IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES OR CARRIAGES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Frazer, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim,
Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES OR
CARRIAGES
"
Sealed the 27th November 1877, and dated the 1st September 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Frazer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st September 1877.
DAVID FRAZER, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland.
IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES OR CARRIAGES."
"
IMPROVEMENTS
This Invention relates to the construction and management of locomotive engines
or carriages for railways, tramways, or common roads, or for use in agricultural
operations, and it consists essentially in the modes and means or apparatus for pro-
pelling, starting, turning, and stopping the engine or carriage as herein-after
described.
The engine and boiler proper may be of any of the ordinary constructions, and
the motive agent may be either steam, air, or other fluid, the apparatus or attach-
ments herein-after described being essentially designed for facilitating the movements
of the locomotive or carriage in running in the track, turning corners readily, and
starting and stopping.
The platform carrying the propelling, starting, stopping, and steering gear at its
front end, and motive-power engine at its rear end, is mounted over two pairs of
wheels, the front pair being connected to the back pair by means of a coupling
reach, which forms a universal joint and allows the forward wheels to rise or fall,
or turn in any direction without cramping, and the rear wheels run loose on their
axle, the axle boxes sliding in slots with springs above them for softening the motion
by preventing sudden jolts or concussions."
The axle-boxes are attached to the lower edge of a pillow block plate, which
extends up and supports the sides of the platform on rollers, which revolve in spring
socket stands, the centre of the platform being supported on a turn-table set on the
гр

page_text: centre of the said pillow block plate, and from the top of which rods with spiral
springs on them extend upwards through, and enter socket pieces on the top of the
platform. A horizontal semicircular plate projects forward from the front of the
pillow block plate below the platform, supported by a bracket from the front axle,
and has a semicircular toothed segment, into which a pinion on the lower end of
a vertical shaft engages, as will be herein-after described. The driving shaft works
transversely in end journal bearing standards projecting up from the top of the
platform, and is provided with one or more cranks worked by connecting rods direct
from the motive power engine.
Towards the centre of the driving shaft, and mounted loose on it are two level
wheels, which gear into the teeth of an intermediate horizontal bevel wheel on the
upper end of an upright shaft, passing down through the centre of the platform and
turntable, and having keyed on its lower end another bevel wheel which takes into
a corresponding bevel wheel keyed on the axle of the front driving and steering
wheels. The two bevel wheels on the driving shaft have couplings formed on their
outer faces, and they are respectively brought into gear with the bevel wheel on
the vertical shaft, according as the carriage is to be propelled forwards or backwards
by means of clutch couplings, which slide on feathers on the driving shaft, and take
into the couplings on the bevel wheels, and are worked by shifting levers held in
position by means of curved sub-levers, the ends of which take into notches or
recesses in a contiguous vertical plate, and hold the shifting levers and clutches in
position when engaged with or released from the bevel wheels. Thus the driving
shaft being always turned in the same direction, the driving axle and wheels are
governed by the position of the clutch couplings.
For the forward or backward motion respectively the left or right hand coupling
is engaged, which brings the corresponding bevel wheel into gear with the pinion on
the upper end of the aforesaid vertical shaft, which in turn by the pinion on its
lower end gearing into the bevel wheel on the forward axle communicates the
motion to the carriage, and if it is desired to keep the carriage from moving both
clutches are engaged; on the other hand when the clutches are disconnected the
driving shaft is free to be worked by the engine for other purposes, such as driving
pumps when used as a fire engine.
The direction of the machine in turning curves is controlled by a pinion on the
lower end of a vertical shaft working into the teeth of the segmental wheel herein-
before referred to, the shaft passing up through the fore part of the platform, and
having a bevel wheel on its upper end into which gears another bevel wheel on the
front end of a horizontal shaft oxtending backwards, and supported in a vertical
plate beside the driver, with a crank or hand wheel upon it for turning it in either
direction, the wheel having side recesses into which a spring catch engages to hold
it in any position; thus curves can be turned without swinging the axle, or having
either of the driving wheels slip on the track, a very important feature of this
Invention.
