IMPROVEMENTS DN RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND LOCOMOTIVES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Henry, of 68, Fleet Street, in the
City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
DN RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND LOCOMOTIVES."-A communication from
abroad by Henry Giffard, of 33, Boulevart Saint Martin, Paris,
France.
Sealed the 3rd April 1866, and dated the 11th October 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Henry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th October 1865.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of 68, Fleet Street, in the City of London,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND LOCOMOTIVES," communicated to
me from abroad by Henry Giffard, of 33, Boulevart Saint Martin, Paris,
France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to railway engines and locomotives, and has for
its object to prevent or reduce their oscillation and lateral motion when
travelling. For this purpose the body of the carriage is fitted over or
combined with the frame or under carriage at a little distance from it, or
so that there shall be a small space between them, suitable connections,
fittings, or interposed appliances, as herein-after described, being used;
and means are provided of presenting sufficient friction and resistance to

page_text: the motion of the body with respect to the under carriage or frame to
prevent undue play. I proceed to describe various arrangements for the
purpose. Spherical, elliptical, or otherwise shaped rollers or blocks work-
ing between plane or concave surfaces may be interposed between the
frame or under carriage and the body, so that the latter works thereon;
or the body may be suspended by arms, chains, straps, springs, cords,
rods, or similar contrivances adjustable by screws or otherwise. The body
may be fitted on brackets suspended from the frame or under carriage
at their lower ends by chains, or the like, disposed obliquely or otherwise;
or it may be supported on a segmental block or bracket, or on springs
disposed vertically, or on wheels or segments turning or oscillating on axes
or on cranks. The body and under carriage may be kept together by
chains, stops, uprights, jointed rods, or other means. Adjustable springs
may be fitted at intervals between the body and the under carriage. These
may be attached at top to the latter, and at bottom to brackets on the
former. One arrangement consists of a number of spiral springs attached:
to two plates enclosed in a double casing"; or band 'springs acting vertically
or transversely may be used. For resisting transverse oscillation an
arrangement may be used in which á rod or piston works in a cylindrical
or conical chamber attached to the body, and bears on a plug or buffer
against which works a spring. To this rod or piston is jointed a rod or
arm which is connected at bottom with a cylindrical or conical tube
which fits round a rod, buffer, or plug fixed to the frame or under carriage,
and is tightened by a spring or otherwise. A large longitudinal or trans-
verse spring may be used, fastened at the centre to the under carriage, and
having at its ends straps or bearings supporting adjustable arms or cranks
working on axes or pins held in brackets secured under the body. The
spring may be in halves jointed together. Instead of the spring a rod
with ball and socket joint may be used, the pin which works in the strap
being fixed directly under the frame or under carriage.
The Invention may be applied to a locomotive by constructing it in two
parts, an upper part or body and a lower part or under carriage. The
former comprises the boiler, furnace, and accessories, and the latter the
wheels, under carriage frame, axle guards, ordinary springs, driving and
motion gear, and appurtenances. The upper portion or body is fitted to
or combined with the under portion or carriage by one or more of the
arrangements above described, the steam pipes being of course flexible or
jointed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Michael Henry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th April 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
5 HENRY, of 68, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Michael Henry, Her special licence that I, the said Michael
Henry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Michael Henry, my 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 RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND LOCOMOTIVES," communicated to
me from abroad by Henry Giffard, of 83, Boulevart Saint Martin, Paris,
› France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Michael
Henry, 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 Michael Henry, 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
following statement thereof, as communicated to me, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to engines and locomotives, and has for its object
to prevent or reduce their oscillation or vibration and lateral motion when
travelling. For this purpose the body of the carriage is fitted over or
combined with the frame or under carriage at a little distance from it, so
that there shall be a small space between them, and connections, fittings,
or interposed appliances as herein-after described are used, and means are
provided of presenting sufficient friction and resistance to the motion of

