IMPROVEMENTS IN ROAD LOCOMOTIVES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Broja, of Zabrze, Upper Silesia, in the German
Empire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROAD LOCOMOTIVES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Broja at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd July 1878.
RICHARD BROJA, of Zabrze, Upper Silesia, in the German Empire. "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN ROAD LOCOMOTIVES."
:-
According to the present Invention road locomotives are constructed as follows
A steam boiler of any suitable construction has projecting from its sides fixed axles
on which are mounted loosely driving wheels. These driving wheels have in lieu of
ordinary spokes steam cylinders radially arranged, connected at the inner end to
the nave of the wheel and at the outer end to the tread thereof.
Each cylinder contains a piston, the piston rod whereof extends to the periphery
of the wheel where it is provided with a foot or claw that is situated within a
recess in the tread of the wheel when the piston is at the inner end of the
cylinder, so as to be flush with the tread of the wheel. Each cylinder com-
municates at either end by passages with a corresponding number of ports
arranged in a circle round the inner face of the nave, such face being made to fit
steam-tight against the face of a hollow boss fixed on the axle. This boss has two
chambers, one communicating by a pipe with the steam space of the boiler, and the
other communicating by a pipe with the exhaust.
Ports are formed in the face of the boss communicating with these chambers in
such positions that as the wheels revolve and the cylinders approach the ground
with their outer ends, these have their inner ends put in communication by means
of the before-mentioned ports in the nave with the steam chamber of the boss, so
that as the cylinders pass from the point in which they stand vertically on the
ground to an inclined position beyond that point, the steam in entering above the
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page_text: piston forces this, and consequently also the piston rod and foot outwards against
the ground, and by the angular thrust thus exerted the locomotive is propelled.
When the cylinder has assumed such a position that the foot of the piston rod
no longer can bear on the ground the upper end of the cylinder is put in communi-
cation with the exhaust chamber, while the lower end is put in communication
with the steam chamber, whereby the piston and foot are caused to move inward
again.
In order to cause the steam to work more or less expansively in the cylinders
slides are provided in the steam chamber, whereby the steam ports can be more or
less closed; the steam ports and slides are provided in duplicate on each side of the
vertical centre line, the one or the other set being brought into use, according as the
locomotive is required to travel forward or backward.
Each pair of slides is worked by a toothed rack having a rod passing through
a stuffing box in the steam chamber and connected to a lever at the driver's seat.
A gland is fitted upon a cylindrical part of the nave which bears against a pro-
jecting plate fixed on the inner face of the latter, and which with the nave enters
a stuffing box projecting from the before-described hollow boss, the gland being
secured to the stuffing box by screws.
The hollow boss can slide somewhat longitudinally on the axle, but is prevented
from turning upon it by a feather, so that although the nave of the wheel is pressed
steam-tight against the boss by the before-mentioned gland, yet both the wheel and
the boss can slide somewhat to and fro on the axle, so as to allow for the lateral
oscillations of the locomotive as it moves along.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Richard Broja in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th January
1879.
RICHARD BROJA, of Zabrze, Upper Silesia, in the German Empire.
MENTS IN ROAD LOCOMOTIVES."
" IMPROVE-
According to the present Invention road locomotives are constructed as follows:-
A steam boiler of any suitable construction has projecting from its sides fixed axles
on which are mounted loosely driving wheels. These driving wheels have in lieu
of ordinary spokes steam cylinders radially arranged, connected at the inner end
to the nave of the wheel, and at the outer end to the tread thereof.
Each cylinder contains a piston, the piston rod whereof extends to the periphery
of the wheel where it is provided with a foot or claw that is situated within a
recess in the tread of the wheel when the piston is at the inner end of the cylinder,
so as to be flush with the tread of the wheel. Each cylinder communicates at
either end by passages with a corresponding number of ports arranged in a circle
round the inner face of the nave, such face being made to fit steam-tight against
the face of a hollow boss fixed on the axle. This boss has two chambers, one
communicating by a pipe with the steam space of the boiler, and the other com-
municating by a pipe with the exhaust.

page_text: slides w and w¹, shewn in Figs. 6 and 8. Each of those slides has teeth on its
circumference gearing with a rack r.
The rods d of the racks pass through stuffing boxes in the bosses and are connected
to. bars e, f, g, which are moved by the driver seated at Y, either by hand applied
to the handle e, or by foot applied to the treadle g; each slide in one position covers
the ports in the face of the boss on the one side of the middle line and in another
position opens them. Thus, as shewn in Fig. 6, the front slide w is in the position,
uncovering ports on the left of the middle line, whilst the hinder slide w, is covering
ports on the right. The slides being so set, the wheel in its revolution brings
the ports in its nave successively in face of the open ports of the boss. Steam
admitted by these ports and their passages p to the inner ends of the tubular
spokes acts on the pistons P, forcing them outwards, and the feet Z attached
to them being pressed against the ground effect the propulsion of the vehicle.
Each of the passages p, as the wheel continues to revolve, comes to face one of
the exhaust ports in the boss, whilst the corresponding port q in its turn is facing a
steam port, and thus the pistons P are forced inwards again, their feet Z becoming
lodged in recesses in the rim of the wheel.
For reversing the vehicle the positions of the slides w, w', is inverted, or the
vehicle may be stopped by moving both slides to the positions where they close all
the ports.
Also by inverting one pair of slides the propulsion on the one side of the vehicle
may be made to be opposite to that on the other, and thus the vehicle can be turned
in a very small space, and by closing the steam ports more or less by the slides the
steam may be made to act expansively.
Steering under ordinary circumstances can be affected by the castor wheel V
worked by the hand wheel T by the attendant in the position W, who has charge
of the fire and boiler.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim,―
First. Propelling a road locomotive by means of feet or claws successively pro-
truded backwards from the rim of the driving wheels so as to push against the
ground, and thereby cause a thrust of the vehicle forwards, substantially in the
manner herein described.
Second. Effecting the protrusion and retraction of the feet or claws referred to
in the preceding claim by steam pressure acting in the tubular spokes of the wheel
upon pistons attached to the said feet or claws.
Third. Effecting the alternation of pressure in the successive spokes by the
rotation of the wheel, putting passages in the wheel nave leading to and from the
spokes successively in communication with steam and exhaust ports in a stationary
boss facing the wheel nave, substantially as herein described.
Fourth. Effecting stoppage or reversal of each wheel by means of partly rotating
slides which can be moved so as to cover or uncover ports in the stationary boss
referred to in the preceding claim, substantially as herein described.
Fifth. The construction and arrangement of road locomotive operating in the
manner referred to in the preceding claims, as herein described with reference to
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Broja, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.