Improvements in Driving Mechanisms for the Driving Axles of Locomotives Mounted on Turning Frames or Bogies.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 29th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 23rd Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Mechanisms for the Driving Axles of
Locomotives Mounted on Turning Frames or Bogies.
J, FRIEDRICH RITTER VON MERTENS, of Dervent, Province of Bosnia,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in driving mechanisms for the driving
axles of locomotives which are mounted on turning-frames or bogies for the purpose
of enabling them to run on curves of short radius.
These improvements consist in arranging on the crank-shaft lying beneath the
pivot bolt of the turning-frame and coupled with the piston-rod of the steam
cylinder, which crank-shaft imparts motion to the driving-axles, a spur wheel
which, through the medium of a cross linked coupling, is rendered capable of
making certain angles with the crank-shaft, and which gears into intermediate
wheels placed in such a manner that their motion is transmitted without shock to
the driving axles.
By this means, motion is imparted to the driving-axles in a simple manner, by a
single gearing part attached to the engine-frame, and without involving alterations
of any importance to the structure of existing engines.
In the accompanying drawings which represent a construction of driving
mechanisin according to this invention for locomotive driving-axles mounted on a
turning frame.
Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section,
Fig. 2 a cross-section; and
Fig. 3 a sectional plan of a turning-frame provided with the said driving
mechanism.
As shown, beneath the main-pin of the turning frame lies the crank-shaft
revolving in two bearings d firmly secured to the main-frame c of the engine. This
shaft is connected in the usual manner with the piston-rod of the steam-cylinder
by means of a beam and of a connecting-rod.
A spur wheel revolves with the said shaft and transmits its motion to the cog-
wheels, keyed on the driving axles hh, through the medium of intermediate
wheels 9.9.
In order that when the engine is running on curves, the spur-wheel shall
constantly gear into the intermediate wheels g g, or, in other words that it shall
follow the angular movement of the turning frame relatively to the longitudinal
axis of the engine, the said spur-wheel is connected to the shaft by means of a
coupling, consisting of an eye-ring & in which are formed two diametrically opposite
holes through which is inserted a pin a, passing also through a hole bored in
the thickened part j of the crank-shaft to which the said pin is keyed. In two
other diametrically opposite holes m m of the said ring k are inserted pins
prejecting into lugs p, secured to the spur-wheel, these pins being fastened to
the lugs by means of keys, screws or other suitable connecting devices.
8) 0:
In this manner the simultaneous rotation of the spur-wheel and the crank-shaft
is insured at whatever angle they may stand to each other, the spur-wheel of being
moreover constantly kept in the plane of the driving wheels by means of projecting
flanges on the rims of the intermediate wheels gg.
The motion of the crank-shaft, and consequently of the spur-wheel, is transmitted
to the cog-wheels ii without shock, by inserting the axle-journals of the inter-
mediate wheels y into beams 79, the outer end of each of which embraces bushwise
the corresponding driving-axle, whereas the inner end of each beam turned towards

page_text: the shaft b, is pivoted at s on the suspension-rod, which hangs from the turning
frame and moves therewith.
These centres of rotations of the suspension-rods are placed in a vertical
plane passing through the common tangent to the pitch-circles of the wheels f
and g.
As each intermediate wheel g, owing to its being connected with the corresponding
wheel-axle h, shares all the vertical motions which may be imparted to the same
whilst the engine is running, there is little or no tendency to jerking between the
teeth of wheels g and i, or between wheel g, and spur-wheelf, the aforesaid vertical
motions being annulled on account of the centres of rotations being situated in the
vertical planes tangent to the pitch-circles of said wheels.
As the pitch-circles of the wheels f, g, i, can be of different diameters between
rather wide limits, the addition of the driving mechanism described does not involve
alterations of any importance to the construction of locomotives. For instance in
a freight-engine, the combination is possible of small cylinder diameter and light
boiler with a retarding gearing or driving mechanism, whereas, in a passenger-
engine, light and consequently small driving wheels can be combined with an
accelerating gear, the boiler being placed at a moderate height.
The above described mechanism can be applied to engines with two or more
driving-axles and two or more turning-frames, in which cases the crank-shafts of
the respective turning frames have to be suitably connected to each other.
Dated this 6th day of June 1891.
F. R. vox MERTENS,
By L. W., per F. B.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Mechanisms for the Driving Axles of
Locomotives Mounted on Turning Frames or Bogies.
I, FRIEDRICH RITTER VON MERTENS, of Dervent, Province of Bosnia,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in driving mechanism for the driving
axles of locomotives which are mounted on turning frames or bogies for the purpose
of enabling them to run on curves of short radius.
These improvements consist in arranging on a crank-shaft lying beneath the
pivot bolt of the turning frame and coupled with the piston-rod of the steam cylinder,
which crank-shaft imparts motion to the driving axles, a spur wheel which, through
the medium of a cross linked coupling, is rendered capable of making certain angles
with the crank-shaft, and which gears into intermediate wheels placed in such a manner
that their motion is transmitted without shock to the driving axles.
By this means, motion is imparted to the driving axles, in a simple manner, by a
single gearing part attached to the engine-frame, and without involving alterations
of any importance to the structure of existing engines.
In the drawings accompanying my Provisional Specification, which represent a
construction of driving mechanism according to this invention for locomotive driving-
axles mounted on a turning frame,
Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section;
Fig. 2 a cross-section; and
Fig. 3 a sectional plan of a turning frame provided with the said driving
mechanism.
As shown, beneath the main-pin a of the turning frame lies the crank shaft b
revolving in two bearings firmly secured to the main frame c of the engine. This

