Year: 1885

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of 67 Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me
from abroad by Loyal Clark Taber, of Syracuse, State of New York, United
States of America, Manufacturer, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to the class of traction engines which are designed to be
self-propelling over ordinary roads.
The object of the invention is to increase the efficiency of said engines in their
self-propelling operation and to obtain better control of the guiding of the same;
and to that end the invention consists, essentially in the combination with the
forward or steering truck, of a counter-shaft having a flexible joint to allow one
end thereof to accomodate itself to the oscillations of the axle, so as to be
maintained at a uniform distance from the same, and mechanism for transmitting
motion from the driving-shaft to the counter-shaft and from the latter to the
forward axle, all as hereinafter inore fully described, and set forth in the claims.
In the annexed drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a traction-engine provided
with the improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the forward part of the same,
taken immediately inside of the forward traction-wheel Fig. 3 is a vertical
transverse section taken on line x Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detached front and side
view of the universal joint of the counter-shaft; and Fig. 5 illustrates the com-
pensating gear employed on the forward axle. Similar letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts.
A represents the boiler of the engine, mounted on axles B, B', which are
arranged across opposite ends of the boiler, and are each provided with traction
wheels W which usually have a transversely ribbed tread to obtain the requisite
hold on the ground to propel the engine when desired to move the same from place
to place.
C designates the driving-shaft, which receives its motion from the engine in the
usual and well known manner, and does not therefore require an illustration here.

page_text: D is the combined balance-wheel and driving-pulley mounted on the driving
shaft C.
By means of a driving-belt extended from the wheel D, to the driving-pulley of a
thrashing-machine, wood-sawing machine, or any other machine adapted to be driven
by the engine, said machine receives its power. On the driving-shaft is fastened a
pinion D', which meshes in a spur-wheel E, and from the latter motion is transmitted
to the rear axle B, by the medium of a train of gears F, F, F, F, mounted on gudgeons
secured to the side of the boiler, and a pinion Ğ on the last of said gears, engaging
with a gear-wheel H fixed to the axle. On engines of this class carrying the
boiler horizontally the propelling power has heretofore been applied only to the rear
axle, owing to the difficulty of connecting the driving mechanism with the forward
axle, which changes its lineal position when turning to travel around curves.
I overcome this difficulty by the following instrumentalities; on the forward
axle B is mounted a saddle or truck frame I, provided with suitable bearings a, a,
in which the axle is allowed its rotary motion. The saddle I is formed with a
spheroidal step b, in which is seated a semispherical bearing K firmly bolted to the
underside of the boiler, said step and bearing constituting the pivotal support of
the forward end of the boiler.
The bearing K is hollow, and has on one side an opening c and on the opposite
side a rigid sleeve d projecting therefrom. Diametrically through the aforesaid
bearing is extended a counter-shaft L, one end of which is journaled in the sleeve d,
and the opposite end projects through the opening c and is journaled in a bearing e
rigidly attached to the saddle I as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Said counter-
shaft is made flexible by a universal joint M, one form of which is illustrated in
Fig. 4 of the drawings.
This joint is located in the centre of the pivotal support of the boiler, and allows
one end of the counter-shaft to follow the axle B¹ in its oscillatory movement,
while the opposite end of the counter shaft is maintained parallel with the driving
shaft C by means of the sleeve d. This lineally confined end of the counter-shaft
projects at the end of the sleeve, and has fixed to it a pinion N which meshes in a
pinion N¹ mounted on a gudgeon rigidly attached to the boiler. The pinion N¹
has on its outer face, and concentric with it, a gear-wheel O which meshes in the
same spur-wheel E from which motion is transmitted to the rear axle, in the manner
herein before described.
All of the described gears are so proportioned as to equalize the travel of the
rear end forward traction wheels. The forward traction wheels receive their motion
from the counter-shaft L by means of a pinion p on the vibratory end of said shaft,
which pinion engages a compensating gear R mounted on the axle, said. com-
pensating gear being more fully illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and consists
of supplemental pinions f, f, arranged in openings in the web of the gear, and
pivoted with their axes radial to the axes of the gear. Said gear is loose on the
axle and stands between two collars S and S¹, which have on the side adjacent to
the gear R, an annular gear g engaging the supplemental pinions f, f.
The collar S is keyed or otherwise rigidly fastened on the axle, while the
collar S¹ is formed on the end of the hub T of the traction wheel, mounted loosely
on the axle.
The effect of the described compensating gear is obvious. When the engine
travels in a straight line, the traction wheels at opposite ends of the axle revolve
at a uniform speed; hence the supplemental pinions f, f, of the compensating
gear are dormant and simply perform the function of a clutch, which, by its
engagement with the fixed collar S compels the axle to rotate with the compensating
gear.
When, however, the axle is swung to guide the engine around a curve, the outer
wheel travels faster than the inner wheel, and consequently the collars S and S¹
have a differential movement, which imparts a rotary motion to the supplemental
pinions ff, of the compensating gear.

page_text: It will be observed that, by means of said compensating gear power can be
transmitted to two differentially moving wheels.
By applying the motive power to the forward wheels as well as the rear wheels,
I obtain increased tractive power, and am allowed to better distribute the weight
over the length of the engine, and am enabled to better guide the engine in its
movement from place to place, inasmuch as the augmented weight on the forward
wheels affords a better hold on the ground.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a traction-engine an oscillatory supporting axle having a centrally pivoted
connection with the boiler, a counter-shaft extended through the centre of said
pivot and provided thereat with a universal joint, and mechanism for transmitting
motion to the oscillatory axle through the medium of said counter-shaft, substan-
tially as set forth and shown.
2. In a traction-engine, the combination of a saddle or truck frame mounted on
the forward axle and provided with a semispherical step, a hollow hemispherical
bearing secured to the boiler and seated in the step, and provided on one side with
an opening and at the opposite side with a rigid sleeve, a counter-shaft journaled
in said sleeve and extended through the hollow bearing and its side opening, and
provided in the centre of said bearing with a flexible joint, a journal bearing on
the saddle for the oscillatory end of the counter-shaft, pinions on opposite ends of
the counter-shaft, a gear-wheel on the axle meshing in the pinion on the oscillatory
end of the counter-shaft, and a train of gears arranged to transmit motion from
the driving shaft to the pinion on the lineally rigid end of the counter-shaft,
substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 25th day of September 1885.