CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO RAILWAYS, LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES, AND CARRIAGES
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
THORNTON, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-third day of December, in the fourth year of Her reign,
did give and grant unto me, the said George Thornton, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said George Thornton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said George Thornton, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times hereafter, during the term of years therein
mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed; and also in all Her
said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO RAILWAYS, LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES, AND CARRIAGES;" in
which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that I, the said George
Thornton, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said. Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by, an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, to be enrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, reference being
hereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Thornton, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the

page_text: manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had
to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention consists in various-improvements-under three heads, viz.,
railways, locomotive engines, and carriages, and refers in the first place (with
regard to railways) to a difference of guage in the width of the rails from that
now existing, arising from the following practical observations:-First, the
original guage of four feet eight inches and a half, and the more recent
improvement of five feet, have both been found in practice to be too narrow to
admit of a proper and free arrangement of the machinery of the locomotives,
and also creating at great speeds an unpleasant transverse oscillation of the
carriages, with the liabilities at high velocities to fly off at a tangent from
quick curves. On the other hand, the seven-feet guage appears to entail too
great a weight in the construction of the locomotives and carriages, and
consequently a proportionate expence. This increased weight and width of
guage also involes a considerable increase of outlay in land and construction
of the railway and bridges. Looking, then, at the question fairly, between the
existing guages of rails, it would seem desirable that some medium or national
width should be adapted, and the simple guage of six feet (or thereabouts)
presents itself as admitting a desirable width for a convenient arrangement of
machinery in the construction of the locomotives and carriages without extreme
of weight or expenditure in any department.
In explaining the next head of my Invention, viz., improvements applicable
to locomotive engines, I would observe, that it has been found in practice that
a six-feet wheel is as high as can be usefully employed, so as to combine the
two advantages of power and speed, and it seems to be in mechanical unison
with the six-feet guage. I would also propose to make the flanges of the
wheels of the locomotives and carriages deeper than they now exist, viz., to
not less than two inches and a half, which would greatly tend to lessen
the liability of engines and carriages getting off the rails. My next improve-
ment in reference to locomotive engines consists in the application of a
self-acting governor attached to the steam pipe, which in all cases regulates
the power of the engine, and prevents the excees of speed. Being inde-
pendent of the engine driver, it cuts off the steam when passing down
inclined planes, or when in any other manner too great velocity has been
attained, but allowing the engine driver to apply any desired extent of power
in the case of heavy loads, as this apparatus merely prevents of excess of speed
(beyond that at which the governor is set), which is at present at the
discretion of the engine driver. My Invention under- this head consists

page_text: thirdly, in the use of a self-acting water guage or regulator, which preserves
an equable height of water in the boiler. The fourth feature of this part of
my improvement consists. in encasing. and surrounding the smoke box or
chimney end of the engine with a stratum of water, which is, pumped into this
auxiliary directly from the tender, there retained
means of a stop valve,
and thence admitted as required into the boiler, after absorbing the hitherto
waste heat escaping from the tubes, and prevents, the burning out of the plates
of the smoke box and chimney, the joints of the steam pipes-and steam chest
covers, which, till now, has been a common occurrence, and a great desi-
deratum to avoid. My fifth improvement applicable to locomotive engines
refers to a tube in connection with the safety valves on the boiler, which tube
carries off the surplus steam into the chimney, thus increasing the draft, doing
away with much disagreeable noises, and preventing the steam, as heretofore,
from flying in the face of the driver, and obstructing his view of the 'line.
The sixth feature. of my improvements under this head consists in the employ-
ment of an universal jointed pipe connected with the bottom of the boiler at
the chimney end, and attached to a blow-off cock, for the purpose of cleaning
out the boiler tubes, by directing a jet of hot water and steam through them,
thus more speedily effecting the desired object than by the present imperfect
method of using a rod of iron with tow, at the end. My last improvement
as relates to locomotive engines consists in the use of self-acting brakes on the
wheels, which brakes are raised by the pull of the engine, through the medium
of an apparatus for that purpose between the engine and tender, which when
the engine ceases to draw (either from necessary or emergent causes) descend
the wheels with great force, and stop the engine, and which breaks are
also further:available under the discretionary use of the engine driver...
upon
The third head of my improvements. refers to railway carriages, and .con-
sists in the application thereto of self-acting brakes raised by a traction rope
in connection with. and pulled by the engine, and which fall upon the wheels
when the rope in its necessary duty, or from emergent or accidental causes,
becomes slack, and thereby stop the progress of the carriages before they run
to danger. By this traction rope the engine draws and works in considerable
advance of the train, so that in case of collision of the engine, upsetting,
running off the rails, or falling into a recent slip of an embankment in the
night (which before now has occurred), the rope immediately becomes slack,
and the brakes instantly descending with suitable force upon the wheels of the
carriages, bring them up safely into a state of rest before the train arrives at
the scene of danger. The length of traction rope between the engine and
train prevents any danger to life and property from accidental explosion; it
also prevents the ignition of goods trains from hot ashes emitted out of and

