IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PROPELLING CARRIAGES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE TRANSMISSION OF POWER BETWEEN SHAFTS WHICH ARE NOT PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Dredge and Andrew Stein, of 10,
Buckingham Street, Adelphi, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
PROPELLING CARRIAGES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO
THE TRANSMISSION OF POWER BETWEEN SHAFTS WHICH ARE NOT PARALLEL
TO ONE ANOTHER."
Sealed the 14th September 1869, and dated the 24th July 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Dredge and
Andrew Stein at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 24th July 1869.
We, WILLIAM DREDGE and ANDREW STEIN, of 10, Buckingham
Street, Adelphi; in the. City of Westminster, Civil Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR PROPELLING CARRIAGES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE

page_text: TRANSMISSION OF POWER BETWEEN SHAFTS WHICH ARE NOT PARALLEL TO ONE
ANOTHER," to be as follows:-
We apply the motive power directly to a carriage with coupled wheels
in the usual manner.
The fore and hinder wheels of such carriage
have cranks set at an angle to each other so that they shall not be
at the same time on the dead centres. To this carriage we connect
another carriage on either or both ends of it. Each of such additional
carriage or carriages is provided with a cranked axle or cranked axles,
one of which is connected with the nearest cranked axle of the first-
mentioned carriage in the following manner:-We employ a coupling
rod or rods to couple the cranks of the said cranked axles, the brasses of
which are made outside of a circular or spherical form so as to allow
the coupling rods sufficient motion to adjust themselves to the angular
position of the carriages when they are on a curve, the inside of such
.brasses being made to fit the crank pins. The centres of the cranks are
kept at a constant distance from each other by means of a distance rod
or rods, which take the reaction of the driving force and are fitted to
and jointed on pins at top and bottom of a saddle piece which is fitted
to journals on the axle on each side of the cranks and is moveable on
the same, the centres of such pins being in a line passing through the
centre round which the crank revolves. The wheels of each of these
carriages may be coupled together in the usual manner, and the reaction
of the driving force transmitted either through the frame of the carriage
in the usual way or by a distance rod or rods, which may be fitted to a
turned part of the saddle pieces, or to the axles, or to independent collars
moveable round the axles.
Another arrrangment for connecting the fore axle of one carriage
with the hinder axle of the carriage next before it, is as follows:-The
axles are made with cranks as above described, which are coupled by
coupling rods jointed in the middle. The ends of the coupling rods work
on the cranks with brasses of ordinary construction, and at the joints the
adjacent ends of the two parts of the coupling rods are jointed with a
pin. The hole to receive this pin in one part is round, and in the other
is slotted to allow of lateral motion in the pin. The reaction of the
driving force is taken through distance pieces or rods also jointed in
the middle, having forked ends to clip the axles on either side of the

page_text: cranks. Other carriages may be added indefinitely coupled in the method
or methods above described, or may be attached to the train formed
as above described and drawn in the usual way.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Dredge and Andrew Stein in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 22nd January 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
DREDGE and ANDREW STEIN, of 10, Buckingham Street, Adelphi, in
the City of Westminster, Civil Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said William Dredge and Andrew Stein,
Her special licence that we, the said William Dredge and Andrew Stein,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
William Dredge and Andrew Stein, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time.
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should'
and lawfully might make; use, exercise, and vend, within the United.
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PROPELLING CARRIAGES,
PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE TRANSMISSION OF POWER
BETWEEN SHAFTS WHICH ARE NOT PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said William Dredge and Andrew
Stein, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Dredge and Andrew
Stein, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
We apply the motive power directly to a carriage with coupled wheels
in the usual manner.
The fore and hinder wheels of such carriage
have cranks set at an angle to each other so that they shall not be at
the same time on the dead centres. To this carriage we connect another
carriage on either or both ends of it. Each of such additional carriage or
carriages is provided with a cranked axle or cranked axles, one of which
is connected with the nearest cranked axle of the first-mentioned carriage
in the following manner:-We employ a coupling rod or rods to couple
the cranks of the said cranked axles, the brasses of which are made
outside of a circular or spherical form, so as to allow the coupling rods
sufficient motion to adjust themselves to the angular position of the
carriages when they are on a curve, the inside of such brasses being
made to fit the crank pins. The centres of the cranks are kept at a
constant distance from each other by means of a distance rod or rods,
which take the reaction of the driving force and are fitted to and jointed
on pins at top and bottom of a saddle piece which is fitted to journals on
the axle on each side of the cranks and is moveable on the same, the
centres of such pins being in a line passing through the centre round
which the crank revolves. The wheels of each of these carriages may
be coupled together in the usual manner, and the reaction of the driving
force transmitted either through the frame of the carriage in the usual
way or by a distance rod or rods, which may be fitted to a turned part
of the saddle pieces or to the axles or to independent collars moveable
round the axles.
Another arrangement for connecting the fore axle of one carriage with
the hinder axle of the carriage next before it, is as follows:-The axles
are made with cranks as above described which are coupled by coupling
rods jointed in the middle. The ends of the coupling rods work on the
cranks with brasses of ordinary construction, and at the joints the
adjacent ends of the two parts of the coupling rods are jointed with a
pin. The hole to receive this pin in one part is round and in the other
is slotted to allow of lateral motion on the pin. The reaction of the
driving force is taken through distance pieces or rods also jointed in the
middle, having forked ends to clip the axles on either side of the cranks.
Other carriages may be added indefinitely coupled in the method or
methods above described, or may be attached to the train formed as above
described and drawn in the usual way.