For stopping or braking the carriage or engine, brake wheels are keyed or other-
wise fixed on the transverse driving shaft, one towards each end above the platform,
and are each fitted with brake blocks, acting upwards on their under surface,
secure on the top front ends of the two arms of a U shaped brake lever or frame,
projecting back horizontally, and secured by a socket and screw in the centre, or
otherwise, to the upper arm of a vertical lever projecting down and oscillating on a
fulcrum joint and pin near the middle in a bracket secured to the under side of the
platform, and having its lower arm forked and taking over or embracing loosely the
upper projecting curved or segmental back arm of a brake lever frame, carried and
oscillating up and down in bearing brackets secured to the pillow block plates or
other swivelling part of the framing of the driving and steering wheels below the
platform. This lower lever frame has the brake blocks secured on the under front
ends of its brake levers over the lower wheels, so as to brake them, when the lower
end of the vertical forked lever is pressed forward at the same time as the upper
arm of this lever brakes the wheels on the driving shaft above by its brake blocks

page_text: and levers by the pulling back of the upper end of this vertical lever, or vice versa,
releive the brakes from the brake wheels on the driving shaft above and the driving
and steering wheels below simultaneously, while allowing the latter wheels perfect.
freedom in turning to steer the carriage.
The vertical lever may be so moved to and fro to effect the said action of the
brake levers by a screw rod connected to its upper end, and carried back through
a revolving screw nut in a standard projecting up from the platform at a sufficient
height for the screw nut to be turned by a hand wheel or other equivalent by the
carriage driver on the platform.
When steam is used as the motive agent the exhaust steam is condensed by being
passed into pipes led through a cold water tank situated at any convenient part of
the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said David Frazer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
February 1878.
DAVID FRAZER, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES OR CARRIAGES."
My said Invention relates to the construction and arrangement of locomotive
engines, or carriages for railways, tramways, or common roads, or for use in agricul-
tural operations, and it consists essentially in the modes and means or apparatus
for propelling, starting, turning, and stopping the engine or carriage, as herein-after
described.
The engine and boiler proper may be of any of the ordinary constructions, and
the motive agent may be either steam, air, or other fluid; the new or improved
apparatus or attachments herein-after described being essentially designed for
facilitating the movements of the locomotive or carriage in running in the track
desired, turning very rapidly or round quick curves, and quickly starting and
stopping, with arrangement of powerful motive-power brakes.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing my said Invention
may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe the several Figures
on the Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of
showing the best modes and means I am at present aware of for putting the
Invention into effect or practice, the same letters of reference indicating the same
or like parts in all the Figures where shown.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a longitudinal vertical section and plan of one
arrangement of my new or improved portable road or tramway steam carriage;
Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken near the line 1-1 in Figure 1; and
Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken near the line 2-2 in Figure 1 below the
frame or platform A, to show the carrying wheel, swivelling bogies, or trucks, and
their connections, and steering toothed segments.
Referring to these Figures 1 to 4, this modification or arrangement of my Invention
or improved steam carriage consists of a main horizontal frame or platform A, with
ornamental side frames A³, and doors A", and windows A, having the boiler B
and cistern C ranged within on opposite sides near the centre, with the coal or coke

page_text: bunkers D, D, at one end, and the driving engines E, F, at the other, with the
passenger seats A² all ranged transversely on the top of the frame A, A', with the
steps AS at the ends for getting up to them. The side doors A", one on each side,
are also fitted with steps for the engineer and fireman getting in between the
bunkers D, D, and boiler B, and water heater C, for attending to the engine and
steering the carriage which is all carried on two sets of wheels G, and swivelling
bogies H, I, fitted below the said main frame and body A, A', of the carriage, as
seen particularly in Figures 1, 3, and 4.
