IMPROVE- MENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE OR OTHER STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, GEORGE THOMPSON DICKINSON of the City and County of Newcastle upon
Tyne Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE OR OTHER STEAM ENGINES" to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its principal object to construct locomotive Steam Engines
in such a manner that the driving power is better utilized and so that the parts
are more simply and efficiently arranged than in locomotives as hitherto con-
structed.
According to my Invention I preferably provide the Engine with three Cylinders
which are preferably in one casting and rigidly connected to the framing of the
Engine so as to be situated between two pairs of driving wheels. These pairs of
driving wheels are each mounted upon crank axles each provided with three
cranks, set at an angle of 120 degrees to each other. The piston rods of the
Cylinders are double for each Cylinder projecting from both ends of the Cylinders
and connected respectively to a crank of each of the axles. The cylinder casting
is preferably grooved at the sides to receive portions of the framing to give a
perfect support for the said casting. The cylinders are perferably constructed
with exhaust ports distinct from the Steam inlet ports and with an arrange-
ment for reversing as described in the provisional Specification lodged with my
Applications for Patents of even date with this. The wheels are preferably as
large as they can conveniently be so as to give a good grip on the rails By the
arrangement of a locomotive as described the centre of gravity is brought well
down between two pairs of driving wheels and owing to the use of three Cylinders
operating the two opposite crank axles of the two pairs of driving wheels a very
efficient action is obtained especially in running up or down inclines.
The cheeks of the cranks may be utilized as the eccentrics for operating the
valves or for giving motion to other parts of the Engine. This may be applied to
Steam Engines generally where economy of room is an object.
Although I have particularly named three cylinders and cranks yet it will be
evident that the improvements can be applied to other number.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
"
I, GEORGE THOMPSON DICKINSON of the City and County of Newcastle upon
Tyne Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER STEAM ENGINES" and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My Invention has for its principal object to construct Locomotive Steam Engines
in such a manner that the driving power is better utilized and so that the parts
are more simply and efficiently arranged than in Locomotives as hitherto con-
structed.
According to my Invention I preferably provide the Engine with three cylinders
which I prefer to be in one casting and rigidly connected to the framing of the
Engine so as to be situated between two pairs of driving wheels These pairs of
driving wheels are each mounted upon a crank axle provided with three cranks set
at an angle of 120 degrees to each other-The piston rods of the cylinders are
double for each cylinder, projecting from both ends of the cylinders and connected
respectively to a crank of each of the axles as described in the Specification of my
Patent No 1293 of 1884 The cylinder casting is preferably grooved at the sides
to receive portions of the framing to give a perfect support for the said casting
The cylinders are preferably constructed with exhaust ports distinct from the
steam inlet ports, and with an arrangement for reversing as described in the
Specifications of my Patents Nos 9813 and 9815 of 1884-The wheels are pre-
ferably as large as they can conveniently be, so as to give a grod grip on the
rails By the arrangement of a Locomotive as described the centre of gravity is
brought between two pairs of driving wheels, and owing to the use of three
Cylinders operating the two opposite crank axles of the two pairs of driving
wheels, a very efficient action is obtained, especially in running up or down
inclines The cheeks of the cranks may be utilized as the excentrics for operating
the valves or for giving motion to other parts of the Engine-This may be applied
to Steam engines generally where economy of room is an object-Although I have
particularly named three cylinders and cranks yet it will be evident that the
improvements can be applied to any other number.
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 several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
The drawing represents so much of a locomotive Engine as is necessary to
explain my Invention, Figure 1 being a longitudinal section Figure 2 a plan and
Figure 3 a transverse section through the cylinders-In the drawings I have
shewn the herein before named improvements combined together. A. A' A³ are
three cylinders made in one casting and rigidly connected to the framing B
between the crank axles C. of the driving wheels D. The casting forming the
cylinders is grooved at its sides & in the grooves are secured portions of the
framing B as shewn at 6 in Figure 3. The crank axles C. have each three cranks
set at an angle of 120 degrees to each other, and to each of these cranks on both

page_text: the said axles a piston rod of the cylinders is connected, the said cylinders being
each provided with pistons having double piston rods as described in the Specifi-
cation of my Patent No 1293 of 1884 The cylinders are shewn as being
provided with reversing arrangements as described in the Specification of my
Patent No 9815 of 1884 and with inlet and exhaust ports distinct from each other
(the exhaust ports being preferably larger in area than the inlet ports) as described
in the Specification of my Patent No 9813 of 1884-At are shewn levers and
rods for reversing the engine and at y are shewn the excentric straps and levers
for operating the valves but these operating devices may be arranged in any
suitable way-The cheeks Y of the cranks of one of the axles are shewn as being
utilized as the excentrics for operating the slide valves-It will be evident from
this how the cheeks of the cranks may be thus utilized for giving motion to any
desired parts of Steam engines generally-By using the cheeks in this way I get
extra journals for the main crank axles, thereby lessening the risk of breakage of
the said axles.-I prefer to use three cylinders as shewn, but I may use one two or
more as may be desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st In locomotive Steam Engines the employment of a Steam cylinder or Steam
cylinders situated between crank axles and rigidly fixed to and held between the
framing of the Engine and provided with pistons having rods projecting from both
ends of the cylinder or cylinders and operating upon each axle substantially as
herein before described.
2nd In Locomotive Steam Engines the employment of Three Steam cylinders
situated between crank axles each cylinder being provided with pistons having
rods projecting from both ends of each of the cylinders and operating upon three
cranks upon each axle, all being arranged substantially as hereinbefore described.
3rd In locomotive Steam Engines the employment of two, three or more steam
cylinders made in one casting, and rigidly fixed to and held between the framing
of the engine, and situated between crank axles, the pistons of the said cylinders
being provided with rods projecting from both ends of the cylinders and connected
to a corresponding number of Cranks on each axle, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
4th In locomotive and other Steam Engines the utilization of the crank cheeks
as excentrics for operating the slide valves, or as means for operating other parts of
the Engine substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 4th day of November 1884