IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES."
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Atkinson Longridge, of Clapham, in the
County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE
ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Atkinson Long-
.ridge at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd November 1872.
I, JAMES ATKINSON LONGRIDGE, of Clapham, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates, 1st, to the arrangement of and method of
coupling the wheels of a locomotive engine, whereby the whole weight
of the engine or engine and tender is made available for adhesion, whilst
at the same time the passing round sharp curves is facilitated. This
I accomplish by arranging the wheels in independent sets, each set
being provided with two or three pairs of wheels and axles.
In the case of tank engines, I prefer to place them on three sets of
wheels, each set consisting of four or six wheels. The middle set of

page_text: wheels carry a frame which is firmly attached to the boiler, and are the
wheels driven by the pistons or driving wheels. The set of leading
wheels work in a swivelling frame, like a bogie frame, attached to the
boiler by a pivot, so as to have a radial motion to follow the course of
the curve, and the same arrangement is made for the set of trailing
wheels.
I prefer to place the pivots in the centre line of the engine, and
midway between the fixed and swivelling frames.
The set of driving wheels are coupled together in the ordinary manner
by connecting rods, and the set of wheels of each bogie frame are also
coupled together in the same way, and the several sets are geared
together in the following manner :-To the centre of each of the
driving wheel axles when there are only two pairs (or to the centres of
the extreme axles when there are three pairs), is fixed a cog wheel
which is in gear with another cog wheel on the nearest axle in the
adjacent leading or trailing swivelling frame (as the case may be) by
means of an intermediate cog wheel. The intermediate cog wheels are
so hung by cradles carried by the adjacent axles, that their centres are
always kept in a line joining the centres of the cog wheels into which
they work, so that when in passing round a curve the axles diverge or
lose their parallelism; the amount of this divergence is equally divided
on each side of the intermediate cog wheel, and thus becomes practically
insignificant.
.In the case of tender engines, the front set of tender wheels is con-
nected with the last set of engine wheels by cog wheels gearing, as
above-described, and the other tender wheels coupled in like manner, as
above-described, by side rods and cog wheels, so as in this case to get
the whole adhesion of the twelve engine wheels and four or more tender
wheels.
Although I prefer to place the driving wheels in the central position
above indicated, yet in other cases I make the leading or trailing wheels
the drivers, but in all cases the wheels are arranged in sets, and each set
is connected to the next set by cog wheels, whilst the wheels of each set
are connected by ordinary coupling rods, as above described.
In some cases I prefer to place the boiler and water tanks on wheels
connected, as above-described, with a framework carrying the cylinders

page_text: and other mechanism. Or the boiler may be placed on one system of
wheels, whilst the tank and cylinders are on another, or they may be
otherwise arranged.
My Invention relates, 2ndly, to a method of obtaining a better draft in
the furnaces of locomotive engines, and consists in employing a number
of blast pipes of small diameter in the same chimney, or each in a
separate tube or chimney whereby the effect of the blast is considerably
increased.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Atkinson Longridge in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 2nd May 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
ATKINSON LONGRIDGE, of Clapham, in the County of Surrey, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Atkinson Longridge, Her special
licence that I, the said James Atkinson Longridge, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Atkinson
Longridge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at 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," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Atkinson Longridgė, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Atkinson Longridge, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
.thereon (that is to say) :-
:―
My Invention relates, first, to the arrangement and method of coupling
the wheels and frames of a locomotive engine or engine and tender in
such a manner that the whole weight of the engine or engine and
tender is made available for adhesion whilst at the same time the
passage round sharp curves is facilitated. This I accomplish by
arranging the wheels in independent sets, each set being provided with
its own frame, axle guides, and fittings, and consisting of two or more
pairs of wheels and axles.
In every case the engine or engine and tender is carried by three or
more such frames, one of which, generally the middle frame, (or in the
case of four frames one of the middle frames,) is firmly attached to the
boiler, but in such a manner that whilst the attachment prevents any
lateral or longitudinal motion between the boiler and the frame it may yet
admit of a vertical motion when such vertical motion is required. This
frame I call the driving frame, as it contains the driving wheels of
the engine. The other frames, which I call bogie frames, are coupled to
the driving frames or to each other, as the case may be, by ball and
socket couplings, so that whilst the axis of the driving frame is always
in the same vertical plane with the axis of the boiler the axes of the
other frames can diverge and follow the line of curvature of the rails,
and also variation in the level of the road. In some cases the bogie
frames may be attached direct to the boiler instead of to the driving.
frame, but I prefer attaching them to the driving frame itself.
The set of driving wheels are coupled together by outside connecting
rods, and in some cases I adopt an independent driving axle placed
between the two pairs of wheels of the driving frame.
The extreme wheels of the driving frame are coupled to the adjacent
wheels of the bogie frame next thereto by means of a cog wheel keyed
on to the centre of the adjacent axles and an intermediate cog wheel
carried by cradles supported by the axles. A like method is adopted in
coupling together the extreme axles of adjacent bogie frames. Each set

