IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR INCREASING THE ADHESION OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE WHEELS TO THEIR RAILS
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Angelo Vescovali at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th August
1866.
I, ANGELO VESCOVALI, of the City of Rome, but now residing at Bath
Hotel, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR
INCREASING THE ADHESION OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE WHEELS TO THEIR RAILS," to
be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to ensure a good adhesion of the wheels of
locomotive engines to their rails without relying upon the weight of the
engines to secure this result. To this end I propose to apply to the locomotive
engine a novel arrangement of electro-magnetic apparatus, and by maintaining
currents of electricity through the coils of the magnets to give the wheels of
the engine such adhesion to the metal rails as will enable the engine when
propelled with a suitable motive power to mount steep inclines with facility.
Supposing the engine to have three pairs of running wheels (which I prefer),
I apply to each of these axles (which together with their wheels are to be
made of soft iron) two bobbins composed of coils of insulated copper wire,
and between the bobbins I apply to the axles a longitudinal compound bar
of soft iron, which embraces and serves to connect all the axles together, and
thereby increases the magnetic force of the apparatus. The bobbins I make of
several concentric zones composed of coiled insulated wire; the corresponding

page_text: ends of the wires of these zones are brought together and soldered; the
one soldered end is attached to a band of copper which surrounds the bobbin,
and the other end is led off to and connected with the coupled ends of the
wires which form another bobbin, and so on throughout the series of bobbins,
(of which I have supposed six) carried by the axles of the engine. An
electric current from a Grove's or Bunsen's battery contained in the tender
or from a magneto-electric apparatus worked by the engine is conducted to
a strip of copper affixed to the engine framing. This strip carries at its
extremity a plate of copper, which by means of a spring is pressed against and
maintained in contact with the copper band of (say) No. 1 bobbin; from this
bobbin the current passes to No. 2 bobbin through the coupled ends of the
wires forming the bobbins Nos. 1 and 2. After circulating through the coils
of bobbin No. 2 the current passes off by the copper band which surrounds
that bobbin to a copper plate held in contact with the band by a spring as
before explained. This plate is carried by a metal strip pendent from a
fixed block of metal, from which also depends a second strip carrying a
similar plate which makes metallic contact with bobbin No. 8; this bobbin
and its fellow being coupled together as before explained with respect to
bobbins Nos. 1 and 2, and similar metallic connections being made between
the bobbins Nos. 4, 5 and 6, the electric current will circulate through the
series and return to the battery or other source of electricity by a connecting
wire leading from bobbin No. 6. From the above description it will thus be
understood that the poles of the central electro-magnet will be eversed as
compared with the electro-magnets on either side thereof. To ensure the
proper amount of adhesion of the wheels to the rails with this apparatus in
action it is only necessary to provide a suitable form and weight of rail. I
have found that the amount of metal contained in the rail (supposing the
rail to be of suitable form, say, a double-headed rail) determines to a great
extent the amount of adhesive power generated; and that the effective power
of the magnets is limited, and beyond a certain point not capable of increase
with the increase of battery power beyond that point, if, for example, rails of
the ordinary form and weight are used. In general I prefer to use on steep
inclines rails of about double the weight and depth of the ordinary rails.
The wheels may be furnished with thin steel tyres without detriment to the
action of the electro-magnetic apparatus.