CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING CARRIAGES ON COMMON ROADS OR RAILWAYS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY BE APPLIED TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1837

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Sir GEORGE
CAYLEY, of Brompton, near Malton, in the County of York, Baronet, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His late most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-fifth day of April, in the seventh year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Sir George Cayley, His especial license, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said Sir George Cayley, my exors, adñors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Sir George Cayley, my exors, admors,
or 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING CARRIAGES ON COMMON ROADS OR RAILWAYS,
PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY BE APPLIED TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Sir George
Cayley, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in
His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
Sir George Cayley, do hereby declare that the said Improvements, and the
manner in which the same are carried into effect, are set forth and explained in
the following description thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, as indicated by the figures and letters thereon marked in corre-
spondence with the figures and letters herein contained, that is to say:
My Improvements in the apparatus for propelling carriages on common
roads or railways, consist partly of additions to and improvements on the air
engine which I presented to the public in the year One thousand eight
hundred and seven, through the medium of Nicholson's Journal of Natural
Philosophy, Chemistry, and the Arts, published in London, volume 18,
page 260, under the head of "Description of an Engine for affording Mecha-
nical Power from Air Expanded by Heat," which additions and improvements
I use in combination with new modifications of the air engine therein de-
scribed, and partly of improvements in other parts of locomotive carriages.
And I do further declare that one mode according to which I carry my said
improvements into effect is shewn in the Drawings. hereunto annexed and
herein-after described, which mode is embodied as: a sample of an air engine
for driving a carriage either on common roads or on railways, with a means
of communicating the motion of the engine to one wheel of the carriage,
omitting views of the other wheels, together with the principal framework
of the carriage and of the engine. In order that the Drawings might not be
needlessly complicated with machinery which form no part of my improve-
ments, so much only of the apparatus which I have not invented being
represented as may serve to render the connections and operations of my
improvements more easily comprehended. Although, for the sake of simplicity
of description, only one engine is shewn, it is requisite to employ two. or more
in order to pass over the dead points when the momentum of the carriage
to be driven is not sufficient to effect that purpose.
Figure 1 represents a vertical section through the middle of the main
cylinder, the separator, the furnace, the blowing cylinder, and other parts,
with views of the principal parts lying beyond the section; Figure 2, hori-
zontal section from A to B of Figure 1, with a view below it; Figure 3, a
vertical section of an apparatus for supplying fuel to the furnace while the
engine is working, part of the furnace being given to shew the manner of
the attachment; Figure 4, view of part of a rim and spoke of a compound
railway carriage wheel, being an improvement upon that given by me to the
public in the Mechanics' Magazine for May, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-one, volume 15, page 147; Figure 5, cross section of the same. The

page_text: letters and nunibers of reference signify the same things in all the Figures..
a, the exterior inclosure of the furnace of iron or other metal, in which the
air is heated to produce its expansion, consisting of a strong cylindrical case
with a flanch at top and bottom, to which are bolted by corresponding flanches
two truncated conical pieces, and over a central orifice in the end of each
conical piece a cap is securely held by a screw passing through a clamp, and
pressing against the middle of the cap; b, a lining of sheet iron or copper
within the exterior inclosure, leaving a space all around for the passage of air,
from the blowing machine into the fire; c, an inner lining of curved fire tiles
in segments cemented with fire clay, and held in contact with the sheet iron
lining by means of iron hoops imbedded in the tiles; d, the hoops supporting
the tiles; e, the curved fire tiles supported by the iron hoops; f, a septum
dividing the space between the exterior inclosure and the inner sheet iron
lining into two compartments, which I call the upper and lower air chambers of
the furnace; g, an air box communicating with the two chambers of the furnace
by two openings, one at the upper and the other at the lower part of the box; h.
