IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAY LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER ENGINES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE- WITH
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph John Butcher, of Gateshead, in the County of
Durham, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAY
LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER ENGINES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
WITH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph John Butcher at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd February 1880.
JOSEPH JOHN BUTCHER, of Gateshead, in the County of Durham, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAY LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER ENGINES, AND IN
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
The Invention consists of improvements in tramway locomotive and other
engines, and in apparatus connected therewith, and has reference more particularly
to the construction, application, and employment of gas motor engines for tramway
and other locomotive and stationary purposes; it also includes means or appliances
for starting, stopping, and steering the engines, all as hereinafter described.
To enable a gas motor engine to be started against the sustained resistance of a
heavy dead load I employ a separate reserve of air or other gas stored at high
pressure for the purpose, this reserve of air or other elastic gas not necessarily being
of an explosive or combustible character.
I sustain the pressure of this starting reserve by means of a compressing pump
or pumps attached to the engine, and so arranged as to deliver the said air or gas
into a receiver or receivers specially provided for this purpose whenever the
pressure
of the latter has fallen below a certain standard pressure, which is so regulated as
to be sufficient for starting the engine under the most trying circumstances to
which it is likely to be exposed. To enable this reserve of air or other elastic
gas
at bigh pressure to be utilized in starting a gas engine its starting valves must be
so arranged as to be capable of admitting such air or gas to the engine at any point
in the revolution of the crank axle, and in such a manner as to start it in either
direction as desired. When the engine has been thus started, and is in motion, the
pipe or ports supplying the high pressure incombustible air or gas may be shut
off, and the pipe or ports delivering the explosive or combustible mixture to the
working cylinder or cylinders being at the same time opened, and the valves,
whether these latter are the same as those used for admitting the high pressure
ID 1n 621

page_text: starting reserve or not, being set in motion the ignition, combustion, expansion, and
exhaustion or ejection of the combustible mixture will then go forward in the
engine in the normal way. This operation may be very simply effected by means
of an ordinary three-way cock or valve in cases where the same distributing valves
are used, whether working with combustible gas or starting on air or steam, a check
back pressure or other cut off valve being employed to prevent the return of the
gases along their supply pipe when their ignition has been effected within the
working cylinder under its normal conditions, and either at the beginning or at an
early period of the stroke. As, however, these starting valves need only be of
very small size, capable of supplying the cylinder or cylinders with air when the
piston or pistons is or are but slowly gathering speed it will be often convenient to
arrange separate starting valves, quite independent of those intended to work the
cylinder with combustible charges of gas after the starting has been effected, means
being always provided to prevent the escape of the high pressure starting air or gas
backwards along the passages for supplying the combustible mixture, which latter
will be at a considerably lower pressure. These small air starting valves may be
actuated by any of the ordinary forms of reversing gear used in steam engines, such
as link motion, and many others, the valves however being closed and rendered
inoperative when the engine has attained a sufficient speed and is being worked by
combustible gas.
In some cases I may employ the waste heat given out through the skins of the
cylinders, and by the waste gases to develop steam, under which circumstances this
steam may be employed for starting the engine, as described above.
As when once an engine is started the circumstances are frequently such that
steadiness of motion may be maintained by one motor cylinder only, whereas to
effect the operation of starting from any point in the crank traverse two motor
cylinders at least will be requisite, I may sometimes, to reduce the number of
working parts as far as possible, fit the air compressing cylinder with small starting
valves similar to those mentioned as being used upon the main gas motor cylinder
so as to enable me to temporarily utilize the said air compressing cylinder during
the operation of starting the engine as a motor cylinder, suitable means being
provided by which the valves used in the operation of air compressing may be
prevented from lifting or otherwise opening when the starting valves are in gear.
It will be in this case convenient to have the air pump piston rod connected to
a separate crank, placed at an angle of 90° or thereabouts, with the crank
connected with the piston rod of the motor cylinder, these two cranks being
arranged in a similar way to those used in any ordinary double cylinder self
starting steam engine.
Single acting engines, and those of the Otto and Crossley type, in which the
operation of compressing the charge of gas is effected within the motor cylinder
alternately with that of combustion and expansion, may be fitted with small
separate starting valves, such as those described, the cylinders being used during
the operation of starting as simple steam or air cylinders, the starting valves being
then disconnected and the valves supplying the combustible gas allowed to work
the engines as ordinary gas engines. To form a self starting engine at least three
such cylinders will be required, arranged either upon three separate cranks
distributed equally round the crank shaft, or the cylinders being themselves placed
at different angles round the same crank, so as to be able to start the shaft from
whatever point it may be standing at.
When the engine is started by separate starting valves the valves supplying the
combustible gas may be made to reverse automatically. In cases where these
valves are worked by a counter shaft, this shaft may be so geared with the crank
shaft that it will always revolve in the same direction whichever way the crank
shaft is revolving, taking up in each case the required position for admitting and
igniting the combustible mixture and emitting the products of combustion at the
required periods; or, on the other hand, cams or other gear may be so arranged
that in whatever direction the shaft upon which they are placed is revolving they

page_text: will always work the valves as required, or any other convenient means may be
adopted to effect the purpose. I may also reverse separate ignition valves in this
way when working with distributing valves common to both the starting gas or
air and the working combustible mixture.
Instead of compressing the combustible gas as well as the air in compressing
pumps during the constant operation of the engine I may, where the reserve of
such gas is stored in the receivers at a pressure sufficient for the purpose, admit it
direct into the stream of compressed air which is being delivered by the air com-
pressing pump or pumps to the working cylinders. To obtain a uniform pressure
of gas from which to supply the working cylinder or cylinders, where the pressure
in the receivers is gradually diminishing in consequence of the gas being used out.
of them, I employ a reduction valve through which the gas must pass on its way
from the receivers or receiver to the motor cylinder or cylinders, such reduction
valve being arranged to close when the pressure of the gas outside of it has risen
above a certain maximum pressure of supply to be determined. Any ordinary type
of reduction valve may be used for this purpose; or I may, to avoid joints, employ
a valve attached to and actuated by a corrugated steel expander plate, as elsewhere
herein described, so that when the gas which has passed through the valve rises
above what is the high pressure limit of supply it may by expanding the plate
close the valve and so prevent the flow through it of further gas from that within
the receivers, which gas will, of course, be at a still higher pressure. Thus as the
gas will always enter the engine at a uniform pressure, notwithstanding the
diminished pressure in the receivers, I am able to obtain a uniform mixture of gas
and air in such proportion as is best for use within the engine.
To reduce the frictional resistance to motion of the slide valves I prefer to form
them with one working face only, upon which all the ports and passages are
formed, so as to admit of arrangements being made to avoid excessive friction upon
the backs. To effect this latter purpose I interpose between the back of the valve
and the cover, which keeps it tightly pressed home upon its seat, a set of rollers,
sometimes called "live rollers," which readily adjust themselves to the surface
travel between the valve and its cover, and minimize the friction. To preserve
these rollers constantly parallel with one another they may be placed close together
and have heads formed upon them of an enlarged size, so as to overlap the edge of
the valve, these heads rolling in close contact one with another; or the ends of the
rollers may be coupled with one another, so as to keep them in position while
leaving them free to revolve independently. Suitable means may also be provided
to preserve their rolling axes at right angles to the direction of the valve's travel,
such as allowing them to roll within a bed which terminates in a stop running at
right angles to this travel, and so as to constantly tend to adjust and readjust the
lay of the rollers, or other suitable means for this purpose may be provided.
When the piston rod of the motor cylinder passes through the clearance space or
end of the cylinder in which the ignition and combustion of the gaseous charges is
first effected, I prefer to so form the latter that the centre line of this clearance
space is out of line with the centre line of the cylinder, by which means I remove
the end of the clearance space in which the ignition port is formed sufficiently far
away from the piston rod and stuffing boxes to enable me to obtain a working seat
for the valve clear of such piston rod and stuffing boxes. The centre of combustion
is thus also removed to one side of or away from the piston rod so as to subject it
to a somewhat less intense heat.
In making gas engines, the starting of which is effected by means of a separate
store of high pressure air or other elastic gas, I do not confine myself to the
particular combinations of valves herein described, but may use any convenient
combination that at the same time permits of the engines being started by the
before mentioned high pressure reserve of elastic gas either backward or forward
from any position of crank shaft or axle at which the latter may happen at any
time to be standing, and also effects the ignition and cut off of the combustible

page_text: charges that are normal to the engine at the beginning of or at an early point in
each stroke.
The required cooling of the working cylinders and pump barrels may either be
effected by water jackets in the usual way or by direct injection of water through
the piston rod; or I may in some cases effect this cooling or partial cooling by
means of a current of cold air passing round them, for which purpose they may be
conveniently coupled to the suction passages of the air pump, which will then keep
up a continuous How of fresh cold air round such cylinders or pump barrels; or by
this latter method, which is convenient from its lightness, and the fact that it
admits of the outer skins of the air jackets being formed of very thin plate, I may
effect only the partial cooling of these cylinders, such cooling being completed by
one or other of the methods first specified. Where water is injected through the
piston rod the lubricant may be mixed with it, a separate small water pump being
used for the purpose, delivering into an annular water space formed round the rod,
and packed with stuffing boxes to prevent the escape of the water, the rod being
suitably drilled so as to enable it to convey the liquid from the annular space to
the piston and skin of the cylinder.
To conveniently effect the working of the ignition slides I sometimes employ a
counter shaft driven by mitre wheels or other suitable means from the crank shaft
and revolving upon its axis parallel or nearly parallel to that of the cylinders, so
that it may be conveniently carried at their sides or between them, upon which
suitable cams, eccentrics, or cranks are placed to effect the working of these valves.
Under these circumstances the ignition and cut off may be varied by breaking this
counter shaft between its driving end and the cams, and coupling it by means of a
long sleeve sliding over spiral keys in the shafts, so that if this sleeve be moved
along the axes of the shafts it will shift the part carrying the cams partly round
the axis of the driving portion of the shaft so as to actuate the valves and effect
the ignition and cut off in the working cylinders earlier or later, as desired. One
counter shaft may be also used to work the valves of more than one cylinder.
Such a shaft may be adapted to the reversing motion of the engine either by so
arranging the cams that in whichever direction the crank shaft is revolving they
will still actuate the valves so as to ignite the charges as the pistons are commencing
their strokes or thereabouts, or the cams may be adjusted to do so by means of the
spiral sleeve coupling described. The motion of the shaft may also be made to
reverse with regard to the engine, so that in whichever direction the crank shaft is
travelling the counter shaft always runs in the same direction, and this action may
be made automatic by suitably gearing the counter shaft to the crank shaft.
To insure the ignition valve having a sufficiently quick traverse to effect the
ignition of the combustible charges with certainty, even when the engine is going
at very low speeds, I sometimes so arrange it that its forward motion is effected by
means of a spring, when it is at the proper times released by the driving gear, its
backward motion being effected by the latter more slowly. Thus the forward
traverse of the valve is always effected at the same speed, whatever the speed of
the engine at the time.
I do not confine myself to the use of the particular combinations of cylinders
herein mentioned, but may use any other convenient combination which will admit
of the gaseous pressure being brought to bear upon the crank or cranks so as to
move or start the shaft in either a backward or a forward direction from any
position in which it may happen to be standing, and at the same time allow of the
engine being worked as an ordinary gas engine, igniting at the beginning of or at
an early point in each stroke after it has been started and is in continuous
motion.
•
In arranging or applying my engines to a tramway car or other locomotive
carriage, truck, or waggon, I prefer where convenient to make them actuate cranks
upon one of the main wheel axles, the framing of the engines and receivers being
so designed that the greater part or even the whole of their weight hangs upon

