IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE WHEELS, AXLES, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH OF ROAD LOCOMOTIVES AND TRACTION ENGINES
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry la Fors at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
December 1875.
I, HENRY LA FORS, Captain Adjutant, 2nd Regiment of Infantry, of
Mastricht, in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF
THE WHEELS, AXLES, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH OF ROAD LOCOMOTIVES
AND TRACTION ENGINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the arrangements of the
travelling wheels, axles, and apparatus connected therewith of road
locomotives and traction engines, for the purpose of enabling them to
turn curves with ease and facility as they are travelling.
On the inside of each of the driving wheels, as well as on each of the
corresponding parts of the axle of a road locomotive or traction engine,
a disc having ratchet teeth on its face is arranged which turns with the
wheels and the axle.
11
the connoananding

page_text: the driving wheels, the immovable discs will have to be fixed on the
axle and the movable ones in the naves of the driving wheels.
The discs according to one method of carrying out this Invention
are arranged so as to cause the engine to move forward, and according
to another arrangement so as to cause it to travel either forward or
backward.
In the first case the discs are provided with a single circular row of
ratchet teeth, and in the other case with a double row of those teeth
which are then placed in the opposite direction to each other.
According to the first arrangement when travelling in a straight
direction the two driving wheels carry the engine straight forward,
notwithstanding any uneveness in the surface of the road upon which
the wheels travel.
If a turn is to be made the wheel that performs the largest curve
(the outside one) has to make more revolutions than the inside one of
the wheels, therefore must be loose upon the axle.
. :
The teeth will cause the inner wheel to move as fast as the axle, the
outside wheel moving faster than either. This faster turning than the
axle is not prevented by the teeth, but the slanting sides of the teeth of
the discs placed on the wheel are running over the corresponding
slanting sides of the teeth of the other disc..
By the pressure against the inclined plane resulting from the turning,
the movable disc (whether placed on the axle or on the wheel) is pushed
backwards by the fixed disc, so that the top sides of the teeth go the one
over the other. :
On pushing back the movable discs springs are depressed, which
during the forward movement of the engine have pressed the movable
disc against the fixed one. As soon as by this movement the top sides
of the teeth have passed each other, the movable disc will be pushed
back by the springs towards the fixed one. This to-and-fro moving of
the movable discs lasts as long as the turning continues; as soon as the

page_text: uniformly pressed forward.
The circular plane at the inside of the row of teeth of one of the
discs must be filled up with a disc made of leather, caoutchouc, or
other suitable material, so thick that it will be impossible for the teeth
to lock completely, and by which great noise in turning is prevented.
By the application of a lever this apparatus by which the discs are
pressed against each other, so that one will be able to go backwards, but
it will be impossible to turn whilst backing, as by the action of a lever
the ratchet teeth will be prevented slipping over each other.
In order to be able to turn whilst backing it is necessary to arrange a
lever for each wheel, so that the locomotive or traction engine may
turn to the side of the wheel of which the discs are not fixed by the
lever, but not to the opposite side. This manner of driving backwards
is not desirable owing to the great force which is required to prevent the
slipping of the ratchet teeth.
If it should at any time be necessary to drive the locomotive
backwards it is better to fix one or both wheels by means of a pin or
otherwise.
Should the locomotive or traction engine be required to travel both
backwards and forwards the ratchet discs are arranged as follows:-In
this case the fixed discs are provided with à double row of ratchet teeth
which are placed in reverse directions.
The movable discs have a row of ratchet teeth arranged to catch the
innermost row of those in the fixed discs, and are surrounded by a
separate circle of teeth serving to grip with the outside row of teeth of
the fixed disc.
The discs and the toothed rings by which they are surrounded have
each a box movable in the wheel or in the axle, according to the place
they occupy, each of such boxes having a separate set of springs.
Each set of discs has a leather or other suitable elastic cushion to
prevent noise.
One set of the rows of teeth serve for the direct movements, and for
turning in the forward direction, the other for the movement and for
turning backwards.

page_text: By moving levers suitably arranged the corresponding rows of teeth
grip one another, and meanwhile those for the opposite movement of the
locomotive or traction engine are loosened.
By means of ratchet discs arranged as previously described curves of
all kinds can be turned either forward or backward.