IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES, VEHICLES. AND APPENDAGES THERETO FOR BETTER AND SAFER WORKING ON RAILWAYS, TRAMWAYS, AND COMMON ROADS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bridges Adams, of Woodstock Lodge,
Granville Park, Blackheath, in the County of Kent, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES, VEHICLES. AND
APPENDAGES THERETO FOR BETTER AND SAFER WORKING ON RAILWAYS,
TRAMWAYS, AND COMMON ROADS,"
Sealed the 20th March 1868, and dated the 17th October 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bridges Adams
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
17th October 1867.
I, WILLIAM BRIDGES ADAMS, of Woodstock Lodge, Granville Park,
Blackbeath, in the County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES, VEHICLES, AND
APPENDAGES THERETO FOR BETTER AND SAFER WORKING ON RAILWAYS, TRAMWAYS,
AND COMMON ROADS," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist, first, in arranging the movements of the wheels
and axles so that they may radiate from their parallelism with each other to
pass round sharp curves of the rails or roads.
One method is by connecting the locomotive engine to the tender, joining
their floors into a bending frame by a pivot and frictional radius, or by a pivot
with a curved slot and frictional radius arranged to increase or diminish the
friction at pleasure.
Another method is to fix a radius bar or curved spring to the buffer beam
of an engine, in preference behind the fire-box; if altering an engine, removing

page_text: the trailing wheels, then to support the radial bar in a pair of jaws fixed to the
headstock of a tender or engine, retaining it in position by a pin and roller,
which forms the connection and serves for traction, while the flat headstock
serves as a continuous buffer round the curves, and this method may serve
for connecting two engines together or for a general connection of vehicles in
a train.
Another method is to connect four or more trailing wheels in a frame with
a central curved bar working between curved horn plates fixed to the main
frame and sliding in a corresponding curve on springs attached to the lower or
radial frame.
Another method is to use a single pair of trailing wheels with radial axle
boxes inside the wheels and a cross spring pivotted to the upper frame and
sliding in grooves on the axle box top to keep the spring parallel with the
axle, the spring serving as a balance beam to keep the radial wheels always
pressing on the rails, even when out of level, and this arrangement will permit
the use of a very long wheel base.
Another method is to connect the side springs fixed ou axle boxes in the
ordinary manner by a cross frame resting on them. The upper frame is borne
by the springs through the agency of long swinging shackles and deep scroll
irons or brackets in such mode that the wheels will be free to move in any
direction below the upper frame. To control and guide this movement a
pivot is fixed to the upper frame which passes downwards thro' a socket
formed in a longitudinal bar of the spring frame, the pivot being placed a few
inches within the axle towards the carriage centre and in the central longi-
tudinal line. In this mode the tendancy of the axle movement fore and aft
on curved lines of rail will always be a true radial line to the center of rail
curve, and on a straight line the gravitation of the swinging spring shackles
will tend to keep the axles rectangular to the rails; in addition to this the
spring frame may be guided by the lateral movement of the traction rod in a
slot of the beadstock which will always guide the spring frame in a line with
the rails parallel thereto. Thus a carriage on four wheels with the axles
sixteen or more feet apart may be enabled to move with perfect steadiness
and without flange friction round curves of one chain radius or less.
Another part of my improvements is for the retarding vehicles; with this
object I bol longitudinal bars below the axle boxes, and to these bars I hinge
the brakeblocks below without their touching the upper frame; they are pressed
against the wheels when required by weighted levers self-acting when released
by the guard or driver, and kept free from the wheels by counterbalance
weights or other means when not required to act. The longitudinal bars are solid

page_text: when applied to non-radial wheels, when applied to radial wheels provision must
be made for them to bend with hinges and for elongating and shortening on
curves. And this arrangement will free the carriages from jarring and render
the brakes more effective, and they may be continuous through the whole
train acting simultaneously.
