A NEW LOCOMOTIVE APPARATUS
Year: 1825

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I. Sir GEORGE
CAYLEY, of Brompton, in the County of York, Baronet, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent under the Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Sixth day of October, in the sixth year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Sir
George Cayley, His especial licence that I, the said Sir George Cayley, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Sir George
Cayley, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, with England and Wales and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "A NEW LOCOMOTIVE APPARATUS;" in which said Letters Patent
there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Sir George Cayley, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Sir George Cayley, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,

page_text: and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained by the following written description thereof, reference at the
same time being had to the annexed Drawings, that is to say;
The nature of my said Invention consists in the application of an apparatus
to four-wheeled carriages. which said apparatus when so applied becomes a
substitute for and to a certain extent performs the office of a railway or tram
road; and the manner in which I make and apply the said apparatus is as
follows-
First, premising that I have in the several Figures in the annexed Drawings
marked Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. and so on, made use of the same letters
or figures of reference to denote the same thing. Figure 1. Figure 2, are
a side and end view of a waggon (such as are commonly employed upon rail
and tram roads), mounted upon four wheels, in which A is the body of the
waggon; B, the wheels; C, the axletrees, which may be fastened to the
waggon so that the wheels may turn on them, or may be fastened to the
wheels and both turn together. The axletrees are so made that the round
parts at the ends of the same axletree which pass through the naves of the
wheels. which have their axes in the same straight line, and so that the two
wheels when put upon one of the said axletrees may be parallel to each other.
though, if necessary, they may be made to incline.. And I make the said two
axletrees of the same length, and apply the wheels thereon, that when the
said axletrees are properly affixed to the said body of the waggon, the two
wheels which are on the same side of the waggon shall be in the same plane.
The apparatus which I employ in conjunction with the wheels herein-before
mentioned, and which may be called a revolving or reciprocating railway,
requires that the outside or rims of the said wheels should be grooved, as they
are represented in Figure 2 and 3, so as that the projecting edges on each
side the said groves may prevent the said revolving railway from any lateral
change of position..
I shall now proceed to describe the construction and the manner in which I
make the said apparatus or revolving railway. This apparatus, which some-
what resembles an endless chain passing round two of the wheels B, B, and
B. B. is shewn in Figure 1, at D, D, &c., and it is formed of a number of
links or pieces connected together by joints, and which links and joints I
shall herein-after more particularly describe. To each of the said links or
pieces D, D, I apply a small wheel, as shewn at E, E, &c.. in Figure 1 and
in Figure 2, or a foot, as represented in Figure 8. The said wheels E. E,
have their axles resting in the projecting parts G, G, of the said links (as is
shewn by the Drawings), and their axes parallel with the plane in which the

page_text: revolving railway moves. I also apply a similar apparatus to that which
I have just described to the two wheels on the other side of the same waggon.
Figure 4 is a side view (upon a larger scale) of one of the said links or pieces
D of the said revolving railway, together with the projecting pieces G, G, and
the wheel E. The circles a, a, represent the joint pins which connect the
contiguous ends of the consecutive links together. The dotted lines at each
end of the said Figure 4 are meant to represent portions of two other links
connected therewith by the joint pins a, a. Figure 6 is a representation of
the same link as seen from above. I prefer making the said links of cast iron,
and for the sake of conveniently forming the same into a proper shape I
make each link in two equal parts, so that when the said two parts are put
together longitudinally, and firmly rivetted to each other, they form one com-
plete link. Figure 5 represents one of the said parts. Figure 7 is an end or
sectional view of one of the said links D, the projecting part G, and the
wheel E, in which the vertical line b, c, serves to shew the plane of junction
between the said two halves of the links. And the said two halves or parts
are firmly fixed to each other by means of the two screw bolts passing
through corresponding holes at d, d, in the projecting pieces G, G, and by two
rivets passing through corresponding holes e, e, of the links D, D. At one
end of each of the said links I make a recess or hollow cup, into which
is fitted a piece of hard wood, such as oak, &c., a section of which is
shewn at H in Figure 5, and the said piece of wood is partly shewn
at H in Figures 1 and 4. By inspecting the Drawings, and from the
description that has herein-before been given of the construction and form
of the said links, it will be evident that when two of the said links are
connected to each other by one of the joint pins a, that the aforesaid
piece of wood H may be made to form, by its upper side or face at f, a stop
or support which limits the angular motion of the said links round the said
joint pin a, by which they are connected, and that the said piece of wood H,
as shown in Figures 4 and 5, is made to project upwards to such a distance
that its face or upper surface is brought into contact with the under side of
the contiguous link, as at f, when the upper edges g, 0, of both the said links
are in the same straight line. It will also be obvious that when a sufficient
number of the said links are connected to each other, so as to form an endless
chain, the links of the said chain may be made to apply themselves so, or are
capable of being folded round the periphery of the wheels B, B, B, B, as
shewn in Figure 1. And further. it will be evident that if two such chains or
revolving railways be applied to a waggon with four wheels, such as I have
herein-before described, a certain number of the wheels E, E, marked 1, 2, 3,

