IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEAM ROAD LOCOMOTIVE OR TRACTION ENGINES, PARTS OF WHICH
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Hawker, of Chard, in the County of
Somerset, Millwright and Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ROAD LOCOMOTIVE OR TRACTION ENGINES, PARTS OF WHICH
L
Sealed the 14th June 1872, and dated the 19th April 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Hawker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th April 1872.
I, JOSEPH HAWKER, of Chard, in the County of Somerset, Millwright
and Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ROAD LOCOMOTIVE OR TRACTION ENGINES, PARTS OF
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO PORTABLE EXCITES, to be as
follows :-
This Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and arrange-
ments of mechanism for propelling and guiding steam road locomotive
or traction engines, and also for adjusting the position of the boiler of

page_text: such engines as well as of ordinary portable engines when of the usual
horizontal locomotive type) in order to keep the tubes covered with
water whilst ascending or descending inclines.
In propelling a road locomotive or traction engine according to my
Invention I employ endless flat linked pitch or other chains passing
partly round the rims of the main running wheels, the rims of such
wheels having rungs, cogs, or spur teeth formed thereon which gear into
the said chains. The said chains have jointed to them a series of broad
flat shoes or plates which form the actual tread or supporting surface
of the engine, the said shoes or plates being by preference bevelled at
their front and rear edges so as to allow them to overlap each other
slightly when laid upon the ground. The under bearing faces of these
shoes may or may not be provided with projections or ribs for taking a
better hold upon the ground. The power is transmitted to the propelling
chains by means of spur pinions mounted either upon the crank shaft
of the engine or upon an intermediate shaft, as preferred, gearing into
the said chains. The two chains are capable of being worked separately
or together, or of being entirely thrown out of action by the usual
clutches when it is desired to use the engine as a prime mover for
driving other machinery. The axles of the wheels round which the
propelling chains work are made adjustable in slotted bearing brackets
by means of adjusting scrows in order to compensate for or tako up
any slack of the chains produced by wear.
The combined arrangement of mechanism for adjusting the level of
the boiler and for guiding or steering the engine consists of a vertical
tube or tubular bearing secured at the top and bottom to brackets bolted
respectively to the upper and under surface of the end of the smoke
box or boiler. Within this tube is fitted a vertical screw spindle, the
lower end of which is connected to the pin or axle of the front steering
wheel or pair of wheels, which may be made to swivel or lock round by
suitably turning the screw spindle. The object of making a screw
thread upon the vertical spindle is to enable it to perform the double
function of moving the steering wheel, and of raising or lowering the
front end of the boiler, as herein-after explained. Upon the upper
screwed end of the vertical spindle there are mounted two separate
horizontal worm wheels or a worm wheel so recessed or sunk as to
contain within it a second worm wheel, a portion of the rim of the
outer wheel being cut away to afford access to the teeth of the inner

page_text: •
one, whereby space is economised. In either caso the worm wheels aro.
contained between the upper and, under surface of the top bracket.
which is made doublo or in two parts bolted together. One of the worm.
wheels has an internal screw thread made in its boss which screws on to
the thread of the screw spindle, whilst the other, has a smooth bored
boss, and is connected to the screw spindle by a key which works in a.
longitudinal groove or keyway cut in the said screw spindle. Each
worm wheel is rotated by a separate worm of its own fixed to shafts
extending back to the driver of the engine, and provided with hand
wheels for turning them. When it is desired to raise or lower the front.
end of the boiler the worm wheel having the screw thread therein is
rotated, and when the steering of the engine is to be effected the other
worm wheel is actuated, the key therein ensuring the partial rotation of
the screw spindle. The brackets above mentioned with the tubular
bearing, screw spindle, and worm wheels may be readily removed if
necessary when it is required to obtain access to the tubes for cleaning
or repairs.
In lieu of using a screw spindle and worm wheels mounted thereon
for the purpose of steering and of adjusting the level of the boiler a
vertical rack with annular teeth may be used in connection with a spur
pinion worked by a worm wheel and worm for raising and lowering the
front end of the boiler.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Hawker in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th October 1872.
..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
HAWKER, of Chard, in the County of Somerset, Millwright and
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her, heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Joseph Hawker, Her special license that
I, the said Joseph Hawker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or

