IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY LOCO- MOTIVE ENGINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of the Firm of Herbert and
Company, Solicitors of Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY LOCO-
MOTIVE ENGINES." A communication from abroad by William Mason, of the
AL
TT
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Haddan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th May 1880.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of
Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES." A communication from abroad by William
Mason, of the State of Massachusetts, United States of America.
The Invention relates to leading trucks of locomotives and their connections
with the front driving wheels.
The object of the Invention is to enable a leading truck that is articulated in
itself as well as in its connections with and adaptation to the forward pair of driving
wheels of the locomotive to allow its wheels to conform or adapt themselves
vertically to the various inequalities and undulations of a railway, while, at the
same time, having sufficient lateral rigidity to steady the engine on a straight,
and prevent any wabbling or zigzag movement, and its controlling power of
resistance in changing from a straight line to a curve forces the forward end of the
machine inward so as to relieve the flange of the tires on the forward drivers from
the outside rail of the curve, and prevents undue wearing of the flange and the
cutting of the rail. For this purpose the leading truck consists of a pair of flanged
wheels mounted on an axle, the journal boxes of which are held by or form part of
the front ends of two side levers (which may be parallel with the rails). At their
rear ends the said levers are loosely connected by hooked bearings to a (lower)
cross lever, which at its middle is united with another (upper) cross lever by
means of a vertical link. The latter cross lever is suspended at its ends from
the springs of the forward wheels of the locomotive by means of screw bolts.
At a proper distance from the rear ends of the side levers to ensure the
required division and give the due proportion of the weight to be carried by the
"

page_text: forward wheels of the locomotive and the leading truck, each side lever is provided
with a vertical fulcrum pivot.
Furthermore the two side levers are connected near their fulcrum pivots by a
cross beam or bar which extends between them at right angles to each, and at its
ends is hinged to horizontal ring bolts going through the side levers and secured
by nuts which leave them free to turn in their sockets to allow flexibility. The
said cross bar is connected with the two side levers by two diagonal brace bars
pivoted together at their centres, the long or front one being also pivoted to the
two side levers. In other words the levers are to be so connected or to have the
cross and brace bars so adapted to them as to allow the truck wheels while running
on the rails to adjust themselves to the undulations or any variations in altitude of
such rails. When the leading truck is in its place each of the two eye bolts that
secure the rear diagonal braces to the cross bar is united with another eye bolt.
passing through a helical controlling spring enclosed in a casing which is fixed to
the bottom of the main frame (steam bogie) and made in one piece with the socket
plate for the fulcrum pivot of the respective side lever. The socket of this plate is
lengthened so as to form a pocket which allows the necessary play to the fulcrum
pivot when passing through curves. The fulcrum pivots being held firmly against
the rear ends of their sockets by the controlling springs, the leading truck wheels
are held rigidly in line with the driving wheels, and consequently tend to prevent
any wabbling or zigzag motion of the engine on a straight track. Each of the
fulcrum pivots when the engine is on a straight track acts simply as a fulcrum for
the lever, but on a curve such pivot not only serves as such a fulcrum but as a
device for the truck to turn or slide on. When a curve turns to the left the
truck is forced from its line with the drivers and swings to the left, and the centre
on which it turns is the fulcrum pivot on the left side, while the fulcrum pivot on
the right side will be obliged to slide forward on its bearing recess or pocket.
This movement of the fulcrum forward is resisted by the power of the controlling
spring on the same side to the desired extent.

page_text: Figure 3 and 4 longitudinal sections of a locomotive engine bogie and its leading
truck provided with my Invention, the nature of which is duly set forth in the
claim or claims hereinafter presented.
Figure is an underside view of one of the recessed pockets or boxes; and
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the spring holder to be hereinafter described.
Figure 7 is a side elevation of a locomotive engine provided with two bogies
and with a leading truck adapted to the former one or "steam bogie," as it is
usually termed, each of the said bogies having six wheels instead of four, as shown
in Fig. 2.
In the Drawings A denotes the swivelling truck or steam cylinder supporting
bogie, as usually termed, of a "double bogie locomotive" with its two axles a, b,
and four wheels c.
The two side frames d of the bogie are shown as extended in advance of the
wheels and supporting the strong bed or cross piece e, by which the steam cylinders
are sustained.
The parts f, f, extending directly under the said bed or cross piece, and to which
it is fastened, are provided with recessed boxes or pockets B, one of which is shown
in longitudinal section in Figure 4, and in underside view in Figure 5. At its rear
end each piece B is formed or provided with a cylindrical spring holder L to
receive a helical controlling spring M, through which and a disc or follower p an
eye bolt q is extended, as shown in Figure 6, and is furnished with a nut r, the
said Figure being a longitudinal section of the spring, and its case or holder and
eye bolt, and the follower, and nut. The pockets or boxes B are to receive in their
recesses u and hold the fulcrum pivots g of the truck. The springs are attached to
the truck by means of eye bolts 8 and 9 in the manner and for the purpose
hereinafter described.
The leading truck consists of a pair of flanged wheels E with their axle D and
two side levers C. The said levers at their forward ends are provided with the
journal boxes u¹ that embrace the journals of the axle D. At their rear ends the
the said levers C are loosely connected by hooked bearings h to a cross lever i,
which at its middle is united with another such cross lever k by means of the
link m.
The lever k is suspended at its ends from the springs O of the forward