page_text: this axle, so that it may give out a maximum tractive force, and form a self
contained locomotive truck on two wheels capable of independent movement. The
engines may thus be completely stowed away beneath the bottom of a tramway
car, and impel it without the intervention of spur friction or other gear.
To enable me to do this I carry the frames across and resting upon the two main
axle bearings. Between these frames at one side of the axle the working cylinder
or cylinders and pump barrel or barrels are placed together with their attendant
gear, and in a similar position between the other ends of the frames and at the
opposite side of the axle the receivers for gas and air are suspended, arranged upon
a plan hereinafter more particularly described, and in such a manner that the
weights hanging upon either ends of the frames respectively tend to balance those
hanging upon the other ends, and the whole forins a self contained two wheeled
bogie truck of not too great height to go underneath the flooring of a tramway car.
Such a truck may be attached to a car, carriage, or wagon having either four or
six wheels in all.
In constructing a six wheeled car, carriage, or wagon; I may make the central pair
of wheels support the weight in chief part of the locomotive truck before described,
the end wheels supporting the greater part of the weight of the car.
On this plan
it will be convenient to permanently attach to the car the pair of wheels, axle, and
bearings supporting one end of the car. The pair of wheels, axle, and bearings
supporting the other end of the car may be made readily detachable from it, so
that they may be removed with the locomotive truck when it is desired to with-
draw it from under the car, and at the same time assist in such withdrawal by
acting as a balance or end support to the locomotive truck. When it is desired to
detach the truck from the car so as to look to and oil the engines, the end of the
car over the truck may be lifted just clear of it, and of the pair of removable
wheels and their accessories (leaving the latter loosely attached to the truck), and
supported upon struts provided for that purpose, so that the engines may be moved
right away from the car, which meantime may be filling with passengers, suitable
levers or other device being provided by means of which to lower the car without
jerk back into its place, when the truck and end wheels have been returned into
their normal position.
The same operation may be also performed where the car and truck rest only
upon four wheels in all, but the two wheeled truck must then be otherwise balanced
when out of its position. The arrangement described of engines and receivers
balanced upon two wheels facilitates constructing the cars to steer round curves, but
the axles then being out of line, as elsewhere herein described, renders coupling
them by ordinary methods difficult.
In cases however in which steering power is of small value and considerable
tractive power is required, the weights of the engines and receivers may be more
equally distributed upon the axles, and the wheels connected through crank pins
by the ordinary rigid form of coupling.
Where considerable tractive and steering power are both required, and con-
sequently the axles require both to be coupled and to swing out of parallel, one
axle may be driven from the other by means of a band, or bands, or wire rope, or
other suitable device, guide pulleys being so arranged that when the wheels in
turning a curve are thrown out of parallel, and the pulleys over which the band
travels are thrown out of line, such guide pulleys retain the parts of the belt or
band in near proximity to each main axle pulley square with it, or more correctly
within a plane continued from the plane of its revolution, the belt or belts being
sufficiently slack to allow of the required movement of the axles.
The six wheeled car, carriage, or wagon, may be made to steer itself automatically
round curves, down to those of very small radius, by means of allowing the
locomotive truck suspended upon the central axle to move freely when actuated by
the curved line of rails in a line with the axle, and at right angles to the
longitudinal axis of the car at the level of the axles. The other axles may be
compelled to take up positions radial to the curve over which they are passing by

page_text: being made free to move round a vertical centre pin fixed in the bottom of the
car; this movement being effected by the locomotive truck as it is pushed by the
curved line out of the central line of the car, and in a direction opposite to that
of the centre of the curve.
The movement of the locomotive truck or of the central axle out of the centre
line of the car, upon which the radiating of the end axles depends, may also be
effected by mechanism at the will of the driver, so that a car constructed upon
this principle may be made both capable of steering itself when upon a curved line,
and of being steered by the act and at the will of the driver.
I do not confine myself to always suspending the locomotive truck upon the
central axle, but prefer to do so, as the arrangement admits of allowing the weight
of the car to be evenly divided between the two end axles, which being at a
considerable distance apart secure a very steady movement of car, which at the
same time completely covers the whole of the machinery.
Four wheeled cars may be made steerable by adjusting one of the wheel axles
round a centre pin fixed mid way between the centres of the two axles, and where
as may be sometimes found convenient the chief part of the weight of the car
is suspended upon one axle, and that of the locomotive truck upon the other
axle; the said truck may be itself made adjustable round the centre pin before
named.
The receivers for holding the gas may be cylinders or tubes constructed either
of iron or steel or other suitable material. They may conveniently be arranged in
a group between the frames of the locomotive truck, as before described, so as to
counterbalance the engines, or in any other convenient position. These gas receivers
are made wholly gas tight, excepting the small pipes connecting them with one
another and with the gas admission port or ports of the engine. The gas may be
stored in them at a very high pressure, so as to stow it in a small compass, and a
reduction valve used for securing a uniform but low pressure at the supply ports
at the engine during the time throughout which the pressure is gradually
diminishing in the gas holders.
The receivers may be filled at the depôt from the main, the gas being compressed
into them by means of an ordinary small gas pumping engine. Where very high
pressures are required, as for compactness of stowage may frequently be the case,
the compressing may be done in two or more stages, the suction valves of the
smaller pump barrel drawing the gas at the pressure of the delivery of gas from
the first pump, and so on. A store of such gas at pressure may be kept in a
stationary reservoir at the depôt, so that the portable gas holders may be filled by
connecting them with it by pipe and merely opening a valve or cock, the operation
being effected almost instantly. It may however be sometimes found convenient
to refil the gas holders with gas when the car is at a distance from its depôt, and
in this case I may arrange to do so from any convenient town gas connection by
means of the force pumps connected with the car itself, the crank axle being
disconnected by clutch or otherwise from the driving wheels, or the driving wheels
being raised off the rails or ground to allow of the engines being worked for the
time being as stationary pumping engines. This arrangement is specially applicable
where the engine is being employed as a road engine, and may require to draw
its gas supply from various and distant sources, while with the addition of
water pumping gear, it would enable it to be readily adapted to fire engine
purposes.
Together with the gas holders, or at any more convenient position, I may place
the receiver for high pressure air used as described for starting the car, the
pressure in this receiver being constantly kept up by means of a small high
pressure force pump connected with the engine, and preferably withdrawing its air
from that already compressed to some extent by the pump or pumps supplying the
working cylinder or cylinders with air at a moderate pressure for combustion, such
air being then further compressed and forced into the receiver by the small high
pressure pump. Suitable means are provided by which its action is suspended

page_text: when the pressure is sufficiently high in the receivers or receiver. It may be
occasionally found desirable to use the power herein described of working the engine
as a stationary pumping engine, so as to increase the pressure of the starting
reserve, and consequently the starting power of the car, when from too frequent
stoppages or any other cause the pressure within this receiver has fallen below the
required pressure.
To prevent the dust from the roads getting to and injuring the working parts of
the engine I prefer to completely box them in with sheet iron or other suitable
material, and at the axle journals, where the axles must necessarily project through
such casing and be thus exposed at their outer ends to the dust, dust glands may
be provided and special provision made to keep the engine dust free. Also at the
air suction into the casing dust traps may be fitted, and special care taken here also
only to draw into the engine air comparatively free from dust. If however the car
axles are connected by band suitable holes in the casing must be provided for the
passage of the same.
To keep the engine journals upon the crank shaft near the cranks, to avoid
unnecessary holes in the casing, and to diminish the width of the locomotive truck
as a whole so as to allow of its transverse movement in steering within the width of
a car or road carriage, I prefer to fix the driving wheels upon the ends of the crank
shaft and the bearings or journals inside of them and nearer to the centre of the
car. The dust tight casing may then be made continuous from these bearings so as
to include the whole of the working parts except the driving wheels and crank
shaft ends.
The speed of the car may be either controlled by hand or by a suitably arranged
governor acting upon the gas supply.
The pressure at which the compressing pump delivers its charges to the motor
cylinder may be controlled where required by an expander formed of flexible steel
plate, as herein described, so arranged that when a sufficient working pressure has
been attained to distend these plates they will, acting through suitable connections,
liinit the amount discharged by the compressing pump or pumps and so prevent the
pressure from being increased beyond the normal pressure.
In cases where it is desired to have a car, wagon, or road engine which may be
driven in either direction at will, I arrange the starting and reversing levers and
other connections required for the safe and efficient working of the car in duplicate,
one set being fitted to each end. Over these levers and in such a position as not to
interfere with the steps or passage way into the car I sometimes fix a shelter or box
for the driver, and the duplicate box at that end of the car which is at any time
the back end may be utilized by any other official, the conductor, for example,
should it be found necessary to carry one.
As in cars arranged as described no tractive power such as horses or separate
locomotive requires to be attached to them at either of their ends, each such end is
at all times free of incumbrance so as to admit of the formation of steps in the most
convenient position at each end of the car, that is, right at such end and thus
opposite to the door of the car, and as a straight passage way will thus be formed
from the one end to the other the doors may be made to swing open on hinges
instead of sliding in frames, as is usual in ordinary tramway cars having side
steps.
Brakes may be fitted to the wheels of the car of the usual kind, or I may arrange
them to be acted upon by air or gas pressure to be controlled and regulated by the
driver. In the latter case I prefer to act upon them not through the medium of a
piston and cylinder, in which case there would be joints between parts moving over
one another to keep tight, but through that of thin corrugated expansive steel
plates, as herein described more fully in reference to an expander. When these
plates are subjected to the internal pressure of air, steam, or other gas, they will
expand and press the brake blocks to which they are attached home against the
wheels. When however the internal pressure is withdrawn their spring will bring
the brake blocks back clear of the wheels. Such brakes are applicable to other

