CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND CARRIAGES EMPLOYED ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM, THESE. PRESENTS SHALL COME, I; ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirteenth day of July, in the eleventh year of Her reign,
did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give, and grant unto me, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, Her especial, licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my
executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
mentioned, should and lawfully: might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England and Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey,.
Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
APPLICABLE TO LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND CARRIAGES EMPLOYED ON RAILWAYS,"
being a communication to me from a certain foreigner residing abroad; in-
which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled

page_text: in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):-
The nature of this Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign corre-
spondent, consists, firstly, in obtaining the requisite adhesion or bite on the line
of rails for a locomotive engine and its train of carriages, in order to enable
the train to ascend and descend inclined planes with safety and certainty,
and thus to avoid the expense of heavy cuttings or circuitous routes.
The Invention consists, secondly, in certain means of employing the full force
of the steam generated in the boiler, notwithstanding the varying motion of
of the train, whilst passing over irregularities in the line.
The Invention consists, thirdly, in an improvement in the construction of
locomotive boiler.
And, fourthly, the Invention consists in the application to railway carriages
of a self-acting brake.
In carrying out the first improvement, the gravitating force of the train of
carriages is employed, either in ascending or descending inclines, to effect the
requisite adhesion to a central rail in such a manner that the adhesion shall
increase in propertion to the angle of inclination and the weight of the train.
This is obtained by connecting the train with a locomotive engine provided
with gripping wheels which are capable of embracing a central rail laid down
on that part of the track only where high gradients are to be overcome. These
gripping wheels on ascending or descending inclined plains are made driving
wheels, and they have their bearings in levers connected together by two
opposing toggle joints, which are operated on by the connecting link of the
train, so that in ascending, the gravity of the train shall operate on one of the
toggles, and thereby cause the wheels to grip the central rail with a force pro-
portioned to the gravitating force to be overcome, and so that in descending,
the connecting link shall operate on the other toggle to produce a like effect.
To convert the gripping wheels into driving wheels, they are operated on by
an auxiliary pair of steam cylinders of such capacity as will effectually work
off, in conjunction with the ordinary cylinders, the steam generated in the

page_text: boiler during the slow motion of the locomotive and train up the inclined plane.
The arrangement for this purpose will be more fully described under the second
head of the Invention.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the locomotive
engine and tender, drawn to a scale of one inch to the foot; Fig. 2 is an end
view of the central rail, drawn to the full size of those used on the road. The
other Figures represent parts of the apparatus in detail, the proportionate size
of which is indicated on the Drawings. In each of these Figures where the
same parts occur they are designated by the same letters of reference.
A, A, is the central rail, which must be secured in its place in the firmest
manner. It is to rise to such a height above the ordinary rails that its top
may be within about two inches of the fire box, and to accommodate it the
ash pan of the locomotive engine is made in two parts, so to pass on either
side of it. B, B, are gripping wheels, which are made to pass against the
opposite sides of the rail A with a degree of force proportioned to the gravi-
tating power of the load, or the power of the drag which is to be overcome.
These gripping wheels are acted on in the following manner :-C is a shaft
that runs in suitable boxes in the frame of the locomotive. These boxes and
the part of the frame that sustains them are omitted in the Drawing Fig. 1 for
the purpose of shewing the gearing and their connections, that would otherwise
be hidden. The shaft C and the parts in connection therewith are shewn in
section at Figure 3, and in plan or top view at Fig. 4. D, D, are two bevilled
wrought-iron wheels, which slide over a feather on the shaft C, and these
wheels gear into two bevilled wheels E, E, connected by means of their bosses
F, F, (Fig. 3) with the gripping wheels B, B, to which they communicate
their revolving motion. The bosses F, F, pass through strong boxes G, G,
(Figs. 1 and 3,) on the inner ends of crank levers H, H, which on their
outer ends carry the progressive levers or toggle joints I, I, (Fig. 4). The
levers H, H, work on fulcrum pins J, J, in the frame of the locomotive
engine.
In order to cause the teeth of the wheels D and E to gear into each other
precisely to the pitch line, plain surfaces are formed on them, as shewn at
a, a, which coming into contact produce this effect. They are kept in gear
by means of a spiral spring K, which is coiled round the shaft C, and lying
between the wheels D, presses them outwards and keeps them in gear with the
wheels E, whilst at the same time they are free to vibrate latterally in a manner
corresponding to the vibration of the levers on their fulcra J, J. To prevent
the possibility of the bevil wheels being forced out of gear, their tubular hubs
which surround the shaft C, C, should be so nearly in contact with each other

