly indicated in the Sheet of Drawing annexed to this
description, where various arrangements, among the many other arrangements that
might be practically carried into effect, are considered, and on this subject it is
useful to remark that the said system can be adapted to any type or model of
locomotive engine with cylinders either inward or outward and to any type of super-
structure and therefore said system is not confined to one special arrangement
(inward or outward) of the small supplementary or extra driving wheels and of
the corresponding auxiliary set of tracks. However in order better to determine
or arrange ideas, what is herein after said will refer to the case of the supplementary
or extra wheels arranged outwardly, it being understood that the whole is identically
applicable to be case in which the said supplementary or extra wheels are arranged
inwardly to the large driving wheels of the locomotive engine.
Each driving axle will then have four wheels all jointly and severally liable
with the axle and being all four commanded or directed by the same cranks and
hence by the same connecting rods and by the same cylinders. The inward wheels
however (in the case which we are now examing in order to determine or arrange
our description) will have a greater diameter than the outward wheels, and will
serve to run at full speed in the tracks of the line on a plane and with good
gradients, while the outward wheels, that is those of less diameter, will serve for
the tracks of the line with steep or bad gradients and on which it is necessary to
run with reduced speed. The inward wheels will rest on the true set of tracks
of the railway that is on the rails which serve to support the wheels of the
carriages and trucks of the train. The outward wheel on the contrary will rest,

page_text: only on the tracks of the line with steep or bad gradients on a second set of tracks,
the rails of which are outwards to those of the main set of tracks and are with
respect to these on a higher level, as it is clearly indicated on the Drawing herein-
before referred to, and annexed to the Provisional Patent.
In such Drawings, various of the different modes which might be adopted for
the formation of the contemporary superstructure of the two sets of tracts of the
line with steep or bad gradients.
The industrial Invention for which a Patent is asked is solely and simply the
adaption for locomotive engines of driving axles with two (or even more) pairs of
driving wheels. The first pair working when full speed is to be obtained and the
second pair when on the contrary it is necessary to drag the same train (which
was running at full speed) on the tracks of the line with steep or bad gradients
and with reduced speed. In other words, this Invention, for which Patent is asked,
is the practical realization and in a particular way, the application to locomotive
engines of the known principle or applied mechanics "What is lost is speed is
gained in force."
The Invention in question being novel, it possesses distinctly all the requisites
for a Patent of Invention.
-
It is considered useful, lastly, to point out,
First. That the system of locomotive engine for which Patent is asked, is
automatic, that is to say the locomotive engine will pass from the outward set of
tracks to the inward set of tracks, or vice versa, even without the aid of the engine
man.
Second, That when the locomotive engine rests on the outward wheels, the
inward wheels will work as fly-wheels and will regulaté the motion, and vice
versa, when it rests on the. inward wheels, the outward wheels will work as fly-
wheels.
:
Third That although in the title of the Invention for which Patent is asked it
was said a locomotive engine with four driving wheels, it is obvious that the
Patent must be understood to extend also to the case in which instead of two pairs
of driving wheels on each axle, it be desired to set three (or even more) pairs of
wheels on each axle in order to obtain three (or more) different speeds and therefor
more corresponding useful stresses of traction. Besides, as it is clearly shown by
the principle Drawings before referred to, it may be convenient (and we think
that as regards the engine this is the most satisfactory solution) to join together
two and two the driving wheels of each sides, also to construct these two wheels in
one piece in order to render them perfectly jointly and severally liable.
As a consequence of the system, it would be the idea of making the wheels
much wider and conical so as insensibly to cause the point of support of the
locomotive engine to pass from one set of tracks to the other.
Finally, instead of adding two wheels on each axle only one central wheel might
be added, and thus a kind of bicycle would be obtained.
In witness whereof I the said Raphael Hunter Bradon have hereunto set my
hand & seal this Twenty eighth day of June in the year of our Lord. One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
Witnesses.
D. H. BRANDON.
HUGO FAHR.
R. H. BRANDON.. (L.S.)