IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE OR TRACTION ENGINES, AND IN IMPLEMENTS CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR CULTIVATING THE SOIL
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Blackburn and Robert Blackburn, both of
Long Eaton, in the County of Derby, Engineers, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE OR TRACTION ENGINES, AND IN IMPLEMENTS
CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR CULTIVATING THE SOIL"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Blackburn and
Robert Blackburn at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 30th May 1859.
We, ISAAC BLACKBURN and ROBERT BLACKBURN, both of Long Eaton, in the
County of Derby, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE OR TRACTION ENGINES, AND IN
IMPLEMENTS CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR CULTIVATING THE SOIL," to be as follows:-
Our improvements in engines are based upon an Invention for which Letters
Patent were granted to us on the 12th February 1857, No. 414, and consist
in several new arrangements hereafter described. We connect rigidly to the
trunnions of the large travelling drum, or to a shaft supported in the centre
thereof, a frame which is brought out to the front or back of the drum and
forms a lever, whereby the drum may be turned and guided. The frame also
supports steam cylinders, and instead of driving the drum from the inside as

page_text: before, we drive it from the outside by means of toothed gear. We place the
boiler inside the drum and convey steam therefrom to the cylinders through
one of the trunnions on which it is supported, and feed the boiler through the
other; or we mount the boiler as well as cylinders on the frame outside the
drum, and place the water tank and fuel bunker inside the drum. Instead of
constructing the surface of the drum of smooth plates, we form it with corru-
gated plates, or other suitable uneven surface, which will cause it to grip and
not to slip on the soil. When for travelling on rails, we apply suitable flanged
tyres on the drum. We also construct the pinions for driving the drum in
such manner as to allow them to slip backward and forward on their spindles,
in order to drive the drum from one or both sides and to take them entirely
out of gear in order that the drum may remain stationary while the engine is
being used for thrashing or otherwise.
For cultivating the soil we employ rotary cultivators, consisting of a cylinder
or cylinders placed behind the drum and made to rotate by its outward
motion through the spur or bevelled gearing on the outside of the drum. The
cylinders are armed with straight or bent tines for the purpose of tearing or
breaking up the soil. We fit hauling apparatus on the guide frame before
mentioned for the purpose of drawing or hauling ploughs or other implements
in hilly districts where the locomotive would remain stationary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Isaac Blackburn and Robert Blackburn in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 30th November 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, we, ISAAC
BLACKBURN and ROBERT BLACKBURN, both of Long Eaton, in the County of
Derby, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Isaac Blackburd and Robert Blackburn, Her special licence that we,
the said Isaac Blackburn and Robert Blackburn, our executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Isaac Blackburn and Robert
Blackburn, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,

page_text: and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOCOMOTIVE OR TRACTION ENGINES, AND IN IMPLEMENTS CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR
CULTIVATING THE SOIL," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Isaac Blackburn and Robert Blackburn, or one of us, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their, or one of
our or their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Isaac Blackburn and Robert
Blackburn, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
Our improvements in engines are based upon an Invention for which Letters
Patent were granted to us on the 12th February 1857, No. 414, and consist
in several new arrangements hereafter described. We connect rigidly to the
trunnions of the large travelling drum supporting the boiler, or to a shaft sup-
ported in the centre thereof, a frame, which is brought to the front or back
of the drum, and forms a lever whereby the drum may be turned and guided.
The frame also supports steam cylinders; and instead of driving the drum from
the inside as before, we drive from the outside by means of toothed gear. We
place the boiler inside the drum and convey steam therefrom to the cylinders
through one of the trunnions on which it is supported, and feed the boiler
through the other. Or, we mount the boiler as well as cylinders on the frame
outside the drum, and place the water tank and fuel bunker inside the drum.
Instead of constructing the surface of the drum of smooth plates, we form it
with corrugated plates, or other suitable uneven surface, which will cause it to
grip and not to slip on the soil. When for travelling on rails, we apply
suitable flanged tyres on the drum. We also construct the pinions for driving
the drum in such manner as to allow them to slip backwards and forwards on
their spindles, in order to drive the drum from one or both sides, and to take
then entirely out of gear, in order that the drum may remain stationary while
the engine is being used for hauling implenients, or for thrashing, or otherwise.
For cultivating the soil, we employ, in addition to other implements, rotary
cultivators, consisting of a cylinder or cylinders placed behind the drum, and
made to rotate by its outward motion through the spur or bevelled gearing

page_text: on the outside of the drum. The cylinders are armed with straight or bent
tines, for the purpose of tearing or breaking up the soil. We fit hauling
apparatus on the guide frame before mentioned for the purpose of drawing or
hauling ploughs, or other implements in hilly districts, where the locomotive
would remain stationary.
The
the drum A is strengthened
The boiler E' is supported
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings, is a side elevation, and Figure 2
is a plan of a locomotive or traction engine, constructed according to our
Invention. A, A, is the large travelling drum which is connected to trunnions
.A', A", by means of arms or spokes B, B, meeting in central bosses Bi, B',
through which the trunnions A', A", pass. The extremities a', a", of the
trunnions pass through and support the frames C, C, to which are firmly
secured the longitudinal beams C', C', on which the engine rests.
beams C', C', are strengthened with iron plates, and
by the Trings E, E, which pass entirely round it.
by the inner ends of the trunnions, as shown in Figure 2. The surface of the
drum is composed of corrugated metal plates D, D, the spaces formed by the
.corrugations being filled in by timber G, G, in order to strengthen the metal
corrugations and prevent them from collapsing; H, H, are bevil toothed wheels
bolted on the exterior T-iron rings of the drum, into which toothed wheels,
bevil pinions I, I, gear, which cause the drum to revolve, as will be hereafter
described; E' is a boiler which is supported upon the trunnions A', A", in
the middle of the frame; K is a pipe by which steam is led through the
trunnion A' to the cylinders L, L, of the engines; M, M, are the piston rods,
which are jointed to the cranks N, N, that drive the main shaft O, which
carries at its ends bevil wheels P, P, that gear into the bevil wheels Q. Q',
which communicate rotary motion to the bevil pinions I, I, which gear into
the toothed wheel attached to the travelling drum, and so cause it to revolve;
R, R, are clutches provided with hand levers R', R', for throwing the
pinions I, I, in and out of gear, in order that the engine may be employed
for other purposes than driving the drum; S is a pipe leading to a gauge S',
for indicating the height of the water in the boiler E'; T is a foot plate or
platform, which is supported by the main frame C' and the guide wheel U.
In addition to this guide wheel we use a roller or cylinder when travelling
over soft land. This guide wheel is connected by a frame U¹ with a vertical
shaft that carries a cog wheel V, into which a pinion W gears. This pinion
is attached to a vertical shaft X, which carries a hand wheel Y by which the
whole machine is guided. The boiler E¹ is supplied with water through the
trunnion A", opposite to that which supplies the cylinders with steam; Z is a
water tank, which receives the steam from the exhaust, and contains a supply

page_text: of water for the boiler. Z¹ is a coupling chain for connecting implements of
culture or other apparatus to the engine. Figure 3 shows in side elevation a
cylinder fitted with scarifying or digging tines, which cylinder is fitted to the
after part of the engine, and is caused to revolve by teeth formed on or attached
to its sides, into which pinions gear, receiving motion from the travelling drum
of the engine. The depth at which the tines work in the ground can be
regulated at will, and arrangements are provided for raising the cylinder wholly
out of the ground when it is not required for use.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim,-
First, the general construction and arrangement of locomotive or traction
engines, and the method of working the same, as herein-before described and
illustrated in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Secondly, the general construction and arrangement of implements for
cultivating the soil in connection with the aforesaid engines, as herein-before
described and partially illustrated in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Blackburn, for myself and on
behalf of the said Isaac Blackburn, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-eighth day of November, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-nine.
ROBERT BLACKBURN.
(L.S.)