IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLING STOCK ADAPTED FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Rowan, of Randers, in the Kingdom of
Denmark, Engineer and Contractor, at present of 14, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLING
STOCK ADAPTED FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS."
Sealed the 23rd July 1878, and dated the 23rd January 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Rowan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd January 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT ROWAN, of Randers, in the Kingdom of Denmark, Engineer
and Contractor, at present of 14, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLING STOCK ADAPTED FOR RAILWAYS AND
TRAMWAYS."
This Invention consists partly of a particular arrangement of locomotive so as to
permit of its combination with existing tramway cars or railway carriages or
trucks, thereby forming a steam car capable of working on tramways with very
sharp curves and steep gradients, whilst allowing the railway carriage or car itself
when not in combination with the engine to be employed in ordinary railway
trains, thus permitting the transfer of traffic from railway on to road tramways,
and vice versa, without breaking load.
In carrying out this part of my said Invention I use any ordinary railway
carriage or wagon, though I prefer the form of carriage mounted upon two bogies
and having the side soles prolonged at one end so as to form fixed buffers, the
opposite end being provided with spring buffers as usual. These carriages would
have the couplings in ordinary use, and be in every respect suitable for running in
the usual trains on common railways. When it is desired to transfer the said
carriages (with or without load) from an ordinary railway to a light railway or
feeder, or to a road tramway, a locomotive engine, such as is herein-after described,
is employed, it being specially adapted for being readily connected at will with a
railway carriage or wagon in such a manner as to form when combined therewith
L Povine 671

page_text: a steam car. The adhesion to the rails which is required for ascending steep
gradients is derived from the weight of the car and its load, which is partly thrown
upon the driving wheels. The steam carriage thus obtained is specially adapted,
as hereafter described, for passing with facility round curves of extraordinarily
small radius.
I prefer that the boiler of the engine be of the vertical or upright class, as
affording an increased floor area, and thus providing room for its speciality, namely,
the employment of a moveable horizontal ring surrounding the boiler, but entirely
detached therefrom, and resting upon double or single coned wheels or rollers which
work on an annular rail (or on segments of one) flanged or otherwise, and secured
to the floor of the engine.
When it is required to shift the car from a common railway to a road tramway
or light railway, I raise the car at one end, remove one bogie (or one pair of wheels
in an ordinary carriage or wagon), and place the ends of the side soles of the car
upon the moveable ring, to which they are secured by means of bolts or pins, the
car and engine thus combined forming a steam car.
The tractive strain may be transmitted directly through the coned rollers
working on the annular or segmental fixed rail without the necessity for using a
draw bar or other connecting device, as I have found that the load and weight of
the car acting upon the coned rollers on their annular or segmental rail alone
suffices to afford sufficient resistance for the traction of the car, when three or more
of such rollers are disposed at suitable intervals over the fixed rail.
The same system of applying the traction through coned wheels or rollers
working on an annular or segmental rail is equally applicable to the class of
carriage described in the Specification of my Invention, for which Letters Patent
were granted on my behalf to Edwin Powley Alexander, bearing date the 14th of
June 1875, No. 2171, and illustrated on Sheet 1 of the Drawings annexed thereto,
as by this means I am enabled to simplify the construction by dispensing with the
antifriction rollers in the hoop which surrounds the bogie pin.
In existing railway carriages or trucks and tramway cars, where the side soles
are not long enough for my purpose, I combine therewith a moveable auxiliary
frame for coupling the vehicle to the tramway engine, and this arrangement may
be varied by attaching the before-mentioned moveable ring or segments of it with
its coned rollers to the said auxiliary frame, so as to be ready for immediate use
when required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Rowan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
July 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT ROWAN, of Randers, in the Kingdom of Denmark, Engineer
and Contractor, at present of 14, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLING STOCK ADAPTED FOR RAILWAYS AND
TRAMWAYS."
My said Invention relates to certain improvements in the arrangements and
combination of rolling stock adapted for railways and tramways, and consists
partly of a particular arrangement of locomotive which permits of its combination,
as herein-after specified, with existing tramway cars or with railway carriages or
trucks, such combination forming a steam car capable of working on tramways
with very sharp curves and steep gradients, whilst allowing the railway carriage or
car itself (as the case may be) when not in combination with the engine to be
employed in ordinary railway trains, thus permitting the transfer of traffic from
railways on to road tramways, and vice versa, without breaking load.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a side elevation of my arrangement of
locomotive engine detached.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of a railway wagon or truck (also detached) mounted
on bogies, and adapted for being readily combined with the said locomotive
engine.