page_text: descending from the chimney of the engine (as has occasionally happened),
when silks, cottons, and other goods of considerable value have been consumed.
On one of the axles of the tender a drum and apparatus are fixed, for letting
out the traction rope to such length as may be required to suit the curves of
existing railways, in which this rope is peculiarly serviceable, by always pulling
round the trains from a tangential direction, and thereby preventing the
danger of a train flying off the rails in a straight line under high speeds.
This rope may also be wound up by the same drum to such length as may be
required to draw up the train into their proper position in existing stations or
termini. It may be necessary to observe that this letting out or taking up
of the rope can be accomplished without any interruption to the progress of
the train.
I proceed now to refer to the accompanying Drawings in illustration of
these my several improvemements.
Figure 1 represents an irregular section of the speed governors on top of
boilers, encased by a dome, through which access to the governor is obtained,
by removing the screws on flange B, B. C, C, are stuffing boxes formed in
the upper casing of the boiler, through which a vertical rod or shaft D works.
This shaft is connected with the throttle valve E in the steam pipe F, as
shown, which is closed or opened as the rod or shaft D rises or falls by the
expanding or collapsing of the revolving balls, and thus the admission of
steam to the cylinder, and consequently the speed of the engine, is regulated
as required. The shaft D is set in motion by one of the axles of the engine
wheels through the gear work shewn at G.
Figure 2 and 3 represents a transverse and longitudinal section of the water
regulator, which is composed of a copper ball acting upon a vertical spindle B,
working through a stuffing box C in the top of boiler, Figure 2, and is
elevated or depressed with the level of the water acting upon a valve D,
Figure 3, through the lever E and rod F, thus always retaining the same level
of water in the boiler.
Figure 4 represents an irregular section through the engine, with an
auxiliary cistern A, A, round the chimney end of the boiler, as described.
The stratum of water formed by this cistern round the smoke box might, if
thought desirable, be extended round the chimney to any height. B repre-
sents the cock and C the blow-off pipe, for the purpose of cleaning the tubes, a
which pipe is jointed so as to admit of being removed in any required-
direction, which for convenience is here shewn; also in the smoke box, in'
connection with the engine and tender, are self-acting breaks D coming into
operation in a way similar to the carriage breaks described immediately below;
but giving the engineer a discretionary power in their use by application of

page_text: the lever, which, acting upon the pivot or fulcrum F, depresses the slot bar C,
and forces back the bar H, which connects the tender and engine. There are:
helical springs within the box at at I to give greater pressure to the breaks.
.:
Figure 5 is a plan and Figure 6 an elevation of a train of carriages with:
the break apparatus attached at K, K.
Figure 7. is. an. enlarged longitudinal. and Figure 8 a transverse section
through carriages, in which K is the draw bar. which passes under. each.car-
riage in the train, and is connected at each end by the buffers and connecting:
chain L, L (see Figures 7 and 8). On this bar. are two wedge inclines.
M, M, over which works the pulley N in connection with the weight bar and
breaks O, O, and P, P. In the centre of the carriage around the draw bar is a:
helical spring having a double action against the collars R, R. When the engine:
begins to move the bar is pulled forward, the pulley rises in the guides S, S,
and with it the breaks rise from all the wheels of each carriage throughout
the train, and which thus prepared starts into motion: When the engine'
stops, the spring T acting from either end draws the bar into its place, lets:
the brake drop upon the wheels, to which will be attached sufficient weight.
to stop the train in any required distance according to the length of..
traction rope.
:
Figures 9 and 10 are enlarged side elevation and plan of carriage connector,
A, A, being the buffing bars; C, C, connecting chain; and D the attachment
link; each apparatus having sufficient play between the carriages to admit of
the draw bars raising the breaks.
Figures 11 and 12 shew a drum on the axle of the hind wheels of the
tender, to which drum A is attached a rope B, the working of which is
brought into operation by means of the clutch gear C when required. The
object of this apparatus and mode of effecting the purpose are described before.
Having thus described my several improvements applicable to railways,
locomotive engines, and carriages, I would remark, that I do not mean or
intend to confine myself to the precise arrangement of mechanism shown and
explained for the various purposes set forth, as I conceive that in respect of
minor points of detail practical experience may (under some circumstances
probably at present unforseen) lead me to some slight modifications. Neither
do. I lay claim to any parts of locomotives which have been before used, but
which have been necessarily referred to in this my Specification. What, how-
ever, I claim as secured to me by the above in part recited Letters Patent, are,
In the first place, a kind of. medium guage (say about six-feet) of the rails
upon railways, calculated to afford the advantages alleged at the outset.
Secondly, in reference to locomotive engines, I claim, first, the use of wheels
with an increased flange, such as are shown and described; secondly, an

page_text: arrangement of apparatus, by means of which the speed of the engine.is regu-
lated with much greater precision without the agency of the driver; thirdly, a
self-acting water. guage or regulator; fourthly, a preparatory heating of the
water supplied to the boiler for the generation of steam by a vessel inserted'in
the smoke box; fifthly, a mode of conducting the waste steam attended 5
with the advantages herein-before set forth; sixthly, a' method of cleaning
out the tubes of the boiler with more efficiency and despatch than by the
present practice; and; lastly, a means of stopping the engine by the use of
self-acting brakes upon the wheels.
.. I
And I claim, under the third head of these improvements, self-acting breaks 1
raised from the wheels of the carriages by the pull of a traction rope, descend-
ing with impeding force simultaneously upon all the wheels in a train, when'
the rope ceases to operate upon them by its becoming slack.
And, moreover, in concluding this my Specification, I would state my firm
belief that the several features of improvements above laid claim to may
be advantageously employed, either individually and collectively, for the various
purposes to which they are herein described as being applicable, according to
Jocal circumstances.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Thornton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.