the opening from the air box into the upper air chamber; h¹, the upper air
chamber; k, the opening from the air box into the lower air chamber; k¹, the
lower air chamber 1, a valve to be turned by a shaft working through a
stuffing box in the side of the air box, which valve may wholly or partially:
stop up either of the openings at pleasure, in order to regulate the propor-
tionate quantities of air to be forced through the upper or lower chamber
of the furnace; m, four or more apertures descending obliquely downwards
to convey the air from the lower chamber into the fire; n, one or more
apertures leading from the upper chamber into the furnace above the fire for
the purpose of regulating the power by increasing or diminishing the intensity
of the fire by modulating the proportion of air going through it, also for
mixing cold air over the fire with that portion which comes through the
furnace, thus affording fresh air for the combustation of gasseous inflamable
matters which may escape from the fire unconsumed; p, a grating for sup-
porting the fuel and admitting air to the fire previous to the engine being
worked, but which has no use as a grate while the engine is working, the
lower cap then being necessarily on, and consequently the supply of air to the fire
through that opening is cut off, and the supply of air limited to the apertures m,
about a foot above the grating, in order that the slagg and ashes may have
space to settle down out of the way of the burning fuel, whence they may
be removed when the bottom cap is taken off. It may be well to remark that
the caps at the top and bottom of the furnace are rendered air tight by a lute
formed of a mixture of clay or loam and salt and water, in the, same manner;

page_text: as commonly used in luting the gas retorts, or the caps may be ground into
their seats; 9, a safety valve on the top of the air box; r, a pressure mercu-
rial air gauge in communication with the air box to shew the pressure within
the box and in the passages and vessels connected with s, a blowing cylinder
of cast iron; t, a piston, also of iron, sliding in the blowing cylinder; u, the
inlet valve of the piston t, of which valves there may be two or more sunk
below the upper surface of the piston; v, the outlet valve of the blowing
cylinder opening into the air box; w, a regulating lever to adjust the height
to which the valve v shall raise, whereby it is made to perform the office of
starting and stopping valve of throttle valve, as well as outlet valve from
the blowing cylinder; x, a connecting rod sliding in a stuffing box, having
a double joint within the air box, and a long screw at the lower end; y, a nut
having a flanch revolving in a fixed collar in a cross piece between the blowing
cylinder and furnace, and working on the screw of the connecting rod to
elevate and depress the lever w. It is to be noted that the valve / and lever w
must be so placed as to act by the side of each other, that they may not
interfere with each other's motions, and thus the apparent interference shewn
in the Drawing will not take place in the engine., the metallic packing of the
piston; 1, a groove around the piston, to be about three parts filled with oil
to flood the packing and lubricate the cylinder, this groove I call the oil
chamber; 2, a ring-formed trough and pipe to receive the drippings of oil
which may escape between the packing and the cylinder, and convey it
into the pump cistern; 3, 3, the oil pump cistern, consisting of two cups con-
nected by a tube at bottom, into the first of which cups the oil from the
trough 2 drops upon a sieve of wire gauze hung within the cup; in the
second cup a pump 4 is placed; 4, the oil pump, barrel, and suction valve;
5, the plunger of the oil pump, being a tube fixed by a flange to the piston t,
and containing a valve at the upper end of the tube 6, the wire gauze sieve
suspended within the oil cup; 7, a short pipe in the piston t leading from the
hollow plunger 5 into the oil chamber 1; 8, a forcing pump with its solid
plunger and suction valve; this pump is shewn as bolted on the top of
the blowing cylinder, but which may be placed in any more convenient
situation, to be worked by hand or by the engine, for injecting water into the
furnace; 9, a pipe leading from the barrel of the pump 8 into the upper part
of the furnace pipe, the pipe being furnished with a valve at the bottom and
a rose at the upper end within the furnace, through which so much water
may be equally sprinkled on the fire, as when converted into gasses will yield
power firstly, to start the engine, and secondly to keep it in motion until
the blowing apparatus shall have compressed the air, and the heat have

page_text: expanded it sufficiently for working the engine, after which the working may
be continued with or without the sprinkling in of water; 10, a vessel which
I call the separator or dust véssel, into which the. heated and expanded
air passes through a pipe reaching about two thirds down the separater, so
that the air may have a considerable height to arise slowly, and allow any dust
from the fire to subside; 11, the pipe leading from the furnace into the