Another part of my improvements consists in coupling the wheels of a train
together by external springs attached to the headstocks and serving the joint
purposes of elastic traction and buffing, dispensing with the ordinary buffing
and traction apparatus; and the springs may either cross each other diagonally
or abut against each other with a moving link to connect them rolling along
the springs and shifting the centre of draught to suit curves.
Another part of my improvements consists in the improvement of the wheel
tires. I use a tire with two broad side rings connected by bolts and fitted to
side rebates of the tire, the bolts being close to the inner side of the tire;
blocks of india-rubber, by preference vulcanized, are laid between these bolts
and a thin hoop of steel over them on which the wheel with a convex periphery
is pressed and rests elastically between the side rings. Blacklead or soap-
stone in powder without oil is placed between the wheel and steel ring to
enable sliding to take place on curves of the rail, and thus the wheels will
have neither friction nor wear from the contact of the tires with the rail aud.
the flanges of the tires may be on the ordinary side place or on the centre to
suit rails on common roads or tramways.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Bridges Adams in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd April 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE FRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BRIDGES ADAMS, of Woodstock Lodge, Granville Park, Blackheath, in the
County of Kent, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and graut unto me,
the said William Bridges Adams, Her special licence that I, the said
William Bridge Adams, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Bridges Adains, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time

page_text: and all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES, VEHICLES, AND APPENDAGES THERETO AND
APPLIANCES FOR BETTER AND SAFER WORKING ON RAILWAYS, TRAMWAYS, AND
COMMON ROADS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Bridges Adams, 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 William Bridges Adams, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what mauner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say:-
First. In attaching a locomotive engine and tender together by a pivot and
extended radius, as shewn in elevation at Fig. 1, and in plan, Fig. 1 a.
A, A, is the pivot bolt, and B the radius, two horizontal plates of the
tender a, a, overlapping the curved end of the engine B, with an arrangement
to enable the driver to tighten or loosen the contact of the curved surfaces to
increase or diminish friction. The engine will thus run equally well either
end foremost, and instead of being a fixture the pivot may move laterally in
a curved slot struck from the same centre as the radius, as indicated by the
dotted lines c, in which case friction can be applied all round the radius B.
A friction wheel is indicated by d to connect the tender wheels and make
them drivers, and two engines may be connected in the mode described instead
of an engine and tender.
Fig. 2 shews in elevation, and Fig. 2 a in plan, an improved mode of
causing four or six trailing wheels to radiate to curves and retain a rectangular
position on straight lines. The two pairs of trailing wheels and two axles are
coupled together by side under frames A, A, A, and a curved cross frame B
struck from at or about the centre C. This cross frame, by the pressure of
the wheel flanges against the rails, works laterally between horn plates or
guides a, a, a, a, fixed to the upper frame of the engine D, D, which is formed
at an angle to give room for the movement of the wheels laterally. The
upper frame is supported on the buckles of two side springs c, which buckles,
with or without rollers move or slide on curved plates attached to the upper
frame or with washers of brass or other metal between their surfaces; or a

page_text: single cross spring may be used in a similar mode, either fixed to the upper
frame and sliding on the lower frames or vice versa; this engine will also run
equally well either end foremost.
Fig. 3 shews in elevation, Fig. 3 a in plan, and Fig. 3 6 in end view, a
similar engine with one pair of trailing wheels which are made to radiate by
radial axle boxes a, a, a, a, a, between guides placed inside the wheels. A
single transverse spring b, b, b, is pivotted to the upper frame, and the ends
rest on the axle boxes sliding in grooves c, c, parallel to the axle, so that as
the axle radiates with the action of the wheel flanges against the rails on
curves the spring radiates with it guided by the grooves in the axle boxes.
The upper frame is angled, and horn plates d, d, d, d, d, d, d, d, are fixed to
it corresponding to the radial curves of the axle boxes; by this arrangement
the engine will run either end foremost and the wheels will press truly on
uneven rails. But in all cases of radial wheel movement below the main
frames the traction hooks applied to the upper frames should be made to
work on corresponding curves from one side to the other in order to keep the
line of draught to the centre between the two rails.