The platform A carries the propelling, starting, stopping, and stearing gear, the
latter at both the front and back end, or it might be at the front end only, and the
motive-power or propelling engine E, F, at the rear or one end, all mounted over
two pairs of wheels G and their bogie frames H, I. The front swivelling frames H, I,
are connected to the back frames H, I, by means of a coupling reach or strong hori-
zontal oscillating link frames J, jointed vertically to a central transverse frame
J', projecting down from the main frame A, and their outer free ends by a
universal joint link J", to the central vertical shaft G2, on which the bogies H, I,
swivel, and which drives the axles G¹ of the wheels G, by the bevel wheels G",
BO as to actuate the wheels and carriage A, A', while allowing it to rise and fall,
and the wheels G and bogie frames H, I, to turn freely in any direction, without
friction or "cramping." The rear wheels G are fixed on their axle G¹, when driven
as the fore wheels are, but when not so driven they may run loose on their axle ;
and the bushes or boxes G¹¹ of the rear axle G¹ may slide in slots in its frame H,
with springs h¹ above them for softening the motion or preventing sudden jolts or
concussions. When the axles G' of the wheels G are driven by the engine E, F,
their axle boxes G' are formed on or attached to the lower edge on each side of the
pillow block plate or frame H, forming the lower part of the swivelling bogie or
truck H, I, and which extends up and supports the sides of the platform A by anti-
friction rollers h¹ working on it, and revolving in carrying stems h", fitted in spring
socket stands h, h', in the wheel swivelling frame H, I. The platform A is further
supported at the centre some distance from each end on a turntable I', fitted on the
upper central part of the said wheel, pillow block plate, or frame H, I, under a
socket frame k, K, secured to the platform A, with four stems or rods k, having
special springs k¹ on them, and extended through the socket k with anti-friction
rollers kill on the stems, which bear on the top of the turntable or platform 1', this
arrangement giving great elasticity vertically with lateral and longitudinal steadiness.
A horizontal semicircular plate H projects forward from the front of the swivelling
pillow block plate H, below the platform A, supported by a strengthening bracket H",
from the front axle bearing blocks G, having an internal semicircular toothed
segment L secured on it, into which a pinion L' gears on the lower end of a vertical
steering shaft L" carried in bearing blocks L' above the frame A, with a spring L
below, for compensating for the up-and-down motion of the carriage on the spring
trucks H, I, below; the vertical steering shaft L" being actuated by a pair of bevel
wheels,, at top from the horizontal hand steering shaft l, with hand wheel 12
on its inner end within the engine room; which wheel may have side recesses into
which a spring or other catch may engage to hold it in any position it and the
bogie H, I, are turned to, all so as to guide the carriage round quick curves or turns
without strain on the axle G', or requiring either of the driving wheels G to slip on
the track, which is a very important feature of the Invention.
Near the centre of the driving crank shaft F two bevel wheel N are mounted
loosely with end lever engaging and disengaging friction or clutch couplings n, n¹,
fitted and mounted at their back, the wheels N gearing into the teeth of the inter-
mediate horizontal bevel wheel N¹ on the upper end of the central upright shaft
N", N, made in two parts, and working down through deep bush bearings N₁ in
the centre of the spring socket frame K,, platform A, and turntable H, I, having a
step bearing N³ on the driving shaft G₁ of the wheels G, which it actuates by the
bevel wheel G2 keyed on its lower end, and gearing into the corresponding bevel
wheel G keyed on one of the main axles G¹ of the back or front pair of traction or

page_text: steering wheels G, G. The upper or coupling part of the shaft N is jointed to the
lower end of its upper shaft N by groove and feather or other equivalent coupling
to allow them to shift vertically as the carriage rises and falls on its springs h and k;
and when the second bogie shaft G¹ and its pair of wheels G are to be driven they
may be driven by the intermediate horizontal transmitting shaft m, carried in
bearing blocks just above the platform A, and actuated by bevel wheels m' on it,
and the shaft N at the one end, and by a corresponding pair of bevel wheels m¹l
at the other end, giving motion to the short central shaft m² carried in the second
bogie frame H, I, so as by a pair of geared bevel wheels G², G¹¹, at its lower end, to
drive its axle G¹ and wheels G in the same manner as the first set of wheels, while
swivelling and turning curves, and so propel the carriage forwards or backwards,
according to whichever of the loose bevel wheels N is put into gear by their couplings n,
which slide by grooves on feathers in the driving crank shaft F, and take into the
couplings on the outer or back face or eyes of the bevil wheels N, and shifted and
held in the engaged or disengaged position by its spring or catch hand lever n', which
takes into notches or recesses in the usual holding plate, which retains the shifting
lever and clutch either in the engaged or released position from the forward or
backing bevel wheels N or N; the one being out of gear when the other is in gear,
so as to actuate the transmitting wheel N' and its shaft N¹¹, N³, in the direction
desired without reversing the engine E, F; the driving crank shaft F of which is
always turned in the same direetion; the reverse motion of the axles Q¹ and their
wheels G and carriage is thus governed by the position of the clutch couplings n
and their hand levers n', and if it is desired to stop or keep the carriage from moving,
both clutches n may be engaged, which would stop the engine also; on the other hand, to
do this both clutches n may be disconnected, and have the breaks p', Q1, applied by
hand through a powerful arrangement of screw and levers, to act on friction brake
wheels o, o, on the crank shaft F, and on the wheels O, O, on the driving shafts G¹ of
the wheels G; and when the brakes are released it would be free to turn and allow
the engine to work as a portable motive-power engine for other purposes, such as
driving pumps, as a fire engine, or for driving agricultural machinery.
