CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM CARRIAGES, AND WHICH STEAM CARRIAGES ARE CAPABLE OF TRANSPORTING MER- CHANDIZE OF ALL KINDS, AS WELL AS PASSENGERS, UPON COMMON ROADS, WITHOUT THE AID OF HORSES
Year: 1821

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JULIUS
GRIFFITHI, of Brompton Crescent, in the County of. Middlesex, Esquire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at Westminster,
the Twentieth day of December, One thousand cight hundred and twenty-one,
in the second year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said Julius
Griffith, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, solc
privilege and authority, that I, the said Julius Griffith, my exors, adiñiors, and
assigns, during the term of years therein mentioned; should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, and also in all His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, in
consequence of discoveries by myself and communications made to me by
Foreigners residing abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
CARRIAGES, AND WHICH STEAM CARRIAGES ARE CAPABLE OF TRANSPORTING MER-
CHANDIZE OF ALL KINDS, AS WELL AS PASSENGERS, UPON COMMON ROADS, WITHOUT THE
AID OF HORSES;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that
if I, the said Julius Griffith, shall not particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the
said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted,

page_text: shall utterly cease, determine, and become void, as in and by the same, rela-
tion being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Julius Griffith, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof (that is to say)
In Drawing No. 1, Fig. 1, is an elevation of a steam carriage, and Fig. 2 a
plan of the same; Fig. 3 a front view of the fore part of the carriage, and Fig. 4
a view of parts of the steam engine (in all of which, and the other Figures in
this Drawing, as well as those of Drawings No. II. and III., the same letters
and figures of reference apply to the same parts). 1, 1, &c. are the fore wheels;
2,2, &c. supports to which the axes of the wheels are attached. 3, 3, &c. the
cross timber (or bed) of the fore part of the carriage, connected with the upper
timber (or beam) 5, 5, &c. by the supports 4, 4, &c. 6, 6, &c. bent iron
arms, with brackets underneath them, firmly bolted to the supports of the
wheels 2, 2, &c. at both ends, and having holes at the angles to receive pins,
by which they are jointed to the rods 7, 7, &c., which connect them by joints
and pins with the arm 8. The arm 8 is fixed upon the lower end of the
upright spindle 9, and is supported by a stay upon the upper end of the spindle 9 ;
the bevel wheel 10, toothed internally, is fixed; into this wheel 10 the bevel
pinion 11 works, which is affixed upon the lower end of an axis having at its
upper end a wheel 12, furnished with handles. The spindle 9 turns in proper
bearings affixed to the carriage frame, as does also the axis of the pinion 11 in
the bearings 13, 13. The mechanism just described serves for guiding or
directing the carriage in its progress. If the handles 12 be turned to the
right, then by the action of the pinion 11 in the wheel 10 the required move-
ment is given to the spindle 9, and the arm 8 upon it turns also to the right,
and of course, by means of the connecting rods 7, 7, &c., the arm 6, 6, &c., the
supports 2, 2, &c., and the wheels 1, 1, &c., will also turn to the right. As
by this arrangement the wheels turn upon the same spot where they touch the
ground, and as power is gained by the action of the pinion 11 in the wheel 10,
so very little force is required to turn the fore wheels and to guide the
carriage accordingly. Fig. 14 is the seat for the coachman or conductor.
15, 15, &c. springs for supporting it; 16 a cross bar for supporting
the spindles 9 and 11. 17 the revolving perch of the carriage. 18, 18, &c.
pins or pivots which fasten or connect the supports 2, 2, &c., and the
traverse beam (or bed) 3, 3. 19, upper pivots assisting the movement of
the supports 2, 2, &c. 20, 20, &c. iron stays. 21, 21, &c. pins which