Fig. 4 shews in elevation, and Fig. 4a in plan, another radial arrangement
in which a curved bar of iron or steel A is fixed to the back of an engine
frame, the engine having six coupled driving wheels placed between the smoke
box and fire-box as usual, but without any trailing wheels to support the
overhanging fire-box, and four driving wheels may be used instead of six;
the curve of the bar A is struck from the centre of the nearest axle, or of the
middle axle, or other convenient position. To support the hind end of the
engine a tender or waggon B of ordinary or of any convenient construction is
attached to the engine by a strong jaw a, a, a, with a bolt and roller b, b, so
that on curves it can work round the curved bar of the engine, the roller
preventing friction against the inside face. In the act of drawing or pro-
pelling, the flat buffer bar of the tender will press against the curved bar of the
engine in every position, the curved bar being, in fact, a continuous circular
buffer and tractor. The lines c, c, shew the sharp curves of the rails, and the
dotted lines d, d, the position of the tender on the curve; and two engines
may be used in this mode instead of an engine and tender.
Fig. 5 shews in elevation, and Fig. 5 a in plan, a pair of tank locomotive
engines coupled together with the fire-box ends adjoining, so that one driver
and stoker may work them with either end foremost. Each engine has six
driving wheels, all coupled, and I prefer to have the tires applied to the
wheels with springs either of steel or india-rubber between them. The
wheels are so placed beneath the engine that the projected cylinders in front

page_text: nearly balance the fire-box, but such an engine would, if run singly, be very
unsteady, and by coupling two together they become perfectly steady; the
driving wheels are in the centre, and the fore and aft wheels coupled to them
as usual. The fire-box ends of the two engines are formed into regular
curves struck from the centres a, a, in plan. The curves are formed of strong
T-irons, two to each engine of the same vertical depth as the frame, and with
ceutral horizontal ribs b, b, b, b, to give stiffness. Two bars c, c, c, c, c, are
placed above and below the frames, and they are firmly connected together by
four bolts passing through them vertically and secured by nuts below. The
two centre bolts d, d, d, d, d, d, carry four rollers e, e, e, e, e, e, which rest
against the horizontal ribs of the curved angle bars b, b, and thus hold the
two engines together, the angle irons carrying the rollers, as it were, in a
trough above and below with a central opening 0, 0, between the angle bars
to allow movement to the bolts d, d. The end bolts ffffff, in the
coupling bars c, c, serve only to hold the coupling bars together, and clip the
T-angle bars of the frame between them. Thus the two engines when moving
on curves will always have the connecting bars c, c, in a straight line between
the centres of the two driving axles, but each engine will at the same time
be free to adapt its wheels to the special irregularities of the rails without one
engine being forced to form the exact angle of the other; and the com-
parative narrowness of the two connecting bars c, c, will permit the two
engines to twist and their wheels to press equally on rails which are what is
technically called "in winding," i.e. out of plane; and there will also be
sufficient power of vertical yield at the joint to enable both groups of wheels
to press equally on hollow or rounded surfaces of the rails. Fig. 5 6 shews
the joint coupling bars in enlarged size. The dotted lines g,g, g,g, seen in
plan iudicate the angles formed by the frames when on a curved line, the
coupling bars remaining in a straight line with the driving axle centres; and
the regulator handles of the two boilers may be coupled or connected so as to
admit and shut off steam simultaneously. These engines, which I call twin
engines, will be well adapted for mountain work of sharp curves and steep
gradients, and each engine may be arranged so as to couple to a tender or
waggon if needed; and the portion of the curved bars against which the
rollers work may be covered fore and aft with rubber and a steel or iron plate,
serving as a spring to prevent jamming; or the roller may be formed with
an internal and external cylinder with rubber between, or steel springs may
be applied, and soapstone, or blacklead, or both, may be used as a lubricant
instead of oil which damages the rubber.