separater; 12, one or more wire gauze sieves stretched across the upper part
of the separater to intercept the dust which may be too fine to subside;
12', legs supporting the sieves from the bottom of the separater, by which legs
also the sieves can be taken out to be cleaned; 13, a pipe leading to an air
case surrounding the upper part of the main cylinder; 14, the air case formed
by a jacket bolted around the main cylinder; 15, a valve to stop or allow
the passage of air from the seperater into the pipe 13; this valve may be
worked through a stuffing box filled with asbestos, and is raised and lowered
by a revolving nut and handle acting on a screw in the valve rod, as herein-
before shewn, for working the connecting rod of the regulating lever at w, a;
16, a pipe or flue to convey away the air after it has performed its duty
in the air case; 17, a throttle valve to prevent the egress of warm and the
ingress of cold air when the valve 15 is shut; 18, a water cistern surrounding
the lower half of the main cylinder to keep it cool; 19, the main piston sliding
within the cool sides of the lower half of the main cylinder; 20, the metallic
packing of the main piston; 21, the lubricating apparatus, consisting of the
oil chamber, the oil trough, pump, cistern, oil pump, and conducting pipe,
constructed exactly as those herein-before described at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, for the
lubricating apparatus of the blowing cylinder; 22, the drum or plunger placed
on the top of the main piston, and nearly filling the main cylinder, leaving a
thin plate of air around the drum, which will play up and down with the drum,
and constitute a slowly conducting medium to prevent the heat passing from the
upper part of the cylinder to the sides of the drum, or from the drum to the lower
part of the cylinder; 23, the induction pipe leading from the separater to the
main cylinder; 24, the induction valve opening outwards from the cylinder;
the stem of the valve works in a long socket raised on the cover of the valve
box, which socket becomes a guide to the valve; 25, the eduction valve
opening inwards into the cylinder, also guided by a long socket above; 26, an
arm passing through and working in the stem of the valve 24; 27, a shaft
carrying the arm 26; this shaft passes through a horizontal pipe projecting
from the valve box, at the extremity of which pipe a conical part of the shaft
is ground in air-tight; 28, a screw turning in a nut in a bridge affixed to the
end of the pipe to force the cone into contact with its seat; 29, an arm upon

page_text: the outer end of the shaft 27 for turning the shaft, and by means of the
arm 26 raising and lowering the valve 24; 30, a connecting rod for moving
the arm 20; on the lower end of this arm is a friction wheel to run in an
eccentric groove, the arm being prevented by a guide moving in a lateral
direction. 31, the eccentric groove on the main shaft, the figure and position
of which groove must be determined by the part of the stroke at which it is
required that the valve shall be raised or lowered. 32, a water cistern through
which a current of cold water is established to keep the conical part of the
shaft and its seat from becoming too hot. The apparatus for the educ-
tion valve being similar to that just described, it will be unnecessary to refer
to the particular parts of it. It will be seen in the Drawing, that instead of
a conical part near the outer end of the shaft there is a flanch working in a
collar, this shaft not being required to work air tight like the other, the air
after having passed the eduction valve being freed from pressure. 33, a pipe
or flue for heated air to pass off from the eduction valve into a chimney, or it
may be led into a chamber which may be formed around the furnace either
inside or outside the air chambers, by which arrangement this warm air may
communicate a portion of its heat to the cold air passing from the blower into
the furnace; 34, the main shaft and crank; 35, a wheel or drum upon the
main shaft; 36, a twisted wire endless cord or band, of which there may
be several working grooves side by side on the drum; 37, a carriage wheel;
38, a pulley or drum attached to the carriage wheel, having a groove or grooves
corresponding with those of the drum wheel 35; 39, a connecting rod, coupled
with the crank of the main shaft, for communicating the motion of the engine
to the beam 40; 40, the main beam of the engine; 41, the rod of the main
piston; 42, the piston rod of the blowing cylinder; 43, rods for paralled
motion, similar to the parallel rods of a steam engine; 44; the feeding hopper
covered with an air-tight cap; 45, a worm working in an horizontal cylinder
to force the fuel into the furnace; 46, a hooked rod working through a stuffing
box for agitating the fuel when it does not otherwise fall freely on the worm;
47, the rim of a railway locomotive carriage wheel, with flanch in one piece;
48, the spoke of the wheel; 49, a ring held by several screws to the rim 47;
50, a filling-up, of hoof, of horn, of tough woods, or of other partially elastic
substances suitable for giving a slight degree of elasticity to the periphery
for diminishing the effects of percussion.
