Apparatus for Securing an Approximately Horizontal Position in Road Locomotive Boilers when Passing Over Inclined Surfaces.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Dec., 1898
1
Complete Specification Left, 27th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 9th Dec., 1899
Apparatus for Securing an Approximately Horizontal Position in
Road Locomotive Boilers when Passing Over Inclined Surfaces.
I, RICHARD GASCOIGNE, of 84, Sandy Lane, Worksop, in the County of Not-
fingham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows.-
i
This invention relates to road locomotives or traction engines which are used
for travelling over common roads In engines of this type the boiler 18 arranged
parallel to the surface of the 10ad over which it 18 travelling, and consequently
when ascending a hill the water flows back towards the fire box leaving the smoke
box end of the upper tubes uncovered by the water with some 11sk of explosion
Much more dangerous is the position when descending a long hill as in this case
the water leaves the top of the tie box uncovered with consequent risk of either
the top of the fire box being burned out, or the safety plug melted.
This invention entirely obviates this difhculty by means of simple mechanism
which can be easily and conveniently operated, which is efficient in action
and which can be adapted to new or existing engines at a low hrst cost
It consists in attaching one of two concentric cylinders to one end of the under-
side of the boiler, and the other to the front or hind axle, preferably to the fore
or steering carriage One of these cylinders fits closely so as to be capable of
sliding in the other forming in fact a plunger or piston which is packed in any
convenient manner preferably by a leather disc at its end. The inner cylinder
or piston has its free end closed by a plate formed integral with it, and this plate
is pierced centrally to receive a bolt which forms a guide and which has a nut
at its end, by means of which the longitudinal movement of one cylinder inside
the other 18 limited.
The space between the ends of the two cylinders are put into communication (by
a tube), with a force pump, which is situate at any convenient part of the engine
and preferably in reach of the diver by whom it can be operated drawing water
from the tank and forcing it into the outside cylinder The pressure thus pro-
duced thrusts the two cylinders longitudinally apart and consequently raises the
end of the boilei. stop cock 18 disposed in the pipe upon opening which the
water escapes, and the boiler end descends to a lower position.
It is obvious that the engine driver can by the use of this apparatus secure
a horizontal or approximately horizontal position of the boiler whatever the
inclination of the road surface over which the engine is travelling.
Instead of water, air can be forced into the outside cylinder answering the same
purpose, and serving in addition as a spring which secures easy running of that
end of the engine to which it is attached.
1000

page_text: Apparatus for Securing an Approximately Horizontal Position in
Road Locomotive Boilers when Passing Over Inclined Surfaces.
I, RICHARD GASCOIGNE, of 84, Sandy Lane, Worksop, in the County of Not-
tingham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement.-
-
This invention relates to road locomotives or traction engines which are used
for travelling over common roads. In engines of the type the boiler is arranged
parallel to the surface of the road over which it is travelling, and consequently
when ascending a hill the water flows back towards the fire box leaving the smoke
box end of the upper tubes uncovered by the water with some risk of explosion
Much more dangerous is the position when descending a long hill as in this case
the water leaves the top of the fire box uncovered with consequent risk of either
the top of the fine box being burned out, or the safety plug melted.
This invention entirely obviates this difficulty by means of a simple mechanism
which can be easily and conveniently operated, which 18 efficient in action;
and which can be adapted to new or existing engines at a low first cost.
It consists in attaching one of two concentric cylinders to one end of the under-
side of the boiler, and the other to the front or hind axle, preferably to the fore
or steering carriage One of these cylinders fits closely so as to be capable of
sliding in the other forming in fact a plunger or piston which is packed in any
convenient manner preferably by a leather disc at its end The inner cylindei
or piston has its free end closed by a plate formed integral with it, and this plate
is pierced centrally to receive a bolt which forms a guide and which has a nut
at its end, by means of which the longitudinal movement of one cylinder inside
the other limited.
The space between the ends of the two cylinders are put into communication (by
a tube), with a force pump, which is situate at any convenient part of the engine
and preferably in reach of the driver by whom it can be operated diawing water
trom the tank and forcing it into the outside cylinder The pressure thus pro-
duced thrusts the two cylinders longitudinally apart and consequently raises the
end of the boiler. A stop cock 18 disposed in the pipe upon opening which the
water escapes, and the boiler end descends to a lower position.
It is obvious that the engine driver can by the use of this apparatus secure
a horizontal or approximately horizontal position of the boiler whatever the
inclination of the road surface over which the engine is travelling
It is well known that the raising of the level of the water at that end of the
boiler where the steam service pipe or its equivalent is situate, by reducing the
steam space produces "priming' the water in small particles mixing with the
steam and passing therewith to the cylinders It is obvious that this is reduced
or entirely obviated by the use of my invention.
In order that my invention may be fully understood and ascertained I append
drawings in which:-
Fig. 1 18 an elevation of a traction engine of the ordinary type with my inven-
tion applied thereto
Fig. 2 18 a section on a larger scale of the cylinders and attached parts
Fig. 8 is an elevation of same.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of a modification
Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section of same.