Fig. 6 shews in half elevation, and Fig. 6 a in half plan, an improved mode

page_text: of causing the wheels of a long carriage on four wheels to radiate to curves.
A, A, A, is the upper frame; a, a, a, axle boxes, which may be of any kind
placed on the wheel bearings as usual; side bearing springs b,b,b, are firmly
attached or inay be firmly pivotted to the axle boxes, and as there are no horn
plates these springs may with great advantage be made of very wide plates,
six or more inches in width, and thus proportionately thin and flexible; these
springs are connected together transversely by broad bars of iron or steelc,c,c.c,
the ends lapping down over the springs, and the springs also lapping upwards
to retain the bars in position, thus forming a square framework. Another
bar d, d, longitudinal to the carriage centre is bolted or rivetted to the two
cross bar c, c, and is turned up at the carriage end into a fork clipping the
traction rod near the headstock, and the two diagonal timbers e,e, are clipped
tögether by an iron or timber bar f, f, shewn broken off, forming a powerful
centre for a pivot, which is a fixture to the
upper frame. A reinforced hole
corresponding to the pivot is formed in the longitudinal bar d, the position of
the pivot being about 9 inches behind the axle towards the centre of the
carriage; this forms an excentric centre, round which the wheels turn, and it
will be seen that this is a mechanical movement on the principle of the caster's
used to heavy house furniture for moving from place to place, the centre of
movement being excentric to the point of support. The upper frame is borné
on the springs by four strong deep iron brackets g,g, attached to the head-
stock and cross bar by long swinging shackle bars or rods h,/, passing through
the bars e,e, and the spring plates, the heads being formed into semicircular
bearings in corresponding cups of the bars c, e, with or without a metal
washer between. The ends of the brackets are formed in a similar manner,
and the nuts below, which serve to raise or lower the frame to the right level,
are also formed ball-shaped. The holes are larger than the diameters of the
shackle rods, and thus serve to permit angular movement of the rods in the
sockets to the extent needed when the wheels are on sharp curves, and also
the lengthening of the springs in work. By this arrangement when on straight
lines the spring shackles will hang vertically and the axle will be rectangular
to the rails. On entering a curve the wheel flanges will press against the
outer rail, and by reason of their excentric pivots the outer wheels will advance
in front and recede behind till the axles are true to the radius of the rail
curve instead of their becoming abnormal to the curve, as is the case with a
bogey carriage, which is pivotted centrally and not excentrically like a caster.
And the moment this my improved carriage leaves the curve and enters on the
straight line gravitation brings the spring shackles to a vertical position and
the axles rectangular to the frame. And instead of the ordinary laminated

page_text: springs I sometimes use my bowsprings, which take the axle boxes at top and
bottom and hold them very firmly, using with them the long links, and using
sometimes guide frames fastened directly to the axle boxes instead of the spring
ends. In addition to this caster guidance I also guide the wheels by the
traction rod i, i. One end of the traction rod is attached to a volute spring
on the cross bar j,j, and the outer end moves in a radial slot in the headstock.
