IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE AIR ENGINES, AIR TRAM CARS, AND OTHER LIKE VEHICLES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eustace Fitzmaurice Piers, of Westminster Chambers, in
the County of Middlesex, Baronet, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOCOMOTIVE AIR ENGINES, AIR TRAM CARS, AND OTHER LIKE VEHICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eustace Fitzmaurice Piers at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th June 1880.
EUSTACE EITZMAURICE PIERS, of Westminster Chambers, in the County of
Middlesex, Baronet. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE AIR ENGINES, AIR TRAM
CARS, AND OTHER LIKE VEHICLES."
My Invention relates to locomotive engines, tram cars, and other like vehicles
driven or propelled by means of compressed air, and it has reference to the
utilization of the force necessary to overcome the momentum of a moving air
engine or engine and train, by causing such engine or engine and train to compress
and store up air equivalent to the force, or a portion thereof, required to stop the
said engine or engine and train, or to maintain the same at a required velocity
when on an incline.
In carrying out my Invention I accomplish the result before mentioned either
by the addition to the engine of suitable air compressors which are brought
into action when the momentum is required to be reduced, or by the utilization as
air compressors of the driving cylinders, which may be so constructed as to be
capable of being used as compressors when required, whereby the necessary force
is supplied to overcome the momentum,
:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Eustaco Fitzmaurice Piers in the Grent Seal Patent Office on the
29th December 1880.
EUSTACE FITZMAURICE PIERS, of Westminster Chambers, in the County of
Middlesex, Baronet. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE AIR ENGINES, AIR TRAM
CARS, AND OTHER LIKE VEHICLES."
My said Invention relates to locomotive engines, tram cars, and other like
vehicles driven or propelled by means of compressed air, and it has reference to the
utilization of the force necessary to overcome the momentum of a moving air
engine, air engine and train, nir tram car, or similar vehicle, by causing such 1
engine, or engine and train, or vehicle, to compress and store up air equivalent to the
force, or a portion thereof, required to stop the said engine, or engine and train, or
vehicle, or to maintain the same at a required velocity when on an incline.
In carrying out my said Invention as applied to a locomotive air engine (for
example) I accomplish the result before mentioned, either by the addition to the 1
engine of suitable air compressers, which are brought into action when the
momentum is required to be reduced, or by the utilization as air compressors of
the driving cylinders, which may be so constructed as to be capable of being used
as compressors when required, whereby the necessary force is supplied to overcome
the momentum.
a
The annexed Drawing represents a sectional elevation of a portion of a locomotive
air engine having my said Invention applied thereto.
A represents one of the driving cylinders of the engine, which may be constructed
and arranged in any ordinary or suitable manner, and be fitted with the usual
accessories. In a line with the cylinder A. I arrange an air compressing cylinder B,
the piston C of which is carried on the rod D of the piston of the driving cylinder
so as to receive motion from the same. The air compressing cylinder B is
provided with valves a, a, one at each end of the cylinder, for the admission of
air from the exterior, and with other valves b, b, also arranged; one at each end of
the cylinder, for the outlet of the air when compressed under the action of the
piston C, the air so compressed is forced along a pipe c through another valve d
into the compressed air reservoir E, where it is stored up to be used in the working
of the engine.
The operation, hereinbefore described, is that which takes place when the power
of the engine is not required for the purposes of propulsion, as, for example, when
it is required to stop the moving engine or engine and train, or retard its or their
motion when on an incline, tho force necessary to overcome the momentum of
such engine or engine and train being thus utilized to compress and store up
an equivalent quantity of air to be expended in the working of the engine. When
however it is required to resume the normal working of the engine, the air
compressor B is rendered inoperative by the act of opening a valve c so as to place
the pipe c in communication with the atmosphere. The piston C then simply
receives a reciprocating to and fro motion without exerting any compressing
action, and the power of the engine is expended in effecting its own propulsion or
that of the engine and train. The air compressers may then again bo brought
into action when required by simply closing the valve e, when the air drawn in at
a, a, is compressed and stored up in the reservoir E, in the manner first herein-
before described.
In lieu of employing special air compressors I may utilize the driving cylinders
as air compressors when the momentum is required to be reduced.
This result may be accomplished in the following manner, videlicet :-I provide
the driving cylinders with suitable supplementary valves for admitting air to the

page_text: cylinders (after the manner of the valves a, a,) when the cylinders are required to
be used as compressors, the said valves being maintained closed at other times; I
also arrange the ordinary air inlets of the cylinders in connection with passages
leading to an air reservoir, so that such valves may be placed in communication
with the said reservoir when required. When then it is necessary to reduce the
momentum of the engine or engine and train, the engine is reversed by the usual
link motion, the supplementary air inlet valves are brought into action, and the
ordinary air inlet valves (which for the time being have become the exhaust valves)
are placed in communication with the air reservoir; air is then drawn in through
the supplementary valves, compressed, and stored up in the reservoir in a manner
similar to that firstly hereinbefore described with reference to the arrangement
shewn in the Drawing. Or I may dispense with supplementary air inlet valves
by utilizing the ordinary exhaust valves as air inlet valves.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part.
recited Letters Patent is,-
The utilization of the force necessary to overcome or reduce the momentum of
the moving air engine, air engine and train, air tram car, or similar vehicle, by
causing such engine, engine and train, or vehicle, to compress and store up air
equivalent to such force, or a portion thereof, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eustace Fitzmaurice Piers, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Twenty ninth day of December,