IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR INCREASING THE TRACTIVE POWER OF VEHICLES
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Arthur Charles Henderson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th August 1880. A com-
munication from abroad by Pierre Marquineen, of Lyon, in the Republic of
France.
ARTHUR CHARLES HENDERSON, of 6, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR
INCREASING THE TRACTIVE POWER OF VEHICLES." A communication from abroad
by Pierre Marquien, of Lyon, in the Republic of France.
The principle on which this Invention is based is that the greater the number
of points from which a movable object is drawn, such for example as a vehicle or
boat, so in proportion will there be an increase in the drawing power without
lessening speed, these several points of traction be it understood being so arranged
that the whole are united by a single point of junction.
The increase of force that an apparatus such as will be here described is capable
of producing when applied to a vehicle drawn by a single horse of ordinary power
is double, that is to say, if the horse draws a vehicle with a weight of three
thousand kilogrammes by the ordinary means, it will easily draw from 6 to 7
thousand with the apparatus described.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig 1 is a horizontal projection of the apparatus,
Fig. 2 being a vertical projection of the central drawing point uniting the three
arched draught points; Fig. 3 is a plan of the natural size, showing the
application of the apparatus to the fore part of a vehicle.
A, A, A, are flat metal plates fixed to an even piece of wood by screws a;
B are openings made in the plates for hooking in the small drawing points;
C represents these plates made of steel, iron, or other wire, and forming rings with
two shafts at the lower ends; these shafts are bent at the upper ends in form of
hooks and are introduced in the apparatus at the apertures B so as to hook there.
These small drawing points constitute the important principle of the Invention,
or the increase of the tractive power, by drawing from a number of points instead
of a single one.
D is a row of 8 semicircles, also hooked, and acting on the draught points C;
E is a row of 4 semicircles hooked in like manner, rather stronger, acting on the
semicircles D; F is a row of 2 semicircles acting on the semicircles E; G are large
semicircles acting on those F; H is a plate of thin iron forming a central draught,

page_text: having its two extremities narrowed and bent in form of hooks, receiving in the
centre a small thin plate of iron, also narrowed at the upper part and forming a
hook. The principal plate also bears at its lower end an opening passing outside
the plate, intended to receive a strong ring with two hooks connecting two parts
of the apparatus, and receiving at the same time the cord or chain communicating
with the horse collar, as shown Fig. 3. This plate forming a point of traction is
one of the principal and most important parts of the construction, in that it
receives the impulse of the tractive force, which it transmits by its three hooks to
the three semicircles, and thence to all the others as far as those C forming the
drawing points.
I are slots for receiving strong screws gently locking the piece H, and at the
same time checking any receding movement that might occur to the semicircles.
All the hooks named are firmly fastened so that they cannot become detached. bis the
shaft of a cart or other vehicle; c, wooden board crossing the shafts and mounted
on another board fixed to the shafts by strong screws or bolts; d is the horse
collar; e, cord replacing the ordinary chains, connected at one end to the rings of the
collar and at the other to the rings. f of the apparatus communicating with the
central traction point H; g are cases on either side of the large board containing
the parts forming the apparatus Fig. 1. Under this part, or as it is termed
compartment, and the same board in a parallel line is another compartment perfectly
in accord with all the other pieces attached thereto, and forming a single junction
with the upper one by means of the ring with two books f.
When required the small board may be dispensed with, and the large one may
be bolted directly on the shafts, or beneath them which is better; by this means
the force would be a little reduced.
The tractive power of the apparatus as represented by Fig. 1 may be doubled by
having on the same board 4 superposed apparatus instead of two, which would
unite outside the case by a single ring, the points of junction to which the traces
or cords of the collar would be connected; this would quadruple the power of the
horse.
For increasing the tractive power on lines of rail, for navigation, and so on, it is
merely necessary to establish several apparatus succeeding one another, observing
that each point of traction C represents about 25 kilogrammes of increased power.