IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1836

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
Booтп, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-third day of January, in the sixth year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry
Booth, His especial licence, that I, the said Henry Booth, my exors, adiñors,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Booth, my exors, admiors, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE
LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND RAILWAY CARRIAGES;" in which said Letters Patent
there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Henry Booth, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Booth, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inventions, and
the manner in which the same are to be performed, are described and
ascertained as follows, that is to say:-

page_text: My improvement applicable to railway carriages I declare to be a new
mode of connecting the carriages together, by which is effected an increased
steadiness and smoothness of motion at high velocities, and which consists in
an improved connecting apparatus, by the action of which the buffers of the
separate carriages of a train are held in contact with each other, so as to
prevent that independent, lateral, and serpentine motion which railway
carriages moving at high velocities assume when they are attached together in
the usual way by a simple draw chain.
Figure 1 shews the mode in which railway carriages have usually been
attached to each other by a simple chain, the buffers of one carriage not
coming into contact with those of another, but each carriage being allowed
when moving onwards a lateral oscillating motion; Figures 2 and 3 shew the
improved mode of connection for which I claim my Patent.
A is the connecting chain attached to the draw bar of each carriage, and
consists of a double working screw (working within two long lincks or shackles),
the sockets of which are spirally threaded to receive the screw bolts, which
are fastened together by a pin and cotter, so that by turning the arm or
lever of the said screws, the connecting apparatus is lengthened or shortened
at pleasure, to the extent of the long links or shackles above alluded to in
which they work. This screw chain being placed on the hooks or turned up
ends of the carriage draw bars (D), the buffers (B) of each adjoining carriage
being first brought close or nearly close together, the lever (Z) is turned round
a few times till the draw bars (D) are drawn an inch or two beyond their
shoulders on the face of the carriage frame (C), stretching the draw springs
(to which the draw bars are attached) to the extent of a fourth or fifth part of
their whole elasticity, and by that degree of force attaching the buffers of the
adjoining carriages together, and giving by this means to a train of carriages
a combined steadiness and smoothness of motion at rapid speeds, which they
have not when the buffers of each carriage are separate from those of the
adjoining carriage; W is a weight to keep the lever in a vertical position, and
prevent the unscrewing of the chain when in action.
Now, I do not claim as new the separate parts before described of the
buffers, screw chain, or draw bars attached to a draw spring; but I claim the
combination and joint action of those parts as described, and the consequent
close but elastic attachment of the carriages to each other, which constitutes
my improvement applicablo to railway carriages.
And my improvement applicable to the locomotive engines which draw the
railway carriages, I declare to be a new mode of checking the speed of the
engine, or stopping it altogether, which is effected by introducing a throttle

page_text: valve, slide, or damper into the exhausting steam pipe of the engine, commonly
called the blast pipe, which is usually placed in the chimney in front of the
engine; and which throttle valve may be most conveniently introduced where
the two exhausting pipes are united into one, below the place where the pipe
is contracted in area for the purpose of producing a blast to the furnace.
From the throttle valve must procced a rod or long handle extending through
the chimney to the back part of the boiler, so as to lie within convenient reach
of the engine man, who, by moving the said handle, can close the slide or
throttle valve either partially or altogether, as may be required. And the
throttle valve need not be altogether steam-tight, but should be made to work
freely in its place. The engine man, when he wishes to stop or slacken the
speed of his engine, closes or contracts his throttle valve without shutting off
the steam in its passage from the boiler to the engine. The pistons by that
means are speedily but not suddenly or violently checked, and the driving
wheels of the engine no longer revolving, or revolving very slowly, the engine
is soon brought to a stand.
Now, I do not claim as new any particular kind of throttle valve, which may
be left to the judgment of the engineer, provided it be so constructed that,
when open, the steam way be not contracted, but may allow the steam to
escape freely as if no valve or damper were introduced; but I claim the
introduction of a throttle valve or damper into the exhausting steam pipe of
a locomotive engine, by closing or contracting which, the engineman can check
or stop his engine at pleasure.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Booth, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-six.
HY BOOTH. (L.S.)