IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES FOR AGRICULTURAL AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, THOMAS RICHARDS HARDING, of Doddington in the County of Cambridge,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TRACTION ENGINES FOR AGRICULTURAL AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
My improvements in Traction Engines for Agricultural and other purposes
relate to that class of engines for use on light land and peat soils, and the like,
the object being to enable such engines to pass over such land or soils with very
slight depression thereon.
The novelty of the invention consists in the peculiar mode of construction and
arrangement of parts comprising such an engine.
Firstly. Instead of driving wheels as heretofore usual and placed one on each
side of the boiler, I use one or more suitably constructed hollow cylinder or
cylinders which may be of cast metal, plate metal bent to form and welded at the
joint, with strengthening ribs inside, or may be constructed of a number of
metallic rings of T section, plain on the outside and projecting ribs on the inside.
The said hollow cylinder. or cylinders (when more than one are used) acts or act
as a broad wheel or wheels, and if more than one are used, are placed side by side,
and is or are provided with metallic strakes fixed diagonally or otherwise around
their peripheries as at present usual on the wheels of traction engines.
In a convenient position within the hollow cylinder or cylinders, I fix an
internally toothed metallic ring as a means for causing the said hollow cylinder or
cylinders to rotate when required to do so, as hereinafter described.
Secondly. Within the said hollow cylinder or cylinders I place a boiler of any
suitable and approved construction (preferably such as used for ordinary locomotive
or traction engines generally) the axis of said boiler being in the same direction as
the axis or axes of the hollow cylinder or cylinders, the fire box being at one end
of the cylinder or cylinders and the chimney at the other.
Thirdly. The boiler is provided with and supported by wheels, whose axes are
in the same direction as those of the hollow cylinder or cylinders, and may either
be grooved or flanged, and bear elastically by means of springs upon the internal
peripheries of some of the ribs inside of the hollow cylinder or cylinders, and

page_text: guided by their flanges in its endwise position. On the upper part of, or sides of
the boiler I mount other wheels which may have. plain rims in order that, in
combination with the bearing and guiding wheels above-mentioned, the boiler.and
the hollow cylinder or cylinders may be maintained in their relative positions to
each other during the rotating of the latter around the boiler when locomotion
takes place.
Fourthly. For attaching to each end of the boiler I provide a suitable frame-
work, which embraces the said hollow cylinder or cylinders and on which I mount
the usual parts comprising a single or double steam engine with reversing
motions.
The framework also carries the fore-carriage and suitable steering wheel or
wheels (hereinafter referred to) and gearing for controlling the same. On the crank
shaft of the engine I provide gearing for driving a second motion shaft which
passes through the aforesaid hollow cylinder or cylinders, and has its bearings on
the said framework. Upon this shaft are two pinions, which take into and drive
the internally toothed rings and the hollow cylinder or cylinders to which they
are attached.
When more than one cylinder are used, the said pinions are loose upon the
second motion shaft and are capable of being connected thereto by clutches, either
both at the same time or otherwise, so as to facilitate the engine being propelled
either in a straight or curvilinear direction as desired.
The wheel or pinion on the crank shaft which imparts motion to the second
motion shaft is capable of being disconnected therefrom when the engine is
required to be stationary and used for driving thrashing or other machinery.
The crank shaft may be made to pass through the hollow cylinder or cylinders
and the pinions thereon to communicate directly with the internally toothed
rings of the cylinder or cylinders, the said pinions being loose and capable of
being connected to said crank shaft as before described with reference thereto
when on the second motion shaft. The second motion shaft will in this case be
placed outside the hollow cylinder or cylinders and in the position previously
occupied by the crank shaft in the beforementioned arrangement. In the vicinity
of the crank shaft or second motion shaft as the case may be, I mount a windlass,
its axis being at right angles to the said crank shaft or second motion shaft 'from
one of which it is driven by bevel gear when the engine is required for hauling a
plough or other implement by means of a rope across the land. The said bevel
gear is capable of being disengaged at pleasure. The steering wheel or' wheels
previously mentioned may each have a projecting flange or flanges for giving a
better. hold of the land laterally when it is desired to deviate from a straight
course and to assist in changing the direction of the engine on so broad a surface
in contact with the land as that presented by the periphery or peripheries of the
hollow cylinder or cylinders.
In some cases instead of the engine hauling an implement over the field by
means of a rope, it may travel over it and draw the implement after it, or it may
be used as a roller either for field or road; or as a traction engine upon the road.
Deted this 20th day of December 1884.