page_text: unite the arms 6, 6, &c., and the rods 7, 7, &c.; 22, &c., the junction of the
rods 7, 7, &c. with the arm 8. The revolving perch 17 is firmly bolted to
the cross timber 8, or bed of the fore part of the carriage, and is connected
with the framing of the hinder part in the following manner :23, 23, &c. are
the perches, the ends of which are received into the hoop 24 (see Fig. 5), and
made fast therein by screws. The upper side of the hoop 24 has two ears upon
it, with holes in them for the screwed bolts 25, 25, to pass through, which by
means of screwed nuts unite it with the staple 26. A groove is made around
the revolving perch 17 at 27, to receive the. staple 26, and another similar
groove at 28, near its end; this end is lodged in a half hole made on the under
side of the beam 29, and is retained therein by a short piece of wood having a
similar half hole in it, being firmly secured by screwed bolts to the. beanı 29.
30 is a hoop to which are affixed by screws the iron braces 20; 20, the upper
ends of which are secured to the supports 4, 4, by screwed bolts, and thus afford
stability to the fore part of the carriage. The effect of this arrangement is
to allow the one part of the carriage to continue upright, even though the
other part should be inclined. by resting upon uneven ground. The two
perches 28, 23, &c. extend beyond the hind wheels, and have the two cross
beams 31 and 32 let into them and bound to them by the screwed bolts 33, &c.
Between the exterior ends of the cross beams 31 and 32, the two curved side
pieces 34 and 35 are let in, and secured by the screwed bolts 36, 36. Into
each perch 23, 23, &c. are tenanted the two stout braces 37, 87, &c., the
upper ends of which are let into the upper cross beam 38, and secured thereto
by screwed bolts; from the outer ends of this cross beam descend the two
upright pieces 39, 39, &c., which are let into. the side pieces 34 and 35, and
help to support those pieces. These upright pieces are strengthened sideways by
the iron rods or braces 40, 40, &c. The hind wheels of the carriage are
affixed in proper bearings underneath the perches 23, 28, and the side pieces
84 and 85. 41, 41, &c. is an iron frame, consisting of two similar arrangements
of bars, forming the sides of the frame, and which are united by screwed bolts
and nuts, and strengthened by cross bars. This frame is secured to the
wooden framework described by screwed bolts and nuts at 42, 42, &c.; to this
iron frame 41, 41, &c. are suspended, by means of four chain slings, with
helical springs within them (two of which are shewn in Fig. 1 at 43, 43), the
steam engines and boiler. 44 situation of the fire-place or stove, which is
lined with fire bricks. 45 the cover of sheet iron. 46 seat for the person
who manages the fire. 47 the steam boiler, composed of several series of
straight iron tubes united at their ends by semicircular tubes, one series of
which is shewn separately in Fig. 9 of Drawing No. III. 48, passage by

page_text: which the smoke passes round the pipe. 49. 49 the pipe by which the steam
passes up and down the chimney. 50 the chimney. 51 sliding door by which
the fire is supplied with fuel. 52 register plate of the opening by which the
air is let in, turning upon pivots at each end. 53 receiver for the ashes. 54
reservoir of water. 55, 55, &c. the condensors, consisting of two series of long,
flat, thin metal pipes, communicating with each other at bottom and top, and
thus forming long channels for the steam to enter and become condensed by
the great surface of the pipes which is exposed to the action of the external
air. 56 the magazine for fuel. 57 an iron frame affixed to the boiler,
and extending in front of it to support the steam engines. 58 and 59
two ball and socket uniting joints to conduct the water from the reser-
voir 54 through the pipes 60, 60, to the forcing or injecting pump 61,
by which it is injected into the tube 62, of the boiler, which supplies the lowest
tube of each series, and the steam formed passes off at the upper tube 63, to
the pipe 49, 49, &c., which conveys it to the steam engines. The detail
of two steam engines, such as with a few modifications may be applied to my
steam carriage, will be found in Drawing No. III., in which 49, 49, &c. is
the steam pipe. Figs. 1 and 1' represent in section the cylinders and the
mechanism belonging to them, taken. upon the line A, B, of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 a
plan or bird's-eye view of the cylinders in connection as well as of the cocks,
some of the upper parts being omitted. Fig. 3; view of the cocks behind the
cylinders, the steam pipes 49, 49, &c., and also the cocks employed for
admission and escape of the steam. Figures 4 and 4, longitudinal sections of
the cylinders I. and II., with the communicating pipes (according to the
position of the machine in Figs. 1 and 1). To each of the two cylinders,
Figs. 1 and 1, there is a conducting pipe for steam, which communicates with
the four cocks of each cylinder; those above are marked A, C, and A', C', and
those below D, B, and D', B'; the rotatory movement of these cocks is confined
to a quarter of a circle. In the position of Fig. 41, the steam can escape
through the superior space a¹, by the cock A', and by the two cocks D' and B,
the steam enters the inferior space W' in such a manner that the piston can
be driven upwards. It will be observed that tho piston V', with its rod U, is
drawn as half .elevated, and in this position the admission of the steam below
the piston should be stopped, and the second half of its elevation be effected
by the elasticity of the steam. The cock D' is so placed that the passage for
the steam can be shut by a slight movement of the key, so that the steam
contained in the superior space a³ can freely escape, whilst the piston completes
its course. In the position of the piston shewn in Figure 4, where it appears
quite at the bottom of the cylinder, the cocks A, B, are shewn as turning, and