page_text: classes of engines, such as locomotives driven by steam, and are perhaps more
simple and have fewer working parts than any other class of brakes; they may also
be constructed to be acted upon by the external pressure of the air by means of a
partial vacuum being formed within them. Such expanding brakes may be coupled
by suitable small pipes with the common source from which the elastic air or gas
for working them is to be drawn, and the whole of them, however numerous, applied
to one, two, or any greater number of wheels upon a car or train of carriages, trucks,
or wagons, may be worked from a single hand valve or three way cock, which if
turned in one direction will allow the air or other gas to enter them, and if turned
in the other direction will allow such air or gas to discharge itself from them,
The expander plates, to which I have herein frequently referred as being applied
to several distinct purposes, are stamped hot out of discs of thin steel, with annular
corrugations so formed as to enable them to stretch in radial lines, and thus admit
of yielding to internal pressure when fastened at their edges by extending from
such edges towards the centre, the tendency being to form the flat corrugated plate
into the segment of a plain sphere. Two of these plates fastened together at their
edges, or one fastened to a rigid support, may be formed into an expander, or any
number of them fastened alternately at their outside and inside edges, their centres
being cut away where required so as to form a passage way for the gas. They
may be either arranged to draw back into their normal figure when the pressure is
turned off by means of their own spring, or a separate spring, preferably spiral,
may be employed to effect the purpose.
For the purpose of lighting the car by gas a small pipe may be made to connect
gas receivers upon the locomotive truck, through a suitable reduction valve giving a
uniform low pressure, with the gas pipes leading to the gas jets in the car, and the
same reduction valve may be made to supply by a separate small pipe the per-
manent gas igniting jets and the ignition alide with low pressure gas for igniting
the gas charges within the working cylinders of the engine.
I do not confine myself to the use of ordinary coal gas, as produced in towns
upon a large scale, but may in some cases, and especially where coal gas is not
readily obtainable, avail myself of combustible gases produced by other means; nor
do I confine myself in the construction of tramway cars and other road and
locomotive engines to the use of a gas engine started by the particular method
described in the earlier part of this Specification, but I may adapt thereto any
other class of self starting and reversing gas engine that may be specially applicable
to the purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph John Butcher in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd
August 1880.
JOSEPH JOHN BUTCHER, of Gateshead, in the County of Durham, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAY LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER ENGINES, AND IN
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
The Invention consists of improvements in tramway locomotive and other
engines and in apparatus connected therewith, and has reference more particularly
to the construction, application, and employment of gas motor engines for tramway
and other locomotive and stationary purposes; it also includes means or appliances
for starting, stopping, and steering the engines, all as hereinafter described.
To enable a gas motor engine to be started against the sustained resistance of a
heavy dead load I employ a separate reserve of air or other gas stored at high
pressure for the purpose, this reserve of air or other elastic gas not necessarily being
of an explosive or combustible character. I sustain the pressure of this starting
reserve by means of a compressing pump or pumps attached to the engine, and so
arranged as to deliver the said air or gas into a receiver or receivers specially
provided for this purpose whenever the pressure of the latter has fallen below a
certain standard pressure, which is so regulated as to be sufficient for starting the
engine under the most trying circumstances to which it is likely to be exposed.
To enable this reserve of air or other elastic gas at high pressure to be utilized in
starting a gas engine its starting valve must be so arranged as to be capable of
admitting such air or gas to the engine at any point in the revolution of the crank
axle, and in such a manner as to start it in either direction as desired. When the
engine has been thus started and is in motion the pipe or ports supplying the high
pressure incombustible air or gas may be shut off, and the pipe or ports delivering
the explosive or combustible mixture to the working cylinder or cylinders being at
the same time opened, and the valves, whether these latter are the same as those
used for admitting the bigh pressure starting reserve or not, being set in motion,
the ignition, combustion, expansion and exhaustion or ejection of the combustible
mixture will then go forward in the engine in the normal way. This operation
may be very simply effected by means of an ordinary three-way cock or valve in cases
where the same distributing valves are used whether working with combustible
gas or starting on air or steam; a check, back pressure, or other cut off valve being
employed to prevent the return of the gases along their supply pipe when their
ignition has been effected within the working cylinder under its normal conditions
and either at the beginning or at an early period of the stroke. As however these
starting valves need only be of very small size, capable of supplying the cylinder
or cylinders with air when the piston or pistons is or are but slowly gathering
speed, it will be often convenient to arrange separate starting valves quite inde-
pendent of those intended to work the cylinder with combustible charges of gas
after the starting has been effected, means being always provided to prevent the
escape of the high pressure starting air or gas backwards along the passages for
supplying the combustible mixture, which latter will be at a considerably lower
pressure. These small air starting valves may be actuated by any of the ordinary
forms of reversing gear used in steam engines, such as link motion and many
others, the valves however being closed and rendered inoperative when the engine
has attained a sufficient speed and is being worked by combustible gas.
In some cases I may employ the waste heat given out through the skins of the
cylinders, and by the waste gases to develop steam, under which circumstances this
steam may be employed for starting the engine as described above.
As when once an engine is started the circumstances are frequently such that
steadiness of motion may be maintained by one motor cylinder only, whereas to

page_text: effect the operation of starting from any point in the crank traverse two motor
cylinders at least will be requisite, I may sometimes, to reduce the number of
working parts as far as possible, fit the air compressing cylinder with small starting
valves similar to those mentioned as being used upon the main gas motor cylinder,
so as to enable me to temporarily utilize the said air compressing cylinder during
the operation of starting the engine as a motor cylinder, suitable means being
provided by which the valves used in the operation of air compressing may be
prevented from lifting or otherwise opening when the starting valves are in gear.
It will be in this case convenient to have the air pump piston rod connected to a
separate crank placed at an angle of 90° or thereabouts with the crank connected
with the piston rod of the motor cylinder, these two cranks being arranged in a
similar way to those used in an ordinary double cylinder self starting steam
engine.
Single acting engines and those of the Otto and Crossley type, in which the
operation of compressing the charge of gas is effected within the motor cylinder
alternately with that of combustion and expansion, may be fitted with small
separate starting valves, such as those described, the cylinders being used during
the operation of starting as simple steam or air cylinders, the starting valves being
then disconnected, and the valves supplying the combustible gas allowed to work
the engines as ordinary gas engines. To form a self starting engine at least three such
cylinders will be required, arranged either upon three separate cranks distributed
equally round the crank shaft, or the cylinders being themselves placed at different
angles round the same crank, so as to be able to start the shaft from whatever
point it may be standing at.
When the engine is started by separate starting valves the valves supplying the
combustible gas may be made to reverse automatically. In cases where these
valves are worked by a counter shaft, this shaft may be so geared with the crank
shaft that it will always revolve in the same direction, whichever way the crank
shaft is revolving, taking up in each case the required position for admitting and
igniting the combustible mixture, and emitting the products of combustion at the
required periods, or on the other hand cams or other gear may be so arranged
that in whatever direction the shaft upon which they are placed is revolving they
will always work the valves as required, or any other convenient means may be
adopted to effect the purpose. I may also reverse separate ignition valves in this
way when working with distributing valves common to both the starting gas or
air and the working combustible mixture.
Instead of compressing the combustible gas as well as the air in compressing
pumps during the constant operation of the engine, I may, where the reserve of
such gas is stored in the receivers at a pressure sufficient for the purpose, admit it
direct into the stream of compressed air which is being delivered by the air com-
pressing pump or pumps to the working cylinders. To obtain a uniform pressure
of gas from which to supply the working cylinder or cylinders, where the pressure
in the receivers is gradually diminishing in consequence of the gas being used out
of them, I employ a reduction valve through which the gas must pass on its way
from the receivers or receiver to the motor cylinder or cylinders, such reduction
valve being arranged to close when the pressure of the gas outside of it has risen
above a certain maximum pressure of supply to be determined. Any ordinary type
of reduction valve may be used for this purpose, or I may, to avoid joints, employ
a valve attached to and actuated by a corrugated steel expander plate, as elsewhere
herein described, so that when the gas which has passed through the valve rises
above what is the high pressure limit of supply it may by expanding the plate
close the valve, and so prevent the flow through it of further gas from that within
the receivers, which gas will of course be at a still higher pressure. Thus as the
gas will always enter the engine at a uniform pressure, notwithstanding the
diminished pressure in the receivers, I am able to obtain a uniform mixture of
gas and air in such proportion as is best for use within the engine.
To reduce the frictional resistance to motion of the slide valves I prefer to form

page_text: them with one working face only, upon which all the ports and passages are formed,
so as to admit of arrangements being made to avoid excessive friction upon the
backs. To effect this latter purpose I interpose between the back of the valve and
the cover which keeps it tightly pressed home upon its seat a set of rollers some-
times called "live rollers," which readily adjust themselves to the surface travel
between the valve and its cover, and minimize the friction. To preserve these
rollers constantly parallel with one another they may be placed close together, and
have heads formed upon them of an enlarged size so as to overlap the edge of the
valve, these heads rolling in close contact one with another, or the ends of the
rollers may be coupled with one another so as to keep them in position while
leaving them free to revolve independently. Suitable means may also be provided
to preserve their rolling axes at right angles to the direction of the valve's travel,
such as allowing them to roll within a bed which terminates in a stop running at
right angles to this travel, and so as to constantly tend to adjust and readjust the
lay of the rollers, or other suitable means for this purpose may be provided.
When the piston rod of the motor cylinder passes through the clearance space or
end of the cylinder in which the ignition and combustion of the gaseous charges is
first effected, I prefer to so form the latter that the centre line of this clearance
space is out of line with the centre line of the cylinder, by which means I remove
the end of the clearance space in which the ignition port is formed sufficiently far
away from the piston rod and stuffing boxes to enable me to obtain a working seat
for the valve clear of such piston rod and stuffing boxes. The centre of combustion
is thus also removed to one side of or away from the piston rod so as to subject it
to a somewhat less intense heat.
In making gas engines, the starting of which is effected by means of a separate
store of high pressure air or other elastic gas, I do not confine myself to the par-
ticular combinations of valves herein described, but may use any convenient
combination that at the same time permits of the engines being started by the
before mentioned high pressure reserve of elastic gas, either backward or forward
from any position of crank shaft or axle at which the latter may happen at any time
to be standing, and also effects the ignition and cut off of the combustible charges
that are normal to the engine at the beginning of or at an early point in each stroke.
The required cooling of the working cylinders and pump barrels may either be
effected by water jackets in the usual way, or by direct injection of water through
the piston rod, or I may in some cases effect this cooling or partial cooling by means
of a current of cold air passing round them, for which purpose they may be con-
veniently coupled to the suction passages of the air pump, which will then keep up
a continuous How of fresh cold air round such cylinders or pump barrels, or by this
latter method, which is convenient from its lightness and the fact that it admits of
the outer skins of the air jackets being formed of very thin plate, I may effect only
the partial cooling of these cylinders, such cooling being completed by one or other
of the methods first specified. Where water is injected through the piston rod the
lubricant may be mixed with it, a separate small water pump being used for the
purpose, delivering into an annular water space formed round the rod, and packed
with stuffing boxes to prevent the escape of the water, the rod being suitably drilled
so as to enable it to convey the liquid from the annular space to the piston and skin
of the cylinder.
To conveniently effect the working of the ignition slides I sometimes employ a
counter shaft driven by mitre wheels or other suitable means from the crank shaft,
and revolving upon its axis parallel or nearly parallel to that of the cylinders, so
that it may be conveniently carried at their sides or between them, upon which
suitable cams, eccentrics, or cranks are placed to effect the working of these valves.
Under these circumstances the ignition and cut off may be varied by breaking this
counter shaft between its driving end and the cams, and coupling it by means of a
long sleeve sliding over spiral keys in the shaft, so that if this sleeve be moved
along the axes of the shafts it will shift the part carrying the cams partly round
the axis of the driving portion of the shaft, so as to actuate the valves and effect the