page_text: I, THOMAS RICHARDS HARDING, of Doddington in the County of Cambridge
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TRACTION ENGINES FOR AGRICULTURAL AND OTHER PURPOSES," and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :—
My improvements in Traction Engines for Agricultural and other purposes
relate to that class of engines for use on light land and peat soils and the like, the
object being to enable such engines to pass over such land or soils with very slight
depression thereon.
The novelty of the invention consists in the peculiar mode of construction and
arrangement of parts comprising such an engine.
Firstly Instead of driving wheels as heretofore usual, and placed one on each
side of the boiler, I use one or more suitably constructed hollow cylinder or
cylinders, which may be of cast metal, plate metal bent to form and welded at the
joint, with strengthening ribs inside or may be constructed of a number of metallic
rings of T section, plain on the outside and projecting ribs on the inside-The said
hollow cylinder or cylinders (when more than one are used), acts or act as a broad
wheel or wheels, and if more than one are used, are placed side by side, and is or
are provided with metallic strakes fixed diagonally or otherwise around their
peripheries as at present usual on the wheels of traction engines.
In a convenient position within the hollow cylinder or cylinders, I fix an
internally toothed metallic ring as a means for causing the said hollow cylinder or
cylinders to rotate when required to do so as hereinafter described.
Secondly. Within the said hollow cylinder or cylinders I place a boiler of any
suitable and approved construction (preferably such as used for ordinary locomotivo
or traction engines generally) the axis of said boiler being in the same direction
as the axis or axes of the hollow cylinder or cylinders, the fire box being at one
end of the cylinder or cylinders and the chimney at the other.
Thirdly. The boiler is provided with and supported by wheels whose axes are
in the same direction as those of the hollow cylinder.or cylinders, and may either
be grooved or flanged, and bear elastically by means of springs upon the internal
peripheries of some of the ribs inside of the hollow cylinder or cylinders, and
guided by their flanges in its end wise position-On the upper part of or sides of
the boiler I mount other wheels which may have plain rims in order that, in
combination with the bearing and guiding wheels above mentioned, the boiler
and the hollow cylinder or cylinders may be maintained in their relative positions
to each other during the rotating of the latter around the boiler when locomotion
takes place.
Fourthly. For attaching to cach end of the boiler I provide a suitable
framework which embraces the said hollow cylinder or cylinders and on which
I mount the usual parts comprising a single or double steam engine with reversing
motions.

page_text: The framework also carries the fore-carriage and suitable steering wheel or
wheels (hereinafter referred to) and gearing for controlling the same-On the
crank shaft of the engine I provide gearing for driving a second motion shaft
which passes through the aforesaid hollow cylinder or cylinders, and has its
bearings on the said framework. Upon this shaft are two pinions, which take
into and drive the internally toothed rings and the hollow cylinder or cylinders to
which they are attached.
When more than one cylinder are used, the said pinions are loose upon the
second motion shaft and are capable of being connected thereto by clutches, either
both at the same time or otherwise, so as to facilitate the engine being propelled
either in a straight or curvilinear direction as desired.
The wheel or pinion on the crank shaft which imparts motion to the second
motion shaft is capable of being disconnected therefrom when the engine is
required to be stationary and used for driving thrashing or other machinery.
The crank shaft may be made to pass through the hollow cylinder or cylinders
and the pinions thereon to communicate directly with the internally toothed rings
of the cylinder or cylinders, the said pinions being loose and capable of being
connected to said crank shaft, as before described with reference thereto, when on
the second motion shaft. The second motion shaft will in this case be placed
outside the hollow cylinder or cylinders and in the position previously occupied by
the crank shaft in the before mentioned arrangement.
In the vicinity of the crank shaft or second motion shaft as the case may be,
I mount a windlass, its axis being at right angles to the said crank shaft or second
motion shaft, from one of which it is driven by bevel gear when the engine is
required for, hauling a plough or other implement by means of a rope across the
land The said bevel gear is capable of being disengaged at pleasure-The steering
wheel or wheels previously mentioned may each have a projecting flange or flanges
for giving a better hold of the land laterally when it is desired to deviate from a
straight course and to assist in changing the direction of the engine on so broad a
surface in contact with the land as that presented by the periphery or peripheries
of the hollow cylinder or cylinders...
In some cases instead of the engine hauling an implement over the field by
means of a rope, it may travel over it and draw the implement after it, or it may
be used as a roller either for field or road, or as a traction engine upon the road.
.
In the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan partly in section. Fig. 2 is a
side elevation. Fig. 3 is an end elevation shewing the hollow cylinder or cylinders
in vertical section, and Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a traction engine embodying
my invention. a, a, is or are the hollow cylinder or cylinders shewn to be
constructed of. metallic rings of T section, placed in close proximity to or they
may be checked into each other, or they may be cast in one piece, or be constructed
of plate metal and welded or otherwise at the joint and have internal strengthening
ribs attached thereto, the outside or the periphery or peripheries of which have
metallic strakes b, placed diagonally or helically around it or them and rivetted or
otherwise secured thereto, as is usual on the wheels of some kinds of traction
engines. The inner projecting flange of these T, ribs are turned true with each
other, a pair in each cylinder are drilled for the reception of and are furnished
with pins c, for: forming a kind of toothed wheel, by which they are caused to
rotate, or a separate toothed ring may be secured within each cylinder as
herein before described, bolts d, placed at intervals pass through the said inner
ribs and hold the rings firmly together before the strakes b, are placed thereon or
when they require to be renewed. Ferrules of the same diameter as the pins c,
are placed upon the bolts d, where they take the place of some of the said
pins c; is a steam boiler of the locomotive type placed within the hollow
cylinders a, a, its axis being in the same direction as the axes of the said
cylinders, and projects at each end thereof, e 1. is the fire box, e 2, the smoke box,
and e3, the chimney-The said boiler is mounted upon carriages f, springs g, and

