Improvements in Steam-propelled Road Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Steam-propelled Road Vehicles.
We, RENE-VICTOR TATIN and JEAN AMANT TANIERE, both of 16 Rue de
Charonne, Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineers, 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 an improved steam-propelled vehicle presenting over
similar devices the advantages of relatively small weight, simplicity in its con-
stituent parts and their operation and lastly pleasing outward appearance.
This improved steam propelled vehicle is constructed with three wheels, the
two rear wheels, serving as driving wheels and the front wheel, forming the
steering wheel.
The fore body of the vehicle is provided with a splash-board hollowed out
centrally to receive the boiler.
In the interior of the box of the vehicle the petroleum reservoir and the water
tank are located.
In order that the particular constructional arrangement of this vehicle may be
clearly understood we have represented the same by way of example in the
accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the vehicle;
Figure 2 a plan thereof;
Figure 3 an elevation and plan respectively of the petroleum vaporizer and
burner.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the water tank and serpentine or coiled
tube boiler.
Figure 5 shows in plan the driving gear and the mechanism for changing the
speed.
The boiler of the steam driven vehicle, receives its supply of petroleum from a
reservoir S (Figures 1, 4 and 5), from which an atmospheric pressure produced
by the pump forces the liquid out and causes the same to enter through the
feed pipe T the tubulated vaporizer T (Figure 3) which terminates in four
tubular nozzles T¹, the ends of which engage or communicate with four chimneys
or tubes U of considerable diameter. Owing to the rapidity of flow of the
petroleum vapour, in the interior of these tubes, a quantity of air sufficient to
ensure complete combustion is drawn in. The tubes U terminate at their apices
in perforated caps enabling the mixture of air and petroleum vapour to issue
therefrom; this mixture, when ignited forms as it were a sheet of fire and effects,
as its combustion proceeds, the vaporization of the water in the serpentine or
coil, arranged above, from whence the steam passes to the driving mechanisms,
as will be hereinafter explained. A regulating cock V Figure 4 is arranged on
the petroleum feed tube T.
The base of each chimney is provided with a small groove into which some
alcohol is poured, the same being ignited as a priming. The feeding of the
D
037

page_text: boiler and of the vaporizers is effected through the medium of small cocks arranged
within reach of the conductor
In the box of the vehicle a water tank A (Figures 1 and 4) is placed, from
which a pump a draws the water and subsequently forces it into the boiler. This
pump is worked by hand for starting the apparatus, or mechanically when the
apparatus is at work, by means of levers and excentrics suitably arranged and
connecting the pump to the driving gear.
From the feed pumps a the water passes through the tube f Figure 4 into
the boiler, formed by a coiled pipe G, where it is vaporized and thence passes to
the cylinder of any appropriate steam engine or motor device Y Figures 1 and 5,
not presenting any particular feature.
The jacket or casing F of the boiler also encloses the chimney H, the discharge
opening H¹ being arranged underneath the bottom plate or base of the vehicle.
A regulating cock V₁ similar to that V already referred to, is arranged in the
water feed pipe.
The shaft K Figure 5 arranged at the extremity of the engine or motor Y,
carries independently of the fly wheel c two pinions M M of different diameters:
M imparting high speed to the shaft X, which carries the chain pinions, through
the medium of a pinion m, and the pinion M', imparting slow speed through the
medium of a pinion m¹.
The pinions m and m¹ are thrown into engagement by coupling boxes or
clutches n, which engage, at will, one or the other of the pinions m and m¹,, the
said parts possessing sufficient play so that during the stoppage of the vehicle
neither the one nor the other of the parts is in engagement and turns loosely
on its shaft (see Figure 5).
The engagement of one or the other of the couplings or clutches n, to the
driving wheels, is effected by two lateral chains P, which connect the pinions N
to the chain wheels O rigid, or moving in conjunction with the driving wheels
of the vehicle.
Finally, to complete our vehicle, we have arranged a double pedal brake Z
Figure 2, which acts under the pressure of the foot simultaneously on both of the
driving wheels R (and) at the height of their horizontal axis.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. An improved three-wheeled steam propelled vehicle, in which the two rear
wheels form the driving wheels and support the rear part of the body of the
carriage, whilst the front wheel forms the steering wheel. The characteristic
feature of the said steam propelled vehicle consisting in:
(a) The combination with a petroleum reservoir placed in the hind carriage: of
an air compressing pump and a pipe provided with a feed regulating cock, con-
veying the liquid petroleum to tubular vaporizer terminating in tubular nozzles
arranged within tubes of a comparatively large diameter serving to draw in air,
these tubes terminating in open caps, the effect of which is to ensure a complete
combustion of the gasified petroleum and to vaporize the water in a serpentine or
coiled boiler;
(b) The combination with a vaporizer forming the furnace or fire place, such
as above described: of a water tank arranged in the hind carriage, this said
water tank being on its part combined with a feed pump and an outlet pipe with
feed regulating cock.
(c) The combination with a petroleum vaporizer, a water tank, and a feed
pump of a boiler formed by a coiled pipe superposed over the fire place of the
vaporizer and conveying its steam to a steam engine or motor device of any
appropriate type, placed underneath the box of the vehicle, through the medium
of a pipe provided with a feed regulating cock and a safety valve.
(d) The combination with a vaporizer, a boiler and any appropriate steam

page_text: motor of a speed changing device comprising two gearings of different diameters,
thrown into or out of engagement at will, by coupling clutches so arranged that
they may occupy an intermediate position, in which they do not act.
2. The improved steam propelled vehicle substantially as above described and
represented in the accompanying drawings.
Dated th: Oth £T…]… 1907
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.