page_text: Fig. 6 is an elevation (part section) of a pump and link motion which enables
the driver to control the apparatus.
A indicates the boiler, A¹ the smoke box, and A³ the fire box end of the boiler
As the boiler, engine, wheels, and propelling mechanism are of the ordinary
description, it is not necessary further to refer to these. To the underside of the
smoke box is rigidly attached a cylinder B which has its lower end b solid and
forms a plunger or piston capable of sliding freely in a concentric cylinder C
which 18 securely attached to the under carriage to which is affixed the axle
upon which the front wheels are free to rotate. These two concentric cylinders
are vertically disposed and the inner cylinder B is caused in any convenient
manner to make an airtight joint with the outer cylinder, the lower end of which
18 closed by a solid end oi cover c. The врасе X between the ends b and c of the
cylinders B and C communicates by a passage a and a tube E with a force pump G
arranged at the end of the engine and in convenient proximity to the hand of
the engine driver who can operate the same by means of a handle g and a bell
crank lever g³ in such manner as to draw water from the tank or other convenient
source, and force it through the tube E and passage into the space X between
the ends of the two concentric cylinders If desired this pump may be operated
by the engine instead of by the hand of the driver.
It is obvious that if water under pressure be forced into this space the inner
piston B will rise, and with it the smoke box A¹ and front end of the boiler,
and conversely when the water is allowed to escape the smoke box and front end
of the boiler will descend. Consequently the engine driver has the power to
raise or lower the front end of the boiler at will, as a stop cock H 18 arranged
on the tube E in such position that it can be easily and conveniently opened or
closed by the engine driver It follows then that when ascending or descending
a hill, a horizontal or approximately horizontal position of the boiler can be main-
tained, thus securing that the tube ends and fire box shall always be covered with
water as long as the boiler contains a proper quantity.
In some cases I affix centrally in the bottom of the outer cylinder a vertically
disposed bolt K by means of a nut k, and the end of the inner cylinder B, 18
bored so as to be capable of sliding on this bolt which thus form a guide, while
the enlarged end limits the rise of the inner cylinder and prevents it being
forced out of the outer cylinder should too much water be pumped in.
In Fig. 2 the partly raised position of the inner cylinder is shewn in dotted lines
The positions may be reversed, and the inner cylinder attached to the fore car-
riage, and the outer cylinder attached to the boiler end, or the oylinder may be
applied between the axle of the back wheels and the back end of the boiler with-
out departing from my invention, but I prefer the arrangement shewn in the
drawings
Two or more of these devices may be applied side by side, and instead of water,
air can be forced into the outside cylinder answering the same purpose, and
serving in addition as a spring which secures easy running of that end of the
engine to which it 18 attached.
In Figs. 4 and 5 the principle remains the same but the details are modified
in such a manner as to render it suitable for application to a steam 10ad roller.
In this case a bracket M 18 rigidly fixed to the front end of the boiler projecting
beyond the smoke box A'. Formed integially with this bracket is the outside
cylinder C, which 18 open at its lower end and in which slides the cylindrical
plunger or piston B, the lower end of which 18 in contact with and presses upon
the under carriage D; the latter in this case takes the form of a bracket, in which
18 pivoted the roller X. The outer cylinder C has rigidly fixed concentrically
inside it a sleeve in which is free to slide a vertical guide bolt K, which is
pivoted at to the under carriage or bracket D, thus enabling the latter (with
the roller X) to accommodate itself to lateral inclinations of the surface over
which it is travelling; the upper end of the piston B is packed by a cup leather b³
as shewn. The space in the upper end of the cylinder C communicates with the

page_text: force pump by means of a tube E which enters the cylinder C by a passage
This arrangement of parts enables the engine dive to control the admission of
water on an to the cylinder C in the same manner as hereinbefore described.
Any suitable description of pump and apparatus for working and controlling the
same may be employed, but in Fig. 6 18 shewn a pump which is operated by an
eccentric O fixed to the crank or other convenient shaft N. The motion, 18 com-
municated to the plunger P by a rod R which has a slotted link S pivoted to its
end by a pin T, in such manner that it can be moved by a hand lever U, having
an arm U¹, to either of two positions. When occupying the position shewn in
full lines the reciprocation of the rod R would by means of the pin p be com-
municated to the plunger P and water or air forced through the tube into the
interior of the cylinder C. This operation would take place when the lever U.
was held by the engine driver in the position shewn in full lines, but when he
releases the handle the weight Us upon it or an equivalent spring causes it to fall
to the position shewn in dotted lines, when the ends of the link 18 free to, oscilate
on the pin without moving the plunger P. The arrangement shewn is intended
for air which is admitted through passages W by the lifting of the valve w and
delivered through a passage W₁ to the pipe E; but slight modification would
enable it to be adapted to wateı.
Where air is eniployed it serves as a spring which secures easy running of
that end of the engine to which it is attached
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same 18 to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. Apparatus for maintaining an approximately horizontal position in the
boilers of road locomotives, in which one end of the boiler is supported by a
cushion of water or air which is interposed between the end of the boiler and
the axle of the 1oad wheels, which cushion of water or air can be increased or
diminished in quantity by devices which are under the control of an attendant
substantially as described and shewn.
2. The combination with a road locomotive of a cylinder C, a piston or
plunge B, and means for forcing water or air into a space X between the two
and for governing the exit of the same therefrom, substantially as described and
shewn.
3 The combination with a load locomotive of a cylinder Cattached to the under
cariage, the plunger or piston B attached to the underside of the boiler, and
capable of sliding into the cylinder C, the guide bolt K, the passage z, the tube E,
the pump G, and means for operating the same, and the cock H, substantially
as described and shewn.
4 The combination with a road locomotive or steam roller of the oylinder C,
attached to the front part of the boiler, the piston or plunger B attached to the
fore carriage or to the roller frame and capable of sliding freely in the cylinder C,
the passager, the tube E and means for forcing water or air into the cylinder C,
and for governing the exit of the same therefrom, substantially as described and
shewn
D
& Contano 1900
WILLIAM J MUNDEN,
75, Chancery Lane, W C., Agent for the Applicant