page_text: as to prevent this taking place, no greater space being left between them than
is necessary to allow for the unavoidable inequality in the thickness of the
centre rail, or for the compression of the spring K. L is a sliding bar, pro-
vided with a slot, which receives the fulcra of the toggle joints I and I', and
operates upon one or the other of them, according as the engine is ascending
or descending on the inclined plane, as will presently be understood.
=
When the engine is running on the ordinary or level portion of the line,
a bolt M is passed through the frame of the engine, and through a correspond-
ing hole in the slide L, for the purpose of retaining the slide in a fixed
position.
The toggle joints, it will be seen, are in reversed directions, and that marked I
is brought into operation when the train is ascending, and that marked I¹.when
it is descending. The slide L is attached by a shackle or other convenient.
means to the tender, and thus forms the connection between the locomotive
engine and the train.
When the locomotive has advanced to that part of the road where the
central rail is situated, and the gripping rollers have received it between them,
the bolt M is to be removed, so as to bring the whole force of the draft on to
the slide L; and if the locomotive is ascending, the toggle I will
.press the
gripping wheels against the central rail; if descending, a like effect will be
produced by the toggle I¹. The openings in the slide L, through which the
connecting pins of the toggles pass, are elongated, to allow one or the other
of them to be brought into action:
When it is wished to operate upon the gripping wheels independently of
the weight or resistance of the train, a lever may be affixed, so as to operate
by hand on the slide L; but for this purpose the Inventor prefers the mode
shewn in Fig. 4, which consists in the application of a piston to the inner end
of the slide L, such piston working in a steam cylinder in connection with
the boiler of the locomotive. The red lines in Fig. 4 shew this application.
P is the steam cylinder, the piston of which has a stroke of about five or six-
inches. This cylinder is connected with the boiler by a tube Q; R are the
steam ways, furnished with a. three-way cock, by means of which steam may
be let into the, cylinder, so as to operate on the piston at either end, and
consequently on the toggles. I, I', either in ascending or descending. By this
means the gripping wheels are pressed against the rail, and held there by the
clastic force of the steam, and are made to adjust themselves to its inequalities
more perfectly than could be effected by a spring of steel or other material.
In order to apply the steam with the force required for ascending the
inclined plane, as proposed under the second head of the Invention, an addi-

page_text: tional or second pair of steam cylinders is employed, one of which cylinders
is shewn at N, Fig. 1. The pistons of these cylinders are made to operate
upon the shaft C by means of the connecting rods O, and thus, through the
wheels D and E, communicate rotary motion to the gripping wheels B. When
the valve is drawn which is to admit. steam into the cylinders N, the engine
will be held to the rails by the whole adhesive power due to the ordinary
driving wheels and to that of the gripping wheels, the latter of which will
have their adhesive or biting power increased in direct proportion to the
resistance or weight of the train. Should the train in this case be enabled to
advance with only one half of its ordinary speed, the quantity of steam
expended will not be decreased, but will be used with its whole effective force.
At Figures 5, 6, and 7, an arrangement is shewn for preventing the unequal
motion of the slide valves of the steam cylinders, caused by the excentrics
changing their relative position to the rock shafts, by the rise and depression
of the axle of the driving wheels. It must have been frequently remarked by
railway engineers, that when locomotives are running on an uneven or rough
road the exhaust was as irregular as the road, and of course the engine was
not working with its full power, whereas at such times it should exert its
full power, having more resistance to overcome than when running on an
even track. In order to prevent this irregular. working, the boxes which
surround the valve excentrics are supported by and made to slide respectively
within a frame or yoke, suspended to the framing of the engine by means
of levers, in such a manner that it always maintains the same relative posi-
tion to the frame, leaving the driving shaft, with its. eccentrics, &c., free to
move up and down, while the excentric in its revolutions gives an uniform
vibratory motion to the yoke, without regard to the position of the shaft.
One of the levers by which the yoke is suspended is attached to the tail of the
lever that moves the valve, by means of the usual forked. connection, trans-
mitting the vibratory motion. of the yoke, to the valve lever or rock shaft.
The engine is reversed by the raising or falling of this forked lever between
the excentrics, so as to connect either of the pair of yokes to the valve lever.
On referring to the Drawing, the apparatus for working the valves will be seen
in front view at Fig. 5, and in edge views at Figures 6 and 7. A is one of a
pair of excentrics; B; the sliding box; C, C, the yoke or vibrating frame;
D, the rock shaft; E, E, are the suspension. levers; G is the shaft which
carries the suspension lever E', and also the reversing lever; II is the valve
lever; and II, the tail of the valve lever, jointed to the forked connecting
lever: I; J; the reversing lever, connected by a pendant rod to the lever I.
This rod, which connects the reversing lever to the forked lever I, must be of