page_text: We now proceed to describe the Drawings. Fig. 1 is an elevation
shewing the general arrangement of two carriages connected together.
Fig. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 shew the first-mentioned method of connection in
detail as herein-after more particularly described, Fig. 2 shewing
connection in elevation, Fig. 3 a plan of same, Fig. 4 longitudinal section
on centre line, Fig. 5 a cross section on centre of saddle as presently
described, and Fig. 6 plan of crank and brasses. The same letters refer
to the same part in each Figure.
A represents a carriage (by the word carriage we mean any frame
supported on wheels) with coupled wheels a, b, and c, to which we apply
the motive power in the usual manner; B is a carriage connected with
the former; a represents the hinder wheel of the driving. carriage or
locomotive engine, and d the leading wheel of the carriage B connected
therewith; a' and d', the axles respectively attached to the said wheels;
upon these axles there are cranks, as shewn in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, and
marked as and, which are coupled with one another by means of the
coupling rods f, g, and h. The brasses on the crank pins of the cranks a
and d have brasses of a circular form, as shewn in Fig. 6, or these brasses
may be made spherical if desired. Rods g and are connected with the
rod f by means of joint pins k and 1, or if desired may be jointed
independently on the crank pins a and d: The other ends of these rods
g and h work upon a guide crank m. In order that the centres of the
cranks may be maintained at a constant distance from each other,
distance rods or frames marked M, and shewn in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, are
supplied. The rods or frames are fitted to and jointed on pins O, O', and
P, P', at top and bottom of saddle pieces Q and R, which are fitted to
journals in the axles a¹ and 6', as shewn, on each side of the cranks and
are moveable on same. The pins on one of these saddles Q are fitted
into round holes in the distance rod or frame, in the other R they are
fitted into blocks which work laterally in slotted holes. In this latter
case the top and bottom of the saddle piece is formed of a spherical shape,
and the parts of the distance rods or frames are made to fit the spherical
part of the saddle in order to admit of the requisite play and enable the
wheels and axles to accommodate themselves to the irregularities of the
road. The wheels of each carriage may be coupled together in the usual
manner, as shewn by the rods S, and the reaction of the driving force
transmitted either through the frame of the carriage in the usual way
or by a distance rod or rods T, which may be fitted to a turned part of

page_text: the saddle pieces or to the axles or to independent collars moveable
round the axles. The adjustments of the above-described parts are
made as is usual in the construction of locomotive engines.
Fig. 7 shews an arrangement by which the motive power is
transmitted in both directions from the driving carriage. The details of
the construction are similar to those above described, and the cranks of
the leading and trailing axles are set at right angles to each other, and
the rods g and h may be dispensed with if preferred.
Another arrangement for connecting the first axle of one carriage
with the hinder axle of the carriage next before it is shewn in Fig. 8, in
which the axle a' is the hind axle of a driving carriage and the axle d'
the front axle of the carriage driven. These axles are cranked as before, and
on the cranks coupling rods F are attached with brasses of the ordinary
construction. These rods are jointed in the centre at the point marked W.
Figs. 10, 11, and 12 are details of the joints to a larger scale, Fig. 10
being a plan, Fig. 11 a section on V, X, and Fig. 12 a section on Y, Z..
It will be seen from these sections that though the joint works on a
centre pin u the end of one of the coupling rods is slotted and the pin
flattened to allow of a slight lateral motion of the connecting rod as the
axles revolve. The brasses on the cranks are of ordinary construction
and adjusted in the usual way. The reaction of these coupling rods is
taken by a distance piece or frame U constructed as shewn. This
works on the straight part of the axles in brasses, as shewn, and is forked
both vertically and horizontally, and is connected by pins u¹ and u³,
same as in coupling rods above described.
Carriages so constructed may be connected either in front or after the
driving carriage or engine, as shewn in Fig. 7. In one of these cranks the
coupling of the wheels of the carriage is shewn as effected with a
coupling rod shewn at S. Similar arrangement to those herein described
are applicable to coupling cranked shafts not parallel with one another
for the purpose of transmitting power.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is performed, we claim,-
First. The methods above described of propelling carriages by cranked
axles coupled together by the method or methods above described.

page_text: And, secondly. We claim the application of the coupling or couplings
above described for the purpose of transmitting power between shafts
which are not parallel to one another.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Dredge and Andrew
Stein, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-
second day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy.
WILLIAM DREDGE. (L.s.)
ANDW. STEIN.
. (L.S.)