page_text: shaft is connected in the usual manner with the piston-rod of the steam-cylinder by
means of a beam and of a connecting rod.
A spur wheel revolves with the said shaft and transmits its motion to the
cog-wheels keyed on the driving axles hh, through the medium of intermediate
wheels y g.
k
In order that when the engine is running on curves the spur wheel shall
constantly gear, into the intermediate wheels gg, or, in other words that it shall
follow the angular movement of the turning frame relatively to the longitudinal
axis of the engine, the said spur-wheel is connected to the shaft b by means of a
coupling, consisting of an eye-ring in which are formed two diametrically opposite
holes, through which is inserted a pin a passing also through a hole bored in the
thickened part of the crank shaft to which the said pin is keyed. In two other
diametrically opposite holes mm of the said ring are inserted pins o o projecting
into lugs pp, secured to the spur-wheel these pins being fastened to the lugs by
means of keys, screws or other suitable connecting devices.
In this manner the simultaneous rotation of the spur-wheel and the crank shaft
is insured at whatever angle they may stand to each other, the spur wheel being
moreover constantly kept in the plane of the driving wheels by means of projecting
flanges on the rims of the intermediate wheels 9 y.
The motion of the crank-shaft, and consequently of the spur-wheel f, is transmitted
to the cog-wheels ii without shock, by inserting the axle-journals of the intermediate
wheels g into beams the outer end of each of which embraces bushwise the corre-
sponding driving-axle, whereas the inner end of each beam turned towards the shaft b,
is pivoted at s on the suspension rod r, which hangs from the turning frame and
moves therewith.
These centres of rotations of the suspension rods are placed in a vertical
plane passing through the common tangent to the pitch circles of the wheels f
and y.
As each intermediate wheel y, owing to its being connected with the corresponding
wheel-axle, shares all the vertical motions which may be imparted to the same
whilst the engine is running, there is little or no tendency to jerking between
the teeth of wheels g and nor is there any jerking motion between wheels g,
and spur wheel, all such vertical motions being prevented on account of the
centres of rotations being situated in the vertical planes tangent to the pitch circles
of said wheels.
As the pitch-circles of the wheels, can be of different diameters between
rather wide limits, the addition of the driving mechanism described does not
involve alterations of any importance to the construction of locomotives. For
instance in a freight-engine, the combination is possible of small cylinder
diameter and light boiler with a retarding gearing or driving mechanism,
whereas, in a passenger engine, light and consequently small driving wheels
can be combined with an accelerating gear, the boiler being placed at a moderate
height.
The above described mechanism can be applied to engines with two or more
driving axles and two or more turning frames, in which cases the crank shafts of the
respective turning frames have to be suitably connected to each other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a locomotive having a turning frame or bogie provided with a driving axle
or axles, mechanism for transmitting the motion of a crank shaft to the driving
axle or axles (h) said mechanism being capable of moving relatively to the said
shaft and comprising means for connecting the shaft with a spur wheelf whose
motion is transmitted by means of intermediate wheels g to cog-wheels i keyed on
the axles h substantially as described.

page_text: 2. In driving mechanism of the kind referred to in the preceding claim, suspension
beams in which are supported the axle journals of the intermediate wheels
substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 29th day of February 1892.
F. R. VON MERTENS,
By L. W., per F. B.