IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND TENDERS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Fowler, of Cornhill, in the City of London,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND TENDERS,"
-A communication from abroad by Edwin Parke Quadling, of Cape
Town Cape of Good Hope.
Sealed the 5th January 1867, and dated the 5th July 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Fowler at the
Office of the Commissioners of l'atents, with his Petition, on the 5th
July 1866.
1, ROBERT FOWLER, of Cornhill, in the City of London, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES
AND TENDERS," to be as follows:-
This Luvention has for its object the obtaining a comparatively light
engine with great tractive power, and with great flexibility as to its bear-
ing points upon the rails both in the vertical and horizontal planes.
In constructing a combined locomotive engine and tender a strong frame is
constructed of a length suitable for the steam boiler and tender, which are
fixed to such frame. One or more bogie frames are used (two are preferred);
one under the boiler and another under the tender. Each bogie frame has
two or more pairs of wheels, the axles of which may be coupled. To one
axle and pair of wheels of a bogie frame motion is communicated from a pair
of steam cylinders attached to and carried by the bogie frame. The bogie frame
or frames above mentioned are supported on springs affixed to the bogie
frames, and at each of the four corners of each of the bogie frames or in any

page_text: other suitable position are vertical stems, having at their upper ends heads or
projections somewhat similar to buffer heads,and these are constantly pressed
upward by and rest on springs. On the frame which carries the boiler and
tender are corresponding stems and heads, which are fixed, but capable of
adjustment; these heads rest on those supported by springs, and they can
move or slide thereon when the bogie frames are passing round curves. In
order to supply steam from the steam boiler to steam cylinders carried by
bogie frames a concave semi-spherical socket is for each bogie frame fixed to
transverse bars of the main framing; the centre of this socket corresponds
with the centre about which the bogie frame turns or performs a locking and
rolling motion when passing round curves. To the bogie frame is fixed a
hollow sphere, which enters and works within the socket; this sphere forms the
end of the steam pipe which is carried byandsupplies steam tothe pair of engines
fixed to the bogie frame. Steam is supplied to the semi-spherical socket by a
fixed steam pipe from the upper part or steam chest of the boiler. There are
set screws, one at the back and the other in the front of the semi-spherical
socket, between such socket and the transverse bars of the framing, which bear
the thrust; and the power of the engines on the bogie frame is so transmitted
from the bogie frames to the main framing. When two bogie frames are em-
ployed, one under the boiler and another under the tender, steam is supplied
in he manner above described to the steam cylinders carried by both bogie
frames, there being a separate steam pipe leading from a separate steam
chamber of the steam boiler to convey steam to the semi-spherical socket of
each bogie frame, and the pair of steam cylinders carried by each bogie frame
is provided with two separate handles for the regulating and reversing gear.
In constructing the roof of the fire-box of the steam boiler it is caused to
incline from the tubeplate towards the feed door, by which, when descending
an incline, the whole of the roof will be well covered with water, and the
tubular flues are made toincline downward, by which the tubes at the smoke-
box ends, as well as the other ends thereof, will be well covered with water
when ascending inclines. In order to equalize the draft through the tubular
flues (both those near the bottom of the fire-box and those near the upper
part, as well as those intermediate thereof), tubes of different diameters arc
used, generally of three diameters, those of the medium size being in the
middle. whilst the tubes of the two other sizes are respectively above and
below the tubes of the medium size. If desired, more sizes than three may
be similarly applied in constructing a locomotive steam boiler.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, fled
by the said Robert Fowler in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th January 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
FOWLER, of Cornhill, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert Fowler, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Fowler, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Fowler, 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 IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND TENDERS," a communication to me from abroad
by the Inventor, Edwin Parke Quadling, of Cape Town, Cape of Good
Hope, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Fowler,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hauds and seals, 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 1, the said Robert Fowler, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object the obtaining a comparatively light engine
with great tractive power and with great flexibility as to its bearing points
upon the rails both in the vertical and horizontal planes.
In constructing a combined locomotive engine and tender the steam boiler
and tender are carried by and fixed to a strong frame, which is made of
sufficient length for the purpose; this frame in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the
Drawings hereunto annexed is marked a.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the combined engine and tender;