page_text: the same length as the tail of the valve lever, so that all the levers may
describe the same arcs in vibrating. The forks M, M, are placed at opposite
sides of the connecting lever I, so that as it is raised or lowered it may attach
either of the excentrics to the valve lever, as may be required.
The third part of the Invention, which refers to an improvement in the
locomotive boiler, is intended to prevent the flues of the boiler from being
partially uncovered or raised above the water line, and exposed to the destruc-
tive heat of the fire, while the engine is ascending or 'descending heavy
gradients.
This object is accomplished by the application of a series of transverse
vertical partitions to the cylindrical part of the boiler, which partitions are
rivetted or otherwise attached to the outer casing of the boiler, and are of such
a height as shall reach to the lowest water level of the boiler.
The flues are made of copper or iron, drawn to a uniform size, and being
passed through well-bored holes in the partition plates, will render them
sufficiently tight for all practical purposes. When the engine is.ascending, the
water is to be supplied to the boiler at the front end, and it will consequently
run from one division to the next, keeping the flues covered with water when
the engine is on such an inclination that without this arrangement the flues
would be at one end out of the water and exposed to the destructive heat of
the fire. In descending, the boiler is to be supplied at the opposite end. This
may done by means of a branched pipe from the pumps to each end of the
boiler, provided with a valve or cock, so that the engineer can at will direct
the water to either end.
If it should be preferred to give the engineer no control over this part of
the apparatus (as a neglect to attend properly to it in ascending or descending
a long and heavy gradient might be productive of serious consequences), a
very simple self-acting arrangement will be to have a portion of the injection
pipe enlarged for a short distance on either side of its junction with the pump.
This portion of the pipe must be placed horizontally or parallel with the
boiler. Within this pipe is placed a ball valve, capable of running freely from
one end of the chamber to the other, so that in ascending, it falls to the lower
end of the chamber, and consequently closes that branch of the injection pipe,
and the water is delivered at the highest end of the boiler. In descending,
a like effect is produced, and the water is supplied at the opposite end of the
boiler. The distance between these partitions will depend upon the length of
the boiler and the inclination to be overcome.
At Figures 8 and 9 a locomotive boiler, constructed after the improved
plan, is shewn in Diagram, Fig. 8 shewing it on a level, and Fig. 9 on an

page_text: inclination; the corresponding parts being lettered alike in both. The line
A, A, represents the upper surface of the top flues. The partitions are shewn
at B, B, their upper edges being even with the lower water line C, C. The
highest water line is shewn at D, D, Fig. 9; the water being at the lowest
water line, it is confined and prevented from running to the lower end by the
partitions B, B, it will therefore lie as shewn at E, E; whereas if the divisions
were not there it would take the level, as shewn at F, F, leaving the flues
at F uncovered and liable to be burned. This danger would be greater in
descending, as in that case the top of the fire box G, G, would be exposed.
Where these partitions are used there must be a blow-off cock or foot valve
between cach division, to clear the boiler of sediment.
The fourth part of this Invention relates to a self-acting brake, which is
intended to prevent accidents in the event of the breaking or separating of the
links by which the respective parts of the train are connected together. This
brake consists of a pair of jointed grippers, one of which is to be attached to
each carriage, and held up clear of the central rail by a chain, which is con-
nected with the bolt of an additional link or attachment, and which, when the
main link that connects the carriages together is separated or broken, liberates
the grippers and allows them to fall, so as to embrace the central rail, upon
which the gripping wheels of the locomotive operate.
In Fig. 1, one of these brakes and its appurtenances are shewn as attached to
a tender carriage, and in Figures 10 and 11 it is represented on a scale of two
and a half inches to the foot. S is a pair of gripping tongs, which are hung
to the bottom of the carriage by a jointed link T, upon which they are free to
vibrate laterally to a short distance, but not so far as to prevent them from
embracing the centre rail when they are allowed to fall upon it; U is a chain
by which they are sustained so long as the ordinary connection of the carriages
with the train remains perfect; V is a rod sliding through staples, and 'at
its inner end holding the chain U, its outer end being connected to the loco-
motive engine or carriage, as the case may be, by a chain W. Should the
link of the train separate, the rod V will be drawn forward out of connection
with the chain U, and the gripping tongs will fall and embrace the rail A.
The shanks or longer arms of their gripping tongs. are attached to a chain X,
and this, at its opposite end, to a stancheon. Y, made fäst to the bottom of the
carriage. By this arrangement the train will be kept from descending to a
lower level of the road, by the jaws of the gripping tongs biting the centre rail,
which bite is produced by the draft of the carriage pulling on their longer arms
as they begin to act at the moment of separation, and before the carriages
have attained any considerable degree of downward motion, and have therefore

page_text: scarcely any momentum to overcome.
It will be obvious, from the foregoing,
that some parts of this Invention may be advantageously employed without the
others, and also that, the arrangements above described admit of modification
without departing from the nature of the Invention, as for example, the wheels
may be made to gripe the central rail by the gravitating force or resistance of
the train, without the employment of the two toggles, by simply bending the
ends of the two levers in which they turn, and connecting these levers with the
train by the link; but the use of the two toggles is preferred for effecting the
desired end.
Having now described the Invention as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim, with respect to the first head, the method of increasing
the tractive power of the locomotive engine, by the resistance or gravity of the
train to be drawn thereby, by connecting, such train with the driving wheels
which gripe the central rail, as described. I also claim the connecting of the
wheels that gripe the centre rail (and which act thereon as drivers) with the
apparatus for producing an elastic pressure, as described, whereby the required
adhesion can be obtain when the locomotive is ascending or descending an
inclined plain alone, or without a train of carriages, or when, by accident or
other cause, the resistance or gravity of the train cannot be employed for this
purpose. I also claim the forming of the connection between the gripping
wheels and the train by means of two toggle joints, acting in opposite directions;
and connected with the levers of the gripping wheels, whereby the train is
made to act on the gripping wheels either in ascending or descending inclined
planes. I further claim the connecting of the two gripping wheels with the
frame of the locomotive by means of the levers above described, and shewn in
the Drawing, whereby the locomotive is left free to vibrate between the track
rails whilst the gripping wheels are acting on the centre rail, thereby relieving
the central rail from being affected by the surging of the locomotive from side
to' side.
Under the second head of the Invenion, I claim the application and use of
the auxiliary pair of cylinders in connection with the driving shaft C, whereby I
am enabled to employ the full and effective force of the, steam when the engine
is running at its reduced speed. I also claim under this head, mounting the
boxes of the valve excentrics in a vibrating frame or yoke, connected to the
frame of the locomotive engine, whereby the action of the excentrics may
be communicated to the valves of the steam cylinders in a uniform manner;
without being affected by the rising and depression of the axle which carries
the valve excentrics.

page_text: Under the third head of the Invention, I claim the application of cross
partitions to the boilers of locomotive engines for the purpose above described.
Under the fourth head of the Invention, I claim the combining of the
gripping tongs with a railroad carriage or carriages by means of the arms of
its levers and by chains or jointed rods, as described, whereby the pull of the
carriage on running down an inclined plane, in the event of the breaking of
the connection of the locomotive engine or of the carriages with each other,
will act on the tongs and cause them to grip the central rail.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight.