Improvements in Traction Engines for Towing Vessels.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 12th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by LA SOCIÉTÉ DE TRACTION ELECTRIQUE SUR
LES VOIES NAVIGABLES, of 28 Rue St. Lazare, Paris, in the Republic of
France.]
:
Improvements in Traction Engines for Towing Vessels.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in traction engines used to replace horses
or other draught animals used for towing vessels by means of a rope or the like
along canals and rivers (water-ways) the said engine being constructed to act
instead of draught animals upon the towing paths or roads.
For this purpose I construct a carriage with three or four wheels, provided with
a motor, and adapted for travelling upon the banks of the water-way.
The motors employed may be actuated by electricity, petroleum, or volatile oils
as may be found most suitable.
In cases where electro-motors are employed, we establish generating stations
along the canal or river, at suitable intervals, preferably the generators are
driven by overflow water from sluice gates at weirs or dams which is thus
caused to produce an electric current, either continuous or alternating. This
current is sent through a conductor arranged like a telegraphic line along the
water-way.
The current is taken from this line by means of trolleys provided with copper
shoes, the said trolleys being held in stable equilibrium upon this wire and drawn
along it by a metal wire connected to the traction engine.
The positive terminals wire of the motor communicates with the earth by means
of a wire or a rail, as the case may be, so that the current may travel to the negative
terminal of the generating dynamo.
Our traction engine resembles in its general constructional form a tramway car
under carriage in which the front axle has been rendered movable relatively to the
rear axle.
The rear carriage comprises an axle, integral or rigid with two wheels arranged
at an interval of about one metre from each other, these wheels having rims variable
in width according to the power to be exerted, the said wheels being preferably
about one metre in diameter.
Upon the centre of the binder axle a worm wheel is keyed, which gears with
an endless screw mounted on an extension of the motor shaft and revolving
with it.
The worm wheel and its screw are encased in a closed box G supported upon
the hinder axle and upon the frame which carries the motor.
The extensions of this frame, always connected to the rear axle, approach each
other toward the front and are connected, there, by a solid piece, having a vertical
central hole..
Between the hinder axle and this solid piece, and below the frame, this latter
carries a segmental piece or support, having the vertical opening of the solid piece
as its centre.
The frame of the fore carriage comprises likewise an axle and two wheels equal

page_text: in diameter, but placed closer together than those on the rear axle, further, a worm
wheel is keyed upon the front axle, this worm wheel being encased in a box and
driven by an endless screw.
The frame of the fore carriage extends rearwardly so that its extremity rests
upon the segmental support. Like the hinder frame, it carries a solid piece
pierced with a vertical hole which coincides with that of the aforementioned
solid piece. A bolt traverses the two holes and forms the linch-pin, about
which the axle of the front wheels,turns, and.so enables the apparatus to traverse
curves.
The endless screw driving the front axle is connected to the shaft of the motor
by means of a flexible shaft, so that the said screw may act in a reliable manner
irrespective of the angle formed by the two axles. Thus both axles can be driven
from the motor, whereby the dead weight is reduced. In order that the flexible
shaft may act properly, we arrange the linch pin nearly below the centre of the
said flexible shaft.
The rims of the wheels are provided with indiarubber tyres so that they may
adhere strongly to the ground.
The vessel required to be towed is connected to the traction engine near the
centre of gravity of the latter that is to say near the rear axle, which bears a
greater weight than the front axle.
The connection is effected by means of a special hook having a pawl so
arranged that the vessel is unable to draw the engine backward when made fast
thereto.
This hook consists of a pivotally fixed snug or claw capable of being turned
backward, and traversing a buckle or. eye at the extremity of the towing rope.
An axle carries one of these claws at each of its extremities in order that the
apparatus may be connected to the vessel at either side, according as the towing
road lies to the right or left of the vessel the said axle being also provided with a
pawl engaging with projections carried by a lever pivoted to the top of the rear
screw case.
To the lever a rod is pivotally connected which is dragged along the ground.
When the vessel pulls the engine back, the point of this rod engages with the
ground and lifts the pivotted lever thus disengaging' the pawl and by enabling the
axle to rotate, allows the snug or claw to which the rope is fixed, to fall back, and.
thus release the rope from the traction engine.
In cases where the adhesion of the traction engine need not he considerable,
we replace the front axle by a simple steering wheel. The rear axle only is
then actuated by the motor which drives the worm wheel by means of the endless
"screw, analogous to the arrangement employed with four wheels..
The devices for fastening and detaching the towing rope are identical with that
herein before described..
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
'Improvements in Traction Engines for Towing Vessels.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner: the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a traction engine the object of which is to replace

page_text: horses or other draught animals used for towing vessels by means of a rope or the
like along canals, rivers or water-way, the said engine being constructed to act.
instead of draught animals upon the towing paths or roads.
For this purpose we construct a 'carriage with three or four wheels, provided with
a motor, and adapted for travelling upon the banks of the water way.
The motors employed may be actuated by electricity petroleum, or volatile oils
as may be found most suitable.
7:
In cases where electro-motors are employed, we establish generating stations
along the canal or river, at suitable intervals, preferably the generators are driven
by overflow water from sluice gates at: weirs or dams, which is thus caused to
produce an electric current, either continuous or alternating. This current is sent
through a conductor arranged like a telegraphie line along the water way.
The current is taken from this line by means of trolleys, provided with copper
shoes, the said trolleys being held in stable equilibrium upon this wire and drawn
along it by a metal wire connected to the traction engine.
The positive terminal wire of the motor communicates with the earth by means
of a wire or a rail, as the case may be, so that the current may travel to the
negative terminal of the generating dynamo.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of the improved traction engine.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of a modified form of traction engine and
Figure 4 is a plan thereof.
Our traction engine resembles in its general constructional form, the under
carriage of a tramway car in which the front axle has been rendered movable
relatively to the rear axle.
The rear carriage comprises an axle A, integral or rigid with two wheels B,
arranged at an interval of about one metre from each other, these wheels having
rims C of a width suitable to the power to be exerted, the said wheels being
preferably about one metre in diameter...
Upon the centre of the rear axle A a worm wheel D is keyed, which gears with
an endless screw F mounted on an extension of the motor shaft E and revolving
with it.
The worm wheel D and its screw are encased in a closed box Ġ supported upon
the rear axle A and upon the frame H which carries the motor.
The extensions of this frame, always connected to the rear axle, approach each
other toward the front and are connected, there by a solid piece a, having a vertical
central hole..
Between the rear axle A and this solid piece, a and below the frame H, this
latter carries a segmental piece or support I, having the vertical opening of the
solid piece a as its centre.
The frame J of the fore carriage comprises likewise an axle Kand two wheels L
equal in diameter, but placed closer together than those on the rear axler Ag
further, a worm wheel M is keyed upon the front axle K, this worm wheel being
encased in a box N and driven by an endless screw O.
The frame of the fore carriage J extends rearwardly so that its. extremity rests
upon the segmental support I. Like the rear frame, it carries a solid piece b
pierced with a vertical hole which coincides with that of the aforementioned solid
piere a. A bolt traverses the two holes and forms the linch-pin, about which
the axle of the front wheels turns, inclined and so enables the apparatus to traverse-
curves.
The endless screw O driving the front axle is connected to the shaft of the
motor E by means of a flexible shaft P, so that the said screw may act in a.
reliable mauner irrespective of the angle formed by the two axles. Thus both.
axles can be driven from the motor, whereby the dead weight is better overcome.
In order that the flexible shaft may act properly, we arrange the linch pin nearly
below the centre of the said flexible shaft.

page_text: The rims of the wheels are provided with indiarubber tyres R, so that they may,
adbere strongly to the ground.
The vessel required to be towed is connected to the traction engine near the
centre of gravity of the latter that is to say near the rear axle, which bears a
greater weight than the front axle.
The connection is effected by means of a special hook having a pawl so'
arranged that the vessel is unable to draw the engine backward when made, fast.
thereto.
This hook consists of a pivotally fixed snug or claw capable of being turned.
backward, and traversing a buckle or eye g at the extremity of the towing rope h.
An axle & carries one of these claws at each of its extre.nities (only one of these
claws being represented in the drawing) in order that the apparatus may be
connected to the vessel at either side, according as the towing road lies to the
right or left of the vessel, the said axle being also provided with a pawl
engaging with projections m carried by a lever n pivoted at o to the top of the rear
screw case.
To the lever na rod p is pivotally connected which is dragged along the ground.
When the vessel pulls the engine back, the point of this rod 9 engages with
the ground and lifts the pivotted lever n thus disengaging the pawl / and by
enabling the axle k to rotate, allows the snug or claw f, to which the rope is fixed,
to fall back, and thus release the rope from the traction engine.
In cases where the adhesion of the traction engine need not be considerable, we
replace the front axle by a sitople steering wheel Q such as that shown in
Figures 3 and 4 of the drawing. The rear axle only is then actuated by the
motor E, which drives the worm wheel D by means of the endless screw in a
similar manner to that shown in Figures 1 and 2.
The devices for fastening and detaching the towing rope are identical with th
hereinbefore described.
As will be readily understood the shape, material and dimensions of the different
constituent parts of the apparatus may be varied without departing from the nature
of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner. the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. An improved traction engine serving for the towing of vessels along water
courses; the said apparatus (connected to the vessel in the manner adopted when
horses are employed for this purpose) being provided, as herein before described
with reference to the drawing, with one or two driving axles actuated by any
appropriate electric, petroleum or other motor.
2. The method of connecting the vessel to the apparatus by means of a pawl
actuated coupling releasing the towing rope when the apparatus recoils and thus
preventing the latter from being dragged into the water."
Dated this 17th day of March 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.