AN IMPROVED LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE FOR TRAMWAYS, RAILWAYS, AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Courtney Cramp at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd June 1873.
I, CHARLES COURTNEY CRAMP, of 87, Litchfield Road, Grove Road,
Bow, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE FOR
TRAMWAYS, RAILWAYS, AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The boiler is of novel construction; there are two fires; air is forced
into both simultaneously by means of a fan or other contrivance worked
from the engine, and which air is first drawn through an air chamber
heated by the waste products of combustion. The unconsumed carbon
from the lower fire is made to pass through the upper fire, thus ensuring
the consumption of the smoke. The exhaust steam after leaving the
engine passes into a chamber, thence for superheating purposes through
a dome or envelope covering the lower fire previous to its being brought
to the gaseous condition by entering the upper fire-box.
The circulation tubes are bent so as to secure perfect circulation, an
absence of priming, and the maximum of approximate horizontal
heating surface.

page_text: A plate or feather is passed round the boiler just above the water
level for the purpose of steadying the water whilst passing inclines.
The air chamber and water tank are penetrated by tubes through
which the waste products of combustion are made to pass, they enter
from the boiler into the tubes of the water tank, thence to those of the
air chamber, and finally pass of as invisible vapour into the atmosphere.
. The tubes are lined with coarse wire gauze upon which the unconsumed
carbon is deposited, they may be readily withdrawn for cleansing
purposes.
The engines are of the rotary type, but other forms may be substituted.
If rotary engines be employed the power is transmitted to the driving
shafting (placed directly beneath the engines), thence to the axle of the
driving wheels by belting or other suitable contrivances.
The carriage
may be started, stopped, or reversed by the same handle.
engines be employed cranks would be formed on the driving shaft.
Should other
The trolley is formed in two principal parts, the one carrying the
leading wheels the other the trailing wheels; the two parts arc
connected by the central pin and locked by folding plates which turn
freely on cach other by means of friction rollers; to the central pin are
attached the necessary springs; to the frame of the trolley and near to
the leading wheels are affixed hooks for securing the extremities of the
chains of the steering apparatus which consists. simply of a hand wheel
at the upper end of a vertical shaft, while the lower end is attached a
pulley round which the steering chain is passed, one link of the chain is
fixed to the lower wheel by a stud. Points and curves are readily taken
by this trolley.
The brake blocks act on both sides of the whcel simultaneously; a
hand wheel is made to act on a bell crank by a screw motion, thence by
levers to the end of a smaller lever, the centre of which is attached to
the back brake block; the other extremity of this smaller lever and the
front brake block are connected by a rod, the power exerted at the brake
wheel is thus applied to both sides of the driving wheels simultaneously;
and any possible power may be employed.
In front of the leading wheels and attached by a swing joint and
spring to the cill of the carriage a guard iron is placed, the back of
which has the same curvature as the wheel; the curved foot of this iron
just clears the rail; on a body coming in contact with this part it

page_text: immediately swings back on the wheel, the body being carried forward
till the carriage is stopped.
By this Invention the common casualties of travelling by road will.be
obviated or reduced to a minimum by the condensation of the steam,
the deposition of the unconsumed carbon, the use of air in the place of
steam for whistles, the powerful action of the brakes, and the immunity.
from danger afforded by the guard irons.