For stopping or braking the carriage or engine, brake wheels o, o, are keyed or
otherwise fixed on the transverse driving or crank shaft F, one towards each end
above the platform A, and are each fitted with brake lever blocks or straps pl acting
upwards on their under surface, and screwed or otherwise fixed to the upper front
ends of the two levers p keyed on a transverse shaft P, fulcrumed in bearing blocks
on the platform A, and having the central lower arm P¹ of a forked or U shape,
embracing the long crank arm of a brake lever frame Q projecting back horizontally
and up into the fork above its fulcrum bearings q in the back and side edges of the
swivelling frame H of the bogie, and having brake levers or strap blocks Q' projecting
forward over the brake wheels O fixed on the shaft G on the inside of the wheels
G. This lower lever frame Q has the brake blocks secured on the under front ends
of its brake levers Q' inside of the carriage wheels G, so as to brake them when
the lower forked end of the vertical lever P is pressed outwards or forwards at the
same time that the upper arms p, p¹, of this lever are pressed backwards or inwards
to brake the wheels o on the driving shaft F above, by its brake blocks and levers
p, through the pulling back of the upper end of this vertical lever, or vice versa,
relieve the brakes from the brake wheels o on the driving shaft F above, and those
O on the driving and steering wheels G below simultaneously, while allowing the
latter wheels perfect freedom in turning to steer the carriage.
The vertical lever P¹ of each set of brakes below the platform A may be so moved
to and fro to effect the said action of the brake levers by a screw rod r connected to
its lower forked end, and carried back through a revolving screw nut 8 in the eye of
the bevel wheels sl, carried and revolving in bearing brackets r³, secured to the central
transverse plate J', projecting down from the platform A, at a sufficient distance apart
that these wheels 8, 8, may be turned by a single bevel wheel sl at the lower end
of the vertical spindle s¹¹¹, carried in bush bearings or a standard in the centre of
the platform A, fitted with a suitable hand wheel 8' and catch or other retaining

page_text: mechanism at a proper height for the attendant to work the same, and control the
action of the brakes within the engine room.
The engine, which is preferred to be of the compound expansive double cylinder
class, has the cylinders E, E*, ranged and fitted at an angle as shown (but they
might be placed vertically or horizontally if desired), with the steam casings E¹
projecting towards each other, so that their valves may be worked by eccentrics and
rods at E on the crank shaft F on the inside of the bearing standards M, the steam
being conveyed from the boiler B by the steam pipes e direct to the casing of the
high pressure cylinder E, the exhaust steam from which would be conveyed by the
pipe el to the casing of the low-pressure cylinder Ex, from which it would exhaust
by the pipe c, so as to be led to and through the feed water tank Cin an undulating
coil c¹ to heat the water therein before being fed into the boiler by an injector or
feed pump as desired, and any steam not condensed in so heating the feed water
might be led into a cold water tank placed in any convenient part of the carriage,
or blow noiselessly away with the waste gases of the furnace.
The boiler B may be of the ordinary vertical or upright class; but for the purpose
of consuming as much as possible of the smoke from the furnace, I form a flue b
extending upwards and through the top of the boiler, with a bend over the top, and
extending down the outside of the boiler, and entering into an upright flue b' below
the furnace, and carried up through the furnace and boiler again at 611 as a discharge
chimney outside the carriage; this flue b¹ is perforated within the fire-box, so that
the smoke arising from the coal and passing through the first flue 6 is mixed with
the fresh air introduced into the furnace through the lower end of the central flue b¹
and consequently burnt; and in order to give air and a good draught I have placed
under the platform A a draught or air pipe 6111, 6111, from each end of the carriage,
with a stop-cock 62 in each, and a bell mouth at the extreme front and back end
61, and nozzles 63 at the inner ends, so that in whichever direction the carriage is
running air would always be passing into the pipe and blowing up into the furnace
in the direction of the arrows, and at the same time the stop-cock 62 on the back
pipe would be shut, all as seen particularly in Figure 1.
A further improvement consists in a new or improved arrangement of governor
and fittings, shown in side elevation detached in Figure 5, for controlling the
admission of steam to the high-pressure cylinder E by one or two equilibrium
or other throttle valves f¹ or f" fitted in the steam pipe e, leading to the engine,
and controlled by the action of a ball or other speed centrifugal governor f, with lever
balls, which by the sliding sleeve and equilibrium lever f³, f³, controls the usual
throttle valve f¹; but when actuated at a very high speed raises and couples the loose
wheel g on the governor, which actuates the horizontal shaft g¹, and by a pair of
bevel wheels g¹¹, gå, at the other end actuates the vertical spindle 8111 of the brake
mechanism, so as to actuate this and stop or retard the motion of the carriage, and
at the same time shut off the steam by the valve f¹¹ through a small pair of bevel
wheels and spindles g³ at the top of the shaft 8111, which is formed with a crank at
81111 for working the brakes by hand when the wheels g and ³ were thrown out
of gear by the slowing of the governor f, and the hand lever and slip wheel g*.
The governor f is shown as driven by a band fx at top from a pulley on any of
the shafts actuated by the engine. By this arrangement of governor the carriage
can be regulated to run at any desired speed or number of miles per hour, and full
power put on in ascending inclines, and the steam cut off and controlled by the brake
mechanism automatically or by hand in going down, all as herein-before described.
Another improvement has reference to an arrangement for keeping the carriage a
and boiler nearly level, either when ascending or descending inclines, a modifi-
cation of which is shown in detached sectional elevation in Figure 6, and consists
in fitting a lever i and retaining guide over a sliding piston j, fitted in the
sockets above each spring k¹ of the friction rollers 1, 1, of the bogies H, I,
pressed down by hand, or it night be by a screw so as to raise the platform from
the bogie or truck, at the same time allowing the springs to act as well as on a level
road. In going down hill the forward springs and truck will be acted upon, so aa

page_text: to raise the carriage, and vice versa; in going up hill the rear springs and truck
will be acted upon so that the carriage is always kept on a level.
Although a steam generator and engine have herein been described and shown
as used for the propulsion of my said new or improved road, tramway, or railway
portable engine, it is to be understood that air, or steam and air, or other pressure
fluids might be used, either generated by compression and charged into pressure
vessels on the carriage, or wholly or partially produced in generators with heating
furnace carried on the carriage itself; and although the reversing of the motion of
the carriage has been described and shown as effected by reversing wheels and
clutches, either of the frictional or "gab" class, yet it will be understood that this
might be done by the reversing of the engines by the application and use of the
usual reversing link valve motion and double eccentrics, or other ordinary reversing
valve motion.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The new or improved general arrangement or combination of the parts of
a steam or other motive fluid portable engine or wheel carriage for running on
common roads, tramways, or railways, all substantially as and for the purposes
herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any
mere modification thereof.
Second. The construction and use of steam or other motive-power carriages,
having one or two of the new or improved construction or arrangement of wheel
trucks or bogies, with their universal joint connecting links and adjustable springs
for giving free vertical motion and lateral turning motion on level roads or inclines
by steering gear, all substantially as and for the purposes herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
Third. The construction and arrangement of transmitting gearing and mechanism
with vertical central shaft for driving one or both swivelling shafts of truck or bogie
motive-power carriages, all substantially as and for the purposes herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
Fourth. The new or improved construction or arrangement of brake wheels and
their fittings or mechanism actuated by hand or automatic governors on the
swivelling trucks or bogies, and the driving shafts of the motive-power carriages,
all substantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to and shown
in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Fifth. The new or improved arrangement of hand steering gear, with internal
segmental tooth wheel and pinion on a vertical driving shaft with compensating
spring actuated direct or by horizontal shaft and hand wheel, for the steering or
turning of truck or bogie motive-power carriages, all substantially as herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere
modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Frazer, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One