page_text: TO
such others as I, the said Joseph Hawker, my executors, administrators,
or 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 STEAM ROAD LOCOMOTIVE
OR TRACTION ENGINES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE
PORTABLE ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Joseph Hawker, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Joseph Hawker, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say :-
My said Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and
arrangements of mechanism for propelling and guiding steam road
locomotive or traction engines, and also for adjusting the position of the
boilers of such engines as well as of ordinary portable engines (when of
the usual horizontal locomotive type) in order to keep the tubes covered?
with water whilst ascending or descending inclines,
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I
shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures,
Figure 1 of my Drawings is a side elevation of a traction engine (the
actuating cylinders being omitted) constructed in accordance with
my said Invention and shewing the steering and boiler level adjusting
apparatus in vertical section; Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the 3
engine, and Figure 3 is a detail inside plan of a portion of the combined
driving chain and shoes,

page_text: In propelling a road locomotive or traction engine according to my
Invention I employ tivo endless flat linked pitch or other chains A, A,
which pass partly round the rims of the main or driving wheels B, B,
the rims of such wheels having rings a or cogs or spur teeth formed
thereon, which gear into the said chains. The said chains have jointed
to them by lugs and joint pins & a series of broad flat shoes or plates O, O,
which form the actual tread or supporting surface of the engine and are
by preference bevelled at their front and rear edges as shown at c, c,
so as to allow them to overlap each other slightly when laid upon the
ground. The under bearing faces of those shoes may or may not be
provided with projections or ribs for taking a better hold upon the
ground. The power is transmitted to the propelling chains by means
of spur pinions or by wheels D, D; provided with rings & gearing therein
and mounted loosely upon the crank shaft E of the engine which works
in the inner and outer bearings F, F, carried by the side brackets or
standards G, which are bolted to the barrel of the boiler H, or the said
wheels D may be mounted on an intermediate shaft as preferred. One
of the chains is removed in Figure 2 to show the ring wheel D and
other parts more clearly.
The two chains are capable of being worked separately or together
or of being entirely thrown out of action by the usual sliding clutches
at I, I, when it is desired to use the engine as a prime mover for driving
other machinery or for facilitating the turning of sharp curves. The
sliding clutches may be worked by corresponding sliding rods J, J,
having inclines thereon as shewn dotted at e in Figure 2. These
sliding rods each work in guides f, f, bolted to the inner brackets or
standards which carry the inner bearings F of the driving shaft, and
the lateral inclined part e of each rod works in slots made transversly
through a horizontal tubular socket piece bolted to the outer sides of
the inner brackets, within each of which sockets works a sliding stud,
having also a transverse slot made in it for the passage of the incline e,
and carrying a fork which is connected to and moves the clutch. The
axles K of the driving wheels B round which the propelling chains
work are made adjustable in slotted bearing brackets L bolted to the
fire-box, the adjustment being effected by means of adjusting screws g,
in order to compensate for or take up any slack of the chains produced:
by wear, and to facilitate the placing the said chains on and their
renoval from the wheels h´are fixing screws passing through the axle
and abutting against the fire-box,
•

