IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES OR COMMON ROAD LOCOMOTIVES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Law, Ironfounder and Engineer, and John
Downie, Engineer, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES OR
COMMON ROAD LOCOMOTIVES."
Sealed the 4th August 1863, and dated the 9th February 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Law and John
Downie at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 9th February 1863.
We, DAVID LAW, Ironfounder and Engineer, and JOHN DOWNIE, Engineer,
of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES OR
COMMON ROAD LOCOMOTIVES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention has for object increased efficiency in traction engines or
common road locomotives, with economy in cost and facility and convenience
in manoeuvring.
In one modification of engine constructed according to the Invention there
are two pairs of carrying or main driving wheels, and an important feature is
the making of all four wheels both driving wheels and steering wheels. The
steering is effected by inclining the axles horizontally in opposite directions,
the axles being driven by gearing arranged so as not to be interfered with by
this inclining of the axles. Each pair of wheels has mounted on it on springs
a kind of bogie, and the two bogies support the main carriage framing, being

page_text: connected thereto so as to be capable of swivelling for the steering action
already referred to. In the vertical axes' about which the bogies swivel
there are situated two vertical shafts, each fitted with a bevil wheel on its
upper end and with a bevil pinion on its lower end. The bevil pinion on each
vertical shaft gears with a bevil wheel on a horizontal shaft mounted in each
bogie, with which arrangement the swivelling of the bogies for steering pur-
poses merely causes the bevil wheels to, as it were, roll round the bevil
pinions on the vertical shafts without affecting the transmission of the power
through the wheels. The horizontal shaft of each bogie is fitted with a spur
pinion, which gears with a spur wheel fast on the main driving wheels' axle,
and this spur pinion is, by preference, directly under the swivelling centre of
the bogie, and is made with the teeth slightly curved across their acting faces,
with which arrangement the carrying wheels and axle can accommodate
themselves to inequalities of the road without disturbing the engine or gearing.
The bogies are made to swivel, as required, by means of toothed segments and
worm wheels, being both connected and actuated simultaneously, but in
opposite directions, whereby a double steering efficacy is obtained with a given
adjustment.
Various arrangements of steam boiler and engine details may be provided
for driving the apparatus which has been described. In one modification a
multitubular boiler of the vertical class is employed, and this boiler may be
suspended in trunnions so as by its own weight to remain vertical, although
the carriage may be ascending or descending an incline. The boiler is placed
centrally and between the vertical driving shafts, which shafts are actuated by
bevil gearing from transverse horizontal shafts mounted upon suitable bear-
ings upon the main framing. The transverse horizontal shafts are at each
end fitted with overhung disés provided with crank pins, whereby they are
driven by steam cylinders arranged in any convenient way upon the main
framing. Frictional brake straps are applied to the four crank-pin discs,
being arranged to be actuated simultaneously, and giving the power of bring-
ing the machine to a dead stop in a very short space.
;
The several arrangements which have been described permit of the centre of
gravity being kept low, and with the centres of the wheels closer together than
usual with other plans, whilst extreme portability and compactness is insured.
The two ends of the engine are reversed duplicates of each other, whence
arises economy and simplicity in construction, whilst the engine may move in
both directions with equal facility, whereby the frequent necessity of turning
will be obviated.
The details described are obviously susceptible of various modifications, and

page_text: the Invention also comprises improvements in other details. Thus the engine
may be fitted with more than two pairs of wheels, and every pair or only two
pairs may be made driving wheels. The engine may also be made to carry a
load, or it may be arranged to transmit driving power to the wheels of one
or more lorries or waggons coupled to it. The engine may also be fitted
with a crane, or with other hoisting or winding details to be driven by hand
or by engine power. It is intended in general to provide the usual blast pipe
and steam jet in the chimney to assist the furnace. draft. A donkey feed
pump is arranged so that it can be used for drawing water from a road-side
stream or trough to supply the water tank, and thereby rendering special
watering stations unnecessary. Where rapid manoeuvring is required, the
donkey engine may be arranged to supply power for working the steering
details, the steersman in that case having merely to set levers for putting the
necessary motions into or out of gear; or the steering gear may be worked by
a special cylinder or pair of cylinders, the action of which may be regulated
in various ways; thus by one plan the steersman, by turning the steering
wheel, actuates the valves of the cylinder or cylinders, which last actuate the
steering details in a precisely corresponding direction and degree.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said David Law and John Downie in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th August 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, DAVID
LAW, Ironfounder and Engineer, and JOHN DOWNIE, Engineer, of Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said David Law and John Downie, Her special licence that we, the said
David Law and John Downie, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said David Law and John Downie, 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, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES OR COMMON