page_text: of bogie wheels is also coupled together by outside connecting rods. In
this manner each set of wheels belonging to each independent frame is
coupled by outside rods; whilst the adjacent axle of each set is coupled
to the adjacent axle of the next sét by cog wheel gearing.
The pivot or ball and socket couplings are so placed as to be vertically
above the intermediate cog wheel, and the cradles carrying this wheel are
so arranged that the centre of this cog wheel is always kept in a line
adjoining the centres of the cog wheels with which it gears, so that in
passing round curves when the axles diverge the amount of divergence
is equally divided amongst the cog wheels on each side of the inter-
mediate cog wheel, and thus becomes practically insignificant.
The above description applies equally to the coupling between the
engine frames and the frame of the tender in the case of tender
engines.
In some cases the boiler rests on the frames themselves, in others its
weight is carried by balance levers so as to distribute the weight more
uniformly amongst the frames in order as far as possible to load each
wheel equally.
Although I prefer to place the driving frame in a central position as
above described, yet in some cases if may be placed in front or at the
back, but in all cases it is connected with the other frames and the
wheels coupled as above described. In other cases the cylinders or the
cylinders and tanks may be placed on an independent frame connecting,
as above described, with the other frames which carry the boiler.
Secondly. My Invention relates to a method of obtaining a better
draught in the furnaces of locomotive engines, and consists in employing
a number of blast pipes of small diameter in the same chimney, or each
in a separate tube or chimney, whereby the effect of the blast is
considerably increased.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents in outline a side elevation of a tender engine on
my proposed system; Figure 2 is a similar representation of a tank
engine with the boiler supported on balance levers.
Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are detail views on a larger scale of the
method of mounting the spur wheels by which the axles of the different
frames are geared together.

page_text: Referring to Figure 1, the boiler and engine are supported on two
frames A and B, and the tender on a frame C. The frame C is coupled to
the frame A at E, by a pivot or ball and socket coupling, and the bogie
frame B is coupled at D, either to a cross transom of the frame A, A, or
to the boiler itself. The cog wheel gearing between the wheels of the
frame A and those of the adjacent frames are shown by the red circles
beneath D and E. In this drawing each frame is carried by two pairs
of wheels, but it is obvious that three or more pairs may be substituted
if it is desirable, still further to reduce the weight on each wheel. The
frame A is prolonged at front as shown to carry the cylinders, and the
front end of the boiler rests on the frame B without being fastened
thereto in order to permit of the free swivelling movement of frame B.
In this case also balance beams may be applied to obtain a more equal
distribution of the weight, though they are omitted in the Drawing, for
the sake of simplicity.
In Figure 2 the boiler and engine are supported on three frames A, B,
and C. which are connected together by ball and socket couplings at D
and E in the centre line of the engine. The boiler and cylinders are
supported by the frame C at the fire-box end, and at K by a balance
beam F which again is supported by the frame A at G, and by the
frame B at H, so that the weight is distributed nearly equally over the
whole of the wheels. The frames B and C are each supported on two or
more pairs of wheels. . The frame A is supported on two pairs of wheels,
and midway between is a driving axle J without wheels, mounted in
bearings in an independent frame attached to the cylinder and boiler,
and passing through girders in the frame A, so as to allow of a vertical
motion to allow for the motion of the springs, but to prevent any
In this way
longitudinal motion between the boiler and the frame A.
the longitudinal axes of the boiler and of the frame A. are always in the
same vertical plane, whilst the frames B and C can radiate to suit the
curvature in the line of rails.
I prefer to place the cylinders vertically over the driving axle J, but
they may also be placed at any convenient angle, or horizontally. I
prefer to place the frames A and B inside the wheels, and the frame
C outside.
In some cases I place the tanks and coke bunkers upon the boiler
and the above system of frames so as to constitute a tank engine, but

