IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DIRECT APPLICA- TION OF MOVING FORCE (VIS VIVA) TO THE PROPULSION OF LOCOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND OTHER MOVEABLE ENGINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marc Antoine François Mennons, of the Home
and Foreign Patent Offices, No. 52, Rue Basse du Rempart, Paris,
France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DIRECT APPLICA-
TION OF MOVING FORCE (VIS VIVA) TO THE PROPULSION OF LOCOMOTIVE,
MARINE, AND OTHER MOVEABLE ENGINES."-A communication from
. Nicolas de Telescheff, residing at No. 21, Glouhoï Pereoulok,
'
'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Marc Antoine François
Mennons at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 3rd July 1873.
I, MARC ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS; of the Home and Foreign
Patent Offices, No. 52, Rue Basse du Rempart, Paris, France, do hereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
DIRECT APPLICATION OF MOVING FORCE (VIS VIVA) TO THE PROPULSION OF Loco-
MOTIVE, MARINE, AND OTHER MOVEABLE ENGINES" (a communication from
Nicolas de Telescheff, a person resident at No. 21, Glouhoi Percoulok,
Saint Petersburg, in the Empire of Russia), to be as follows:-
The Invention which forms the subject of the present application

page_text: consists in the transformation of moving force (vis viva) into propulsive
or tractive power in locomotives, marine engines, or other movable
motors, which power thus obtained produces its useful effect without
any external fulcrum.
The progressive increase of traffic upon railways conduces to augment
more and more the weight of trains, and consequently that of locomo-
tives, so much so that the latter have already attained a weight of 40, 50,
60, and even 65 tons, the pressure of the wheels on the rails reaching as
high as 18 tons, that is to say, a pressure three times that exerted by
the wheels of the carriages drawn. The necessity for giving this
enormous weight to the locomotives constitutes the principal defect of
the present mode of traction upon railways, because this excessive
weight of the locomotive demands an exceptional solidity in the con-
struction of the permanent way, and conduces to this abnormal result,
that one is forced to give to the engine a quarter or even one half the
weight which it is intended to draw. In this system the necessity for
adhesion is entirely set aside, the tractive force is internal and altogether
independent of the weight of the engine. As applied to ships to replace
external propellers this system presents advantages which will be herein-
after pointed out.
In the annexed Drawing Figure 1 represents in diagram the mode of
applying this Invention. In this Figure a is a steam cylinder; b, the
piston; c, the piston rod; d, the connecting rod; e, e¹, cranks mounted
in reverse positions on the driving shaft p; is the fly wheel set on this
shaft p; d, a second connecting rod attached to the crank e¹. On this
connecting rod d is mounted the weight m, which is capable of sliding
horizontally on a suitable support, and which may, if preferred, be placed
upon wheels, as shown at g, g. The cylinder is provided with inlet and
The induction of the steam takes place
by the tubes 1, 1, and the exhaust by i, i¹.
outlet steam valves h, h¹, k, k¹.
The engine being mounted either on wheels or slides, or in a ship,
according to the use for which it is intended, will act in the following
manner: The steam admitted by the valve h causes the piston 6 to
traverse a given portion of its course, which is completed by expansion
upon the closing of this valve. During this movement the air contained
in the cylinder on the piston rod side passes out by the valves ' and k¹.
The movement of the piston is communicated in a contrary direction to
the weight m by the connecting rods and cranks d, d¹, e, e', and this

page_text: P
weight traverses a space proportioned to the length of its crank e², which
may be longer than the crank e of the piston. In advancing the piston b
causes the end of the crank e to describe a semicircle x, y, x¹, and the
end of the crank e traverses at the same time the semicircle x¹, y¹, x. ‹
During the movement of the pin of the crank e between the points x
and y and of the crank e¹, between the points a¹ and y', the piston and;
consequently the weight will move with an accelerating velocity. At
the time of the arrival of the cranks at the points y and y' the weight
attains its maximum velocity, and during this time the pressure of the.
steam on the bottom of the cylinder a will be equal to the 'pressure"
exerted in a contrary direction on the shaft p by the inertia of the.
weight m and of the fly wheel z. When the point y is passed the 'force
of the steam will increase the speed of the fly wheel, and the pressure
on the bottom of the cylinder will remain in equilibrio with that exerted
on the shaft p by the inertia of the fly wheel. At the same time the
end of the crank e¹ will complete its traverse of the semicircle by passing
the point y¹ to the point x, and the vis viva of the weight m will decrease
from the maximum to zero, producing a pressure upon the driving shaft
equal to the amount of movement of the weight m, minus the amount of
movement of the piston and its rod, which pressure constitutes the
tractive or propulsive power of the engine. The vis viva stored in the
fly wheel, in causing the cranks e, e¹, to turn, will impel the weight m,
and the piston b, causing them to traverse in contrary directions with
an accelerating speed until the point where the crank e¹ arrives at y, at,
which point the weight will have attained the maximum of its velocity...
In this movement the valve k being open the steam will escape freely, its..
pressure on the bottom of the cylinder will be as before equilibrated by
that exerted on the shaft p by the fly wheel, and the inertia of the
weight m exerting a pressure-on, the shaft will cause the engine to move
in the same direction as before. In completing the circle the crank e¹
will
pass from the point y to the point x, and the crank e will pass from
y¹ to x. In this movement the vis viva of the weight will diminish,
and be at zero when the cranks arrive at the points x and x.
During this time the valve is closed, the rest of the steam is compressed,,
and re-enters into the boiler by the opening h and tube 7. The pressure
exerted on the shaft p by the vis viva of the weight m is equilibrated by
the pressure of the steam compressed against the bottom of the cylinder.,
In this manner there are produced at each revolution of the shaft two.
pressures, which constitute the available power.
,
زارات

page_text: For the return stroke the steam is admitted by the pipe / and
opening h¹ and the exhaust is effected by the valve ¹ and pipe . The
length of the engine may be easily diminished by placing the weight m
on the same side as the cylinder. In this case the weight will be con-
nected to the crank e¹ by a connecting rod d as indicated by the dotted
line in Figure 1.
It will be evident that on turning the fly wheel z by any motive
power, closing the valves h and k and leaving open the valves h¹ and k¹,
the cylinder a being filled with air, this air will be compressed or ex-
panded, according to the movement of the piston, and will produce the
same effect as steam.
Figures 2 and 3 represent in vertical section a steam cylinder with its
valve arrangement. a is the cylinder provided with a steam jacket; bis
the piston; c, the piston rod; h¹, h¹, inlet valves; and (Figure 2)
eduction valve; n, n, are supports cast with the cylinder and carrying
the shaft o and the fly wheel z with its crank pin ".
As seen at Figure 3 the middle of the shaft o between the supports
is squared, and on this part are mounted two cam drums q, q, so as to
be capable of sliding thereon. The circumference of these cams varies
according to the length of the drums. The fly wheel z is actuated by
the driving shaft by means of a crank pin and a connecting rod. In
each of the drums 9, q, there is formed a groove in which rests a fork
8, 8, traversed by an endless screw t, t, mounted in the supports n, n,
and which by means of the bevil wheels u, u³, serves to keep the drum
q, q, in the desired position.
ย
of the valves
Whenever in
Bars and ¹, provided with friction wheels (Figure 3) are suspended
by rods w, w¹, and are moved in a vertical plane by the pressure of the
cams. The free extremity of these bars acts against the ends of levers
f, f¹. These levers pass through the heads of the rods
h, h¹, and rock upon gudgeons in the supports j, j¹.
the rotation of the drums q, q, the cam meets with the friction wheel
of the bar the latter is pressed back, and by means of the lever f
causes the valve h to open and keeps it open during the whole course of
the cam. The second drum actuates the valve k. The engineman by
turning the crank connected to the bevil wheels u, u¹, can vary at will
the length of the cams and thereby regulate the duration of the opening

page_text: turning curves of the shortest radius which would contribute greatly to
economy in constructing new railways.
In its application to vessels this system presents the following ad-
vantages:―
Firstly. The propulsion being internal and occupying very little room
will be found not liable to be damaged by waves, by the pitching of the
vessel, or by the projectiles of an enemy.
Secondly. In case of a tempest or an engagement, any wreckage
falling into the sea could not become entangled in the engine. .
$
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Marc Antoine François Mennons in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 30th December 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARC 1
ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the Home and Foreign Patent Offices,
No. 52, Rue Basse du Rempart, Paris, France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the 2
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, Her
special licence that I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Marc Antoine François Mennons, my exccutors, administrators, and 2
assigns,, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DIRECT APPLI- 3
CATION OF MOVING FORCE (VIS VIVA) TO THE PROPULSION OF LOCOMOTIVE, MARINE,
AND OTHER MOVEABLE ENGINES" (a communication to me from Nicolas
de Telescheff, a person resident at No. 21, Glóuhói Pereoulok, Saint
!!!

page_text: Petersburg, in the Empire of Russia), upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, my executors or admin-
istrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the samo was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement in writing, and on reference being
had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to and consists in the transformation of
moving force (vis viva) into propulsive or tractive power in loco-
motives, marine engines, or other movable motors, which power thus
obtained produces its useful effect without any external fulcrum.
The progressive increase of traffic upon railways conduces to augment
more and more the weight of trains, and consequently that of loco-
motives, so much so, that the latter have already attained a weight
of forty, fifty, sixty, and even sixty-five tons. The pressure of the
wheels on the rails reaching as high as eighteen tons, that is to say,
a pressure three times that exerted by the wheels of the carriages
drawn. The necessity for giving this enormous weight to the loco-
motives constitutes the principal defect of the present mode of traction
upon railways, because this excessive weight of the locomotive demands
an exceptional solidity in the construction of the permanent way, and
conduces to this abnormal result that one is forced to give to the engine
a quarter or even one half the weight which it is intended to draw. In
this system the necessity for adhesion is entirely set aside, the tractive
force is internal and altogether independent of the weight of the engine.
As applied to ships to replace external propellers this system presents
many advantages which will be herein-after pointed out.
In the annexed Drawing Figure 1 represents in Diagram the mode
of applying this Invention. In this Figure a is a steam cylinder;
b, the piston; c, the piston rod; d, the connecting rod; e, e', cranks
mounted in reverse positions on the driving shaft p; is'the fly wheel

page_text: set on the shaft p; d¹, a second connecting rod attached to the crank e¹.
On this connecting rod d is mounted the weight m which is capable
of sliding horizontally on a suitable support, and which may if preferred
be placed upon wheels, as shewn at g, g. The cylinder is provided
with inlet and outlet steam valves h, h¹, and k, k¹. The induction
of the steam takes place by the tubes 1, 1, and the exhaust by i, i¹.
¡ The engine being mounted either on wheels or slides, or in a ship,
according to the use for which it is intended, will act in the following
manner: The steam admitted by the valve h causes the piston 6 to
traverse a given portion of its course, which is completed by expansion
upon the closing of this valve. During this movement the air contained
in the cylinder on the piston rod side passes out by the valves h¹ and k¹.
The movement of the piston is communicated in a contrary direction
to the weight m by the connecting rods and cranks d, d, e, e¹, and
this weight traverses a space proportioned to the length of its crank e¹,
which may be longer than the crank e of the piston. In advancing
the piston 6 causes the end of the crank e to describe a semicircle x,
y, x, and the ends of the crank e¹ traverses at the same time the
semicircle x, y³, x. During the movement of the pin of the crank e
between the points x and y, and of the crank et between the points
x and y the piston and consequently the weight will move with an
accelerating velocity. At the time of the arrival of the cranks at the
points and y¹ the weight attains its maximum velocity, and
during this time the pressure of the steam on the bottom of the
cylinder a will be equal to the pressure exerted in a contrary direction
on the shaft p by the inertia of the weight m, and of the fly wheel z.
When the point y is passed the force of the steam will increase the
speed of the fly wheel z, and the pressure on the bottom of the
cylinder will remain in equilibrio with that exerted on the shaft p
by the inertia of the fly wheel. At the same time the end of the
crank e¹ will complete its traverse of the semicircle by passing the
point y¹ to the point x, and the vis viva of the weight m will decrease
from the maximum to zero, producing a pressure upon the driving
shaft p cqual to the amount of movement of the weight m, minus
the amount of movement of the piston and its rod, which pressure
constitutes the tractive or propulsive power of the engine. The vis
viva stored in the fly wheel in causing the cranks e, e¹, to turn
will impel the weight m and the piston 6, causing them to traverse

page_text: '
in contrary directions with an accelerating speed until the point where
the crank e arrives at y, at which point the weight will have attained
the maximum of its velocity. In this movement the valve k being
open the steam will escape freely, its pressure on the bottom of the
cylinder will be as before equilibrated by that exerted on the shaft p
by the fly wheel, and the inertia of the weight m exerting a pressure
on the shaft will cause the engine to move in the same direction as
before. In completing the circle the crank e¹ will pass from the
pointy to the point x¹, and the crank e will pass from y¹ to x. In
this movement the vis viva of the weight will diminish, and will be
at zero when the cranks arrive at the points x and x. During this
timo the valve k is closed, the rest of the steam is compressed and
re-enters into the boiler by the opening / and tube 1. The pressure
exerted on the shaft p by the vis viva of the weight m is equilibrated
by the pressure of the steam compressed against the bottom of the
cylinder. In this manner there are produced at each revolution of the
shaft two pressures which constitute the available power.
For the return stroke the steam is admitted by the pipe and
opening, and the exhaust is effected by the valve k¹ and pipe .
The length of the engine may casily be diminished by placing the
weight m on the same side as the cylinder. In this case the weight
will be connected to the crank e¹ by a connecting rod d", as indicated
by the dotted line in Figure 1.
It will be evident that on turning the fly wheel z by any motivo
power, closing the valves h and k, and leaving open the valves h¹ and k¹,
the cylinder a being filled with air, this air will be compressed or
expanded according to the movement of the piston, and will produce
the same effect as steam.
Figs. 2 and 3 represent in vertical section a steam cylinder with its
valve arrangement; a is the cylinder, provided with a steam jacket;
6 is the piston; c, the piston rod; h³, ³, inlet valves, and % (Figure 2)
eduction valve; n, n, are supports cast with the cylinder, and carrying
the shaft o and the fly wheel z, with its crank pin ".
'As seen at Figure 3 the middle of the shaft o between the supports is
squared, and on this part are mounted two cam drums q, q, so as to
be capable of sliding thereon. The circumference of these cams varics
according to the length of the drums. The fly wheel is actuated by

