IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES FOR TRAM CARS AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wilkinson, of Wigan, in the County of
Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TRACTION ENGINES FOR TRAM CARS AND OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wilkinson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st October 1881.
WILLIAM WILKINSON, of Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES FOR TRAM CARS AND OTHER
PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to a combination of mechanical contrivances whereby the
engine is rendered most effective, and in particular free from noise by blast,
emission of visible steam from chimney or safety valves or cylinders, and clatter
of machinery, and whereby the working parts of the engines shall be free from
road dirt or other debris which may cause undue wear and tear, the engine as a
whole machine being made to comply with the regulations of the Board of Trade.
The locomotive consists of a vertical boiler fitted with what are known as
"Field's patent tubes" and other appliances hereinafter mentioned.
The engine consists of two inverted direct acting vertical cylinders driving two
cranks at right angles to each other, the crank shaft being rigidly attached to the
framing of the engine and fitted with a wrought iron spur wheel gearing into a
second spur wheel keyed on the driving axles, on which are also keyed the driving
wheels to run on the tram rails, and which wheels are in turn coupled to the
trailing or leading wheels, or to both if required. By this method of connection of
engines to driving wheels I obviate the "galloping or jumping action of the
engine on the road that would otherwise take place if the engines were attached
direct to the driving wheel axle without the intervention of spur wheel gearing.
The Invention embraces the following features, viz :—
"J
The steam from the cylinders is exhausted into two jackets made of cast or
wrought iron or other suitable material fixed one on each side of the boiler, and
closely attached thereto so as to be heated to the same temperature as the boiler;
and which superheat the steam after leaving the cylinders, thereby intercepting
and partially evaporating any water that may pass with the said exhaust steami
into the said jackets; from these jackets are led two pipes passing down the inside
of the uptake or chimney of the furnace into a vessel made from cast iron or any

page_text: suitable material suspended inside of the furnace at any convenient distance below
the foot of the uptake, and acting as a distributer of the heated gases amongst the
tubes, and from this vessel an enlarged pipe is led vertically any convenient
distance up the uptake, thereby directing the waste steam up the chimney in a
perfectly dry and superheated state invisible to the eye, and increasing the draft
of furnace in the usual manner; the before mentioned vessel into which the wasto
or exhaust steam is finally led being exposed to the greatest heat of the furnace
effectually superheats and dries the steam so that no water can be emitted from
the funnel to the annoyance of passengers, and owing to the steam being expanded
in two separate vessels after leaving the cylinders of the engine the pressure is
thereby so much reduced as to minimise the noise of exhaust when reaching tho
chimney.
The safety valves are enclosed in a box from which two pipes are led, one into
each side jacket beforementioned, which minimise the noise made when steam is
blowing off from overpressure on boiler.
The waste water pipes from the cylinders are also led into the jackets, thereby
quito preventing any noise of steam when engine is starting on a journey with the
cylinder cocks open for the escape of waste water.
All water caused by condensation is led from the beforementioned sido jackets
into a steam and watertight tank carried on any convenient part of the locomotive,
and which can be emptied at will.
A governor is employed, preferably of the class known as "Allen's paddle
governor," to reverse the valve gear, and to apply the breaks when a speed is attained
higher than what is allowed by the authorities; this is effected by means of an
eccentric cam and lever motion which opens a valve against-the-pressure-of-the-
boiler, thereby allowing-the-water-or-steam-from-tho-boiler_to_pass_to_the under-
Bide of a piston or hydraulic ram which is in direct connection with the reversing
shaft and also with the break shaft, reversing the engines and applying the brake
at one and the same time. By this means the governor acts as an automatic brake
in accordance with the Board of Trade regulations.
In the underside of the hydraulic or steam cylinder containing the piston or
ram before mentioned it is proposed to fit a pipe and tap or cork which can be
used for regulating the outflow of the water after reversing the engine. The con-
nection between the ram or piston and the reversing shaft is made with a slotted
link of such a kind that the engines can be reversed in the usual manner by hand
without moving the said ram or piston, but the piston cannot be removed without
reversing the engines; the same kind of slotted connection is applied to the brake
so that it can be used as a hand or foot brake in the usual manner.