The traction will always tend to pull the traction rod to an exact centre
between the two rails, and as the fork at the end of the longitudinal frame
bar d clips the traction rod, the wheels must follow the movement even if not
guided by the caster movement. Of course in case of the engine pushing
instead of pulling the train the traction rod will not guide the wheels, but in
that case the caster movement will; and the centre of radial movement being
so near the axle no lateral unsteadiness will be involved, and a four-wheel
carriage can be thus constructed, which is not the case when the centre of
movement is at a great distance from the wheels, in which case one or two
pairs of central wheels are needed to prevent unsteady lateral swinging. The
carriage illustrated is 16 feet long on the wheel base, and is yet capable of
running without flange friction round curves of one chain radius, and upon
reverse or S curves or irregular rails each pair of wheels is free to take the
path of least friction independently of the other pair; in this mode the
pendulous movement on the springs with the caster guidance permits free and
true movement with the minimum of friction. No horn plates are used, for
they are not needed, the central pivot and the four shackle rods being more
than equivalent in point of strength, the more especially as blows are eluded
from the wheels and axles; but if it be desired to use horn plates they can be
applied to the diagonal framings to take the axle instead of the axle boxes,
space being allowed for the axle movement fore and aft. Or the centre bar
may have a curved bar applied to it, working through curved horn plates fixed
to the diagonal timbers. But I prefer the upturned end of the bar to work
within a radial keeper fixed to the headstock as a periphery to the central
pivot, as shewn at m. And if brakes are applied to follow the wheels
I suspend the blocks by rods from the cross bars c, c, similarly to the spring
shackles, working them by gravitation levers in the mode herein-after described
at Fig. 8 and Fig. 8 a. And instead of fixing the guide frames to the spring
ends by the cross bars c,c, I sometimes use a separate frame attached directly
to the axle boxes below the springs enclosing the wheels, and guiding them as
before described, fixing the axle boxes to the frames by firm clips, and per-
mitting the springs b, b, to swivel on pivots above the frames to equalize the
angle of the spring shackles when on curves if required.

page_text: Fig. 7 shews in elevation, and Fig. 7a in plau, a mode of applying brakes
to carriages in which the wheels are not radial but fixed. Instead of hanging
the blocks as customary from the upper frame, which jars the passengers and
impedes the spring action, or by slide bars from axle box to axle box, I bolt
bars of timber or iron a, a, a, to the bottom of the axle boxes, but by preference
with the spring bolts; and to these I hinge the brake blocks, b, b, b, b, b, b,
pressing against the wheels upwards instead of downwards by means of the
weighted levers c, c, c, c. In this mode the four blocks will press accurately
against the wheels without noise or jarring or interfering with the action of
the springs. The blocks are connected transversely by bars d, d, which take
the levers as before described, the levers acting by gravitation or by other
power. The levers are secured to the brake blocks by tie rods e, e, which hold
them in position and adjust them by screws as the blocks wear.
Fig. 8 shews in side view, and Fig. 8 a in part plan, a carriage on four
wheels similar to Figs. 6 and 6 a in the mode of radiating the wheels, with.
the exception that the axles do not revolve, but the wheels revolve on them
separately. The axles are fixed to the bearing springs which carry the load
on long swinging shackles as Fig. 6. This vehicle is well adapted for use
on tramways or light railways with the minimum of friction, the wheels all
revolving on their axles independently of each other. It is constructed with
the passenger entrances and exits at the ends. It is arranged for 48
passengers, more or less, one half inside, the other half on the roof, and it
may be drawn or impelled by animal, steam, or other power. The bottom
portion indicated by the lines b, b, b, is considerably narrower than the full
width indicated by the lines a, a, a, and the top line c is the same width as
the bottom; the springs firmly fixed to the axles are shewn by d, d, d, d.
The swinging shackles or rods e, e, e, e, suspend the vehicle from the frame
by the cross bars ffff which are firmly bolted and secured to the bottom;
9.4, 9, are guide frames firmly bolted to the axles and pivotted to the
bottom of the vehicle at h, h, h, the pivot sliding up and down through the
frame so as not to interfere with the action of the bearing springs d, d;
thus the movement of the wheels is guided and controlled by these guide
frames truly to the curve of the line they run ou, each pair of wheels
independently of the other. The frames g, g, are prolonged behind the
axles at i, i, i, i, and carry brake blocks h, k, h, k, suspended by cross bars
attached to the frames at i, i. The normal condition of these brake blocks is
to be pressing on the wheels by the action of gravitation levers 1, 1, and they
are kept out of action by lifting a cord or chain over a pulley in the control of
the guard or driver or by other convenient means, and the brake blocks and

page_text: levers follow the curvilinear movement of the wheels. The dotted lines
m,m,m, in plan indicate the angle taken by the axles and wheels to roll round
curves of 33 feet radius, and the guide frames g,, in addition to the pivot
attachment h, h, have a pair of forks or horns », », projecting downwards
and clipping curved bars o fixed to the bottom of the vehicle without
interfering with the action of the bearing springs, thus forming an additional
security for the tractive force which is applied at the projecting ends of the
frames P. P. P.
And when it is desired to make the vehicle self-moving I
limit the radial movement to one pair of wheels, fixing the other pair of
wheels in any convenient mode for mechanical power to act on them and
cause them to revolve. And in such case I prefer to use the power of
heated air, for which purpose I apply a pair of cylinders in a convenient
position, working side or connecting rods acting on cranks on the wheels,
the heat being produced from the combustion of petroleum by preference or
other liquid fuel making no smoke, the liquid being injected in spray forced
in by air pump. And in some cases for the better and simpler coupling of
trains together, I dispense altogether with the traction rods and traction
springs and rods and buffers and buffer necks in ordinary use, substituting
for them external springs which serve both for buffing and traction.
Fig. 9 shews in plan and Fig. 9 a vertically this arrangement.
,, represent the headstocks of two adjoining carriages; b, b, b, b, are
iron lugs or
jaws bolted to them; c, c, is a double curved spring about half
an inch thick and six inches wide with an eye rolled or forged at each end
and attached to the jaws or lugs of both carriages by bolts on which the
spring ends can revolve; d, d, is a similar spring attached to opposite lugs,
both springs crossing each other diagonally, but one above the other without
touching at their edges, the lugs being arranged in the headstocks at corre-
sponding elevations. When the engine is drawing the train the springs will
be in tension longitudinally and give and take elastically to suit the circum-
stances. When the engine is pushing the train the springs will compress
longitudinally and elude the shocks; a safety chain or chains can be used
hanging loosely at the centre or at the sides denoted by the dotted line e, e,
for the contingency of a spring breaking. Fig. 9 a shews one of the springs
in breadth with the rolled eyes in section.
Fig. 10 shews a similar mode of arrangement, but with each spring formed
in a single curve and attached separately to each adjoining vehicle, in which
case the springs may be made as wide as the headstock. The connection is
formed with a traction clip g with two bolts d, d, surrounded by rolling
sheaths which roll along the spring surfaces secured with a coupling plate at

page_text: bottom. In Fig. 9 there is no fixed centre, and consequently the adjoining
vehicles can adjust themselves to curves, and in Fig. 10 the coupling can
move from side to side rolling easily along the spring plates similarly to the
coupling of the twin engines, Figs. 5 and 5 a, herein-before described. And
instead of two springs, one to each carriage, as shown at Fig. 10, a single
spring may be used to one carriage with a centre lug to the adjoining carriage
carrying the bolt or bolts and rollers to clip and work inside the spring curve
instead of the traction clip with two rollers used with the two springs. If
used for heavy trains the spring action may be limited by stops or blocks
for buffing, and by stop links or chains for traction.
And the springs may
be formed of double plates, the eyes rolled together in all cases if preferred.
Fig. 11 shews this arrangement in plan a, a, being the side lugs of one
carriage taking the ends of the spring which may be as wide as the depth of
the headstock, and 6 the centre lug of the opposite carriage with a bolt and
roller. And instead of the bolt and roller a bar or bolt may be used wide
and flat next the spring to pass up and down in the lug b and clip the spring,
the rising and falling of the bolt being provided for by a chain or cord and
pulley or lever used from the waggon side by a man instead of going below
the waggons or between them. The two waggons will thus work together
like the engine and tender, Figs. 4 and 4a herein-before described.