page_text: when it is desirable still further to diminish the weight on each wheel
I attach a tender to the above engine, and couple the leading axle of
the tender to the trailing axle of the engine, by cog wheels, the engine
and tender being connected by a ball and socket coupling, and the
wheels of the tender itself by outside connecting rods, as shown in
Figure 1.
Various other arrangements of frames and wheels may be adopted,
coupled together on the principle above described.
In Figures 3 and 4, a and b represent portions of the axles of two
adjacent frames; d and e are spur or cog wheels keyed on these axles
at the centre of each, and on each side of these wheels d and e on
both axles is turned a bearing which is fitted with bearing brasses g.
These brasses are held together by the bridles in cradles h, h, and work
in these cradles on pivots, so as to allow the bridles to deviate from
their normal position at right angles to the axles. At one end of each
bridle the pivot works in a circular hole as at i, whilst at the other end
the hole is lengthened out as at j, so as to allow for the divergence of
the axles in passing round curves. If the round pivot hole be at the
leading end of one of the bridles it is at the trailing end of the other,
and vice versa; or there may be lengthened holes at each end. In the
centre of these bridles are jaws which carry the bearing brasses of the
intermediate cog wheel f.
In Figures 5, 6, and 7 is shown another method of carrying the
intermediate cog wheel. In Figure 5, a and b are the axles of the two
adjacent frames, and c the axle carrying the intermediate cog wheel f;
k, k, shown also in end view in Figure 7 are two bridles which are
carried by the axles a and b with proper bearings. Each of these
bridles carries a pivot at the top or the bottom, or at both top and
bottom, by which it is mounted in the guiding frames h, h¹, which carry
the axle c of the intermediate cog wheel with its bearing brasses, as
shown in section in Figure 6. In some cases one of the guiding
frames h or h¹ may be omitted, and in such cases the brasses are held in
their places by a simple keep and bolts, as shown in Figure 3.
The second part of my Invention is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9,
which respectively represent a central vertical section, and a horizontal
section of a locomotive chimney fitted with the improved blast pipe.
The main blast pipe m is divided into several branches n which convey

page_text: the steam to a series of horizontal pipes or tubes o which may be
arranged concentrically, as shown in Figure 9, or in any other con-
venient form. To these pipes or tubes are attached a series of small
nozzles or mouthpieces through which the escaping steam is discharged
at nearly equi-distant intervals over the area of the chimney. Each of
these nozzles may be provided with a tube p placed concentrically above
so as to separate each jet from the others. In some cases these tubes
may be omitted, as they are not necessary to the action of the
improved blast, the principle of which is to subdivide the escaping
'steam into a number of jets equally distributed in the area of the main
chimney, instead of allowing it to escape in one central jet as in the
ordinary blast pipe.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as my Inven-
tion to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
is:-
1st. Supporting the engine boiler and tender upon three or more
frames, each containing its own set of wheels, one of which frames
(called the driving wheel frame) is so attached to the boiler that it is
free to move vertically, but cannot move longitudinally nor laterally
with respect to the boiler; whilst the other frames, which I call bogie
frames, are not attached to the boiler but to the driving wheel frame,
or to each other, by ball and socket couplings, so as to allow a free
radiating motion in every direction; the centre of this coupling being
placed vertically above the intermediate cog wheel, all substantially as
herein set forth.
2nd. In the case of tender engines I claim, coupling the tender frame
and wheels, by the method above described, of ball and socket couplings,
and cog wheels behind the fire-box of the engine.
3rd. I claim the relative arrangement of the couplings which connect
the several frames and the spur wheels, by which the axles of different
frames are geared together, the coupling being placed vertically above
the intermediate cog wheel, whereby the divergence due to the loss of
parallelism of the axles in passing round curves is equally distributed
amongst the cog wheels, substantially as herein set forth.
4th. I claim coupling the frames together by ball and socket couplings
attached to the frames themselves, and not to the boiler, as specified.

page_text: 5th. I claim the method of increasing the draft in the furnaces of
locomotive engines, by using a number of blast pipes of small diameter,
each working in its own chimney (or the whole working at nearly equal
intervals over the area of one chimney), substantially as described and
illustrated in Figures 7 and 8.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Atkinson Longridge have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
J. A. LONGRIDGE. (L.S.)