Iм- PROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF TRACTION AND CONNECTING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND TRAINS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Henry Birkbeck, of the Firm of Tongue and
Birkbeck, of 34. Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agents and Engineers, for the Invention of "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF TRACTION AND CONNECTING APPARATUS
FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND TRAINS."-A communication from abroad
by M. Claude Arnoux, Engineer, of Paris, in the Empire of France.
of Middlesex, Patent Agents and Engineers, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF TRACTION AND CONNECTING APPARATUS
FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND TRAINS."-A communication from abroad
by M. Claude Arnoux, Engineer, of Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 13th May 1862, and dated the 24th December 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Henry Birkbeck
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th December 1861.
I, GEORGE. HENRY BIRKBECK, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck, of
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agents and Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF TRACTION AND CONNECTING
APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND TRAINS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improved arrangements of the traction and
connecting apparatus or mechanism applicable to railway carriages and trains,
whereby they are enabled to follow curves of small radius, thus rendering the
working of railways much more economical than at present.
In order to facilitate the understanding of these improvements, two con-
secutive carriages for example may be taken, in which the traction or draw
bars and the coupling bars are of equal length so as to shew the relation
which is established in the change of direction among the chief parts of jointed

page_text: trains, viz., between the direction of the coupling bars, the draw bars, and of
the axles.
The annexed Diagram illustrates the principle contained in the arrange-
ment of the several parts of the mechanism employed in carrying out the
Invention.
.
Let the line 0, 0, represent the draw bar (or axletree) of a railway carriage
or of a locomotive which is intended to take the lead of a train. Let e, e,
represent the front axle, e, e¹, the second axle; o, o¹, indicates the position of
two centre bolts intersecting the axles at their centres to the draw bar at its
extremities. Let o¹, o be the draw or coupling bar which connects this
carriage to the one which follows, such draw. bar being engaged equally on the
one part of the centre bolt o¹ of the first carriage and upon the other part of
the centre bolt o of the second carriage. If the extremity o¹ of the coupling
bar o', o, be terminated by a cross piece in the form of a T, if on this T two
points d', d, be taken equidistant from the centre o¹, and if on the axle e, e,
two other points d, d, be taken, so that o, o¹¹, is double that of o¹, o¹¹; finally
if the four points d, d', d, d¹ thus set out are joined by diagonals, the axle e, e,
will thereby be forced to adapt itself to the sweep of the curve and to con-
tinue in that position, for this position will depend on the direction of the
coupling bar o, o", which direction is given to it by the centre bolts which
correspond to the centre of the line of road, and which the geometrical
relation of the coupling bars and the draw bars, the angles which these parts
describe in their movements are exactly double those which the axles describe
under the same circumstances.
This illustration, although sufficiently exact in practice, is not altogether so
in theory, and, for instance, would not be correct if it were attempted to pass
suddenly from a straight line to a curve of very small radius. In this case it
would be necessary that the T should be formed semicircular, the diameter of
the semicircle being arranged similarly to the T piece previously described, as
indicated at Figure 2, and that on the front axle should be fixed another semi-
circular piece the centre of which should be o and the diameter d, d, and that
the diagonals be connected to these semicircles, their extremities being termi-
nated by flat pieces of chain to adapt themselves to the sweep of the curve. It
has been assumed that the draw bars and the coupling bars were of the same
length, but if this be not the case the principle will still remain equally correct,
only the distance of the points d, d, d, d, would be in an inverse ratio to the
lengths of the coupling bars and of the draw bars, always taking for a basis
that for equal lengths, at the before-mentioned distances, the proportion may
be as 2' to 1.

page_text: From the previous description it will be seen that the directing mechanism
consists of two bars arranged diagonally, and connected by their junction on
the one part with the foremost axle, and on the other with the T piece, which
is connected at its centre with the center of the second axle and also with the
coupling bar. It may be remarked that the two diagonals cross without
impeding each other in their movements, and that their extremities or points
of connection are such that, as before stated, the distance upon the first axle
is double that of d¹; d, corresponding to the second axle. The draw bar which
connects the two axles at their centres is jointed to them and to the coupling
bárs by centre bolts or pins. Like the ordinary arrangement the second
axle is furnished with a jointed frame in the form of a parallelogram,
which on one side is fastened to the draw bar, and on the other to the
coupling bar.
may,
It will be evident that the arrangement of apparatus previously described
in practice, be modified without departing from the principle of the
Invention, and it may be here remarked that theoretically it is to the arrange-
ment of the semicircular parts the preference must be given, but practically
the diagonals are amply sufficient because the entry of the curve is always
gradual and that then the inflexion of the two draw or coupling bars following
one another is so imperceptible that the diagonals do not change, so to speak,
in length, so that these diagonals, have, in addition to a stronger arrangement,
the advantage of an extreme simplicity and also that of an absence to a con-
siderable extent of the cost of maintenance..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Henry Birkbeck in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th June 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HENRY BIRKBECK, of the Firm of Tongue & Birkbeck, of 34, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents and
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Henry Birkbeck, Her special licence that I, the said
George Henry Birkbeck, my executors, administrators, and assignus, or