page_text: The combined arrangement of mechanism for adjusting the level of
the boiler and for guiding or steering the engine consists of a vertical
tube or tubular bearing M secured at the upper part, and at the lower
end to brackets N and O bolted respectively to the upper and under
surface of the end of the smoke box or boiler. Within this tubo there
is fitted a vertical screw spindle P, the lower end of which is connected
to the pin or axle Q of the front steering wheel R, or pair of wheels
(if preferred), which may be made to swivel or lock round by suitably
turning the screw spindle. The object of making a screw thread upon
the vertical spindle P is to enable it to perform in addition to the
function of moving the steering wheel the raising or lowering of the
front end of the boiler, so as to adjust its level as herein-after more
fully explained. Upon the upper screwed end of the vertical spindle
there are mounted two separate horizontal worm wheels S and T, the
wheel T being merely a segment or half wheel, and so recessed or sunk
on the under face as to contain within it the second worm wheel 8,
a portion of the rim of the outer wheel or segment T being removed.
to afford access' to the teeth of the inner one S, whereby space is
economised. These worm wheels are contained between the upper and
under surfaces i, k, of the top bracket N, which is made double or in
two parts bolted together as shown clearly in Figure 1. The lower
one S of the two worm wheels has an internal screw thread made in
its boss, thus forming a nut which screws on to the thread of the screw
spindle, whilst the other worm wheel T has a smooth bored boss and
is connected to the screw spindle P by a key which works in a
longitudinal groove or keyway (shewn in Figure 1) cut in the said
screw spindle, or if preferred the screw spindle may be of a square or
other section which will not rotate in a correspondingly shaped holc.
Each worm wheel is rotated by a separate worm U and V of its own,
the said worms being fixed to corresponding and independent shafts W
and X extending back to the driver of the engine and provided with
hand wheels Y and Z for turning them.
When it is desired to raise or lower the front end of the boiler in
descending or ascending a hill the worm wheel S having the screw
thread in its boss is rotated by the corresponding worm U, shaft W,
and hand wheel Y, thereby causing the screwed boss of the said wheel
to travel up or down the screwed portion of the spindle P, and as the
worm wheels are enclosed between the two plates of the upper bracket N
it follows that the front end of the boiler will be raised or lowered.

page_text: When the steering of the engine is to be effected the other worm
wheel Tis-rotated more or less in-like manner by its worm V, the
key inside the boss of the said wheel ensuring the partial rotation of
the screw. spindle and the consequent swivelling of the steering wheel
or pair of wheels as the case may be. The brackets N and O above-
mentioned with the tubular bearing M, screw spindle P, and worm
wheels S and T may be readily removed, if necessary, when it is required
to obtain access to the tubes for cleaning or repairs.
⚫ In lieu of using the scrow spindle P. and worm wheel S mounted
thereon for the purpose of adjusting the lovel of the boiler a vertical
rack with curved or annular shaped teeth may be employed in con-
nection with a spur pinion gearing into the teeth thereof, and worked
by a worm wheel and worm, the steering being accomplished by a
separate worm wheel and worm as already described.
Although I have not shewn springs in my Drawings it is obvious
that they may be fitted to receive the slotted brackets for the axles of
-the driving wheels, and that spiral springs may be fitted in boxes in the
lower end of the vertical spindle or rack P so as to bear upon the
axle of the steering wheel or wheels in front.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The attaching the shoes or bearing plates which constitute the
travelling rails or bearing surfaces of steam road locomotive or traction
engines to the driving chains of such engines, substantially as herein-
before described.
Second. The propelling of steam road locomotive or traction engines
by means of "pitch" or other chains geared to the rims of the main
running wheels of the engine and having shoes or transverse flat plates
or bearing surfaces hinged or jointed thereto, substantially as herein-
before described.
Third. The peculiar construction of combined driving chain and
bearing surface in one as and for the purpose herein-before described
and illustrated by my Drawings.
.

page_text: Fourth. The peculiar combined apparatus or mechanism for steering
steam road locomotive engines and for adjusting the level of the boilers.
thereof, as herein-before described.,
Fifth. The application and use to and in portable: engines having
horizontal boilers of the herein-before described apparatus for adjusting
the level of one end of the boiler, substantially as herein-before set
fōrth....
1
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Hawker, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of October
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two...
YANGKAY