page_text: the body with respect to the under carriage to prevent undue play of the
former on the latter.
I now proceed to describe various arrangements for the purpose.
Spherical, elliptical, or otherwise shaped rollers working between plane or
concave surfaces may be interposed between the under carriage and the
body, so that the latter works thereon; or the body may be suspended by
arms, chains, straps, springs, cords, rods, or similar contrivances rendered
adjustable by screws or otherwise. The body may be fitted on brackets
suspended from the frame or under carriage at their lower ends by chains
or the like, disposed obliquely or otherwise; or it may be supported on
a segmental block or bracket, or on springs disposed vertically, or on wheels
or segments turning or oscillating on axes or on cranks. The body and
under carriage may be kept together by chains, stops, uprights, jointed
rods, or other means. Adjustable springs may be fitted at intervals between
the body and the under carriage. These may be attached at top to
the latter, and at bottom to brackets on the former. One arrangement
consists of a number of spiral springs attached to two plates enclosed in a
double casing; or band springs acting vertically or transversely may be
used. For resisting transverse oscillation an arrangement may be used in
which a rod or piston works in a cylindrical or conical chamber attached
to the body, and bears on a plug or buffer against which works a spring.
To this rod or piston is jointed a rod or arm, which is connected at bottom
with a cylindrical or conical tube, which fits round a rod, buffer, or plug
fixed to the frame or under carriage, and is tightened by a spring or other-
wise. A large longitudinal or transverse spring may be used, fastened at
the centre to the under carriage, and having at its ends straps or bearings
supporting adjustable arms for cranks, working on axes or pins held in
brackets secured under the body. The spring may be in halves jointed
together. Instead of the spring, a rod with ball-and-socket joint may be
used, the pin which works in the strap being fixed directly under the frame
or under carriage.
The Invention may be applied to a locomotive by constructing the
locomotive in two parts, an upper part or body and a lower part or under
carriage. The former comprises the boiler and furnace and their acces-
sories, and the latter the wheels, under carriage frame, axle guards, ordi-
nary springs, driving and motion gear, and appurtenances. The upper
portion or body is fitted on, fitted to, or combined with the under portion
or carriage by one or more of the arrangements above described, the steam
pipes being of course flexible or jointed. It is important that carriages to

page_text: which this Invention is applied should have the bodies hung about one or
two feet from the under carriage, and when supported on rollers the curve
of the plates on which the rollers work must of course correspond with
this length.
Figure 1 shows an arrangement in which the body is supported on balls
or rollers a, working between curved or hollow plates p, (or between
curved and flat plates, that is, one plate being curved and the other plane.)
In Figure 2 an oval ball or roller a is used; it works between two flat or
nearly flat plates p.
Figures 3 and 4 show arrangements in which the means of suspension
employed consist of rods, chains, straps, or cords a, b, capable of adjust-
ment as to length by screws or other ordinary regulating contrivance, and
used in any desired number, both longitudinally and transversely. All or
any portion of the chain a, b, may be made flexible in a vertical direction
by forming it of springs.
Figure 4 is an end view, and Figure 8 a side view of an arrangement in
which the carriage body is limited in its longitudinal play or vibration by
chains or cords, a, b, arranged in a triangular form. In the four preceding
arrangements, and in others analogous thereto, the weight of the carriage
body restores it to position, since it cannot be displaced horizontally.
without rising more or less.
Figure 5 shews an arrangement in which the carriage body is supported
on a block Z, which, instead of being placed as shewn, may be disposed
with the bottom part uppermost, according as to whether the radius of the
curved path be greater than or equal to its height. Here also the weight
of the carriage body restores it to position, or springs working horizontally
may be used for the purpose; the forms of the rollers, plates, and wheels
used in this Invention may of course be varied, the principle of action as
described being retained.
In the arrangement shewn in Figure 6, an upright spring is used to
support the weight of the carriage body; this spring may act transversely
only, or both transversely and longitudinally, its smaller end being
downward or upward. The body is brought back to position by the spring,
it being of sufficient power to overcome the tendency of the body to
descend by its own weight.
-;
In Figure 7, a ball or roller a, working between two flat plates p, is
employed. Here the carriage body, when displaced on the under carriage-
horizontally by the vibration, is not raised, and as it will not be brought
back to its proper position by its weight, one or more springs are; used for

page_text: the purpose, such springs acting transversely, and when desired, longi-
tudinally. When the motion of the body on the under carriage is to be
restricted in the transverse direction only, wheels or segmental or sector-
shaped blocks, working on axes, and coming in contact with plates or
surfaces at only one point of their periphery are used instead of rollers
working against surfaces at two points of their periphery; or short rods or
links may be used at one or parts; between the body and under
carriage there should be means of producing friction to resist the motion
of the body on the under carriage when too prolonged. Springs may be
used to resist the transverse motion.
Figure 9 shews a carriage with the suspending and frictional appliances;
the latter are so arranged that each may be regulated or adjusted in-
dependently of the others. Here the body is hung on eight sets of steel or
brass spiral springs A, fixed at their upper ends to the under carriage,
and at the lower ends to a bracket R secured to the body. The springs
may be extended or not before being fitted in place, and they are attached
to two plates enclosed in a double casing. Instead of spiral springs flat
springs may be used, acting either transversely or vertically, and so as to
support the weight of the empty carriage body. The total amount of
flexibility or resilience should not be less than about ths of a foot, but it
may be much more.
In Figure 9, B is a chain, one end of which is secured to a longitudinal
bar extending wholly along and under the centre of the body, and the
other end is attached to a cross frame bar of the under carriage. This
chain stops the motion of the carriage in a longitudinal direction, without
interference with the up-and-down transverse play of the body on the
under carriage. Instead of a chain B, a jointed rod may be used, or one
or more stops or uprights fixed at each end at or nearly at the longitudinal
axis, so as not to interfere with the angular motion of the under carriage
with respect to the body, while keeping the body on the under carriage in
case of jerks, shocks, or sudden change of speed. Figure 9 also shews a
frictional apparatus, which is used at the four angles of the carriage body
to limit undue motion thereof; its upper part consists of a cylinder C, in
which is a piston or thick rod, against which presses a piston or plug E,
acted on by a spring and regulated by a screw, so that by working the
lever or rod F, frictional resistance is offered to the up-and-down play of
the body on the under carriage without interfering with the transverse
motion. The lower part of the frictional apparatus consists of a conical
plug or rod G, fixed to the under carriage, and enclosed in a conical