page_text: having completed their turn, another direction is given them by which the
inferior space of the cylinder can be filled with steam by means of the cock B,
so that the upper cock A allowes the steam to escape from the upper space in
the cylinder. Consequently the piston is allowed to rise nearly to the top, and
in order that the alternating movement should be continued it is necessary
that the cocks A and B, as well as A' and B', should turn precisely at the
moment when their respective pistons arrive at the highest and lowest points
of their motion. The cocks C, D, and C¹, D', on the contrary, ought to turn
whilst their respective pistons are at the half of their course. This important
operation of the cocks is performed by placing the cocks A, B, Figs. 1 and 4,
in conformity with the cocks C¹, D', Figs. 1 and 4, and in like manner the
cocks A', B', Figs. 1 and 4, in conformity with the cocks C, D, Figs. 1 and 4.
The operation is thus:-The axis of the crank P, Figs. 1 and 1', is surrounded
by two irregularly curved excentric rings N, N', and O, O', fastened in such a
manner to the frame of the engine that the friction rollers on the pivots M and
M³, of the levers L, M, and L, M³, can turn or slide in the spaces between the
rings. The levers joined to the axes L, L, are fastened to other arms of the levers
L, K, and L', K', forming bent levers, and those K, K', are shewn attached
in I, I, and at the end of the levers G, G, Fig. 1, the point I', is seen
rising above G, and in the centre is shewn the turning pivot H. The point I
is attached to the lateral arm of the lever G, G, and then turns upon the
point H. The lever G, G, is a solid dovetail arm, the form of which may be seen.
in section in Fig. 7, and upon which slides a communicating piece F, which can
be fastened at any required situation upon the arm G, G, by means of a tighton-
ing screw. The other. end of the piece F is jointed to the piece E. To the piece E
the handles of the cocks A and A¹, and B, B', are attached in a and b, and in
the holes c, d, enter the end C¹, D₁, of the handles C³, c', and D¹, d', of the
opposite cocks, Fig. 1. These keys or handles are shewn separately in Fig. 8.
The same communication is made by F with the cocks A, B, and C, D, con-
sequently by the turn of the cranks the ends M and M² are moved nearer to
or farther from the centre in passing over the space formed between the excen-.
tric rings N, N¹, and O, O', and the cocks can only act according to the
turn of the crank, which takes place in the direction pointed out by the darts
in Fig. 1 and 1'. On sliding the pieces F, F', upon the dovetail arm G, G,
and G³, G', to the other ends of those arms, the movement of the cranks will.
.be reversed.
Fig. 5, shows in section the axis of the cranks, with the excentric rings upon
it, which regulate the movement of the cocks.
Fig. 6-shews the position of the turning pivots H, H', and the.communica-1

page_text: tion of the levers G, G, & G, G³, with an iron support placed immediately
behind the cylinders, and in front of the steam apparatus. The mechanism
by which the rotatory motioment of the steam engines is communicated to
the hind wheels of the carriage will be understood by reference to Draw-
ings Nos. II. and III., the former containing those parts of No. III. upon a
larger scale, which could not be shewn in No. III. a, a, b, b, c, c, d, d, e, e, f, f,
shew the particular pieces of this mechanism. The motion of the steam
engines is communicated by the rods R, R, to the combination which, in
complement to its Inventor, Professor John Artzberger, of Vienna, I have
named the Artzberger, it being an entirely new combination and arrangement of
parts; and from thence to the pinions g and h, which work into the wheels
n, n, o, o, attached to the great or hind wheels of the carriage p, p, and
thereby produce their motion. This Artzberger is so constructed as to admit
of a considerable change of situation, without in the least deranging the rota-
tory effect produced by d, d, upon the pinions g and h. The framing a, a, a, a,
is so connected by pivots with d, d, that the key C, C, placed at the lower
end.of the frame, can either advance or recede the stem of the fork, and admit
also of a side movement. The end of the key b, b, is formed into a fork,
and is connected with d, d, by means of the rings c, c. d, d, is a strong
piece of iron passing from one side to the other of the rings c, c, not only to
fix the detents e, e, but also to allow that the axis moving the pinions g, g, and
h, h, may enter the hole made in the centre of d, d, according as these pinions
shall be applied, the one or the other, to the wheels n, n, or o, o. By means
of. the detents e, c, the pinion g can, in case of the carriage making a turn,
make more turns than the axes of the connecting rods. These detents are
pressed upon a spring, and according as that spring is placed on the one side
or the other side of the pinion g, so the detents can be disposed to propel the
carriage either backwards or forwards. In further explanation of this mecha-
nism, I shall refer to the Figures from 1 to 13 inclusive, in Drawing No. 11.
R. R, are the engine rods, acting upon the necks of the crank Q, Q, the axis
of which, P, turns in the carriage 64, affixed to the engine frame 67. The
cranks Q, Q, have likewise two cars 65, 65, to each, with holes in them, for
pins to pass through, which unite them with the pieces 66, 66, which pieces
have holes through them for pins to pass through, and have also pivots at
their ends, working in holes made in the frames a, a, a, a, to receive them;
at the other ends of the frames a, a, a, a, are other holes, in which pivots made
on the cross ends of the keys b, b, &c. work, and thus allow of a play of
parts between them. The forked ends of the keys b, 6, have likewise holes
made in them for pins to pass through, by which they are united with the