page_text: the driving shaft by means of a crank pin r and a connecting rod.
In each of the drums q, q, there is formed a groove, in which rests a
forks, 8, traversed by an endless screw t, t, mounted in the supports
n, n, and which by means of the bevil wheels u, u', serves to keep the
drums q, q, in the desired position.
Bars and provided with friction wheels (Figure 3) are suspended by
rods w, 10¹, and are moved in a vertical plane by the pressure of the
cams. The free extremity of these bars acts against the ends of
levers f, f¹. These levers pass through the heads of the rods of the
valves h, h³, and rock upon gudgeons in the supports j, j'. Whenever
in the rotation of the drums q, q, the cam meets with the friction wheel
of the bar the latter is pressed back, and by means of the lever f
causes the valve h to open, and keeps it open during the whole course
of the cam. The second drum actuates the valve k. The engineer by
turning the crank connected to the bevil wheels u, u², can vary at will
the length of the cams, and thereby regulate the duration of the
openings of the valves or the expansion of the steam during the stroke
of the engine.
.
It will be evident that the expansion arrangement, above indicated,
be modified at pleasure, or even replaced by any other arrangement
for effecting the same object.
may
Figures 4 and 5 represent in Diagram a modification of this system, in
which the weights m, m³, instead of being attached to the connecting
rod are fixed to, the piston rod heads and to rods d, d¹. The only
essential difference between this arrangement and that shewn at Figure 1
consists in this, that in the former the traction is, as we have seen, due.
to the pressure on the driving shaft, and in the latter (Figures 4 and 5)
it is obtained by the pressure of the steam against the bottom of the.
cylinders. In this arrangement the effect can only be obtained by
mcans of two steam cylinders at the least. The flywheels 2, 2, only
require to be of dimensions just sufficient to pass the dead point. The
weights m, m³, may be suspended by means of rods w, w¹, or as shown
on the Drawings by means of parallel bars.
In its application to locomotives the improved system above
described presents the following advantages:-
Firstly. The tractive force being independent the weight of the
engine may be diminished.

page_text: Secondly. Not having need of driving wheels the wheels supporting
the locomotive may have the same dimensions as those of the carriages,
which allows of uniformity of material, and hence economy.
Thirdly. The wheels of the locomotive being charged with the same
weight as those of the carriages will press on the rails with the same
force. Hence the dimensions of rails calculated at the present time
with a view to the passage of driving wheels charged with from
fourteen to eighteen tons may be safely reduced, and the rails will wear
at least three times as long.
Fourthly. The movement of the engine being independent of driving
wheels it will be possible to adopt for locomotives steam engines
working with a high degree of expansion, which will diminish the
consumption of fuel and water.
Fifthly. The wheel of the locomotive being free will allow of turning
curves of the shortest radius, which would contribute' greatly to
economy in constructing new railways.
In its application to vessels this system presents the following
advantages:
Firstly. The propulsion being internal and occupying very little
room will be found not liable to be damaged by waves, by the pitching
of the vessel, or by the projectiles of an enemy.
Secondly. In case of a tempest or an engagement any wreckage
falling into the sea could not become entangled in the engine.
Thirdly. The propeller being internal docs not produce in rivers or
canals any displacement of the water injurious to the banks.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner of carrying the same into practical execution, I wish it to be
understood that the arrangements above indicated are only intended to
render the mode of application of this system intelligible, and may be
varied in endless ways, according to circumstances, without departing
from the principle upon which the Invention is based. But that which
the inventor claims under the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, the transformation of moving force (vis viva) into propulsive or
tractive power, for locomotive, marine, and other movable engines, which
power is obtained with the same matter and without external fulcrum,

page_text: the whole being substantially as above described, and as represented or
shown in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of
December in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred 5
and seventy-three.
M. A. F. MENNONS. (L.S.)
Witness,
JULES FONTENELLE,
Clerk to Messrs Mennons et Cie, .
52, Rue Basse du Rempart,
Paris. .