Improvements in Tricycles and other Road Vehicles Propelled by Steam.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1336.
Complete Left, 3rd June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 5th July, 188"
Improvements in Tricycles and other Road Vehicles Propelled
by Steam.
I, JAKOB SCHWEIZER, Manufacturer, of Solothurn, Switzerland, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
The improved road carriage hereinafter described is shown on the annexed
drawings as a tricycle. A frame connecting the axle bearings carries the whole
steam generating and locomotive apparatus together with a tank for liquid fuel.
The principal features of novelty relate to the construction of the frame, the
arrangement of the speed changing gear, as well as to the method of conducting the
liquid fuel under the generator and the method of combustion.
In the annexed drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation with section A-B, Fig. 2 a
plan, Fig. 3 a rear view with section through the furnace. Fig. 4 shows in detail
the regulating cock for the fuel. Figs. 5 to 7 represent details of the frame and axle
bearings. Figs. 8 and 9 represent a special kind of furnace.
The frame a forms the supporting skeleton for the vehicle, and is supplemented by
the floor carrying frame a' and the beam a² connected with the leading wheel. Into
the frame a, made of flat iron, are inserted the two bearing blocks b, as shown in
Fig. 5. The plate 61 covers the joint between the frame a and the block b; 63 is the
cover of the axle bearing. In a similar manner are formed the other connections with
the frame a, for instance the coupling sleeve c of the beam a², Fig. 7, with covers c¹
and ; or the coupling sleeve d and e of the floor carrying frame Figs. 1 and 2, or
the connection with the seat or with the roof supports. The leading wheel is applied
in the manner usually adopted for tricycles. h is a fuel tank, k the steam generator,
the steam engine and 7 the water tank.
A cock m (Figs. 2 and 4) serves to regulate the flow of fuel from the tank h into
the tuben and the furnace k¹. The plug m¹ of the cock contains-instead of an
ordinary liquid passage, a number of small holes, partly to prevent flames from
penetrating accidently through the cock, but chiefly to ensure an accurate regulation
of the fuel supply. Thin pipes k² entering the furnace k¹ supply the atmospheric air
necessary for combustion. The fuel entering through pipe n spreads over the floor of
k2

page_text: the combustion chamber, where it is consumed. A slight heating of the bottom of the
boiler is sufficient to start the combustion, after which the vapours generated catch
fire by contact with the flame of the heating paper passed through one of the small
tubes k.
This arrangement of the combustion chamber is specially intended for volatile fuel
similar to alcohol, while a new construction of burners (see vertical and horizontal
section Figs. 8 and 9) serves for fuel similar to petroleum. A narrow tank
receiving the wick and petroleum forms a serpentine in the interior of the ring for the
purpose of increasing the burning surface. The canal n conducts the petroleum into
the tank into which asbestos wicks are introduced.
For regulating the supply of fuel from the drivers seat, I use an appliance
connected with the plug m² of the cock, which consists of an oblique shaft m³ having
a handwheel or crank at one, and tooth wheels m² at the other end.
The steam conduits and water feeding appliances may be of any ordinary design;
the exhaust may be conducted through the water tank for heating the feed water.
For increasing the speed at the expense of the power, and vice-verså I employ a set
of change wheels, Figs. 1 and 3 which is combined with the planet wheel frequently
employed in tricycles. For the chain wheel I substitute a pair of spur wheels p and p
of unequal diameters, situated between the lateral bevel wheels 99'. The wheels oo¹
on the crankshaft are adapted to slide by means of a sleeve or similar mechanism in
such a manner, that for driving the vehicle by the engine, either o gears with p,
or o' with p¹. In the position represented by Fig. 3 both pairs of spur wheels are out
of gear, at which moment the engine does not act on the wheel axle.
For steering the front wheel I employ the well known rack-mechanism with
crank s mounted on the axle of the fork t which holds the front wheel; and for
stopping or braking the driving wheel I apply the block u by means of a treadle v
mounted on the axle v¹.
Dotad this 2rd dove of Santamber 1886