page_text: such others as I, the said George Henry Birkbeck, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 THE ARRANGEMENT OF TRACTION AND AND CON-
NECTING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND TRAINS," a communication to
me from abroad by M. Claude Arnoux, Engineer, of Paris, in the Empire of
France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Henry
Birkbeck, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, 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 immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Henry Birkbeck, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
follo win statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improved arrangements of the traction and
connecting apparatus or mechanism applicable to railway carriages and trains,
whereby they are enabled to follow curves of small radius, thus rendering the
working of railways much more economical than at present.
In order to facilitate the understanding of these improvements two conse-
cutive carriages, for example, may be taken, in which the traction or draw
bars and the coupling bars are of equal length, so as to shew the relation
which is established in the change of direction among the chief parts of
jointed trains, viz., between the direction of the coupling bars, the draw bars,
and of the axles.
The annexed Drawing illustrates the principle contained in the arrange-
ment of the several parts of the mechanism employed in carrying out the
Invention.
Let the line o, o¹, in the Diagram, Figure 1, represent the draw bar (or
axle) of a railway carriage or of a locomotive, which is intended to take the
lead of a train. Let e, e, represent the front axle; e¹, e¹, the second axle ;
o, o², indicating the position of two centre bolts, intersecting the axles at their
centres to the draw bar at its extremities. Let o¹³, o", be the draw or coupling
bar, which connects this carriage to the one which follows, such draw bar
being engaged equally on the one part of the centre bolt o¹ of the first

page_text: -carriage, and upon the other part of the centre bolt o" of the second carriage.
If the extremity o¹ of the coupling bar o¹, o¹¹, be terminated by a cross piece
in the form of a T, if on this T two pints d', d', be taken equidistant from the
-centre o¹, and if on the axle e, e, two other points d, d, be taken, so that o, o",
is double that of o¹, o, finally, if the four points d, d', d, d', thus set out are
joined by diagonals, the axle e, e, will thereby be forced to adapt itself to the
sweep of the curve and to continue in that, position, for this position will depend
on the direction of the coupling bar o³, o", which direction is given to it by
the centre bolts, which correspond to the centre of the line of road, and which,
from the geometrical relation of the coupling bars and the draw bars, the
angles which these parts describe in their movements are exactly double those
which the axles describe under the same circumstances.
"
This illustration although sufficiently exact in practice is not altogether so
in theory, and, for instance, would not be correct if it were attempted to pass
suddenly from a straight line to a curve of very small radius. In this case it
would be necessary that the T should be formed semicircular, the diameter of
the semicircle being arranged similarly to the T-piece previously described, as
indicated at Diagram, Figure 2, and that on the front axle should be fixed
another semicircular piece, the centre of which should be o, and the diameter
.d, d, and that the diagonals be connected to these semicircles, their extremi-
ties being terminated by flat pieces of chain to adapt themselves to the sweep
of the curve. It has been assumed that the draw bars and the coupling bars
were of the same length, but if this be not the case the principle will still
remain equally correct, only the distance of the points d, d, d', d", would be
in an inverse ratio to the lengths of the coupling bars and. of the draw bars,
always taking for a basis that for equal lengths, at the before-mentioned dis-
tances, the proportion may be as 2 to 1.
In order that the practical working of apparatus, constructed according to
this Invention, may be thoroughly understood, several views of a directing
carriage are shewn 'by Figures 3, 4, and 5 of the Drawing, the parts being
arranged on the principle previously explained in reference to the Diagrams,
Figures 1 and 2.
From the previous description it will be seen that the directing mechanism
consists of two bars A. and A¹ arranged diagonally, and connected by their
junction on the one part with the foremost axle E, and on the other with the
T-piece L, which is connected at its centre with the centre of the second
axle E', and also with the coupling bar B. It may be remarked that the two
diagonals A and A' cross without impeding each other in their movements,
and that their extremities or points of connection are such that, as before

page_text: stated, the distance upon the first axle E is double that of d¹, d¹, correspond-
ing to the second, axle. The draw bar F, which connects the two axles at
their centres, is jointed to them and to the coupling bars B, B', by centre
bolts or pins o, 01. Like the ordinary arrangement, the second axle E¹ is fur-
nished with a jointed frame P in the form of a parallelogram, which on one
side is attached to the draw bar and on the other to the coupling bar B. The
result obtained by this arrangement is that a train made up with a leading
carriage, constructed as before described, will readily travel with speed and
safety over a curve, as indicated by red lines in Figure 5; the first axle E
naturally takes the normal direction e, e, of the curve, whilst the second
axle E assumes the position e¹, e¹, which is equally normal to the curve. The
directing bars A, A³, as also the cross piece d', d¹, which connects them to the
coupling bar B assume the positions indicated by the red lines, and the axle
of the following carriage, which is connected to the first by the coupling
bar B assumes the position el, el, and thus adapts itself to the curve it has to
follow. The same description applies to all the carriages of which a train is
composed.
It will be evident that the arrangement of apparatus previously described
may in practice be modified without departing from, the principle of the
Invention, and it may be here remarked that theoretically it is to the arrange-
ment of the semicircular parts the preference must be given, but practically
the diagonals are amply sufficient, because the entry of the curve is always
gradual, and that then the inflexion of the two draw or coupling bars fol-
lowing one another is so imperceptible that the diagonals do not change, so to
speak, in length, so that these diagonals have, in addition to a stronger
arrangement, the advantage of extreme simplicity, and by the adoption of
these improvements a considerable saving may be effected in the cost of main-
tenance of railways and plant.
. From the foregoing description it will also be evident that trains arranged
with apparatus, such as herein described, or modifications thereof, may be
caused to travel over curves of comparatively small radius with speed and safety.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Henry Birkbeck, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
C T.T DIDIZDECK