page_text: 4. 5, 6, as is shewn in Figure 1, would be made to rest upon the ground, and
would afford so many supports to the said waggon and its load: and provided
the ground had a plain surface. each wheel would have an equal portion of the
weight, for as the upper edges of all the links which are above and in
immediate connection with the wheels 1. 2. 3. 4. 5, and 6. are now straight
with each other, that portion of the claim cannot be deflected upwards. It
therefore follows, that if the waggon be drawn forward in the direction of the
arrow 5+ marked on the body of the waggon, the wheel E. marked 1.
would remain stationary on the ground until both the wheels of the waggon
has passed over it, and it would have successively occupied the same relative
situation with the waggon as the wheels 2. 3, 4, 5, and 6. Now, supposing
the said waggon to be drawn upon a road that was uneven, or upon which
there were stones or other abrupt eminences, and that, for instance, the wheel 1
should fall upon one of such eminences or stones which projected above the
general plane of the road. it is evident that the waggon would be thereby
raised, the waggon continuing to advance until the centre of gravity of the load
and the wheel E I were in the same vertical plane. We may suppose the
wheel Estill resting upon the stone or eminence (to be then nearly midway
between the wheels B. B. and B. B. of the waggon, and would in that
situation sustain about half the weight) of the incumbent load. for as the
waggon and its load are supported by the wheels B, B. and B. B. and these
again supported by the said revolving railway, it would have a tendency to
depress the railway or to bend it over the eminence or stone on which the wheel
Erested; but, as I have herein-before explained, this tendency will be
counteracted by the inflexibility of the said revolving railway in that direction.
For the purpose of giving facility in the turning of any waggon to which my
said apparatus may be applied. I introduce the wheels E, E, E, &c., in the
manner I have herein-before stated. As it is desirable to make all the
apparatus required to be permanently aflixed to any vehicle as light as possible.
and as it is evident that the said revolving railway herein-before described.
when employed in conveying great weights or heavy loads. must necessarily be
exposed to considerable strains. I sometimes introduce one or more wheels
such as 1. I, as shewn in Figure 1 and 3. These auxiliary supports to the
said revolving railways admit of the employment of weaker and consequently
of lighter links. Whenever the wheels E. E. &c., the use of which I have
herein-before explained, are applied in conjunction with the aforesaid links or
revolving railway to any waggon in the manner herein-before stated, and
whenever any such waggon is intended to be employed, or to travel upon roads
which have an inclination from one side thereof to the other, or where such