page_text: I, JAKOB SCHWEIZER, Manufacturer of Solothurn, Switzerland, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The hereinafter described road carriage is shown on the drawings filed with the
provisional specification as a tricycle. A frame connecting the axle bearings carries
the whole steam generating and locomotive apparatus, together with a tank for liquid
fuel.
The principal features of novelty relate to the construction of the frame, the
arrangement of the speed changing gear, as well as to the method of conducting the
liquid fuel under the generator, and the method of combustion.
In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation with section A-B, Fig. 2 a plan,
Fig. 3 a rear view with section through the furnace. Fig. 4 shows in detail the
regulating cock for the fuel. Figs. 5 to 7 represent details of the frame and axle
bearings. Figs. 8 and 9 represent a special kind of furnace.
The frame a forms the supporting skeleton for the vehicle, and is supplemented by
the floor carrying frame a¹ and the beam a² connected with the leading wheel. Into
the frame a, made of flat iron, are inserted the two bearing blocks b, as shown in
Fig. 5. The plate 61 covers the joint between the frame a and the block b ; b² is the
cover of the axle bearing. In a similar manner are formed the other connections
with the frame a: for instance the coupling sleeve c of the beam a² Fig. 7, with
covers c¹ and ²; or the coupling sleeve d and c of the floor carrying frame Figs. 1
and 2, or the connection with the seat, or with the roof supports. The leading wheel
is applied in the manner usually adopted for tricycles. is a fuel tank, k the steam
generator, i the steam engine, and 7 the water tank.
A cock m (Figs. 2 and 4) serves to regulate the flow of fuel from the tank h into
the tube n and the furnace ¹. The plug m¹ of the cock contains instead of an
ordinary liquid passage, a number of small holes, partly to prevent flames from
penetrating accidently through the cock, but chiefly to ensure an accurate regulation
of the fuel supply. Thin pipes k² entering the furnace k¹ supply the atmospheric air
necessary for combustion. The fuel entering through pipe n spreads over the floor of
the combustion chamber, where it is consumed. A slight heating of the bottom of
the boiler is sufficient to start the combustion after which the vapours generated catch
fire by contact with the flame of the heating paper passed through one of the small
tubes k.
This arrangement of the combustion chamber is specially intended for volatile fuel
similar to alcohol, while a new construction of burners (see vertical and horizontal
sections Figs. 8 and 9) serves for fuel similar to petroleum. A narrow tank x,
receiving the wick and petroleum forms a serpentine in the interior of the ring for

page_text: the purpose of increasing the burning surface. The canal n conducts the petroleum
into the tank into the straight portions of which asbestos wicks are laid.
For regulating the supply of fuel from the drivers seat, I use an appliance connected
with the plug m¹ of the cock which consists of a shaft m³ having a handwheel or
crank at one end, and toothed wheels m² at the other end.
The steam conduits and water feeding appliances may be of any ordinary design;
the exhaust may be conducted through the water tank for heating the feed water.
For increasing the speed at the expense of the power, and vice-versâ I employ a set
of change wheels; Figs. 1 and 3 which is combined with the planet wheel frequently
employed in tricycles. For the chain wheel I substitute a pair of spur wheels p
and p of unequal diameters, situated between the lateral bevel wheels q, q'. The
wheels o, o¹, on the crank shaft are adapted to slide by means of a sleeve or similar
mechanism in such a manner, that for driving the vehicle by the engine, either o gears
with p, or o¹ with p¹. In the position represented by Fig. 3 both pairs of spur wheels
are out of gear, at which moment the engine does not act on the wheel axle.
For steering the front wheel I employ the well known rack mechanism with
crank s mounted on the axle of the fork t which holds the front wheel; and for
stopping or breaking the driving wheel I apply the block u by means of a treadle v
mounted on the axle v¹.
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 a steam velocipede, a frame of flat iron carrying in addition to the engine,
boiler, and water tank, a reservoir for liquid fuel, the said frame a being adapted
to connect the other principal parts with the car axle, and with the beams a', a by
means of couplings or sleeves (b, c, d,) provided with covers (b¹, c¹, d¹), substantially
as described and illustrated by Figs. 5 to 7.
2. The driving gear, comprising a pair of change wheels o and o¹ adapted to slide
on the crank axle of the engine and to be set in and out of with the
gear
spur wheels P
and p¹ situated between the outer bevel wheels 9 and 1 of the sun and planet
mechanism and supporting jointly the planet pinion, substantially as described.
3. The regulating cock m, having in its plug a number of fine apertures for the
passage of the fuel, substantially as described.
4. A burner for petroleum and similar oils, having a serpentine or coiled wick
basin into which terminates the fuel supply and the straight portions of which are
provided with wicks, substantially as described.
5. A steam-velocipede, having its frame work constructed and arranged substantially
as described.
6. A steam-velocipede provided with driving mechanism combined or arranged
substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of Tuna 1007