page_text: wheels of the locomotive by means of a screw bolt, as represented. At a proper
distance from the rear ends of the side levers to ensure the required division and
give the due proportion of the weight to be carried by the forward wheels of the
locomotive and the leading truck are placed the fulcrum pivots g.
Furthermore, the two side levers C are connected near their fulcrum pivots by a
cross beam or bar F, which extends between them at right angles to each, and at its
ends is hinged to swivelling ring bolts G, going through the levers C &
secured by nuts H screwed on such bolts, but leaving them free to turn in their
sockets to allow flexibility.
The bar F is connected with the two side levers by two bent brace bars J, K,
formed and arranged as shown. These brace bars are pivoted together at their
centres, the long or front one being also pivoted to the two side levers C. In other
words the levers are to be so connected, or to have the bars F, J, and K so adapted
to them, as to allow the truck wheels while running on the rails to adjust themselves
to the undulations or any variations in altitude of such rails.
When the leading truck is in its place the eye bolts S that secure the rear bent
braces J to the cross bar F are united with the eye bolts q that pass through the
helical controlling springs M, and the fulcrum pivots g of the side levers enter the
recesses of the boxes B above described. These recesses or pockets as they may
be termed, are made longer longitudinally than are the fulcrum pivots g, in order to
allow one of the latter to advance in passing curves either on the right side or the
left as the case may be.
Leading trucks serve as an addition to the wheel base or support of a railway
locomotive engine, and are of great service in many respects. My Invention
operates as follows:-The fulcrum pivots g being held firmly against the rear ends
of the recesses u of the boxes or bearing pockets B by the controlling springs M,
the leading truck wheels are held rigidly in line with the driving wheels, and
consequently tend to prevent any wabbling or zigzag motion that the machine is
liable to have when running rapidly on a straight track; and as this leading truck
is so flexible that each wheel can rise or fall to a reasonable extent, independently
of its fellow, and the whole truck is so articulated and equalized in its connection
with the driving wheels that either or both of its wheels can rise or fall, and any
of the drivers can do the same, consequently the disturbing forces are so divided
through the articulations among all the wheels that the engine runs much smoother
and steadier comparatively speaking.
In turning curves driving wheels of a locomotive are inclined to go in a straight
line, and will not vary from it unless forced to do so. Consequently the flanges of
the forward drivers are forced against the outside rail of a curve with all the power
that is required to slip the opposite drivers on the inside rail. The result is that
the flanges of the forward drivers are worn away very quickly and the rails
correspondingly cut away. My leading truck prevents this undue wear in this
way. Each of the fulcrum pivots g when the engine is on a straight track acts
simply as a fulcrum for the lever, but on a curve such pivot not only serves as
such a fulcrum but as a device for the truck to turn or slide on.
When a curve
turns to the left the truck is forced from its line with the drivers and swings to
the left, and the centre on which it turns is the fulcrum pivot on the left side. Of
course the fulcrum pivot on the right side will be obliged to slide forward in its
bearing recess or pocket. This movement of the fulcrum forward is resisted by the
power of the controlling springs on the same side to such an extent as to force the
flange of the forward driving wheel entirely clear of the outside rail if desired, or
it can be so regulated as to relieve the pressure against the rail to any extent
necessary to prevent too much wear. This regulation is effected by simply screwing
or unscrewing the nut 7, thus giving the controlling spring more or less resisting
power. When curves turn to the right, the operation is the same, but the truck is
forced to swing to the right, and turns on the fulcrum pivot on the right side
governed by the controlling spring on the left...
The swing of the truck on pivots situated on each side like the fulcrum pivots g.

page_text: also answers the very important condition of keeping the axle of the truck parallel
with the radius of the curve or nearly so.
The two levers C at their front ends are connected by a cross bar x adapted to
them to allow of their independent movements as described, and to keep them duly
apart.
What I claim as my Invention is as follows, víz. :-
:-
1. The side levers C provided with the axle boxes u and fulcrum pivots g,
substantially as described.
2. The combination of the side levers C and the cross or brace bars F, J, and K,
adapted and arranged substantially as and for use as set forth.
3. The combination of the controlling springs M and their housings L with the
levers C and with the recessed boxes B thereof, substantially as described.
4. The combination and arrangement of a leading truck, as described, with the
steam bogie of a bogie locomotive steam engine.
5. The combination of the pocketed pieces B, essentially as represented, with the
truck and with the rocker levers C and the cross and brace bars F, J, and K,
arranged and adapted substantially as set forth.
6. The combination of the controlling springs M and their adjusting bolts q, 8,
and nuts thereof with the cross bar F, brace bars J, K, levers C and their recessed
or pocketed bearings B, applied to the bogie and leading trucks, substantially in
manner as set forth.
7. The combination of the two sets of springs o, M, with the bogie truck and
with the levers C, connected by means and with the leading truck axle, and applied
to the bogie truck substantially as described, such springs being adapted and
arranged essentially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert John Haddan, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of November 1880.