IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Tertius Chellingworth, of 12, Buckingham
Street, Adelphi, C.E., and Jonathan Thurlow, of 37, Belvedere Road,
Lambeth, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES."
Sealed the 9th July 1861, and dated the 11th January 1861.
worth and Jonathan Thurlow at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 11th January 1861.
We, THOMAS TERTIUS CHELLINGWORTH, of 12, Buckingham Street, Adelphi,
C.E., and JONATHAN THURLOW, of 37, Belvedere Road, Lambeth, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of improvements in traction engines, first, in
relation to the mounting of the boiler on trunnions, so that it may be operated
upon by self-acting apparatus hereafter described, so as at all times to assume
a horizontal position, whether the engine be ascending or descending an
acclivity. For this purpose a pendant lever with a heavy weight at its lower
extremity is employed. It is arranged to work on a centre at or near the
upper portion of the boiler, and hangs perpendicularly down on one side
thereof. The front end of the boiler is supported by a screw pin jointed to
the bottom of the boiler, and the lower portion of the screw is passed into a
nut having a bevilled pinion thereon, which gears into another bevilled pinion

page_text: on an axis at right angles to the screw; this axis at its other end has keyed
upon it two ratchet wheels, having their teeth cut in opposite directions, and
a double pall is so arranged to work upon a centre above them that as long
as the traction engine remains in a horizontal position the palls will both be
disengaged with the ratchet wheels, but as soon as the inclination to be
travelled over is such as to require it the pendant lever will cause either
one or other of the two palls to engage with its corresponding ratchet wheel.
The palls are mounted on a forked lever, which has at all times when the
engine is in motion a vibratory action on its centre by an excentric or other
suitable means from the engine. From the forked lever of the ratchet wheel
an arm extends downwards about midway, and to the lower end of this short
arm is a link which connects it with the pendant lever. Another link extends
from the lower end of the forked lever to the excentric or other suitable
working portion of the engine.
Another part of this Invention consists in applying apparatus to traction
engines for superheating steam. For this purpose a superheating chamber of
peculiar construction is placed within the smoke box. It consists of a suitably
formed chamber, having a partition dividing it midway, and extending from
the top downwards to within a very short distance from the bottom, so that
the steam to be superheated passes in at the top on one side of the partition
of the superheating chamber, and then down below the partition, and makes
its exit at the upper part of the other side of the partition. By thus placing
a partition the tendency of the boiler to prime is greatly obviated.
Another improvement consists in so arranging safety valves that steam
shall not blow off into the air, but shall pass down into a reservoir from which
the boiler is supplied with water, and be there condensed; and it is preferred
that such steam from the safety valve shall be caused to pass through a coil
of pipes in the reservoir instead of at once into the reservoir.
Another part of this Invention relates to the steering of the engines, and
consists of employing a segmental rack having worm teeth thereon, worked
by a worm wheel in lieu of the teeth and pinion hitherto employed.
Another improvement consists in the formation of the frames of traction
engines, which are so formed as to give support or bearing to the outside as
well as the inside of the driving wheels.