And I do further declare that in proceeding to work my air engine, I take
off the caps at the top and bottom of the furnace, and throw in through the
top opening a quantity of fuel, by preference coke, in a state of ignition, filling
the furnace rather more than half full. The height of the furnace will be

page_text: generally sufficient to create a draft for raising the fire to the requisite degree
of intensity; but should a stronger draft be desired, a temporary pipe or
chimney may be placed upon the top opening. When sufficient fuel has been
introduced, and thoroughly ignited, the temporary chimney is removed, and the
cover or cap fastened on and luted. The valve 15 is then immediately opened,
by which means the heated air soon passes through the pipe 11, through the
separater 10, through the pipe 13 into the air case 14 surrounding the upper
part of the cylinder, making its exit through the pipe or flue 16. By this
means the upper part of the cylinder will be heated together with all the
intermediate vessels and pipes, and when sufficiently so the valve 15 is closed,
the lower cap of the furnace put on air-tight, and the engine is ready for work;
but in this stage of the proceedings there is no pressure in the furnace or
generator. The eccentric movement connected with the induction valve 24
having been previously adjusted, the lever wis elevated to release the pressure
on the valve v. The valve is also turned to close the orifice h. The engine
is then started by injecting a small of quantity of water through the pipe and
rose 9 leading from the forcing pump 8, which occasions sufficient pressure
for the purpose; other methods may also be used, for instance, an air con-
densing pump may be employed to create the requisite degree of compression
for starting. If all the air from the blower be driven through the lower
opening and lower air chamber k and k¹, and thus through the body of the
fire, it may become so heated as to bring the pipe 11 to a red heat when the
ordinary quantity of fuel is in the fire place; hence it becomes necessary
to pass less air through the fire, and a portion over it, by turning the regulating
valve l; when thus properly regulated, the heat is not such as to injure the
vessels through which the heated air passes. As intense heat in the fire place
is occasionally required, the grate p, which is only of use for lighting the fire,
is placed much below the apertures m; so that the combustion does not extend
with any intensity to it; any slaggs that are formed have therefore room to.
deposit themselves, and mix in small disconnected portions in the body of such
ashes and cinders above the grating as have been formed by the coke; they
can thus be removed at pleasure when the engine is at rest, through the
bottom aperture, the cap and grate being first removed. The current of cold
air passing continually between the external and internal casing of the furnace
or generator keeps both of them from becoming too hot. If it should be
required to keep the heat of the outer casing still lower, the generator might
be surrounded by a cistern of water. In consequence of the plunger 22 when
at the top of the stroke of the engine filling nearly the whole of the upper
portion of the main cylinder which receives the heated and expanded air and

page_text: vapour, and as one of the properties of heated air is to ascend, the working
part of the piston to which the plunger is fixed never rises so high in tem-
perature or in situation as the heated part of the cylinder, but works below
where the cylinder is surrounded with the cistern of water; hence the piston
is not injured by heat. This state of coolness is much aided by the thin film
of air lying between the sides of the plunger and the cylinder, which air
being at a lower temperature, and consequently greater specific gravity, has
no tendency to rise; but, moving in its place with the plunger, and expanding
and contracting with the state of pressure of the hot air above, the film or
circular plate of air may be said to become a part of the plunger. Charges of oil
nearly equal to the respective contents of the grooves above the metallic
packings of the pistons are poured into their oil pump cisterns, which oil
is pumped up by the action of the engines, and any leakage which may pass
by the piston and fall into the oil pump cisterns will be continually pumped
up again to supply the loss. If the oil contain dust that may have passed
through the sieves of the separator, that dust is separated by the finer sieve
of the oil cistern before the pump can send it up again.
