CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
RIMINGTON, of No. 10, Rufford Row, Islington, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Thirty-first day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and forty-six, in the ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Michael Rimington, my exors,
adiñiors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Michael Rimington, my exors, adñiors, and assigns,
and such others as I, the said Michael Rimington, my exors, aditiors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark,
and Man, and also in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad,
an Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE
POWER;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me,
the said Michael Rimington, to particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by
an Instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and to cause the same
to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters

page_text: 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 Michael Rimington, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed and carried into practical
effect, to be as the same are described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement thereof, reference being had to the illustrative Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The said Invention of Certain Improvements in Obtaining and Applying
Motive Power relates to certain modifications of and in a six-wheel locomotive
engine, whereby, without altering the speed of the pistons, the power may be
conveniently adapted to the work to be done. And in order to explain the
said Invention as completely as possible I will proceed to describe the
mechanical combinations and arrangements of parts which I consider best
calculated for carrying the Invention into practical effect..
7.4
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The Drawing, Sheet 1, exhibits a side elevation of the under carriage
or framing of a locomotive engine to a scale of one tenth the real
size, shewing the frame and wheels constructed as in the ordinary manner,
with the additional parts for the purpose of obtaining increased speed, as
herein-after mentioned, and parts to be employed for lifting the cranked axle,
and other purposes, as herein-after mentioned. The Drawing, Sheet 2,
represents other arrangements, some of which are to be employed in connection
with Sheet 1, as herein-after mentioned.
H marks
In the Drawing No. 1, A, B, are two axles, which extend across the entire
width of the framing C. D, D, are the outer running wheels, of which there
are four, and E, one of the middle driving wheels, of which there are two,
keyed upon the cranked axle A, upon which are also keyed spur wheels F,
gearing into pinions G, keyed upon the ends of the axle B.
a connecting link for maintaining the axles A and B, at a proper
distance asunder, and for the purpose of enabling them to be moved together
in a vertical direction for the purposes hereafter fully described. Upon
each end of the axle B there are placed cranks I, which are capable
of being tightened upon the said axle by means of the screw K, when
required, and the said cranks, when not tightened, will revolve freely
round the axle B. L, L, mark rods, one end of each of which is con-
nected to the cranks I, at each side of the engine, and the opposite ends
of the said rods are connected to cranks fixed upon the ends of the axles of

page_text: the outer running wheels, as shewn. When it is required to increase the
speed of the running wheels (the driving wheels having been taken off the rails
as herein-after described), the same may be effected by tightening the screws K,
against the piece K', by which the crank I will be firmly connected to the
axle B, and turn therewith through the agency of the wheels and pinions F
and G, and cranked axle A, in connection with the pistons of the engine.
Now it will appear evident that as the wheels F receive motion they will impart
it to the pinions G, and running wheels D, D, through the agency of the
cranks and connecting rods I and L, and the difference between the velocity
of. the. running wheels and pistons will be in proportion to the difference
between the diameters of the spur wheels and pinions F and G.
. I. will now proceed to describe the Drawing No. 2, which shews a locomo-
tive engine to a scale of one tenth the real size. A, A, are the running
wheels, of which there are four keyed upon suitable straight axles. B is one
driving wheel keyed upon the cranked axle C, and there is another and corre-
sponding wheel keyed upon the opposite end of the said axle, as shewn at
Figure 3. D, D, are cranks fixed at right angles to each other upon each end
of the axle C. E and E are connecting rods placed at each side of the
engine for coupling the running wheels with the cranked axle C... One end
of these rods is connected to one of the cranks D, D, and the other end to one
of the crank arms F, F; these arms have free liberty of motion around the
axles upon which they are mounted, and when it is required to connect the
running wheels with the cranked axle C, through the medium of the rods
E, E, the same may be effected (the middle wheels being raised) by tightening
the friction blocks or brakes G, G, against the said axles by means of the
nut H, which arrangement occurs at each end of the framing; and in order to
ensure the passing of the cranks D beyond the null points I form a groove, 1,
in the circular part of the crank arms F, into which there is inserted a ring,
against which press helical springs 2, which are arranged or disposed in the
arms F, as shewn at Figure 5, for the purpose of causing friction of the said
rings against the four arms of the piece shewn at Figures 3 and 6, and by
which sufficient friction is produced to cause the crank:arms F, F, to follow the
rotation of the axles. The helical springs I, I, are for the purpose of disengaging
the blocks or brakes from the axles when the pressure of the nut H is removed
therefrom; K marks. one of two levers, having their. fulcra upon a rod L,
fixed to the standards M, of. which there are two such standards, being con-
nected at their extremities to the rods N, and to.one end of each of the levers
K there are connected suspension rods O, the lower extremities of which sup-
port each end of the axle C, and at the other end of the levers Kethere is a pin

page_text: or stud P, which works in a slot in the tenison rod Q, such rod being made
R marks one of
fast at its lower extremity to the framing of the engine at a.
two rods or bars situate at each side of the engine; upon one end of these bars
there is formed a wedged-shaped piece S, and such piece passes between the
under side of the strap T, which embraces the spring T, and the forked piece
U fixed to or formed upon the rod V, and other end of the rods R is
formed with teeth or projections, which take into a pinion W, mounted upon
an axis, working in bearings attached to the framing. Upon one end of this
axis there is fixed a lever handle X, by turning which, in the direction
denoted by the arrow, the wedge-shaped pieces S will be advanced between the
forked pieces U and straps T, by which the springs T' will be raised, and, being
thus strengthened, will have the effect of throwing the weight upon the springs
of the four running wheels, when the cranked axle is raised, and so as to take
the driving wheels from off the rails. By turning the handle X in the
direction denoted by the arrow, by which the wedge-shaped pieces S will be
forced from between the springs T' and forked pieces U, by which the weight
of the engine will be thrown upon the four springs which are near the
extremities of the framing, and the wheels B coming into contact with the
rails, will cause the rods O and levers K to be raised, and by turning round
the handle Y, fixed upon the upper ends of the screw Z, the lower ends of the
said scrow pressing upon the ends of the levers K, will secure them firmly in
this position, and by advancing the wedge-shaped pieces S in the direction of
the arrows, the springs T' being tightened, will throw the weight upon the
four end springs, and at the same time the driving wheels will be raised from
off the rails. And this mode of action applies also to the arrangement shewn
at Drawing No. 1.
It should be observed, that when the centre wheels are required to be used
for any length of time as driving wheels, it will be found preferable to
disconnect the rods from the cranked axle, when the engine will then be in the
same condition as an ordinary locomotive engine, and this mode of connecting
the cranked axle with the straight axles is also applicable to the arrangement
before described and represented at Drawing No. 1.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed and carried into practical effect, I desire it be
distinctly understood that I do not claim the exclusive use of any of the
separate parts above mentioned and referred to, except in so far as the same
may be employed in combination and for the purposes of my said Invention.
And I hereby declare that what I claim as the Invention intended to be
secured by the said Letters Patent is,―

page_text: Firstly, the improvements in obtaining and applying motive power by lifting
the cranked axle so as to take the wheels off the rails, multiplying the speed of
the cranked axle upon an auxiliary axle, and transmitting the movement of
such auxiliary axle to the two extreme axles of the engine, as above particularly
described and explained.
Secondly, the improvements in obtaining and applying motive power by lifting
the cranked axle, so as to take the wheels off the rails, and transmitting the
movement of the cranked axle to the two extreme axles of the engine, as above
particularly described and explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Rimington, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.
MICHAEL (L.S.) RIMINGTON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fifth day of July, in
the year of our Lord 1846, the aforesaid Michael Rimington came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty-six.