page_text: ROAD LOCOMOTIVES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
David Law and John Downie, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said David Law and John Downie,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the acconi-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
Our said Invention has for object increased efficiency in traction engines,
with economy in cost and facility and convenience in manoeuvring.
And in order that our said Invention, and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, we have hereunto appended three Sheets of
explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and representing one
general modification of engine as constructed with our improvements; the
same reference letters mark the same or like parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a front elevation of one modification of our improved
traction engine with the outer shell or casing removed, to show the details in
the interior, one of the wheels being also supposed to be removed to show
parts that would have been hid by it; Figure 2, Sheet 2, is a plan with one
half in horizontal section; and Figure 3, Sheet 3, is a transverse vertical
section; Figure 4, Sheet 3, is a transverse vertical section, showing a modified
arrangement of the boiler, wherein it is supported on trunnions in order that
it may maintain a vertical position notwithstanding considerable inclination of
the engine in ascending or descending inclines.
In this modification of our improved traction engine there are two pairs of
carrying or main driving wheels 1, and an important feature is the making
of all four wheels both driving wheels and steering wheels. The steering is
effected by inclining the axles 2 horizontally in opposite directions, the axles
being driven by gearing arranged so as not to be interfered with by this
inclining of the axles. Each pair of wheels 1 has mounted on it, on springs 3,
a kind of bogie 4, and the two bogies support the main carriage framing 5,
and are connected thereto so as to be capable of of swivelling for the steering
action already referred to. The main carriage framing 5 is in this example
a kind of platform built up with longitudinal and transverse wrought-iron

page_text: ribs or beams placed vertically, and strengthened by angle irons, being covered
by floor plates. At each end there is built into the wrought-iron framing a
cast-iron ribbed frame piece 6, which bears in each case upon the correspond.
ing bogie 4, or this framing may be entirely of wrought iron. Each end
frame piece 6 is formed with a tubular trunnion 7 projecting downwards, and
on which the bogie swivels, being made with a socket to fit and turn upon it.
In the vertical axes, about which the bogies 4 swivel, that is, in each case in
the tubular trunnion 7, there is a vertical shaft 8 fitted with a bevil wheel 9
on its upper end, and with a bevil pinion 10 on its lower end. The bevil
pinion 10 gears with a bevil wheel 11 on an intermediate horizontal shaft 12,
mounted in bearings in the bogie 4, with which arrangement the swivelling
of the bogies for steering purposes merely causes the bevil wheels 11 to, as it
were, roll round the bevil pinions 10 on the. vertical shafts without affecting
the transmission of the power through the wheels. The intermediate hori-
zontal shaft 12 of each bogie is fitted with a spur pinion 18, which gears with
a spur wheel 14 fast on the main driving wheels' axle 2, and this spur
pinion 13 is, by preference, directly under the swivelling centre of the bogie,
or as near thereto as can be conveniently managed, and is made with the
teeth slightly curved across their acting faces, so that the teeth are slightly
thicker at their middles, with which arrangement the carrying wheels 1 and
axle 2 can accommodate themselves to inequalities of the road without dis-
turbing the engine or gearing. The axles 2 are arranged with axle boxes and
springs 3 in a manner similar to that sometimes adopted in railway rolling
stock. The bogies 4 are made to swivel, as required for steering purposes, by
means of toothed segments 15, fixed upon them, and acted upon by worm
wheels 16, and one of the worm-wheel shafts is connected by bevil gearing
with a hand wheel 17, mounted upon a standard 18, whilst the two worm-
wheel shafts are connected by intermediate shafts and bevil wheels 19, so as
to be actuated simultaneously. This gearing is arranged to turn the bogies
in opposite directions, whereby a doubled steering efficacy is obtained with a
given adjustment, whilst, from the swivelling wheels being at the same time
driving wheels, the steering action is thereby rendered the more certain and
powerful.
Various arrangements of steam boiler and engine details may be provided
for driving the apparatus which bas been described. In one modification a
multitubular boiler 20, of the vertical class, is employed, and this boiler may
be suspended by trunnions 21, as shown in Figure 4, so as by its own weight
to remain vertical, although the carriage may be ascending or descending an
incline. The boiler 20 is placed centrally and between the bogies 4 and

