IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER FOR PROPELLING CARRIAGES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Lindsley, of Swindon, in the County
of Wilts, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AND
APPLYING MOTIVE POWER FOR PROPELLING CARRIAGES AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 28th August 1868, and dated the 29th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Lindsley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 29th February 1868.
I, GEORGE LINDSLEY, of Swindon, in the County of Wilts, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER FOR PROPELLING CARRIAGES AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
The chief object of my Invention is to utilize the weight of
passengers or goods in carriages to propel or to assist in propelling
such carriages on rail or tramways or on common roads. For this
purpose I construct the lower frame of the carriage and arrange the
wheels as hereafter described in such manner that a portion of the

page_text: weight of the carriage and of the passengers or goods therein is transmitted
by a pair of small wheels to and supported by the fore part of the inner
periphery of a pair of large wheels which run on the rails or road.
as usual.
The manner in which I prefer to carry my Invention into effect is as
follows: The carriage is supported at the rear end on a pair of wheels
The front end of the carriage is supported by a pair of
small wheels which do not run on the rails or road, but on the inner
peripheries of a pair of large wheels or on the inner peripheries of
flanges of a pair of large wheels at a point in advance of the axle or
centre of these wheels, so that the weight thus thrown upon the large
wheels in front of their axle gives them a continual tendency to rotate
and travel. To apply the power thus exerted and to obtain a useful
effect I fit cranks to the ends of the axle of the large wheels and
connect these cranks by springs or elastic bands to the axles of the
hind wheels, the tension of the springs being sufficient to draw the
carriage forward on the large wheels. I also crank the axle of the large
wheels at right angles to the cranks just mentioned in order that manual
When the cranks
or other power may be applied to the cranked axle.
on the ends of the axle are at the forward part of their throw the springs
are stretched and the power of the springs combined with the weight
of the carriage and contents is sufficient to produce about ths the
revolution of the large wheels, while the manual or other power applied
to the cranked axle which is also assisted by the weight of the carriage
and contents is sufficient to complete the revolution, thereby returning
the cranks to the forward part of their throw and again stretching the
springs. The connection of the cranks with the axle may be eccentric
in order to increase the tension of the springs when the cranks are at
their lowest point. Instead of cranking the action of the large wheels
the manual or other power may be applied thereto by a lever, screw, or
other suitable mechanical appliance. If preferred, the springs may
consist of air cylinders.
In applying my Invention to drive machinery the large wheels do
not travel but revolve on their axis on the outer peripheries of a pair
of friction wheels beneath them, the motion thus given to the friction
wheels being transmitted by any convenient mechanical appliances to
the machinery to be driven.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said George Lindsley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
LINDSLEY, of Swindon, in the County of Wilts, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Lindsley, Her special licence
that I, the said George Lindsley, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said George Lindsley, 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, excrcise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN'
OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER FOR PROPELLING CARRIAGES AND FOR
"
OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,' upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Lindsley, 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 Lindsley, 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 figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
The chief object of my Invention is to utilize the weight of passengers
or goods in carriages to propel or to assist in propelling such carriages
on rail or tramways, or on common roads. For this purpose I construct
the lower frame of the carriage and arrange the wheels as hereafter
described, in such manner that a portion of the weight of the carriage
and of the passengers or goods therein is transmitted by a pair of small

page_text: wheels to and supported by the fore part of the inner periphery of a
pair of large wheels which run on the rails or road.
The manner in which I prefer to carry my Invention into effect is
represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my Invention applied to a railway
carriage; Figure 2 is a plan of one half of the carriage frame; Figure 3
represents the wheels and axles.
The carriage A is supported at the rear end on a pair of wheels B
as usual. The front end of the carriage is supported by a pair of small
wheels C which do not run on the rails or road but on the inner
peripheries of a pair of large wheels D or on the inner peripheries of
flanges of a pair of large wheels at a point in advance of the axle
E or centre of these wheels, so that the weight thus thrown upon the
large wheels D in front of their axle gives them a continual tendency
to rotate and travel. To apply the power thus exerted and to obtain
a useful effect, I fit cranks F, F, to the ends of the axle of the large
wheels D and connect these cranks by springs or clastic bands G to
the axles of the hind wheels B, the tension of the springs being
sufficient to draw the carriage forward on the large wheels D. I also
crank the axle of the large wheels as seen at H in order that manual
or other power may be applied to the cranked axle. When each of
the cranks F, F, on the ends of the axle reaches the forward part
of its throw the spring G connecting that crank to the axle of the
hind wheels is stretched. The power of each spring combined with
the weight of the carriage and contents is sufficient to produce a
considerable portion of the revolution of the large wheels D while
the manual or other power applied to the cranked axle H which is
also assisted by the weight of the carriage and contents, is sufficient
to complete the revolution, the cranks F, F, being alternately returned
to the forward part of their throw and their springs again stretched.
I prefer that the three cranks F, F, and H should equally divide a
circle struck from the centre of the large wheels D, but if desired, the
crank H. may be at right angles to or at any other angle with the
cranks F, F, and these cranks F, F, may be parallel with each other
or otherwise. The connection of the cranks F, F, with the axle may
be excentric in order to increase the tension of the springs when the
cranks are at their lowest point. Instead of cranking the axle of the
large wheels the manual or other power may be applied thereto by a

page_text: lever, screw, or other suitable mechanical appliance; if preferred, the
springs may consist of air cylinders.
In applying my Invention to drive machinery the large wheels do
not travel but revolve on their axis on the outer peripheries of friction
wheels beneath them, the motion thus given to the friction wheels being
transmitted by any convenient mechanical appliances to the machinery
to be driven. This application will be understood by Figure 4 in which
the large wheels D (of Figure 1) are shown bearing on the outer
peripheries of friction wheels I from which the motion is transmitted
by bands K to the machinery to be driven.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Lindsley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
cight.