page_text: ignition and cut off in the working cylinders earlier or later as desired. One
counter shaft may be also used to work the valves of more than one cylinder. Such
a shaft may be adapted to the reversing motion of the engine, either by so arranging
the cams that in whichever direction the crank shaft is revolving they will still
actuate the valves so as to ignite the charges as the pistons are commencing their
strokes or thereabouts; or the cams may be adjusted to do so by means of the
spiral sleeve coupling described. The motion of the shaft may also be made to
reverse with regard to the engine, so that in whichever direction the crank shaft is
travelling the counter shaft always runs in the same direction, and this action may
be made automatic by suitably gearing the counter shaft to the crank shaft.
To insure the ignition valve having a sufficiently quick traverse to effect the
ignition of the combustible charges with certainty, even when the engine is going
at very low speeds, I sometimes so arrange it that its forward motion is effected by
means of a spring when it is at the proper time released by the driving gear, its
backward motion being effected by the latter more slowly; thus the forward
traverse of the valve is always effected at the same speed whatever the speed of
the engine at the time.
I do not confine myself to the use of the particular combinations of cylinders
herein mentioned, but may use any other convenient combination which will admit
of the gaseous pressure being brought to bear upon the crank or cranks so as to
move or start the shaft in either a backward or a forward direction from any
position in which it may happen to be standing, and at the same time allow of the
engine being worked as an ordinary gas engine, igniting at the beginning of or at
an early point in each stroke after it has been started and is in continuous motion.
In arranging or applying my engines to a tramway car or other locomotive
carriage, truck, or wagon, I prefer where convenient to make them actuate cranks
upon one of the main wheel axles, the framing of the engines and receivers being
so designed that the greater part or even the whole of their weight haugs upon this
axle, so that it may give out a maximum tractive force, and form a self contained
locomotive truck on two wheels capable of independent movement. The engines
may thus be completely stowed away beneath the bottom of a tramway car, and
impel it without the intervention of spur, friction, or other gear.
To enable me to do this I carry the frame across and resting upon the two main
axle bearings. Between these frames at one side of the axle the working cylinder
or cylinders and pump barrel or barrels are placed, together with their attendant
gear, and in a similar position between the other ends of the frames and at the
opposite side of the axle the receivers for gas and air are suspended, arranged upon
a plan hereinafter moro particularly described, and in such a manner that the
weights hanging upon either ends of the frames respectively tend to balance those
hanging upon the other ends, and the whole forms a self contained two wheeled
bogie truck of not too great height to go underneath the flooring of a tramway
car. Such a truck may be attached to a car, carriage, or wagon having either four
or six wheels in all.
In constructing a six wheeled car, carriage, or wagon, I may make the central
pair of wheels support the weight in chief part of the locomotive truck before
described, the end wheels supporting the greater part of the weight of the car.
On this plan it will be convenient to permanently attach to the car the pair of
wheels, axle, and bearings supporting one end of the car. The pair of wheels, axle,
and bearings supporting the other end of the car may be made readily detachable
from it, so that they may be removed with the locomotive truck when it is desired
to withdraw it from under the car, and at the same time assist in such withdrawal
by acting as a balance or end support to the locomotive truck. When it is desired
to detach the truck from the car so as to look to and oil the engines the end of the
car over the truck may be lifted just clear of it, and of the pair of removable
wheels and their accessories (leaving the latter loosely attached to the truck), and
supported upon struts provided for that purpose, so that the engines may be moved
right away from the car, which meantime may be filling with passengers, suitable

page_text: evers or other device being provided, by means of which to lower the car without
erk back into its place when the truck and end wheels have been returned into
their normal position.
The same operation may be also performed where the car and truck rest only
upon four wheels in all, but the two wheeled truck must then be otherwise balanced
when out of its position. The arrangement described of engines and receivers
balanced upon two wheels facilitates constructing the cars to steer round curves, but
the axles then being out of line, as elsewhere herein described, renders coupling
them by ordinary methods difficult.
In cases however in which steering power is of small value, and considerable
tractive power is required, the weights of the engines and receivers may be more
equally distributed upon the axles, and the wheels connected through crank pins by
the ordinary rigid form of coupling.
Where considerable tractive and steering power are both required, and con-
sequently the axles require both to be coupled and to swing out of parallel, one
axle may be driven from the other by means of a band or bands, or wire rope, or
other suitable device, guide pulleys being so arranged that when the wheels in
turning a curve are thrown out of parallel, and the pulleys over which the band
travels are thrown out of line, such guide pulleys retain the parts of the belt or
band in near proximity to each main axle pulley, square with it, or more correctly
within a plane continued from the plane of its revolution, the belt or belts being
sufficiently slack to allow of the required movement of the axles.
The six wheeled car, carriage, or wagon may be made to steer itself automatically
round curves, down to those of very small radius, by means of allowing the
locomotive truck suspended upon the central axle to move freely when actuated
by the curved line of rails in a line with the axle, and at right angles to the
longitudinal axis of the car at the level of the axles. The other axles may be
compelled to take up positions radial to the curve over which they are passing by
being made free to move round a vertical centre pin fixed in the bottom of the
car, this movement being effected by the locomotive truck as it is pushed by the
curved line out of the central line of the car, and in a direction opposite to that of
the centre of the curve.
The movement of the locomotive truck, or of the central axle, out of the centre
line of the car upon which the radiating of the end axles depends may also be
effected by mechanisin at the will of the driver, so that a car constructed upon this
principle may be made both capable of steering itself when upon a curved line
and of being steered by the act and at the will of the driver.
I do not confine myself to always suspending the locomotive truck upon the
central axle, but prefer to do so, as the arrangement admits of allowing the weight
of the car to be evenly divided between the two end axles, which being at a
considerable distance apart secure a very steady movement of car, which at the
same time completely covers the whole of the machinery.
Four wheeled cars may be made steerable by adjusting one of the wheel axles
round a centre pin fixed midway between the centres of the two axles, and where,
as may be sometimes found convenient, the chief part of the weight of the car is
suspended upon one axle and that of the locomotive truck upon the other axle,
the said truck may be itself made adjustable round the centre pin before named.
The receivers for holding the gas may be cylinders or tubes constructed either
of iron, or steel, or other suitable material. They may conveniently be arranged
in a group between the frames of the locomotive truck, as before described, so as
to counterbalance the engines or in any other convenient position. These gas
receivers are made wholly gas tight, excepting the small pipes connecting them
with one another and with the gas admission port or ports of the engine. The gas
may be stored in them at a very high pressure so as to stow it in a small compass,
and a reduction valve used for securing a uniform but lower pressure at the supply
ports at the engine during the time throughout which the pressure is gradually
diminishing in the gas holders.

page_text: The receivers may be filled at the dépôt from the main, the gas being compressed
into them by means of an ordinary small gas pumping engine. Where very high
pressures are required, as for compactness of stowage may frequently be the case,
the compressing may be done in two or more stages, the suction valves of the
smaller pump barrel drawing the gas at the pressure of the delivery of gas from the
first punip, and so on. A store of such gas at pressure may be kept in a stationary
reservoir at the dépôt, so that the portable gas holders may be filled by connecting
them with it by pipe and nearly opening a valve or cock, the operation being
effected almost instantly. It may however be sometimes found convenient to refil
the gas holders with gas when the car is at a distance from its dépôt, and in this
case I may arrange to do so from any convenient town gas connection by means of
the force pumps connected with the car itself, the crank axle being disconnected by
clutch or otherwise from the driving wheels, or the driving wheels being raised off
the rails or ground to allow of the engines being worked for the time being as
stationary pumping engines. This arrangement specially applicable where the
engine is being employed as a road engine and may require to draw its gas supply
from various and distant sources, while with the addition of water pumping-gear
it would enable it to be readily adapted to fire engine purposes.
Together with the gas holders, or at any more convenient position, I may place
the receiver for high pressure air used as described for starting the car, the pressure
in this receiver being constantly kept up by means of a small high pressure force
pump connected with the engine, and preferably withdrawing its air from that
already compressed to some extent by the pump or pumps supplying the working
cylinder or cylinders with air at a moderate pressure for combustion, such air being
then further compressed and forced into the receiver by the small high pressure
pump. Suitable means are provided by which its action is suspended when the
pressure is sufficiently high in the receivers or receiver. It may be occasionally
found desirable to use the power herein described of working the engine as a
stationary pumping engine, so as to increase the pressure of the starting reserve,
and consequently the starting power of the car, when from too frequent stoppages
or any other cause the pressure within this receiver has fallen below the required
pressure.
To prevent the dust from the roads getting to and injuring the working parts of
the engine I prefer to completely box them in with sheet iron or other suitable
material, and at the axle journals, where the axles must necessarily project through
such casing, and be thus exposed at their outer ends to the dust, dust glands may
be provided, and special provision made to keep the engine dust free. Also at the
air suction into the casing dust traps may be fitted, and special care taken here also
only to draw into the engine air comparatively free from dust. If however the car
axles are connected by band suitable holes in the casing must be provided for the
passage of the same.
To keep the engine journals upon the crank shaft near the cranks, to avoid
unnecessary holes in the casing, and to diminish the width of the locomotive truck
as a whole, so as to allow of its transverse movement in steering within the width
of a car or road carriage, I prefer to fix the driving wheels upon the ends of the
crank shaft, and the bearings or journals inside of them and nearer to the centre of
the car. The dust tight casing may then be made continuous from these bearings so
as to include the whole of the working parts except the the driving wheels and
crank shaft ends.
The speed of the car may either be controlled by hand or by a suitably arranged
governor acting upon the gas supply.
The pressure at which the compressing pump delivers its charges to the motor
cylinder may be controlled where required by an expander formed of flexible strel
plate, as herein described, so arranged that when a sufficient working pressure has
been attained to distend these plates they will, acting through suitable connections, 5
limit the amount discharged by the compressing pump or pumps, and so prevent
the pressure from being increased beyond the normal pressure.