In the ordinary field boiler the portion of the uptake or chimney which passes
through the steam space at and above the water line insido the boiler is liable to
have loose scale and hard mud formed upon it by reason of the scum floating on
the surface of the water becoming baked and attached thereto, and thus at times
dropping off and choking or fouling the circulating tubes, and so interfering with the
effectual circulation of the water, and thereby causing the tubes to burn out. It is
proposed to fit on to the uptake inside the boiler immediately over the tubes a
dish made from iron, copper, or other suitable materials so as to catch and intercept
any scale that may be formed and prevent it falling upon the tubes.
The chimney or uptake passing through the boiler in the steam space is subject
to a very high temperature, and invariably wastes away very much more rapidly
at this point than any other portion of the boiler; it is therefore proposed to
protect this part by fitting a wrought iron or cast iron casing inside the uptake
where same passes through and above the waterline of boiler, which casing shall
leave an annular space which is filled with fine clay or other non conducting and
fire resisting substance; or the space may if desired be left without any intorposing
materials,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Wilkinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st April 1882.
WILLIAM WILKINSON, of Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES FOR TRAM CARS AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to certain mechanical contrivances and their combination,
whereby traction engines for tram cars and for other purposes are rendered most
effective, and has for its principal objects to render the said engines free from noise
by blast emission of visible steam from the chimney or the safety valves, or the
cylinders, and from noise due to the clatter of machinery, and to protect the
working parts of the machinery from road dirt or other debris which otherwise
would cause undue wear and tear of the parts, the engine as a whole machine being
made to comply with the regulations of the Board of Trade, and all parts being
readily accessible for examination and repairs and for cleaning.
And in order that my Invention may be properly understood, I will now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the several
Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the said Drawings is an elevation as seen from one side, and Figure 2
is an elevation as seen from the other side, and Figure 3 is a vertical section (the
framing and wheels being omitted from this Figure) of so much of an engine con-
structed or arranged according to my Invention as is necessary to illustrate the
various parts of my said Invention.
The engine has a vertical boiler fitted with what are known as "Field's patent
tubes" and other appliances, as hereinafter described.
The engines have two inverted direct acting vertical cylinders A, the piston rods
of which drive two cranks on the shaft B, the said cranks being at right angles to each
other, the said crank shaft turning in, bearing in, or carried by the framing of the
engine, and being fitted with a spur wheel c (preferably of steel, gun metal, or
wrought iron) gearing into a second spur wheel D keyed on the driving axle or
axles d, on which are also keyed the driving wheels D³ to run on the tram rails or
other surface, which wheels are coupled to the trailing or leading wheels of the
vehicle or to both if required, or to the axles by cranks and arms or connecting
bars in any convenient or ordinary manner. By this method of connection of the
engines to the driving wheels I oviate the galloping or jumping action of the engine
on the read that would take place if the engines were attached direct to the
driving wheel axle without the intervention of spur wheel gearing.
The steam from the cylinders A is exhausted through the pipes G into two
jackets E (preferably cast or wrought iron), fixed one on each side of the boiler F,
and closely attached thereto, as shewn most clearly in Figure 3, so as to be heated
to the same temperature as the boiler, which chambers serve to superheat the steam
after it is exhausted from the cylinders, thereby intercepting and partially evaporating
any water that may pass with tho said exhaust steam into the said jackets Ė. From
these jackets E are led two pipes G 2, passing into and down the inside of the
uptake P to the chimney P₁ of the furnace into a vessel H, made of cast iron or
other suitable material, and suspended inside of the furnace by convenient stays or
supports at any convenient distance below the foot of the uptake P, this chamber H
acting also as a distributer of the heated gases amongst the tubes j. From this
vessel a pipe I, preferably of greater capacity than the pipes G 2, is led vertically
to any convenient distance up the uptake, and opening into the lower part of the

page_text: chimney, thereby directing the exhaust steam which has passed into the chamber H
up the chimney in a perfectly dry, superheated, and invisible condition, and increasing
the draught of furnace in the usual manner. The before mentioned vessel H is
exposed to the greatest heat of the furnace, and therefore effectually superheats and
dries the exhaust steam so that no water can be emitted from the chimney to the
annoyance of passengers, and owing to the steam being expanded in separate
vessels after leaving the cylinders of the engine the pressure of the said exhaust
steam is thereby so much reduced as to minimise the noise of exhaust on reaching
the chimney.
