IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAM OR ROAD LOCOMOTIVES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Hughes, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAM OR ROAD LOCOMOTIVES."
Sealed the 23rd February 1877, and dated the 28th August 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Hughes at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th August 1876.
HENRY HUGHES, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester.
TRAM OR ROAD LOCOMOTIVES."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
My Invention relates to locomotive engines to be used principally on tramways
or on ordinary roads, and has reference more particularly to improvements in the
apparatus in respect of which Letters Patent were granted to me the 31st day
of January, 1876, No. 390.
According to my former Invention two valves were employed, situate in a con-
densing or mixing chamber, into which by their joint action the condensing water
and exhaust steam were simultaneously admitted, and whence the mixture of the
condensing water and the water of condensation from the exhaust steam thus
condensed was conducted either into a receiving tank or on to the road or rails.
One part of my present Invention has for its object preventing the discharge of
the water from the mixing chamber when the engine is at rest, and it consists in
the employment in the mixing chamber (which I now make separate from and
connect with the valve chamber by a pipe or passage) of a valve closing upwards,
and communicating by a pipe with a spreader for depositing the water from the
mixing chamber on to the road or rails, or for conducting it into the receiving
tank. The valve is actuated by the regulator handle which controls the supply
of the steam to the cylinders, so that the steam supply and the discharge of the
water are regulated conjointly and simultaneously, the water valve being closed
when the steam is shut off whereby the inconvenience of the water being discharged
in pools on the road when the engine has to stop, say, for example, upon a gradient,
and the consequent unnecessary loss or waste of water are entirely obviated.
This arrangement also admits of the upper of the two valves being dispensed with
if desired.
Another part of my Invention has for its object preventing the engine from
exceeding a given maximum speed (say, for example, 10 miles per hour) so-that
when that speed is attained, should there be a temporary acceleration, the motion
[Price 6d 1

page_text: of the engine shall be either promptly arrested or retarded until the speed is reduced
to the required maximum In order to effect this object I employ a governor of
any convenient shape and construction driven from one of the axles of the engine,
and arranged in connection with a throttle valve which is situate in a pipe or
passage communicating between the boiler and the exhaust pipe in such a
imanner that when the given maximum is exceeded the steam from the boiler shall
be conducted beneath a sliding or other valve which I provide at the lower part
of the said double valve chamber or at any part of the exhaust pipe loading thereto,
whereby such valve will be elevated so as to cover, or partly cover, the passage of
the exhaust pipe and the exhaust steam be wholly or partially shut off from the
chamber. By means of this arrangement the steam is cut off in its exit from the
cylinders, and simultaneously a powerful break is applied, the obstruction of the
exhaust passage having the effect of arresting the movement of the pistons, the
action of which by reason of the steam being contained on both sides thereof is
completely neutralized.
In some cases, when the construction of the slide valve of the cylinder is such
that the valve is not kept up to the face by sufficient pressure, the steam supply
may be cut off by the governor. An effectual guarantee is thereby obtained against
any undue speed, and the liability to accidents from that cause is entirely
obviated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th February
1877.
HENRY HUGHES, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester.
TRAM OR ROAD LOCOMOTIVES.”
"
IMPROVEMENTS IN
My said Invention relates to locomotive engines to be used principally on
tramways or on ordinary roads, and has reference more particularly to improve-
ments in the apparatus in respect of which Letters Patent were granted to me
the 31st day of January 1876, No. 390
According to my former Invention two valves were employed situate in a con-
densing or mixing chamber, into which by their joint action the condensing water
and exhaust steam were simultaneously admitted, and whence the mixture of the
condensing water and the water of condensation from the exhaust steam thus
condensed was conducted either into a receiving tank or on to the road or rails.
•
My present Invention has for its object preventing the discharge of the water
from the mixing chamber when the engine is at rest, and it consists in the employ-
ment in the mixing chamber, [which I now make separate from the valve chamber
but connected therewith by a pipe or passage,] of a valve communicating by another
pipe or passago either with the receiving tank or with a spreader for depositing
the water from the mixing chamber on to road or rails. The valve is actuated by
the handle of the regulator valve which controls the supply of the steam to the
cylinders, so that the steam supply and the discharge of the water are regulated
conjointly and simultaneously by one and the same movement of the regulator
handle.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer
to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in both the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a sectional elevation of a tramway loco-
motive engine having my Invention applied thereto, and Figure 2 is a sectional
detail illustrating a modification of the arrangement shewn in Figure one.
a, b, (Figure 1) are the two valves; and c is the cold water tank described in
the Specification of my said former Letters Patent, the valve a being employed for

page_text: regulating the supply of cold water from the tank c (which may be situate either
immediately above the valve, as represented in the Drawings forming part of my
said former Specification, or connected therewith by pipes d, as in the present
arrangement) and the valve b being employed for controlling the outlet from the
pipe e, conducting the exhaust steam from the cylinders. These two valves, as
described in my said former Specification and also as in my present arrangement,
are operated in an automatic manner conjointly and simultaneously by the pressure
of the exhaust steam lifting the valve b, and with it the valve a, in order to effect
the opening of the said valves, so that a quantity of cold water from the tank C
and the exhaust steam from the pipe e are simultaneously emitted and brought into
intimate contact, and by the pressure of the water upon the valve a depressing it
and with it the valve b, in order to effect the closing of the said valves between
the successive emissions of exhaust steam from the cylinders
According to my said former Invention the valves a, b, were situate in a
condensing or mixing chamber, into which the condensing water and the exhaust
steam were simultaneously admitted, and whence the mixture of the condensing
water and the water of condensation from the exhaust steam thus condensed was
conducted either into a receiving tank or on to the road or rails. In carrying out
my present Invention I make the mixing chamber proper, which is shewn at f
separate from the chamber g in which the valves a, b, are situate, but connected
therewith by a pipe h; and I provide in the mixing chamber ƒ a valve i, (which
may either consist of a lift valve closing upwards, as shewn, or a rotary valvo or
cock or a valve of any other suitable description) connected by a rod ; and bell-
crank lever l, or otherwise, with the handle m of the regulator valve which controls
the supply of steam to the distributing valves of the cylinders, so that the regulator
valve and the water valve i work in unison. The valve i may either be arranged
in the mixing chamber f itself, as represented in Figure 1, or in the pipe h
which enters the mixing chamber, as shewn in Figure 2 ; an outlet pipe n is
provided for conducting the water either to the receiving tank described in my
said former Specification or to a spreader for distributing the water on to the road
or rails, which pipe in the arrangement represented in Figure 1 leads direct from
the valve i, but in the modification shown in Figure 2 leads from the main body.of
the mixing chamber. The connection of the valve i with the regulator handle m
is so adjusted that the valve i shall be closed when the steam is shut off, the two
operations being performed conjointly and simultaneously by one and the samo
movement of the regulator handle, so that the discharge of the water is suspended
when the engine is at rest. By these means the inconvenience of the water being
discharged in pools on the road when the engine has to stop, say, for example,
upon a gradient, and the consequent unnecessary loss or waste of water are entirely
obviated.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in pait
recited Letters Patent is, the combination with a condensing or mixing chamber
into which the condensing water and the exhaust steam or partially condensed
steam are conducted of a valve or cock, controlled conjointly and simultaneously
with the steam supply valve for the purpose of regulating the discharge of the
water from such chamber, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Hughes, have to this my Specification,
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of February, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.