page_text: In cases where it is desired to have a car, wagon, or road engine which may be
driven in either direction at will, I arrange the starting and reversing levers and
other connections required for the safe and efficient working of the car in duplicate,
one set being fitted to each end. Over these levers, and in such a position as not
to interfere with the steps or passage way into the car, I sometimes fix a shelter or
box for the driver, and the duplicate box at that end of the car which is at any
time the back end may be utilized by any other official, the conductor, for example,
should it be found necessary to carry one.
As in cars arranged as described no tractive power, such as horses or separate
locomotive, requires to be attached to them at either of their ends, each such end is
at all times free of incumbrances so as to admit of the formation of steps in the most
convenient position at each end of the car, that is, right at such end, and thus
opposite to the door of the car, and as a straight passage way will thus be formed
from the one end to the other, the doors may be made to swing open on hinges
instead of sliding in frames, as is usual in ordinary tramway cars having side steps.
Brakes may be fitted to the wheels of the car of the usual kind, or I may arrange
them to be acted upon by air or gas pressure to be controlled and regulated by the
driver. In the latter case I prefer to act upon them not through the medium of a
piston and cylinder, in which case there would be joints between parts moving
over one another to keep tight, but through that of thin corrugated expansive steel
plates, as herein described more fully in reference to an expander. When these
plates are subjected to the internal pressure of air, steam, or other gas they will
expand and press the brake blocks to which they are attached home against the
wheels. When however the internal pressure is withdrawn their spring will bring
the brake blocks back clear of the wheels. Such brakes are applicable to other
classes of engines, such as locomotives driven by steam, and are, perhaps, more
simple and have fewer working parts than any other class of brakes.
expanding brakes may be coupled by suitable small pipes with the common source
from which the elastic air or gas for working them is to be drawn, and the
whole of them, however numerous, applied to one, two, or any greater number
of wheels upon a car or train of carriages, trucks, or wagons, may be worked
from a single hand valve or three way cock, which, if turned in one direction, will
allow the air or other gas to enter them, and if turned in the other direction will allow
such air or gas to discharge itself from them.
Such
The expander plates, to which I have herein frequently referred as being applied
to several distinct purposes, are stamped hot out of discs of thin steel with annular
corrugations so formed as to enable them to stretch in radial lines, and thus admit
of yielding to internal pressure when fastened at their edges by extending from
such edges towards the centre, the tendency being to form the flat corrugated plate
into the segment of a plain sphere. Two of these plates fastened together at their
edges, or one fastened to a rigid support, may be formed into an expander, or any
number of them fastened alternately at their outside and inside edges, their centres
being cut away where required so as to form a passage way for the gas. They
may be either arranged to draw back into their normal figure when the pressure is
turned off by means of their own spring, or a separate spring, preferably spiral,
may be employed to effect the purpose.
For the purpose of lighting the car by gas a small pipe may be made to connect
the gas receivers upon the locomotive truck, through a suitable reduction valve
giving a uniform low pressure, with the gas pipes leading to the gas jets in the car,
and the same reduction valve may be made to supply by a separate small pipe the
permanent gas igniting jets and the ignition slide with low pressure gas for igniting
the gas charges within the working cylinders of the engine.
I do not confine myself to the use of ordinary coal gas as produced in towns
upon a large scale, but may in some cases, and especially where coal gas is not
readily obtainable, avail myself of combustible gases produced by other means; nor
do I confine myself in the construction of tramway cars and other road and
locomotive engines to the use of a gas engine started by the particular method

page_text: described in the earlier part of this Specification, but I may adapt thereto any
other class of self starting and reversing gas engine that may be specially applicable
to the purpose.
The more fully to explain my improvements I annex the accompanying Drawings,
which illustrate my method of applying them, but admit of variety both in
arrangement and in detail.
Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 1, are respectively a plan and side elevation of a pair of
cylinders starting upon the principle described herein, and acting direct upon the
central axle of a six wheeled tramcar, the bottom boards and outline of which alone
are shewn in the Drawings. A, A¹, is the starting rod, the ends of which lead
respectively to each end of the car, and are there attached to suitable levers of
ordinary design and in a position handy for the use of the driver, these levers
enabling him to move the connecting rod or bar A, A', longitudinally backwards
or forwards at will so as to be able to start the car, the only difference in the use
of these levers from that of those attached to ordinary steam link motion being
that in this case after starting the car by the movement of the said levers, &c., into
forward or backward gear, so as to impart to the engines a steady motion they
must be brought back to mid gear or their central position, which movement will
not stop the engines as in the case of the link motion attached to an ordinary
steam engine, but on stopping the action of the starting air will allow the gas to act
upon the pistons in the normal way, the engines being stopped by a separate device
to be subsequently described.
B is one of a pair of levers attached to a fixed bearing at B¹ upon the body of
the car, the office of which is to transmit the motion of the starting levers to the
locomotive truck which is free to move transversely across the car. Figure 3
shews an end view (as regards the car) of these levers, in which the rod B' is
carried in suitable fixed bearings, upon which the levers are free to swing when
actuated by the rod A attached to them, as shewn in the Figure. The bottom or
swinging ends of these levers are attached together by means of a rod B¹¹, which
is made long enough to admit of the clutch C sliding over it with the entire
transverse movement of the locomotive truck as it is pushed out of line from the
middle of the car by the action of the rails at any curved portion of the line;
suitable openings are made in the bottom of the car to admit of the levers B
swinging through it.. The pin C¹ is made to be readily withdrawn, so as to enable
the rod C to be detached from the pin B when it is desired to remove the
locomotive truck from beneath the body of the car. The rod C actuates the lever E,
Figures 1, 2, and +, and the latter, through the shaft or weigh bar E¹, gives motion
to the two levers F and G respectively. The lever F, through the rod F¹ and
link F, actuates the tumbler or rocker H, which swings upon the fixed centre
rod Hin such a manner that whichever way it is moved out of the central position
it will lift the gab rod I so as completely to detach it from the gas valve gear.
There are two corresponding tumblers upon the rod or short weigh bar H¹, one
acting upon the gab rod I, as shewn, and the other acting in the same manner
upon the other like gab rod M. The bar H' is supported in suitable fixed bearings
of ordinary design, not shewn in the Drawings, but attached to the castings of the 4
cylinders. In the arrangement shewn the gas valves (J the inlet and K the
exhaust) are worked from the eccentric I¹ through the rod I and gab I" by means
of the lever L and rocking shaft L³, and as the rod M actuates a similar set of
valves one description will do for both. The exhaust valve K is of the ordinary
mitre valve type, and is fitted with a rod K¹ through which the lever N lifts the
valve. Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the valve spindle and seat, wherein A is
the footstep upon which the lever N, Figures 2 and 4, acts. The spiral spring,
shewn in Figure 5, however, protected by the brass tube B, Figure 5, from the hot
gases, presses the valve down in its seat when the lever is left free by the actuating
gab 11, Figure 2. The same action takes place in the inlet valves J, Figures 1, 5
2, and 3, of which Figures 6 and 7 are enlarged views, the spiral springs clearly
shewn in the latter Figures always tending to force the valve back into its seat

page_text: notwithstanding the pressure of the air and gas underneath it.
Thus in whatever
position the main gas-valves may be standing at the time of the starting lever
throwing the gabs out of gear, both the inlet and exhaust valves at once attain
their neutral or closed position, so as to be inactive during the operation of the
starting air pressure. When the gab is again lowered it at once finds the pin in
the lever L as the eccentric draws it across the centre of its travel; Figure 8 is an
enlarged view of this gab, which is shown on a smaller scale in Figure 4, shewing
the upward extension of one arm of the fork to form the guide named, the gab
being guided upon the other side by the valve cover, seen in Figure 4. At the
point O, Figure 2, a small connecting rod O¹ is attached to one of the gab rods, so
that when the latter is lifted it shall through O¹ partially turn the crank O¹, which
through the small crank shaft P connecting it on either hand with the small cocks
P and P, Figures 1 and 4, it may operate the gear for preventing the pump
delivery valves from lifting during the starting of the engine. Figures 10 and 11 are
sectional views shewing the main air pump valves. In these Figures A. is the inlet
valve, which is selfclosing whenever the pressure within the cylinder is in excess
of that of the atmosphere, and it will not therefore interfere with the starting of
the engine; B is the delivery or eduction valve opening outwardly, as shewn, and
which must therefore be firmly held down upon its seat during the operation of
using the pump as a motor cylinder in starting the engine. The arrangement
shewn acts as follows:- In the position drawn the cock C makes a direct
connection between the atmosphere and the space above the flexible steel plate D,
which is thus subjected both above and below to the pressure of the atmosphere
only, and is therefore inoperative. When however the gab rod is lifted out of
gear for starting purposes, and the cocks Pl and P, Figures 1 and 4, and C,
Figures 10 and 11, are turned, the passages in these cocks C¹ and C¹¹, Figure 10,
make connection between the pipe E and the space above the flexible plate below.
The pipe E is directly connected (see Q, Figure 1), with the supply pipe leading
from the receiver containing the high pressure starting air, which thus at once
depresses the thin flexible steel plate D forcibly, and acting through the spindle D'
forces the valve B firmly down upon its seat. When in the position drawn the
spindle D' acts the part of an ordinary valve stop. The smaller flexible steel plate
F simply acts the part of a stuffing box, and is adopted because it occupies less
height, and is not so likely to want attention. It prevents the escape of the air
delivered by the pump for purposes of combustion. The spiral spring shewn above
is to ensure the return of the plates to their normal position when there is no air
pressure either above or below them. The method of making such plates has been
described in the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me dated
27th October 1879, No. 4377. It is needful for these small diameters to stamp
them out of very thin steel, so as to obtain the required elasticity. It is obvious
that this arrangement might have substituted for it levers, pistons, springs, or
many other devices all having the same action when brought into play, namely,
that of holding the delivery valve B firmly down on its seat during the starting of
the engine.
Returning now to the lever E, Figures 1, 2, and 4 (the effect of which through
the lever F in neutralizing all the gas and air pumping valves that would other-
wise interfere with the starting of the engine as an air engine has been described),
it will be seen that through the weigh bar or shaft E on it also actuates the
lever G, which through the draw bars R, Figure 2, is capable of raising or
depressing the link S driven by the two eccentrics S¹ and S", constituting as a
whole an ordinary system of reversing link motion such as is used in steam
locomotive engines, the eccentrics and valves being set in the same way as
in the latter more common type. T and T¹ are the starting air valves, of
which those fitted to one cylinder only are shewn in the Drawings, the air
supply pipe T upon the other cylinder being shewn, but it is removed in the
cylinder under consideration that the valves might be displayed. U and W are