page_text: grooved or flanged rollers h, shewn in Figs. 2 and 3. These rollers h, bear upon
the edges of the inner flanges of some of the metallic T, rings as shewn-Rollers i
enlarged at their central parts, also bear on some of the inner. flanges of the
T, rings their enlarged parts taking between said inner flanges and prevent
endwise movement of the cylinder or cylinders-Pinions j, j are loose, upon the
shaft, and take into or mesh with the pins c forming the toothed or pinned
wheels or with internally toothed rings when such are used. The pinions j. j. with.
side projections bearing on the inner edges of the toothed or pinned rings are
connected to the shaft k, by the clutches when the engine is required to travel
in a direct line one or other of the said clutches being disengaged therefrom as the
case may be when the Engine is required to travel in a curvilinear direction--The
mechanism for moving the above named clutches is not shewn.
Other guiding rollers for the hollow cylinder or cylinders a. a. may be attached
to the boiler above its horizontal centre line so as to maintain it or them in a .
concentric position or thereabout with the boiler e.-When the engine is travelling,
the hollow cylinder or cylinders is or are caused by the action of the pinion or
pinions j, j to rotate around the boiler, and being of considérable breadth has or
have a large bearing surface upon the land, with a very slight depression in the
case of light land and of peat soils, and the like and for which this engine is
especially designed.-,, constitutes the actuating mechanism or the usual working
parts of a steam engine. These are shewn attached to the framework m, and to
the boiler e at the firing end thereof but if desired such mechanism may be so
arranged that the cylinder may be within the lower portion of the smoke
box el. n. is the fly wheel from which may be driven thrashing or other
machinery. n 1 is the fly wheel or crank shaft mounted in bearings upon the
framework m. o, is a spur wheel thereon which takes into and drives the wheel p,
on the second motion,shaft k-on which are the previously named pinions j, j, thus
completing the driving of the hollow cylinder or cylinders a. a-q is a winding
drum mounted on bearings q¹ q² on the framework, and receives motion from the
crank shaft n by the gear wheels q³ q' and used for hauling by means of a rope,
a plough or other implement across the land, q³ is loose upon the crank shaft n 1,
and is engaged thereto or disengaged therefrom by the clutch q³ and lever q as
occasion requires-The spur wheel o, above referred to, is also loose upon the
crank shaft n 1, and is connected thereto or disconnected therefrom by the clutch o¹
and lever o when the engine is required to be stationary and used for other
purposes.
The parts r. s. t. u constitute the steering apparatus, the wheels u. u are provided
with flanges u u₁ for pressing into and securing better hold on the land when
guiding the engine from a direct line, v are drag links at front and rear to which
vehicles or implements may be attached when the engine is used as a traction
engine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In traction engines for agricultural and other purposes, supporting a part of
the weight by means of one or more hollow cylinders such as a. a. each provided
with a pinned or toothed ring, the connection between the framing and the said
cylinder or cylinders being made by wheels or rollers running on the inside of the
cylinder or cylinders substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinabove
described and shewn in the drawings.
2. In traction engines for agricultural and other purposes arranging within one
or more hollow cylinders such as referred to in Claim 1 a boiler supported on
rollers and springs in such wise that the cylinder or cylinders can rotate around it
and means for preventing endwise motion of the cylinder or cylinders whilst
rotating substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinabove described
and shewn in the drawings.

page_text: 3. In traction engines for agricultural and other purposes, the use in combination
with one or more cylinders of the kind referred to in Claim 1, of a boiler arranged
within the said cylinder or cylinders, and a framing connected to the boiler and
extending entirely round the cylinder or cylinders substantially as described and
illustrated.
4. In traction engines for agricultural and other purposes, the use of a flange
on each of the steering wheels substantially as and for the purpose specified and
illustrated.
5. The improved traction engine for agricultural and other purposes constructed
arranged and operating substantially' as described with reference to the drawings.
:
Dated this 17th day of Santambor 1003
Witness,
THо E. CRAVEN, C.E.,
Fellow Inst. Patent Agents,
24, Victoria Chambers,.
South Parade, Leeds.
THOMAS RICHARDS HARDING.