The safety valve or valves indicated at x is or are enclosed in a box or boxes ²,
from which a pipe or pipes a³ is or are led into one or each of the before mentioned
jackets E, which reduces to a minimumn the noise made when steam is blowing off
from overpressure in the boiler. The waste water pipes from the cylinders are or
may be also led into the side jackets E, thereby quite preventing any noise of
steam when the engine is starting on a journey with the cylinder cocks open for
the escape of waste water.
All water caused by condensation is led from the before mentioned side jackets E
into a steam and watertight tank, carried on any convenient part of the locomotive,
which tank can be emptied at will.
A governor is employed, preferably of the class known as "Allen's Paddle
Governor," to reverse the valvo gear of the engine and to apply the breaks when a
speed-is-attained higher than is allowed by the authorities. This is effected by
means of an eccentric cam K fixed to the shaft of the said governor so that the said
cam is turned by the said governor when a certain speed is attained into such a
position that it presses up a lever against the adjustable-spring-balance--and-
opens-a-valve-at-k-against-the-pressure-in-tho-boiler, and allows water or steam
from the boiler to pass by the pipe 2 to the underside of a piston or hydraulic ram
in the cylinder N, which is in direct connection with the lever of the reversing
shaft L, and also admits steain or water by the said pipe to the underside of a
piston or hydraulic ram in the cylinder N² in connection with the break shaft M,
thereby reversing the engine and applying the break at onė and the same time. By
this means the governor acts as an automatic brake in accordance with the Board
of Trade regulations. As the said governor employed, and to which the cam K is
fixed, is or may be of the ordinary construction of such governors, I do not consider
it necessary to illustrate the same in the Drawing.
In the cylinder N beneath the piston or ram a pipe and tap or cock may be
fitted which can be used for regulating the outflow of the steam or water after
reversing the engine. The connection between the ram or piston of the cylinder N
and the lever of the reversing shaft L is made with a slotted link or lifter O so
that the engines can be reversed in the usual manner by hand without moving
the said ram or piston, but the piston can not be moved without reversing
the engines; a similar connection of the ram of the cylinder N' with the brake
lever is employed, so that the said brake can be used as a hand or foot brake in
the usual manner.
In the ordinary Field boiler the portion of the uptake or chimney which passes
through the steam space at and above the water line inside the boiler is liable to
have loose scale and hard mud formed upon it by reason of the scum floating on
the surface of the water becoming baked and attached thereto, and at times
dropping off and choking or fouling the circulating tubes and so interfering with
the effectual circulation of the water and thereby causing the tubes to burn out.
To prevent this there is fitted on to the uptake inside the boiler immediately over
the tubes a removable dish made of iron, copper, or other suitable material
so as to catch and intercept any scale that may have been formed on and drop
from the uptake and prevent the said scale from falling upon and into the
tubes.
The uptake P or lower part of the chimney passing through the steam space
of the boiler as before mentioned being subjected to a very high temperature in

page_text: ordinary boilers wastes away very much more rapidly at this point than any other
portion of the boiler. To prevent this I protect this part by fitting a casing
(preferably of wrought or cast iron) inside the said uptake, where the same passes
through and above the water line of boiler as shewn at R, between which casing
and the said uptake P an annular space is formed which may be filled with fireclay
or other nonconducting and fire resisting substance, or which may be left without
any interposing materials of any kind.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. In traction engines for tram cars and other purposes the combination
with the exhaust ports of the cylinders of chambers or jackets attached to the
boiler and a chamber in communication therewith situated inside the furnace
whereby the exhaust steam is exhausted and superheated before its exit,
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings, whether or not there be used in combination
therewith means for conducting also the steam from the safety valves or from the
waste pipes of the cylinders into the said chambers.
Second. In traction engines for train cars and for other purposes the combination
with an automatic governor of means for automatically putting on the brake
and reversing the engine, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings.
Third. In traction engines for tram cars and for other purposes providing the
uptake inside the Field boiler with a dish substantially as and for the purpose
described with reference to the dish Q shewn in Figure 3 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Fourth. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
traction engine for tram cars and for other purposes, substantially as and for
giving the advantages herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wilkinson, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Thirty first day of March, One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.