page_text: respectively the inlet and outlet ports in the casting of the cylinder through which
these single faced valves are supplied with and relieved of the high pressure
starting air.
Figures 12 and 13 are sectional views of these single faced starting valves drawn
in mid gear, or the position they permanently occupy during the normal working
of the engine as a gas engine when the inlet passage A, Figures 12 and 13,
requires to be closed so as to prevent any escape of the gases. B in these Figures is a
gauze partition, the wire being inserted in a frame and fitted into a suitable groove
in the port, as shewn, through the plug hole B'. Upon the plug being removed
the frame and gauze can be taken out and adjusted or repaired. The object of
this arrangement is to protect the exposed face of the starting slide valves from
being clogged by deposit from the inflammable gas, as they would certainly
become if constantly exposed to the flame when themselves inactive. The pressure
of the various gases which tend to lift these valves is resisted by means of the
stud C, Figures 12 and 13, which is in this instance screwed into the casting.
Upon it the nut C¹ can be adjusted so as to firmly press the cover through the
spiral spring shewn down upon the rollers D so as to force the valve down upon
its seat with sufficient power to resist the gaseous pressure. The cover E forms a
rigid check to resist the lifting of the valves against any sudden excessive pressure.
Figure 14 shews a more compact arrangement of spring, useful in cases (such as
that shown in Figures 1 and 4) in which the valve covers come too closely together
to admit of separate spring and studs being used. In this Figure A is the stud
entering into the respective valve covers B and C by means of a square and point
respectively, as shewn, just sufficiently to steady it and keep it from turning. By
means of the nut shewn the spring and stud are forced in opposite directions
against their respective covers so as to press them strongly into place. D is the
rigid cover screwed tightly home by hand to resist excessive strains, and it is
divided, as shewn, so that the upper and lower part may be screwed apart to enable
a key to be applied to the nut which it encloses so as to adjust the spring as
desired. The rollers, which have conical heads turned upon them to prevent their
slipping longitudinally out of place, and also to adjust their distance apart,
traverse within the paths indicated planed in the valve and cover, coming close up
at the end of their travel in either direction against the end of these paths or
beds, so as to compel them to keep nearly at right angles to the travel of the
valves.
In Figure 13, E is the inlet passage for the admission of the high
pressure air to the valve, and F is the exhaust port, the direction of the valve's
travel being in this case (as also in that shewn in Figure 1) precisely the reverse
of that of an ordinary steam slide valve, the eccentrics being set accordingly upon
the crank shaft. As in the case of the steam valve, however, the slide is set to
admit air pressure to the cylinder just at about the beginning of its stroke and to
exhaust just as the piston finishes its travel. The pair of D ports in the valve
shewn make connection alternately between the inlet passage to the cylinder in which
the wire gauze screen is shewn and the supply and exhaust pipes respectively.
The supply of air for these valves and for starting the cylinders is drawn
through the pipes X, X, X, Figures 1 and 4, from the steel or wrought iron cylinder
Y, Figure 1, and A, Figure 15, which contains the reserve of starting air. The
auxiliary air pump Z, Figure 1, baving suitable inlet and discharge valves of
ordinary character (which it is needless to describe) in the position marked Z' in
the Figure, is so arranged as to resupply during the working of the engine as a gas
engine the loss of high pressure air used during the operation of starting. It is
connected with the receiver by means of the branch pipe Z" shewn at the side of
the pump.
For the sake of uniformity of plan and a greater equality of skin temperature, I
have shewn the engines in the Figures so arranged that when acting under their
normal conditions as gas engines the back ends of the cylinders act as gas motor
cylinders, and the front ends as air compressing pumps. It is obvious however

page_text: that my method of starting could be as readily applied if one cylinder was a double
acting gas motor cylinder and the other a double acting air or air and gas com-
pressing pump, acting as in this caso upon cranks at right angles to one another.
The action of the engine illustrated as a gas engine is as follows:-The ignition
valve 1 is of any ordinary type, and is made to reverse automatically, as shewn in
Figures 21 and 22, Sheet 2 of my Specification No. 4377, of 1879, and although
allowed to act during the starting of the engine as an air engine, that action will
be ineffective as the air entering the cylinder is then of an incombustible character.
Figures 6 and 7 are respectively a sectional elevation and a plan of the inlet and
cut off valve, receiving its supply of gas from the gas receivers through the reducing
valve 2, stop cock 2, and leads of piping 3, all of Figure 1. The reducing valve
(of any suitable kind) is arranged to deliver its gas to the engine at a pressure
sensibly equal to that of the air coming from the main compressing pumps. The
compressors 4, Figure 1, deliver their air to the small receivers 5, Figure 1 (which
serve to prevent inequality of pressure), which are connected with the inlet valves at
6, Figure 4. This connection, shewn at 2, Figures 6 and 7, admits the air imme-
diately beneath the valve shewn, which pressure is resisted by the spring and
spindle beneath, until the latter are released by the action of the valve gear. The
gas enters this valve at the port 3, Figures 6 and 7, and traverses the circular
channel 4, from which the drilled holes shewn give a direct connection to the
beating face of the valve. These gas inlet holes are shewn all round the valve face
in the plan, Figure 7, and effect the mixture of the gas and air just as they are
entering the engine, the constituents of combustion being divided beneath the
valve, and therefore of an incombustible character. The action of the valve is as
follows: When the valve lever lifts the cup 4, Figure 6, clear of the nut shewn
upon the valve spindle so as to leave the valve free, the latter is lifted by the
pressure of the gases beneath it, which at once flow into and fill the cylinder with
a combustible mixture of gas and air. When however the latter is ignited in the
ordinary action of the engine, the increased pressure set up within the cylinder
immediately shuts down the valve and cuts off the gaseous stream, and also divides
the gus and air. The action of the exhaust valve is of the ordinary character, and
does not need to be described. The method of stopping the engines is as follows:-
:-
At 7, Figure 1, an ordinary gas stop cock is shewn, which is coupled direct with
the small three way cock 8, Figure 1, controlling the action of the brake gear 9,
Figure 1, to be subsequently described. These two cocks are both controlled by
the weighted lever 10, Figure 1, which is worked by a cord or other convenient
device passed round the pin shewn, and led by suitable pulleys to the position
where the driver may have to stand. The weight upon the end of this lever is so
arranged as always to tend to close the brake valve against air pressure, and open
the gas valve to gas pressure. When however the driver lifts the lever, the gas is
first shut off by the stop cock 7, Figure 1, and then the cock 8 begins to admit high
pressure air from the receiver used for starting purposes to the brake gear, so as to
bring the engine to a stand. This may be done either gradually by so lifting the
lever as to shut off gas only, or suddenly by also opening the brake cock full way.
The coupling of the axles is shewn in the case of the central and engine end
axle only in the Drawing, but the receivers might be so arranged as to admit of all
six axles being coupled, though in most cases the tractive pull of two would be
amply sufficient. It is effected by means of the rope 11, Figures 1 and 4, which
passes over the grooved pulleys 12 and 13, having a difference of size proportional
to the difference in the size of the wheels. It is guided so as to be always in line
with the plane of the pulley's revolution by means of the loose pulleys 14, Figures 1
and 4, and passes out of the casing through suitable slots admitting of its transverse
travel with the motion of the truck. The cord attached to the ring shewn in
section round the pin in the stopping cock in Figure 1, formerly described, is made
readily attachable, so as to be no interference with removing the locomotive truck
from the car.

page_text: Figure 15 is an end view of the gas and air receivers shewn in plan and elevation
in Figures 1 and 2, the side receivers being in this instance rivetted direct to the
angle irons in one at the bottom of the main frames, and a strap formed of angle iron
and rivetted or otherwise fastened to these side receivers serves, as shewn, to support
those intermediately placed. They may be also conveniently rivetted together
receiver to receiver at their points of contact, or in any other way suitably fastened.
To finish the rivetting up of the tubes shewn suitable hand holes should be left in
them, as will be well understood. The tubes shewn in the Figures are lap welded
in their longitudinal seams, but this is a matter of preference only. The small
gas pipes joining the receivers are also omitted, as they may be of any usual
description, care being taken that they are completely gastight. No stop cocks are
used usually between the separate receivers, which are simply connected together
(but not with the receiver containing the high pressure starting air, which has a
separate supply pipe) by open pipes so as to act as one receiver, the pressure in
each being at all times sensibly common to all the rest.
Figure 16 is an end elevation of the pair of wheels and axle at the engine end
of the car, which while supporting the weight of this end of the car while in position,
and capable of turning freely upon its centre when radiating to curves, must also
be readily detachable from the car, so that it may be removed with the locomotive
truck. For this purpose the centre pin upon which the axle swings is made to
unscrew, as shewn, by means of the handle brought up through the bottom of the
car, so that when this is withdrawn it leaves the axle attached by the articulating
centre 15, Figure 1, to the locomotive truck only. Attached to the edge of the iron
framing at 16, Figure 2, are two long slotted guides through which the connecting
bars 17, Figure 1, pass, the guide slots being prolonged so as to admit of the
transverse travel of the bars within them. The object of these guides is that when
the locomotive truck is being removed from the car, and is consequently free to
oscillate upon its central crank axle, they may by binding it to the end axle give
it a steadiness that it would not otherwise have. The centre 15, Figure 1, is
attached to the locomotive truck by suitable transverse framing of ordinary kind
(such as angle iron or plate), which is not shewn, as it would needlessly confuse
the Drawing. Upon the receivers 18, Figures 1 and 15, is the articulating
centre for the other end axle which remains permanently attached to the truck
19, Figures 1 and 15, is a wing bolt which screws into the centre which is attached
to the receivers, so that the end axle and frames are free to swing round upon it.
This bolt is made readily removable through a hole in the car bottom, so as to
detach the centre and bars marked 20 in the Figure, which are the inner ends of
articulating frames corresponding to those marked 17 at the other end of the
same Figure. The bolt holes in the guides for the centre pins of the end axles
shewn in Figure 16 are lengthened longitudinally to the car, so as to admit of a
slight travel in this direction of the centre upon which the axle turns as it is
drawn towards the crank axle by the curving movement of the wheel, as shewn.
Any means may be taken to still more certainly provide that the transverse travel
of the central axle and the centre line of this axle are truly perpendicular to the
curve of the rails.
It should have been stated that the cover and cock over the flexible steel
diaphragm shewn in Figure 10 is reversed, as shewn in Figure 11, so as to enable
view of the coupling shaft and crank by which it is controlled to be exhibited.
The crank connecting rods are omitted for the sake of clearness, the piston rods and
cranks being shewn disconnected. The combustion air receivers are coupled by a pipe
(not shewn in the Drawings) to keep the pressure equal in them. The gas valves
as well as the ignition valves are formed loose on the shaft between two stops, one
corresponding with the position for forward motion of the valves, and the other for
backward motion, and when the engine reverses the shaft turns freely through the
driving eccentrics until the latter come into contact with the driving stop
corresponding with the reversed traverse of the engine, as illustrated in Sheet 4,