page_text: casing H* in frictional contact with it; to this casing H* is attached the
lever or rod F; the casing is tightened up to the conical rod by a spring;
the friction thus obtained acts through the lever F, and presents the
required resistance to the transverse play of the body. Instead of the
cylinder C, another conical casing may be used, being fixed to the body,.
and acting on the lever F by means of an interposed lever jointed thereto.
Instead of this frictional apparatus ordinary frictional apparatus may be
used for the purpose.
Figure 10 shews an arrangement of springs which allows sufficient
traverse play for overcoming vibration, longitudinal stops and frictional
apparatus not being here required. In this Figure 10, A is a spring con-
sisting of thin springs from 9 to 12 feet long, and about th-inch thick,
secured rigidly at the centre to the under carriage; at each end of the spring
is a short strap E, supporting a connecting rod B, fitted with adjusting or
set screws or other ordinary regulating contrivance for adjusting its position
to the length of the body. This rod allows the body sufficient traverse
play, but when it moves in that direction its lower or broad surface comes
in frictional contact with a journal C, forming part of a bracket D, rigidly.
fixed under the carriage body, and the friction arising from the weight
suffices to check any tendency to oscillate. The spring A may be made in
two distinct halves, each half being held in an inclined joint fixed to the
under carriage, see Figure 11. The springs may also be placed trans-
versely under the body. When only lateral vibrations are to be checked,
without regard to up-and-down oscillations, the arrangements, Figure 10,
may be used without the spring, the smaller strap E being fixed directly to
the under carriage, any of the previously described arrangements may
be combined therewith.
Figures 12 and 13 shew an arrangement in which two extra longitudinal
frame bars A are fixed to the bottom of the body, extending the whole
length thereof. To these bars are fixed four armed brackets B, on which
are secured each transverse spring; the ends of these springs bear on the
lower part of a long strap C, D, about a foot and a half long, dependant at
its upper end from the under carriage E by a wide double joint. The
spring, which is shewn as not extended in Figure 12, is extended by a
nut F, the strap is best formed of two parts, jointed at right angles to each
other so as to have at a part of its length, say from G to H, a certain lon-
gitudinal play, necessitated by the angular lateral vibration of the carriage.
Here the up-and-down vibrations are checked by the friction of the spring,
and the transverse vibrations by the end of the strap.

page_text: In order that the journals may cause the necessary friction, even at the
slightest angular movement, and whatever their previous play, the points
of contact of the frictional surfaces should only be at each side of the axis,
as in Figure 13*, hollowing' out the middle at one or both sides. This
arrangement may be used at one or both ends of the rod A. A frictional
apparatus, such as above described, may be used with the transverse spring.
arrangement to stop the up-and-down play, and the roller and plate arrange-
ment may also be combined therewith; or the transverse spring may be
dispensed with, and balls or rollers, working on plates supported on
vertical springs, may be used; or the body may be supported on a set of
wire or flat spiral or other springs acting upright and held in sockets at one
or both ends, and capable of yielding in any direction, either vertically or
laterally; or the body may be supported on the under carriage by hollow
rollers or balls made of crossed wire or elastic strips.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise mechanical details herein-before explained,
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of the Inven-
tion as herein set forth, and I declare that I claim-
First, the application to carriages of the arrangement, substantially as
described, for the purpose of preventing or reducing their oscillation or
vibration and lateral motion when travelling.
Second, the construction of locomotives in the manner and with the
arrangements described, for the purpose of preventing or reducing their
oscillation or vibration and lateral motion when travelling.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Henry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
M. A. GREEN,
68, Fleet Street,
London.
M. HENRY. (L.S.)