page_text: Figure is a plan view, partly in section; and Figure is a transvers
section of the same.
In the arrangement shown in these Figures two bogie frames 6 are
employed, one under the boiler and the other under the tender, one bogie
frame, placed at one end only of the main frame, may however. e employed.
Each bogie has two (it might be more) pairs of wheels c, the axles of which
are by preference coupled. Each bogie frame carries a pair of cylinders d,
and from these motion is communicated to the axle of one pair of wheels.
The axle boxes which receive the axles of the pairs of wheels are connected
with the bogie frames by springs 6. At each of the four corners of the bogie
frames are vertical stems, having at their upper ends heads or projections f,
somewhat similar to buffer heads, and these are constantly pressed up by and
rest on springs. On the main frame are corresponding stoms and heads f¹,
which are fixed but capable ofadjustment; these heads reston those supported
by springs, and they can move or slide thereon when the bogie frames are
passing round curves. Between the boiler and each of the two pair of
cylinders on the two bogie frames is placed a semi-spherical socket joint per-
mitting the bogie frames to perform a rolling and locking motion. This joint
is shewn separately on a larger scale at Figures 4., and 6 of the Drawings,
Figure 4 being a longitudinal section, Figure 5 a transverse section, and
Figure 6 a plan view of the joint. The top portion y of each joint is concave,
and is fixed to a pair of transverse bars a³ connected with the main frame that
carries the boiler and tender. Immediately beneath each concave socket is a
hollow sphere h, fixed to a pair of transverse bars 6' connected with the bogie
frames. The hollow sphere enters and works within the concave socket g,
the outer and upper surface of the sphere being made to fitexactly the concave
portion of the socket joint. The concave socket rests and works upon the
convex surface of the sphere, and allows the bogie frame to perform the
locking motion before alluded to. By this arrangement no strain is thrown ou
any of the steam pipes. In order to retain the concave portion of the joint
in its place, and to lessen the friction in the joint itself, the ends or heads of
set screws i are caused to bear against the front and back of the socket, as
shewn. The stems of the bolts pass through strong arms or brackets attached
to the transverse beams of the bogie frames. These brackets or arms and set
screws carried by them thus transmit the thrust from the bogie frames to the
exterior of the sockets g carried by the main frame. A branch pipe is cast on
the concave portion g, and to this is attached a fixed steam pipe leading from
one or other of the steam chambers of the boiler. The socket joint of the
bogie frame beneath the boiler is supplied with steam by a pipe from the

page_text: steam chamber of the boiler, and the joint of the bogie frame beneath
the tender is supplied from the steam chamber y. The under side of the
hollow sphere terminates in a branch pipe or elbow joint, to which is attached
the steam pipe leading to each pair of cylinders. The hollow sphere is per-
forated on the top side, as shown, the orifice being somewhat greater in
sectional area than the steam pipes above and below, so as to leave a clear
passage for the steam from the boiler. The two portions of the steam joint
are further locked together by a central bolt having an eye in the centre of
the sphere to allow for locking motion. The arrangement of socket joint
above described may be reversed, the coucave portion being at the bottom and
the convex at the top. In the arrangement shown the reversing and
regulating gear of both sets of engines on the two bogie frames is worked
from one handle, but separate hundles may, if desired, be employed for the
purpose.
•
In order that the roof of the fire-box of the steam boiler shall be well
covered with water when the engine is descending inclines, and that the tubes
shall be covered when ascending inclines, the top plate of the fire-box andthe
tubes are made to incline in opposite directions, the top plate being made to
incline downwards from the tube plate towards the fire-doors, and the tubes
being also made to incline downwards from this plate to the smoke box tube
plate. This arrangement of inclined tubes and top plate of fire-box is clearly
seen in the sectional view of the engine, Figure 1. In order to equalize the
draft through the tubular flues of a tubular steam boiler the tubes are made
of three or more diameters, as is shewn in the sectional view, Figure 3,of the
boiler, the smaller tubes being placed at the top, the medium in the centre,
and the larger ones at the bottom.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,-
First, the combination of two bogie frames with a main frame carrying at
one end the boiler and at the other end the tender, as herein described.
Second, the interposing spring or buffer bearings between the bogie frames
and main frame.
Third, the supplying steam to the steam cylinders carried by the bogie
frame of a locomotive engine through a hollow socket joint, which forms the
pivot around which the bogie frame performs its locking motion, as described.
Fourth.the inclining downwards,as herein described, the roof of the fire-
box and the tubes of the boiler of a locomotive engine to keep the same well
covered with water when the engine is ascending and descending inclines.
Fifth, the forming the tubular flues of tubular steam boilers of varying

page_text: diameters in order to equalize the draft through the tubes, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Robert Fowler, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
ROBT. FOWLER. (L.S.)