page_text: rings c, c, which have also corresponding holes made in them. The rings c, c,
have likewise ears, with other holes made in them crosswise to the holes last
mentioned, in which pivots, made at the ends of the pieces d, d, act, and thus
also allow of a play of parts between them. In the centres of the pieces d, d,
are holes to receive and support the cylindrical ends of the axis of the pinions
g and h, and allow them to turn therein. These ends are prevented from being
drawn out of the holes by screwed nuts 67, 67, &c. upon them; these axes
have necks or pivots at 68, which turn in bearings made in the. wrought-iron
carriages 69, 69, which are affixed to the pieces of timber 70, 70, firmly
secured to the purches 23, 23, in such a manner that either of the pinions g, g,
can be brought into gear with the wheels n, n, or the pinions h, h, with the
wheels o, o, at pleasure. This is effected in the following manner :-71, 71,
are two cranks, with necks on their spindles turning in bearings let into the tim-
hers 70, 70, and having arins with other necks 72, 72, which pass through holes
made in the carriages to receive them, and have nuts screwed upon them
to support those ends of the carriages. The other ends of the carriages are
supported in staples 73, 73, affixed to the perches 23, 23, and timbers 70, 70,
and have semicircular grooves in them for the set screws 74, 74, to move in.
By turning the handles of the cranks 71, 71, on the proper direction, and
loosening the set screws, either of the pinions can be brought into gear with
their respective wheels, and secured there by tightening the set screws. The
Drawing shews the pinions h, h, in gear with the wheels o, o. The detents e, e,
are affixed in the ends of the pieces d, d. In Fig. 5 the detents e, 75, 75, are
firmly fixed to the pieces d, but those at the other ends, e, 76, 76, are
moveable upon the ends of the pieces d, d. The springs 77, 77, have holes
in their centres, by which they lodge upon the axis of the pinions 9, 9, and h, h.
One end of each spring has a cleft in it, which receives in it a stud or pin 78,
which is affixed to a moveable arm 79, turning upon a stud screwed into the
piece d. This arm traverses backwards and forwards between the two ends of
the detent e, 75, carrying the spring along with it, and thus causing the other end
of the spring to apply itself either to the one side or the other of the moveable
detent e, 76, and to cause either side of it to fall between one of the circles of
studs 80, 80, which project from the faces of the pinions 9, 9, and to turn
those pinions as required. The arms 79, 79, are caused to pass from the one
side to the other between the detents c, 75, 75, when the motion of the engines
are reversed by the projecting ends of them coming into contact with the
studs 81, 81, which are affixed upon the ends of the levers with springs 82, 82,
attached to the carriages 69, 69. 83 in Fig. 1, in Drawing No. I. is the body
of the carriage supported by springs as used. Fig. 6 is an end view of the

page_text: back part of the frame of the carriage; and Fig. 7 a front view of one of the
steam engine cylinders and parallel guides.
I do not intend hereby to claim as of my invention any of the parts of this
machine which may have been in use heretofore, but I do hereby claim the
suspension of the steam engine boiler and engines upon springs, and the mode
of communicating motion therefrom to the carriage wheels by the mediation of
the Artzbergers, so that neither the turning of the carriage wheels, independently
of the steam engines, nor their balancing movement upon the springs, can
prove injurious to the mechanism. Neither do I mean or intend hereby to
limit myself to the employment of two steam engines or four carriage wheels,
only considering every kind of modification which may appear to me necessary
in my endeavours to bring my steam carriages nearer to perfection, as being
under the protection of my Patent.
In witness whereof, I, the said Julius Griffith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord