RADIATING THE AXLES OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clark, of 8, Belmont Terrace, Notting
Hill, Parish of Kensington, County of Middlesex, Engineer, for
the Invention of "RADIATING THE AXLES OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES."
Sealed the 22nd December 1870, and dated the 27th June 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th June 1870.
'
I, JOHN CLARK, of 8, Belmont Terrace, Notting Hill, Parish of
Kensington, County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "RADIATING THE AXLES OF LOCOMOTIVE
ENGINES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to radiate the leading and trailing axles
of locomotive engines, or of engine and tender combined, to enable them
to pass round sharp curves more freely.
In carrying my Invention into practice I construct the several axles
which are to radiate hollow, inside of which I fit a central spindle to
which is fitted at each end cranks in connection with the driving gear.

page_text: 'The hollow axle may be called the carrying axle and the central spindle
the driving axle. The centre part of the said spindle is square, and
inside the hollow axle a bush is fixed at the centre, inside of which
the said square of the spindle slides, so that when the said spindle is
driven the carrying or hollow axle is driven with it. The radial move-
ment of the hollow axle is effected by links fixed to the framing.
The said spindle is carried in bearings at each end on the framing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th December 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CLARK, of 8, Belmont Terrace, Notting Hill, Parish of Kensington, in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Clark, Her special licence that he,
the said John Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Clark, my 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 "RADIATING THE AXLES OF LOCOMOTIVE
ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, 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 I, the said John Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement.
The object of this Invention is to radiate the leading and trailing axles
of locomotive engines or of engine and tender combined to enable them
to pass round sharp curves more freely.
In carrying my Invention into practice I construct the several axles
hollow, inside of which I fit a central spindle to which is fitted at
each end cranks in connection with the. driving gear. The hollow
axles may be called the carrying axles, and the central spindles the
driving axles. The centre part of the said spindles is square or
hexagonal, and inside the hollow axle a bush is fixed at the centre,
inside of which the said square or hexagonal part of the spindle slides,
so that when the said spindle is driven the carrying or hollow axle is
driven with it. The radial movement of the hollow axles is effected by
links fixed to the framing. The said spindle is carried in bearings at
each end of the framing, and held in a parallel plane with the other
axles of the engine by a horizontal rocking shaft. The engine may have
8, 10, or even 12 wheels coupled and propelled by one pair of cylinders,
cither outside or inside. One purpose effected in the design is to make
the load moderate on all the wheels, say, not to exceed nine tons per
pair and to include all the weight for adhesion. In the eight-wheeled
engine the four wheels in the centre form a fixed or parallel wheel base
from 7 to 10 feet centres. The leading and trailing axles radiate freely
to pass curves of three chains radius. In the ten-wheeled engine the six
wheels in the centre form a fixed or parallel wheel base, the middle pair
being without the flange. In the twelve-wheeled engine the six wheels
situated immediately behind the leading axle form a fixed or parallel
wheel base from 9 to 12 feet centres, and the leading and two trailing
axles are fitted with the radial arrangement herein-after described.
The load carried by the radial axle is entirely borne by a transverse
spring or springs from a pin in the centre buckle supporting slings from
a bracket fixed to the framing or boiler. Either wheel of the leading
and trailing axles is free to rise or fall about an inch and a half to
suit the "cant” or inequalties of the rail without imparting any cross
twist to the framing, thereby securing the advantages of the American
bogie as applied to engines. The said supporting springs have a double
fulcrum pin where they are joined to the said supporting brackets to
secure a certain amount of “righting” to make the engine run smooth
and steady on a straight road.

page_text: Sheet A, ¾ inch scale to the foot, shows the general arrangement in
plan and elevation of an eight-wheeled coupled outside cylinder tank
engine. Some of all the usual fittings of the engine not being represented
as they are well understood. Fig. 1 the two side tanks and the under
part of the tank a over the trailing axle have an aggregate capacity
of 1500 to 2000 gallons. The coal box 6 contains about four tons
fuel and is fitted with a sloping bottom. The main driving axle c is
fitted with driving discs in preference to cranks. d, d, two transverse
rocking shafts carried in brackets fixed to framing are fitted with projecting
arms or levers e, e, having a slotted eye at their extremities to gear
into lugs cast on the under side of the boxes f, f.
By this arrange-
ment the driving axles of the radiating axles are kept in a parallel plane
with the axles of the fixed wheel base; Fig. 2 shows the same arrange-
ments in plan, having the parts corresponding similarly lettered.
Sheet B. 1 inch scale to the foot; Fig. 1 is a plan in section of the
radial axle on a three-chain curve showing the amount of deviation from
the parallel line. a is the central or driving axle which is square
or hexagonal at its center. The carrying wheels are fixed to the
cylindrical hollow axle b. A bush c shown in transverse section at
Fig. 3 is fitted inside and is free to slide along the square or hexagonal
driving axle. The hollow axle has two collars d, d, fixed to it, which
may either be screwed or shrunk on to make the bearing part of the
axle. The bearings are embraced by strong buckles e, e, for sup-
porting the carrying springs. To the said buckles e, e, is also attached
a triangular link or frame f having its fulcrum or apex in a bracket
g on the framing to give the proper radiation to the wheels. A is
a transverse rocking shaft carried in brackets on the framing and having
the projecting arms or levers i, i, keyed on it which are geared to the
under side of the boxes as aforesaid.
Fig. 2 is an elevation in section of the same arrangement, the
corresponding parts being similarly lettered. k, k, are two light
springs which may be used to sustain part of the load and to steady the
framing if necessary. 7 is the supporting slings with top bracket m
fixed to the boiler or part of the framing. The slings have each two

page_text: fulcrum pins to give steadiness to the engine when running on straight
roads.
Fig. 3 is a section at right angles of the center part of the driving
axle.
Figs. 4 & 5 are a modification of the driving axle. The centre of
the axle is considerably enlarged, so as nearly to fill the interior of the
hollow axle. A slotted opening is made in it which is fitted with a
steel driving pin and bush to slide in the said slot. The slot may either
be made in the center axle as shown or in the cylindrical axle.
strengthening collar or band shrunk on.
a is a
Figs. 6 & 7 are a modification of the driving axle, having the driving
part considerably enlarged as a disc and fitting inside a corresponding
nut or box securely bolted together.
Figs. 8 & 9 are a modification of the driving axle, having a series of
flutes or grooves fitting an internal wheel or nut to correspond.
To avoid cross twist in the long framing I propose to divide the
framing near its middle part and couple it by means of a link connection
on each side, one of which is shown in Figs. 10 & 11.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my said Invention, and the means I propose to carry the same
into effect and practice, I hereby further declare I do not absolutely
restrict myself to the several details shown and described, as from the
nature of the Invention these may be considerably modified in practise
without departing from the principles thereby illustrated and upon which
my said improvements are based.
In witness whereof the said John Clark has hercunto set his hand
and scal, this Twenty-seventh day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.