IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE TRAVELLING OF ENGINES AND THE TRANSPORT OF HEAVY LOADS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
We, JOHN ALGERNON CLARKE and ALGERNON ANDREW CLARKE both of
145 Queen Victoria Street in the City of London, Journalists do hereby declare
the nature of our invention for IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE
TRAVELLING OF ENGINES AND THE TRANSPORT OF HEAVY LOADS, to be as
follows:-
The chief object of this invention is to provide traction engines with a revolving
bearing surface which will enable them to traverse over soft ground with a surer
grip than can be attained with wheels rolling upon the whole surface; and this
without unequal strains being put upon the driving mechanisın. The invention
also applies to carriages which are intended to receive heavy loads for the purpose
of transporting the same over soft and uneven ground.
In place of wheels fitted with endless rails as heretofore employed for the like
purpose we fit to the frame of the engine or the carriage a kind of skeleton wheel
or drum the perimeter of which is formed of a series of flat transverse bars carried
by spokes radiating from a boss or pair of bosses on the drum axle. To this axle
motion is transmitted from the engine by a chain and chain wheels or by gearing
as hereinafter described As the drum which is virtually a rotating polygon is
rotated, its flat bars will come in succession into contact and in order to ensure the
engine or carriage frame retaining a uniform level notwithstanding that it is carried
by the axle of the polygon which continually rises and falls, the said frame does on
rest directly upon the drum axle but another axle mounted in the frame carries on
each side a pinion or revolving cam which rolls upon a wheel or cam fixed to the
drum axle. These wheels or cams are so shaped relatively to each other as to
extend or contract the distance between their centres as the drum revolves, thus
neutralizing the rising and lowering of the frame wheel would otherwise result
from the rising and falling of the polygonal drum in rolling upon its angles.
We prefer to place the pinion or small cam axle directly over the drum centre
this axle carrying at each end an oval or lobed pinion rolling upon a wheel or cain
upon the drum and this wheel may be circular or formed with waves or segmental
curves one corresponding to each angle of the polygon.
As the pinions and wheels gear together they will present their longest radii in
line together when a bar first comes in contact with the ground and when it leaves

page_text: the ground and their shortest radii in line together when the bar is in halfway
position perpendicularly under the drum centre. The drum axle works in vertical
slots in the frame or is held by connecting bars from fulcra upon the frame.
The pinion and wheel segments are so proportioned that the fluctuating advance
of the engine due to the action of the rolling polygon is equalized.
Besides rolling upon the cam wheel on the drum, the pinion may be toothed
(and the drum wheel also) and employed to drive the drum.
The spokes of the drum are pivotted to the bearing bars so as to give the bars
an ad libitum ankle or fore and aft pitching movement; and the joint is nearer to
the front than to the rear edge so as to place a major proportion of the weight in a
forward position. This confers several advantages it tends to sink the forward edge
of the bar deeper into soft ground, it equalizes the pressure upon the bar due to the
combined weight of the engine and the backward thrust in propulsion, and the
bars when lifted, are as it were peeled off the surface of the ground instead of
being taken up in a parallel motion which is a matter of consequence in traversing
sticky or web ground.

page_text: We JOHN ALGERNON CLARKE and ALGERNON ANDREW CLARKE both of
145 Queen Victoria Street in the City of London Journalists do hereby declaro
the nature of our invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE
TRAVELLING OF ENGINES AND THE TRANSPORT OF HEAVY LOADS" and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:—
The chief object of this Invention is to provide traction engines with revolving
bearing surfaces which will enable them to traverse over soft ground with a surer
grip than can be attained with wheels rolling upon the whole surface, and this
without unequal strains being put upon the driving mechanism The invention
equally applies to carriages which are intended to receive heavy loads for the
purpose of transporting the same over soft and uneven ground.
In place of wheels fitted with endless rails as heretofore employed for the like
purpose, we mount the engine or the carriage on a pair of skeleton wheels or drums,
the perimeter of which is formed of a series of flat transverse bars or plates carried
by spokes radially from a boss or pair of bosses on the travelling wheel axle To
this axle motion is transmitted from the engine by a chain and chain wheels, or by
gearing, as hereinafter described, which will preserve the level of the engine or
carriage while various lengths of radius of the bearing surfaces are presented to the
ground.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig: 1 shews in side elevation so much of a
traction engine fitted with our improvements, as will serve to explain the nature
of our Invention, and Fig: 2 is a plan view of the same shown partly in section.
A is the vertical boiler of a well known type and to it is made fast the cylinder
of an inverted engine B. The boiler is mounted on a frame C, which is fitted with
bearings for the reception of a transverse shaft D. EE are the travelling wheels
or drums, provided each with six flat bearing surfaces, and constructed as will be
hereafter particularly described. These wheels are keyed to an axle E¹, which
underlies the shaft D, and serves to support the front end of the frame, the rear end
being carried by steering wheels F as usual.
G is a transverse shaft situate in the same vertical plane as the axle of the
travelling wheels and the shaft D, and serving to transmit, through gearing which
it carries, the weight of the frame, and also rotary motion to the axle of the
travelling wheels.
This axle E' turns in bearings in a pair of arms E³ pivotted to the boiler A.
The pins which carry these arms project from a strap piece A¹ which embraces,
and is rivetted to the boiler, and extends rearwards to carry a draught bar A³ to
which a cultivator or a carriage may be connected.
Above these pivot pins, the boiler is provided with a second pair of pivot pins,
which receive a second pair of arms G¹ in which the shaft G is mounted. Keyed
to the axle E near the right hand side of the framing, is a spur wheel e. which
takes into an oval or lobed wheel g. keyed on the shaft G. This wheel g. has three
times the number of teeth of the wheel e. and is designed in conjunction with
another oval or lobe-shaped wheel on the transverse shaft D immediately above
it to impart, at every rotation such an axial motion to the travelling wheels, as will
ensure the several bearing plates being presented to the ground and raised therefrom

page_text: in a manner that will maintain a uniform or nearly uniform level of the frame and
engine as well as give a uniform progressive motion to the engine or carriage.
The proportion of the wheels e. and g. will therefore vary according to the
number of bearing plates which form the perimeter of the polygonal wheel. Into
the wheel g. gears an oval or lobe-shaped wheel d. keyed on the shaft D and having
the same number of teeth as the wheel g.
These wheels are severally furnished with smooth rolling surfaces which determine
the depth of the bite of the teeth. Near the left hand side of the framing, the
axle E is provided with a wheel e* corresponding in diameter to the pitch of the
wheel e. Bearing upon this wheel e* is a double flanged wheel g* keyed to the
shaft G, and running on the perimeter of this wheel, between its flanges, is an oval
wheel d✶ keyed to the shaft D, and corresponding in its dimensions to the pitch of
the wheel d. On the outer end of the shaft D, is keyed a chain wheel d which is
driven from a chain wheel h. on a transverse shaft H mounted in bearings on the
frame. This shaft H is furnished with two spur wheels H H of different pitch,
into which gear respectively pinions i. i mounted loosely on the crank shaft I, and
held thereto by means of a clutch sliding between them.
When therefore the engine is set in action, motion will be transmitted, through
the gearing just described, to the travelling wheel axle E'.
We have said that the travelling wheels are formed of transverse plates carried
by radial arms from a central boss. This is for the purpose of obtaining a good
bearing upon soft ground. The detail of construction of those wheels is clearly
shewn in the drawings. Each wheel is provided with two sets of radial arms or
spokes e¹ standing out from a boss e which is keyed to the axle E-Fitted to each
pair of radial arms is a bearing plate e³ of cast iron, flat on its bearing surface, but
ribbed on its opposite surface to give it strength.-This plate is cast with wings or
stiffening end pieces e and a bearing e³ which runs longitudinally of the plate to
receive a coupling pin e" by which the plate is connected with the radial arms.―
Made fast to the plate e¹ and lying transversely thereof, is a guide piece e7 which
projects beyond the opposite edges of the plate, and is curved inwards at that end
which first comes to the ground during the travel of the wheel. The use of this
guide piece is to ensure the bearing plate being properly presented to the ground,
as otherwise it might, as the engine is propelled, dip, and enter the ground thereby
offering an obstruction to the progress of the engine, the opposite or rear end of the
guide piece is connected to the rear end of a guidepicce opposed to it on the
opposite side of the wheel axle, and similarly, the guides of all the bearing plates,
of which there may conveniently be six to a wheel, are connected together in pairs.
This will prevent those plates which are not in action from swaying about, and
thereby causing the stop pins with which they are provided, (for the purpose of
limiting the rocking motion of the bearing plates) to beat against their radial arms.
The reason for pivotting the bearing plates to the radial arms is to give them an
ad libitum ankle, or fore and aft pitching movement. The line of the joint we
prefer to place nearer to the front than to the rear edge of the plate, as shown in
the drawing, so as to put the major proportion of the weight of the load in a
forward position, or upon that part of the plate which last leaves the ground. This
confers several advantages; it tends to sink the forward edge of the plate deeper
into soft ground, it equalizes the pressure upon the plate, due to the combined
weight of the engine and the backward thrust in propulsion; and the plates, when
lifted are, as it were, peeled off the surface of the ground instead of being taken
up in a parallel motion, which is a matter of consequence in traversing sticky or
wet ground.
It will now be understood that when the engine is started and the sliding
clutch is put into action, the wheels will move smoothly forward and the load will,
through the action of the oval or cam shaped gearing, maintain a uniform level,
notwithstanding that the wheels present to the ground a tread corresponding to the
perimeter of a polygon.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, We declare that what
we claim is :—
1. The use in travelling engines and carriages fitted with polygonal wheels or
drums, of oval or lobe-shaped driving gear arranged as described with reference to
the construction of such wheels, for the purpose of maintaining a uniform or nearly
uniform level of the load on the travelling wheel axle during the changes of
horizontal plane of that axle (due to the propulsion of the engine or carriage) and
for equalizing the rate of advance of the engine or carriage.
2. The construction of skeleton polygonal wheel or drum as described, for
providing a firm support for a travelling load over soft ground and obtaining a
good hold against backward thrusts.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.