Fig. 12 shews another arrangement of outside springs formed of curved
plates to serve only as buffers, and not as traction springs, the traction being
central with rods and hooks as usual. The springs are bolted to the head-
stocks at the ends a, a, a, a, with wedge packing blocks to the right position,
being in half lengths to leave a space of 12 to 18 inches between them for
the lateral play of the traction rods when my radial guidance is used or less
space in ordinary cases. And the springs may be made strong enough for the
buffing, or they may be made of steel plates in. to in. thick in which case
I place between their inner ends and the headstock a block or plates of
vulcanized india-rubber b, b, b, b, with a bolt countersunk into the spring
plate and sliding through the headstock to keep it in position and permit the
necessary yield. And these springs may be applied to ouc carriage only if
preferred buffing against the headstock as Fig. 11. The steel plates will
thus slide easily on one another and independently, the point of buffing contact
being always in a straight line with the intersection of the transverse and longi-
tudinal centres of the adjoining carriages. And instead of the packing blocks at
the ends the springs may be applied with revolving eyes and bolts in lugs fixed
to the headstocks, the central ends being applied with the india-rubber blocks.

page_text: Fig. 13 shews in section, and Fig. 13 a in face on a reduced scale an
improved wheel tire. The frame Z may be of any construction, and the tire
A, A, is attached to it by two side rings B, B, B, recessed into the tire and
secured by bolts b, b, b. Between the bolts, which lie close to the inner side
of the tire on its projecting inner rib, are placed blocks of vulcanized or
otherwise elastic india-rubber a, rising about half an inch above the bolts
between them and the wheel. On these blocks of rubber is placed a thin
hoop of steel c, on which the wheel with a slightly curved periphery is slid,
with blacklead powder or soapstone, or both, between the wheel and steel
ring to form a lubricant to prevent heating as the tires slide round the wheel
upon curves of the line where the two rails are of unequal lengths, and
require unequal revolutions of the tires to prevent friction between wheels and
rails. The side rings being placed in position, and the rubber being a little
wider than the space between, it is compressed by the bolts in screwing up.
The wheel will thus be effectually cushioned against blows on the rail ;;the
grinding between wheel tires and rails, which are a main cause of vibration,
will be removed, and noise and rattle will nearly disappear. And this black-
lead and soapstone lubricant can be used with great advantage for lubricating
the heated air cylinders before described. Fig. 13 b.shews a similar tire with
central instead of a side flange. Fig. 13 c a similar tire, with a hollow
groove to work on an edge rail, and also on a plain road surface. Fig. 18 d
a similar tire adapted to an ordinary wheel on a common road, the two side
rings being rivetted together on the rebates of the tire.
And in the descriptions and Drawings I liaveavoided unnecessary prolixity,
as tending only to confuse, and have confined myself to the essential parts of
my improvements, which any competent workman will understand.
Figs. 1 to 7 a inclusive are drawn to a scale of half an inch to one foot.
Figs. 13, 13 b, 13 c, 13 d, to a scale of one-half full size; Fig. 13 a, to a scale
of three-quarters of an inch to one foot.
Having now described my said improvements, I wish it to be understood
that what I claim as original is contained,-
Firstly. In the various mode of enabling locomotive engines and vehicles to
move freely round curves of small radius, as herein-before described and illus-
trated by Figs. 1, 1 a, 2, 2 a, 3, 3 a, 3 b, 4, 4a, 5, 5 a, 5 b, 6, 6a, and
8, 8 a, all of which may have brakes suspended from the wheel attachments
to follow their radial movement.
Secondly. The brake arrangement for carriages without radial wheels, as
herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 7 and 7 a.

page_text: Thirdly. The plans of coupling carriages together by external springs,
dispensing with the ordinary buffers, and also with traction rods when desired,
as herein-before described and illustrated by Figs. 9, 9a, 10, 11, and 12.
Fourthly. The improved plans of constructing and applying elastic wheel
tires, as herein-before described and illustrated by Figs. 13, 13 a, 13 b, 13 c,
13, with the mode of lubrication by blacklead and soapstone, applicable also
to lubricate locomotive cylinders worked by heated air, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bridges Adams, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
WILLIAM BRIDGES ADAMS. (L.S.)