Figure 3 shows the same engine and truck combined together for running on a
light railway or road tramway.
Figure 4 is a plan corresponding to Figure 3, and showing a portion of the under
frame of the wagon.
Figure 5 shows the mode of combining an ordinary railway wagon, mounted on
two pairs of wheels, with my said improved locomotive engine by the aid of an
auxiliary frame, which is shown in plan detached at Figure 6.
According to one mode of carrying out my said Invention I use any ordinary
railway carriage or wagon A (Figure 5), but I prefer to employ the form of wagon
mounted upon two bogies as shown at Figure 2, and having the side soles pro-
longed at one end at B, B, so as to form fixed buffers, the opposite end being
provided with spring buffers C, C, as usual. These carriages or wagons would have
the couplings in ordinary use and be in every respect suitable for running in the
usual trains on common railways. When it is desired to transfer the said carriages
or wagons (with or without load) from an ordinary railway to a light railway or
feeder or to a road tramway, a locomotive engine D, such as is herein-after described,
is employed, it being specially adapted for being readily connected at will with a
railway carriage or wagon in such a manner as to form when combined therewith
a steam car. The adhesion to the rails which is required for ascending steep
gradients is derived from the weight of the car and its load, which is partly thrown
upon the driving wheels. The steam carriage thus obtained is specially adapted,
as hereafter described, for passing with facility round curves of extraordinarily
small radius.
I prefer that the boiler of the engine be of the vertical or upright class as
affording an increased floor area, and thus providing room for its speciality, namely,
a moveable horizontal ring E surrounding the boiler but entirely detached there-
from, and resting upon double or single coned wheels or rollers F, F, which work
on an annular rail Ġ (or on segments of one), flanged or otherwise, and secured to

page_text: the floor of the engine, the ring E being retained in position by the horizontal
rollers H, H, (Figures 3 and 4).
When it is required to shift the car from a common railway to a road tramway
or light railway I raise the car at one end, remove one bogie (or one pair of wheels
in an ordinary carriage or wagon), and place the protruding ends B, B, of the side
soles of the car upon the moveable ring E, to which they are secured by means of
bolts or pins at I, I, the car and engine thus combined forming a steam car (see
Figures 3 and 4).
The tractive strain may be transmitted directly through the coned rollers F,
working on the annular or segmental fixed rail G without the necessity for using a
draw bar or other connecting device, as I have found that the load and weight of
the car acting upon the coned rollers on their annular or segmental rail alone
suffices to afford sufficient resistance for the traction of the car when three or more
of such rollers are disposed at suitable intervals over the fixed rail.
The same system of applying the traction through coned wheels or rollers
working on an annular or segmental rail is equally applicable to the class of
carriage described in the Specification of my Invention, for which Letters Patent
were granted on my behalf to Edwin Powley Alexander, bearing date the 14th of June
1875, No. 2171, and illustrated on Sheet 1 of the Drawings annexed thereto, as by
this means I am. enabled to simplify the construction by dispensing with the anti-
friction rollers in the hoop which surrounds the bogie pin.
In existing railway carriages or trucks and tramway cars, where the side soles
are not long enough for my purpose, I combine therewith a removeable auxiliary
frame K (see Figures 5 and 6) for the purpose of coupling the vehicle A to the
tramway engine D, and this arrangement may be varied by attaching the before-
mentioned moveable ring E, or segments of it with its coned rollers F to the said
auxiliary frame, as shown clearly in the detail plan, Figure 6, so as to be ready
for immediate use when required.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect,
I would observe in conclusion that I do not claim generally the supporting of one
end of the framing of a railway vehicle upon the framing of a locomotive engine,
as I am aware that such has already been proposed; but what I consider to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,——
First. The particular arrangement of locomotive engine, with its moveable hori-
zontal ring surrounding the boiler, but entirely detached therefrom, the coned wheels
or rollers and the annular rail or segments of an annular rail secured to the floor
of the engine when arranged and combined together, substantially in the manner
and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Secondly. The peculiar mode or method of connecting an ordinary tram car or a
railway carriage or wagon with my particular arrangement of locomotive engine
without the necessity for a draw bar or other like coupling device, as and for the
purposes herein-before described, and illustrated by my Drawings.
Thirdly. The application and use of the auxiliary frame, with or without coned
wheels or rollers attached thereto, in connection with ordinary railway and tram-
way rolling stock, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before
described, and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Rowan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.