And I do further declare that the part of my Improvements connected with
the generation and the application of the power may be applied to the propelling
of boats, to the turning of lathes, or to the setting of other machinery in motion;
but the great object to which imy improvements can be applied the most bene-
ficial is, to the propelling of carriages on common roads and railways.
And I further declare that I do not claim the use of the air engine as
described in Nicholson's Journal, above quoted, separate from the combination
with the whole or the greater part of my other improvements; that I do not
claim exclusively the position, arrangements, and dimensions shewn in the
Drawings, because various modifications in this respect may and should
be made to suit local and other circumstances; that I do not claim the
metallic packing of the piston; that I do not claim the use of twisted wire
cords, except in the application of such cords for obtaining either speed or
power for propelling carriages on common roads or railways; that I do not
claim the form of the valves of the main cylinder, nor of the safety valve, nor
the modes of working them; that I do not claim the fixing in of wood in the
rim of a railway wheel as shewn in the Mechanics' Magazine, herein-before
quoted; that I do not claim the construction of the mercurial air guage.
But I do claim the combination of the new modifications of my said air
engine, with my said additions and improvements, as herein-before described.
And I do claim the application of a drum or plunger on the upper part
of the piston of the main cylinder.

page_text: And I do claim the surrounding with water the lower half of the main
cylinder against which the packing of the piston works.
And I do claim the surrounding the upper part of the cylinder with a
jacket, between which and the cylinder the heated air may pass in order
to warm the upper part of the cylinder preparatory to the commencement
of working, and by closing up the space between the jacket and the cylinder
to prevent radiation while the engine is in action.
And I do claim the introduction of the separator, in which the air may
arise slowly, and allow the dust to settle on the bottom.
And I do claim the use of the sieves of wire gauze in the separator as
additional guards against dust reaching the cylinder.
And I do claim the mode of surrounding the furnace with fire brick or
curved tiles of burnt fire clay, supported by hoops and stays, whereby the iron
casing is protected from intense heat, and thus the durability of the furnace
ensured.
And I do claim the application of the valve for regulating the proportion
of the air to be delivered above and below the fire.
And I do claim the delivering in of the air from the blowing cylinder
obliquely downwards at the sides of the fire sufficiently high above the grating
for the slaggs to settle down below the intense part of the fire.
And I do claim the regulating lever and valve leading from the top of the
blowing cylinder into the air box, whereby the ordinary outlet valve of that
cylinder is made to perform the office of starting cock, and also of throttle valve.
And I do claim the sprinkling of water on the fire in the furnace of my
air engine.
And I do claim the mode of lubricating the pistons and cylinder sides
by pumping up oil or other lubricating fluids into a groove around the piston
above the metallic packing.
And finally, I claim the application of twisted metallic wire cords over a
pair of grooved riggers of different diameters, for obtaining either speed or
power for propelling carriages on common roads or on railways, as herein-before
severally shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sir George Cayley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of October, in the first
year of the reign of our Sovereign Lady Victoria, by the Grace of God,
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender
of the Faith, and in year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-seven.
GEORGE (L.S.) CAYLEY.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fifth day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1837, the aforesaid Sir George Cayley, Baronet,
came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged
the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and
specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord One