IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAYS, AND IN ENGINES AND CARRIAGES TO BE USED THEREON
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Juan Nepomuceno Adorno at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th February 1874.
I, JUAN NEPOMUCENO ADORNO, of Harley Street, Cavendish Square,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAYS, AND IN ENGINES AND
CARRIAGES TO BE USED THEREON," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates,―
Firstly. To a novel construction of the permanent way of railways.
2nd. To an improved construction of locomotive engine and boiler to
be used on such railway.
3rd. To an improved steam break for locomotive engines and
carriages.
And, 4th. To improvements in the form and construction of carriages
for passengers and goods.
In constructing railways according to this Invention I employ a
central Trail, which rail is carried by suitable chairs fixed to sleepers

page_text: The
extending a sufficient length on either side to form bearings for lines of
planks on which the driving wheels of the engine are to run.
central T rail is intended to carry the weight of the engine and carriages,
and also to prevent them from running off the track, and the parallel
lines of planks besides affording a bearing for the driving wheels of the
engine will serve to ensure the balance of the carriages whenever they
may have a tendency to oscillate, the carriages being provided for this
purpose with the ordinary side bearing wheels.
The locomotive engine as well as each of the carriages is provided on
its under side with two pairs of double flanged wheels to run on the top
of the T shaped rail, and to carry respectively the weight of the engine
and carriages. These wheels are mounted on a swivel frame which is
made capable of "locking." In the same swivel frame is mounted a
pair of horizontal disc wheels, for the purpose of running over the
central web of the T shaped rail, and preventing the flanged wheels
from from lifting off the T rail and running off the track.
The engine is provided with a pair of driving wheels which are
arranged to run upon the plankways formed on opposite sides of the
Trail. These wheels are keyed to separate crank axles, and are driven
by means of two independent cylinders, the engine being provided with 2
four steam cylinders.
The driving wheels consist of two main parts, viz., a central disc
which is keyed fast to the crank axle, and a ring which surrounds the
disc. Between the ring and the disc a scries of rollers is arranged, the
same being mounted on axles which have their bearings alternately in 2
the ring and disc, and over and under these rollers passes a thick endless
band of india-rubber which serves as an elastic connection between the
disc and ring; or I may form the disc and ring with interlocking fins,
and place between them spiral or other springs.
The driving wheels may be made either with steel tires or india-rubber 3
tires.
The boiler is provided with a furnace reaching from end to end, and
with a fire-door at each end. The water and steam spaces are divided
longitudinally by four or more zig-zag vertical flues ascending from the
top of the furnace to the upper part of the boiler, where they will unite 3
in one chimney. The flues thus divide the boiler into a number of
diamond-shaped tubes, between which the fire and heated gases are

page_text: compelled to travel before reaching the chimney, and by this means I am
enabled to obtain a great heating surface.
The chimney may be provided with a revolving cowl carrying an
archimedean screw for the purpose of increasing the draft.
The boiler I provide with two steam domes, so as to afford ample
steam space when ascending or descending steep gradients, and the
chimney which I prefer to place in a central position on the boiler may
be provided with a conical spark arrester.
For the purpose of supplying the boiler with the necessary feed water
I use an injector consisting of a tubes which proceeds from one of the
steam domes and enters the boiler below the water line. A. small tube
leading from the water tank enters the steam tube just at the point
where the latter is turned into the boiler. The mixed steam and water
will be injected into the boiler in a manner well understood.
For the purpose of checking the velocity or stopping the train I
provide all the carriages and the engine with breaks which are actuated
from the engine itself. These breaks are twofold, the first break power
being obtained by driving a wedge-formed wood block downwards
between the pairs of flanged bearing wheels which support the train; the
second break power is obtained by drawing upwards the disc wheels, so
as to grip the top of the T shaped rail. Both these break powers are
brought into action by causing a quick screw which passes through the
hollow pin upon which the swivel frame hangs to turn. The thread of
this screw is cut in reverse directions at its opposite ends, and these
reverse threads work in tapped sockets of a lazy-tongs arrangement of
levers, which will bring the wedge-shaped block between the flanged
wheels, and cause the discs to grip the T rail.
The turning of the screwed pin of the swivel frame is effected by
means of a steam cylinder and piston placed at any convenient part of
the engine. The piston carries a cross head, to which is attached con-
necting rods leading to arms on the top of each screwed pin of the swivel
frames. By the action of the piston the pins will be partially rotated in
one or the other direction. The operation of the piston is governed by
means of a slide valve worked by a hand lever.
The whole of the engine and boiler I propose to cover with a canopy,
under the foremost end of which I provide a seat for the driver, who will

page_text: have under his care the levers for reversing the engine, the regulators
for turning on and off the steam; also the lever for applying the breaks,
and the steam whistle or bell. At the other end a man will attend
solely for supplying the boiler with water, and stokers will attend to the
firing at either end of the engine.
Water tanks and coal bunks may be placed on each side of the boiler,
or in a separate tender, as may be found desirable.
The luggage of the passengers I propose to pack in frames on the
roofs of the carriages, such frames being capable of receiving a lateral
traverse motion to permit of the carriages being trimmed to maintain
their balance on the central rail.
Shifting hallast may also sometimes he used with advantage