IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING MOTIVE-POWER IN THE TRACTION OF OMNIBUSES OR OTHER VEHICLES TRAVELLING UPON HIGHWAYS OR: ROADS, THE SAME BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO PLOUGHS, OR OTHER AGRICULTURAL- IMPLEMENTS WORKING UPON LAND OR ROADS
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left, by John Tomlinson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th May
1864.
I, JOHN TOMLINSON, of the Firm of John Tomlinson and Company, of the
Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, Policeman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING MOTIVE-POWER
IN THE TRACTION OF OMNIBUSES OR OTHER VEHICLES TRAVELLING UPON HIGHWAYS OR:
ROADS, THE SAME BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO PLOUGHS, OR OTHER AGRICULTURAL-
IMPLEMENTS WORKING UPON LAND OR ROADS," to be as follows:-
The vehicle intended to be drawn I form with single or double. side plates,
hollow or not, and between these outer and inner plates I place by preference,
a cylinder on each side of a boiler, similar in form to the boiler of a railway.
locomotive, and I place a receptacle for fuel between the fire-box and the body:
of the vehicle partly under the foot plate and partly under the fore part of
the vehicle where required. The bottom of the vehicle is hollow, and the
space underneath the seats inside it is also hollow, such hollow spaces form a
tank or tanks for water, and the space heretofore occupied by passengers in
front seats in omnibuses or other vehicles, and the driver's seat, I use as a recep-
tacle for parcels or other goods, it may be locked or otherwise secured, and
instead of the outside passengers sitting in two rows, as heretofore, the top of
the vehicle may be arranged for two double rows; the two centre rows sitting
back to back and facing the two outer rows of passengers, whose backs are
towards the road, the two outside seats overhanging the wheels, the space under
the centre outside seats is open to the inside of the vehicle, access being ob-

page_text: tained from the back of the vehicle to the outside or inside thereof. The body
of the vehicle has a bearing at each side, with springs; these bearings are slotted
with slots opening downward in which the axle is free to rise and fall, at each
end of the axle is a driving wheel, provided with a drum which is attached to
or forms part of the wheel, the wheels and drums revolve round the axle, which
itself does not revolve but has a vertical motion in the slotted bearings, so
that when the vehicle moves on a road having one side higher than the other,
its equilibrium will be maintained, a driving belt is passed round each of the
drums and round two smaller ones, one at each end of a cranked axle lying
between the engine boiler and the fore part of the vehicle, and driven by the
two piston rods (or links connected thereto) of the above cylinders, the small
drums are capable of being thrown in or out of gear when required. Beneath
the fore part of the engine a cylinder projects, which is received by another
cylinder in which it works steam-tight, and from one side of the outer cylinder
a lever projects which is connected with the ends of a chain passed round two
grooved pulleys attached to the main framing. The chain is attached to any
convenient apparatus for moving it so that the lever and outer cylinder are
capable of being partially rotated. The outer cylinder has underneath it, at
or near its centre, a pin, hinge, or other contrivance, upon which an axle is
free to turn vertically, the axle also moving in spring. slotted bearings similar
to those above described. The ends of the axle have only a vertical motion,
and are provided with wheels which revolve upon it; the axle and wheels
being partially rotated by the chain as described, and steam being admitted into
the cylinders, the body of the engine will be raised by the pressure thereof,
thereby causing the vehicle to maintain its level in going down hill; its level is
maintained in going up hill by taking off the pressure of the steam, thus
allowing the body of the engine to fall. A gauge is placed within view of
driver and passengers to exhibit the pressure of steam. There are levels by
which the driver can maintain the horizontality of the whole apparatus.