page_text: Figure 35. Any convenient kind of transverse supporting framing to stay the
engines may be employed common in similar cases, but it is omitted from the
Drawings so as not to confuse them. The castings may also where desirable be
divided into more parts so as to simplify the moulding.
To start these engines first thing after filling the gas receivers with their charge
of gas at the depôt it will be found convenient to charge their starting receiver
also with its standard quantity of high pressure starting air, for which purpose a
stationary reserve of the same supplied by an ordinary stationary air pump may be
used. It might also be done by simply using another locomotive engine to tow the
car and engines so as to start them as gas motors, and then in the ordinary
course of their motion they will supply the air receivers with starting air for
subsequent use.
Figures 17, 18, 19, and 20, Sheet 3, are detail views of my brake gear adapted
to the engine shewn in Figure 1. A and B are the centres of suspension fixed
rigidly to the engine framing, and C is the crank shaft upon which the brake
wheel D is firmly keyed. From the centre A the double levers E and F hang
attached at E and F to the discs E" and F", which are firmly bolted, as shewn,
to the backs of the flexible steel plates G and H, the pressure of which they
receive. These plates are bolted together with rubber or other packing so as to
form an air tight joint at their external edges, as shewn, and their centres are
bolted to the plates E and F by the central bolts with large discs like heads,
which will be seen in Figure 20; these bolts having rings of packing between their
heads and the plates so as to remain air tight. One of these bolts J, Figure 20, has
a hole drilled through it, and is coupled to a pipe, as shewn, coming from the air
receiver, and controlled by the brake cock, as before described in reference to
Figure 1, Sheet 1. When by means of this cock the pressure is admitted between
the flexible plates, they are driven apart and force the levers E and F asunder;
E acts direct through the brake shoe, shewn upon the wheel D, and the lower end
of the lever F through the tie rod; K acts upon the opposite lever L, which
through a similar brake shoe retards the other side of the wheel D; M and M¹³ are
spring bolts which suspend the shoes concentric with the wheel D, and are made
adjustable. The screwed end of the lever K may be also adjustable by the nuts
shewn, so as to hang the levers at a suitable distance just clear of contact with the
brake wheel; N is a rubber spring, which through the bolt shewn tends to bring
the levers together again after the pressure is relieved from the expander, and the
tension of this spring may be also adjusted through the nut shewn. It is obvious
that a single flexible plate might have been applied bolted to a rigid air tight backing
upon each side of the brake wheel, the separate expanders acting upon separate
levers. It has been convenient in this case to employ a brake wheel separated from
the driving wheels, but a similar arrangement might be applied to them, the tie
rod K having however then substituted for it a double tie rod, one part of which
would be led beside the driving wheel upon each side of it. A series of such brakes
might also be controlled by a single cock, such as that shewn in Figure 1, Sheet 1,
pipes being led from such a cock by branches to all of them.
Figure 21, Sheet 3, shews my arrangement for controlling the action of the air
compressing pump accumulating the starting air, the action of which it is desirable
to suspend as soon as it has raised the pressure to the required limit. A is a small
pipe connected with the receiver for starting air, so that the pressure of air within
such receiver is always acting upon the underside of the flexible plate B shewn, the
joints of which are made as described with reference to Figure 20. The thrust of
this plate is received by the rigid disc C, and resisted by the spring D, against
which the plate rises. The bolt E, upon the end of which a long nut is formed, is
screwed upon the end of the bolt F, which works with the expander. The height
of the former bolt is adjustable by screwing in or out the nut, the latter being
locked in any desired position by the check nut upon the under side of it. The
cover D¹ serves to resist the pressure of the spring. G is the suction valve of the

page_text: auxiliary air pump, and as the expander rises with the increasing pressure the bolt E
entering the recess shewn at the bottom of the valve G gradually comes into contact
with it, and prevents it falling back into its seat, thus stopping the action of the
pump, and consequently the accumulation of pressure in the receiver.
As this simple form of pressure governor lias the disadvantage of only stopping
the discharge of the pump into the receiver, but does not completely stop the com-
pressive action within the pump barrel itself, which continually discharges its air
through the very narrow opening left between the suction valve and its seat, I
have arranged the device shewn in Figures 22 and 23, the action of which is such
that when the pressure in the receiver passes a certain limit the valve are prevented
falling back at all, being suspended at the top of their lift, and being thus well clear
of the seat leave a large opening for the discharge of the air, which thus takes place
freely. A, Figure 23, is the end of the rod E, Figure 21 (the pressure governor
acting equally well in either an upright or a horizontal or inverted position), and
carries the pin B projecting from the end of it into the segmental slot C, which is
cut in the bottom end of the tumbler D. This consists of a lever weighted with a
ball on the top, so as to have a tendency to fall upon either side of the shaft upon
which it is freely swung. As the rod A has been advanced by the lift of the expander
to the position shewn, it has gradually pushed the left hand side of the slot, and
with it the tumbler D, on to the right hand side of its centre of equilibrium, and the
latter has then, being left free for further movement in this direction by the slot,
fallen down into the position shewn. E is the stop which, together with the
opposite stop shewn, is attached to the collar E¹, which is keyed fast upon the
shaft F; consequently the shaft F gets a slight turn with the final fall of the tumbler
upon either side of the centre. Figure 22 is a view of the other end of the same
shaft, with the valve stop G upon it shewn in the position corresponding to
Figure 23, in which the pumping action has been suspended. H is a stop attached
to the bearing in which the shaft F turns, and prevents the latter turning through
a greater interval than that allowed between the stops G' and G". It will be seen
that as the diminishing (pressure in the receiver through the outdraft in starting
allows the pressure governor to withdraw the rod A the tumbler D will be gradually
lifted towards the centre above the shaft F, the latter not being moved until the
tumbler falls freely down upon the left hand side of the centre, coming into contact
with the stop E¹, and carrying the shaft F partially round through its bearings, and
throwing the valve stop G out of gear so as again to allow the suction valve to close
and the pump to act and resupply the receiver. The weigh shaft F carries duplicate
valve stops G, one acting upon each of the suction valves. A double plate expander
with longer travel and longer spring might obviously be substituted for the one
shewn.
Figures 24, 25, 26, and 27 are detail views of the reducing valve shewn in
Figure 1, Sheet 1. A is the inlet for the gas from the gas reservoirs, which enters
the outer portion of the valve casting through the equilibrium valves shewn, the
upper of which is made just small enough to enter through the lower valve seat.
The valve spindle is attached, as shewn above, to the expanding plate, which rises
as the pressure accumulates behind the valves and so tends to close the same. The
spring D, acting through the washer E and hand wheel nut F, resists the lift of the
expander through the spindle G. The amount of this resistance can be controlled
by the hand wheel so as to regulate the pressure of the gas coming through the
valves, the increasing resistance of the spring to the valve closure giving an increased
pressure. Figure 25 is a half plan, and Figure 26 a horizontal section through the
same; Figure 27 is a section through the neck just beneath the expander. His a
spindle guide turned on the nut H, Figure 24, the lower end of this spindle being
guided at I, Figure 24. The collar H is notched at the edges, as shewn in Figure 27,
to admit of the free passage of the gas past it. As this reducing valve is adapted
to give out a pressure such as is required by the engine for motor purposes, a
portion of this gas must be passed through a second reduction valve of any known
kind, so as to bring down the pressure to that required for the permanent igniting

page_text: jets, and a portion of this low pressure gas may be led through a disconnecting
india rubber pipe to the car for lighting purposes.
Figures 28 and 29, Sheet 4, are an end clevation and a plan of my starting gear
applied to a single acting engine, such as that shewn in the Specifications of Abel's
Patent No. 2081, of 1876, and of Crossley's Patent No. 2177, of 1877. Herein three
such engines are placed side by side and acting upon the same crank shaft, upon
which the cranks are turned at angles of 120° to one another. The positions of these
cranks respectively corresponding to the positions of the valve gear drawn when in
motion as a gas engine are shewn in the figures immediately below each engine
marked Figures 30, 31, and 32 respectively; A, A', A", are my starting valves
arranged upon the plan elsewhere illustrated, and are coupled by a feed pipe to the
reserve of incombustible gas used for starting engines. These valves must be
arranged to cut off this gas (air or steam generally) very late in the stroke, as each
must be able to open to the cylinder during a greater interval than 120° of crank
travel from the commencement of the stroke, or in other words until the following
crank has passed its dead centre, and may thus be actively engaged in starting the
shaft, a requirement well understood and in use in ordinary types of three cylinder
reversing engines. These valves are each of them attached through the reversing links
B, B1, B, and driven by a pair of eccentrics, as elsewhere herein described and in
the usual way. Before however these valves are brought into action it is needful
to neutralize the gas valves, disconnecting them from their driving gear and forcing
them into their closed position. This operation is effected by means of the levers
C, C¹, and C¹¹, connected together at their bottom ends, as shewn. These levers when
moved to the left through the rods D, D¹, D¹, lift the levers C, C', and C¹¹, each of
which carries upon the upper end of it a small pin and loose wheel shewn, which as
the levers rise come each respectively into contact with the gab rod under which it is
placed, and by raising disconnects it from the slide valve pin. These gabs, marked
E in the Figures, are substituted for the eye usually used in these engines in
consequence of their being more readily disconnected. One or other of the slide
valves F, F, F", or some pair of them, may be (in the position in which the
engine is standing before starting is effected) so placed as to have the passage G in
the valve (Figure 29) open to the port H, and both consequently in free communi-
cation with the atmosphere. The levers C, C, C", are so placed that they will
lift the gab rods out of gear with the valve pins before the levers I, II, I¹¹, are
advanced into contact with the pulleys J, J', J", fixed upon the valve casting, even
either of these is in its most backward position, so that when these latter
levers do come into contact with J, J, J, the valve is free to be moved forward
with the motion of the levers, which have a travel sufficient to ensure the closure of
the valve ports, or in other words that the valves F, F1, F¹¹, may be all standing
somewhat to the right of the position shewn in the Drawing in the valve shewn in
section F, Figure 29. The rod K in the Figures connects the lever I' with
the crank L, and is sufficiently light to give to the slightly twisting movement.
L actuates M through the short spindle shewn, and consequently when the slide
valve is being thrown out of gear, as described, this mechanism slides the cams N
along the shaft and keyway shewn. These cams actuate the usual exhaust valve
levers 0, 0, 0, through the pulleys carried upon their ends. Beside each pulley
is a space upon the cam barrel of cylindrical forn, and with no cam like projection
upon it, and thus when the barrel N has been moved along the shaft its revolving
motion with the starting of the engines does not open the exhaust valves P, P', P₁₁,
Figure 29. It is usual in single Otto engines to have one counter shaft like Q
upon each engine. These have been substituted, as shewn in the Drawing, in the
three engines constituting my direct acting reversing arrangement by one counter
shaft, upon which three cams are placed, working the three exhaust valves by levers as
shewn. It is obvious that one governor can be made to do for the entire set of
cylinders worked from the usual bevil wheel, as shewn, upon the shaft. The threo
slide valves F, F¹, F", are also worked from this one shaft, and to contract the
length as much as possible; this is done by means of the three throw crank R, R¹, R¹¹,