page_text: roads may be of a rounded shape and have an inclination from the middle
thereof to both sides, I append to the bottom of the said waggon two other
wheels J, J, shewn in Figure 2 and Figure 3, by means of two wrought-iron
frames of a triangular shape, and marked K, K, in both the said Figures 2
and 3. One end of each of the said frames K is formed into a pivot or arbor,
and upon these pivots the aforesaid wheels J, J, are made to turn, and to
which they are secured by a collar and linch pin. The sides m, m, of the said
triangular frames K, K, are also made round at each end, as is shewn in the
said Figures 2 and 3. The round parts or pivots thus formed upon the ends
of the said sides m, m, are each made to pass through an eye or. hole in an
iron stud or support, each of which studs or supports is firmly affixed to
the bottom of the said waggon. Figure 3 is a representation of the said
waggon when turned upside down, with the aforesaid traiangular frames
fixed to the bottom thereof, together with the two wheels J, J. From
the representation given in the said Drawings in Figures 2 and 3 of the
said frames K, K, and wheels J. J, together with the foregoing description
thereof, it will be sufficiently evident that the said wheels J, J, may be lowered
or raised at pleasure, because the side m, m, of each of the said frames is free
to turn upon the pivots by which the said frames are supported. In Figure
3, n, n, is an iron spindle which is free to turn in the two eye bolts p, p, which
said eye bolts are firmly fixed to the bottom of the said waggon. r is the
handle by which the said spindle may be turned, and as is shewn by the
Drawing; that end of the spindle n, n, upon which the handle is formed, or to
which it is affixed, is made to project beyond the hinder end of the waggon in
order that the driver of the said waggon may, whenever there may be occasion
for it, have access to the said handle. Immediately over the said two frames
K, K, and upon or to the said spindle n, n, I fasten two chains d, o, and to
each of the said frames I fasten, by a staple or otherwise, one end of each of
the said chains, in such a manner as that the aforesaid spindle being turned
round both the said chains shall be wound up or coiled thereon, and the two
frames K, K, and the wheels J, J, be at the same time raised up towards the
bottom of the waggon..
In Figure 2 the said wheels J, J, are represented as let down, and as resting
upon the road. From this representation it will be evident that, if the waggon
had any tendency on account of the inclination of the road to either side
to move laterally upon the wheels E, E, the wheels J, J, would counteract that
tendency, inasmuch as one of the said wheels J, J, being of the shape of a
frustrum of a cone which have its edge driven into the ground as it rolled along
the road, and would thus be opposed to any tendency to the lateral motion

page_text: herein-before alluded to.. In travelling upon roads having no lateral inclination
the said wheels need not be used. and they may be raised up clear of the
ground by turning the handle r, and may conveniently be held in that
situation by passing a loop of cord over the handle, as is shewn at s in
5
Figure 2.
I further declare that instead of the aforesaid wheels E. E, &c.. I. on some
occasions, employ feet, such as is represented by L. L, L. Lin Figure 8. For
the sake of lightness I prefer making the said feet of wood, and covering or
The width of
shoeing the bottom of the same with iron, as shewn at q. q.
the said feet corresponds to the width between the projecting pieces G, G, on
each of the links or pieces D. D. of the revolving railway, and the shape of
the said feet, as viewed from one end of the waggon. is shewn in the said
Figure 8. The upper part of each of the said feet is fitted to the under side
of the link to which it is respectively applied, so as that a portion of it pro-
jects upwards between the two sides of the said link, leaving a shoulder on
each side upon which the sides of the said links rest. Through each of the
said feet, as at in Figure 8, I make a hole of a corresponding diameter to
that of the axles upon which the said wheels E. E, are made to turn, so that
whenever it may be found expedient to substitute the said feet for the said
wheels the same axles may also serve to be employed for fastening the said
feet to the projecting pieces G. G, and to the links of the revolving railway.
I have lastly, by way of explanation, to state that the Figures 1, 2, and 3 are
That the
drawn to a scale of three quarters of an inch to one foot.
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. are drawn to a scale of about an inch and a half to
a foot; and that in determining the length of each link of the said revolving
railway between the centres of the joint pins at each end of the said link
I find it answers the purpose very well, and I therefore usually make the
said length of each of the said links the same as that of the side of a
regular polygon of ten sides, the radius of whose circumscribing circle is
equal to the distance between the centre of one of the wheels round which
the said revolving railway is intended to pass, and the centre of one of
the joint pins of the said links, where the said link is held or applied to
the periphery of the wheel, in the same relative position there as that of the
link at a in Figure 1.
Lastly, I do hereby declare that my said Invention of a locomotive apparatus
consists in the employment of a revolving railway, such as I have herein-before
described, in conjunction with a four-wheeled waggon, or any other four-wheel'd
vehicle, having the several links or parts of such revolving railway connected
to each other by joints so formed as to limit the angular motion of any two of

page_text: the said links or pieces relatively with each other. by a stop, such as or similar
to those herein-before described, and answering the same purpose as has also
been herein-before mentioned.
the said links or pieces relatively with each other. by a stop, such as or similar
to those herein-before described, and answering the same purpose as has also
been herein-before mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sir George Cayley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five.
MARTIN SANGSTER.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Fifth day of December,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Sir George Cayley came before
our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Sir George Cayley came before
our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.