page_text: their vertical driving shafts 8, being in the modification represented in Figures
1, 2, and 3, fixed to the main framing 5 by flange plates or brackets (which
are not seen in any of the views). The vertical shafts 8 are actuated by
bevil pinions 22 upon transverse horizontal shafts 23, mounted in bearings 24
upon the platform or main framing 5. The transverse horizontal shafts 23
are at each end fitted with overhung discs 25, provided with crank pins 27,
whereby they are driven by means of two steam cylinders 28, arranged on the
main framing, one on each side of the boiler 20. The pistons are fitted with
long piston rods 29, working out at both ends of each cylinder, and having
both ends fitted with slide blocks working in guides and jointed to connecting
rods 30, which are jointed on the several crank pins 27. Any other con-
venient arrangement of the steam-engine details may be adopted in place of
that described. Frictional brake straps 31 are applied to the four crank-pin
discs 25, being arranged to be actuated simultaneously, and giving the power
of bringing the machine to a dead stop in a very short space. The brakes
are actuated by means of a vertical screw spindle 32, fitted with a handle, and
mounted in a pillar 33. The screw spindle 32 acts on a lever fast on a
transverse horizontal shaft 34, which acts directly on the brake straps at that
end, and simultaneously, by means of rods 35, on the brake straps at the
other end. The steam cylinder valves are worked by means of the ordinary
reversing-link motion 36, and the eccentrics 37 are conveniently placed on one
of the crank shafts 23, whilst on the other crank shaft are placed eccentrics 38
for working the feed pumps 39.
The several arrangements which have been described permit of the centre
of gravity being kept low, and with the centres of the wheels closer together
than usual with other plans, whilst extreme portability and compactness is
insured. The two ends of the engine are reversed duplicates of each other,
whence arises economy and simplicity in construction, whilst the engine may
move in either direction with equal facility, whereby the frequent necessity of
turning will be obviated.
The details described are obviously susceptible of various modification, and
our said Invention also comprises improvements in other details; thus the
engine may be fitted with more than two pairs of wheels, and every pair or
only two pairs may be made driving wheels. The engine may also be made
to carry a load, or it may be arranged to transmit driving power to the wheels
of one or more lorries or wagons coupled to it. The engine may also be
fitted with a crane or with other hoisting or winding details to be driven by
hand or by engine power.
It is intended in general to provide the usual blast pipe and steam jet in

page_text: the chimney to assist the furnace draught; and in addition to these appliances,
provision is made for exhausting the waste steam from the cylinders into the
feed-water tank through a box fitted with divisions of wire cloth, or the like,
to suppress the sound and the external appearance of white vapour, and at
the same time to heat the feed water.
The modification of engine shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 is represented as
provided with these improved arrangements. The exhaust pipes 41, from the
steam cylinders 28, are made to communicate with the top of a box 42, placed
on the top of the water tank 43, with which tank the bottom of the box 42
is in open communication. In this box 42 there are placed a number of
horizontal diaphragms of wire gauze, through which the exhaust steam has to
pass, noise being thereby prevented, and the steam more or less condensed,
whilst it imparts heat to the feed water. To render this action the more
efficient, branch pipes, with which the feed pumps may be put in connection
when not feeding the boiler, are carried from the feed pumps 39, and unite in
a single pipe 44, which discharges the water into the top of the box 42, and
the water falling like a shower through the wire gauze diaphragms, and
carrying along with it the steam, promotes its partial condensation, thereby
rendering the necessity for supplying the feed tank less frequent than in
ordinary arrangements. Further, as the heat imparted to the feed water is
considerable, a number of tubes 45 (Figure 3) are fitted longitudinally
across the tank 43, and air entering these tubes at their outer ends tends in
passing through them to keep down the temperature of the water. for cir-
culating purposes. From the tubes the air passes into a duct 46, which
communicates with the ash-pit and with a belt 47, which encircles the boiler
above the grate bars, the air being admitted into the furnace from this belt
by tubes which cross the water space surrounding the furnace.
A donkey-
engine feed-pump 48, Figure 4, is provided as usual for feeding the boiler
when the main engines are not working, and can also be used when the
engines are working to keep up circulation in the feed tank 43, by withdraw-
ing water from the lower part and discharging it into the condensing box 42.
This pump is also provided with connections to enable it to be used for
drawing water from a road-side stream or trough to supply the water tank 43,
and thereby rendering special watering stations unnecessary.
Where rapid
manoeuvring is required, the donkey engine may be arranged to supply power
for working the steering details, the steersman in that case having merely to
set levers or hand wheels for putting the necessary motions into or out of
gear, or the steering gear may be worked by a special cylinder or pair of
cylinders, the action of which may be regulated in various ways; thus, by one

page_text: plan the steersman by turning the steering wheel actuates the valves of the
cylinder or cylinders, which last actuate the steering details in a precisely
corresponding direction and degree.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, we have to state that we do not
restrict ourselves to the precise details herein described or delineated, and
that we do not claim to have invented every separate detail herein described
or delineated; but that what we believe to be novel and original, and claim
as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent, is the combining or arranging of the parts of traction engines or
common road locomotives substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Downie, on behalf of the said
David Law and myself, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square,
Glasgow.
JOHN DOWNIE. (L.B.)