page_text: shewn, each crank pin being enlarged so as to overlap the adjacent crank pin and
form an attachment to it. Upon the outer end of this crank a pin turns in the
bearing shewn at S, in plan, so as to steady its motion. When starting the engine
the links B, B1, B₁, are simultaneously lifted or lowered in the usual way by
means of a weigh bar and levers, and it is obvious that the levers C, C¹, Cu, might
be mechanically connected with this weigh bar by any suitable means, and the
whole actuated from one starting lever, as in Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 1, or on the
other hand the two separate sets of levers might be moved by two separate hand
levers, the levers C, C, C", throwing the gas valves out of gear before, and into
gear after the starting of the engine has been effected. Where however the work
of pushing the slide valves F, F, F", is rather too heavy to be effected by hand I
use a starting cylinder, the valves of which alone are actuated by the lever U,
Figure 28, the cylinder T being supplied with elastic air or steam from the reserve
for starting purposes. This lever U might be connected with the link motion
lever so that the starting is effected by one handle common to all the starting
gear.
As in the other cases described the first movements of the engine themselves
effect the reversal and resetting of the gas valve gear. Figure 34 shews the arrange-
ment for this purpose, in which A is the counter shaft described as Q, Figure 29,
driven through the bevel wheel B by one or other of the pinions C or C₁, one or
other of which is always driving the shaft A, and the other is driven by it in the
reverse direction over the shaft D, upon which it is left free to travel. Dis the
crank shaft, and the arrangement is such that in whatever direction it is revolving
the shaft A is always moved in one direction; E is a clutch keyed to the shaft D,
but capable of freely moving over it if pushed in a longitudinal direction. If,
therefore, the shaft D is revolved in such a direction as to allow the clutch G to
slip back out of gear the bevil surfaces at the back of the clutching teeth push
the sliding clutch E along the shaft, so that it is thrust into gear with the
clutch G¹.
It will thus be seen that I make the reversal of all gas valves effect itself auto-
matically by means of the first movement of the engine in starting, and where
those valves are driven from a counter shaft I find it convenient to keep the motion
of this shaft constantly in one direction, whatever the direction of the engine's
motion. It should be stated that although the clutches G and G¹, Figure 34, have
been, for the sake of clearness, represented as opposite one another, their relative
position in practice must be regulated so as always to give the valve shaft the
correct angular position of travel suited to the required opening and closing of the
gas valves in the forward and backward movement of the engine. Where, however,
valves are driven by eccentrics or cranks or cams upon a shaft necessarily partaking
of the reversing movement of the engine, these may be allowed to slip over the
crank from their forward to their backward position of gear by an arrangement as
shewn in Figure 35. In this case A is a clutch keyed fast upon the shaft, as shewn,
the eccentric with its stop B being free to travel round it until one or other of the
faces of the stop come into contact with the fast stop A. The position of contact
with one face corresponds to the position of forward travel, and the position of
contact of the other stop corresponds to the position of backward travel, and these
positions may be regulated as required.
It has been hereinbefore said that the starting of such an engine may be effected
by means of steam produced from the waste heat of the gas; this may be done by
passing the exhaust gases through any common arrangement of boiler so as to
raise a supply of steam, and steam may be collected from the water jackets, as in
some engines it is done for other than starting purposes. It will however be
desirable that when the pressure of the steam has risen to that which is needful
for starting purposes the further production of it should cease. Figure 33 shews
an arrangement for that purpose in which the pipe A is the exhaust common to
all the gas cylinders. B is a branch leading to the boiler and afterwards to the
atmosphere, and C is a branch leading direct to the atmosphere. The two throttle

page_text: valves shewn are so coupled by the cranks at their backs D and D', that when one
is full open the other is always full closed. E is a rod connected to a pressure
governor like that shewn in Figure 21, Sheet 3, and the effect is that as the
pressure in the boiler and steam space rises, the pipe leading the hot gases theret+>
is gradually throttled, and the branch C leading direct to the atmosphere is opened
so that no further steam is raised.
I do not bind myself to the particular arrangement of engine represented in the
Drawing, as other arrangements might be made capable of reversing on my plan.
In regard to the closure of the slide valves, some gas valves require to stand in an
intermediate position between the ends of their stroke to effect their complete
closure, and in that case the lever I, Figure 28, would only move them forward
from one end. In this case another lever connected with it so as to move
simultaneously but in a contrary direction will push the valves away from the
open position at the other end of their strokes.
To vary the point of ignition I use an arrangement of spirally grooved shaft and
keyway and sleeve, such as that illustrated in Figure 34, Sheet 3 of the Drawings
annexed to the Specification of my Patent No. 4377, of 1879, as used for a
different purpose, the result of the longitudinal movement of the sleeve being to
relatively advance or retire the angular position of the portion of the shaft upon
which the ignition valves are placed with regard to the driving shaft.
The pitch
of such a spiral groove when used for this purpose need not however be so quick
as that shewn in the Figure referred to, as the required displacement of the valve
gear will be very much less. Figures 37 and 38, Sheet 5, shew a similar arrange-
ment, in which the eccentric crank or cam or the driving clutch for the same is
carried on a hollow shaft as shewn. The key driven into the sliding clutch A and
carried with it in its travel [when actuated by an ordinary hand lever (not shewn]
passes through a straight key way B in the hollow shaft, and then into the spiral
key way C in the solid driving shaft beneath. As the sliding clutch is moved
along the key turns the hollow shaft partly round the solid driving shaft so as to
alter the point of ignition as desired. Figure 36 is a side elevation of the car
shewing how it is lifted for removing the locomotive truck from beneath; C is a
removable lever which enables a man to depress the crank D, another man
depressing a similar crank upon the other side of the car. The result is that the
car is so lifted that it stands as though A¹, B¹, were the ground line, and E¹, F',
were the truck wheels, A, B, E, and F marking the positions before lifting. Any
ordinary catch will hold the handle in position and keep the car steady, and when
the crank is turned up to raise the bar G from the ground it may be supported by
a similar catch. To remove the truck in this instance the steps H and front I
require to be lifted off. The hooks shewn in Figure 10 over the axle bearings are
for the purpose of preventing the springs from lifting the radiating frames when
the weight of the car is taken off them during the removal of the locomotive truck.
They are unhooked and hooked into spare staples in the frames when out
of use.
To start a stationary engine before either air or steam pressure was available
the engine would have to be started as an ordinary non starting engine by turning
a few times by hand or some external power.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my "Improvements in Tram-
way Locomotive and other Engines and in Apparatus connected therewith,"-
First. Starting an engine composed of two or more cylinders so arranged as to
constitute a self starting system, as described, the driving force of which, under the
normal conditions, is effected by the gaseous pressure resulting from the combustion
of coal gas or other hydro-carbon with atmospheric air within the cylinder, and
which is commonly termed a gas motor engine, by means of a reserve of high
pressure air or other gas operating incombustibly, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Second. The use of cylinders which under their normal conditions are air

page_text: compressing cylinders as motor cylinders during the operation of starting a gas
motor engine, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
Drawings.
Third. The use of an air compressing pump driven by a gas motor engine, and
delivering its air into a receiver for effecting the restarting of the said gas motor
engine incombustibly, all substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
the Drawings.
Fourth. The use of a pressure governor actuated by the air in the restarting
receiver for controlling the action of its supplying air pump, all substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the Drawings.
Fifth. Controlling the pressure of steam developed in a suitable boiler by the
waste heat of a gas motor engine, for the purpose of restarting the said engine, by
means of a pressure governor actuated by the said steam pressure, and regulating
the supply of hot gases coming from the gas motor engine to the said boiler,
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the Drawings.
Sixth. The neutralizing of the induction and eduction valves in gas motor
cylinders, and of the eduction or delivery valves in the compressing pumps of gas
motor engines during the operation of starting the same, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the Drawings and for the purposes explained.
Seventh. The reversing of the positions of the driving gear of the valves of
reversing gas motor engines so as to give them their proper order and position of
travel corresponding to the movement of the engine either in a backward or in a
forward direction, by means of the first movement of such engines in starting, so
that they take up their changed positions and order of travel automatically
immediately the engine is started, substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in the Drawings.
Eighth. Effecting the automatic cut off in such engines wherein the streams of
gas and air are divided and do not mix until they pass the valve seat by means of
a back pressure valve, above (or upon the cylinder side of) which the ignition is
effected, the introduction of the gas and air being regulated mechanically by the
working of the engine, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
Drawings.
Ninth. In gas motor engines in which the cut off is effected by means of a back
pressure valve, the closure of which is obtained by the pressure within the cylinder
set up by the gaseous combustion, I claim the method hereinbefore described of
varying the point of ignition of the gas so as to increase or decrease the power
given out by the engine.
Tenth. The use of a reduction valve, the action of which is governed by a
corrugated flexible steel plate for supplying the gas from high pressure receivers at
a reduced pressure to gas motor engines, substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in the Drawings.
Eleventh. The use, as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the Drawings, for
stopping locomotive engines driven by gas of brake gear actuated by the internal
pressure of an elastic gas acting through flexible steel plates of the character
described.
Twelfth. Attaching a gas motor engine through cranks to one of the axles of a six
wheeled locomotive car or truck in such a manner that the three axles shall be free
to take up positions radial to the curves over which they are travelling, such curves
being approximately constant in their curvature over any distance equal to the
total wheel base of the car and not of double curved or S figure, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the Drawings.
Thirteenth. Attaching a gas motor engine through cranks to one of the axles of
a tramway car in such a manner that when the car under which the engines are
placed is lifted, and then supported independently of the crank axle and wheels,
the latter, together with the engines and other parts, may be withdrawn from
beneath the car for oiling, cleaning, other purposes, all substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the Drawings.

page_text: Fourteenth. Grouping the gas and air receivers between the frames of a
locomotive truck driven by a gas motor engine in such a manner as to counter-
balance the weight of the engines suspended between the frames upon the other
side of the crank axle, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph John Butcher, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of August, One thousand eight hundred
and eighty
JOSEPH JOHN BUTCHER. (L.S.)