IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING CARRIAGES ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOIN
SAMUEL TEMPLETON, of Sussex Place, Kensington, in the County of Middlesex,
Artist, 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 Twelfth day of July, in the ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Samuel Templeton, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Samuel Tem-
pleton, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Samuel Templeton, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING CARRIAGES ON RAILWAYS;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said John Samuel
Templeton, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled 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.

page_text: Figure 1 represents a transverse sectional view of tubes and apparatus
arranged for carrying out my Invention. Figure 2 is an external longitudinal
view of a portion of the said tubes. In those two views the box or case
.which encloses the levers or keys, for opening or closing the cock in the pipes
between the two tubes, is removed in order that those parts may be more
clearly seen. Figure 3 is another external longitudinal view of the tubes,
shewing the box enclosing the levers or keys; and Figure 4 is a longitudinal
section of a portion of the two tubes. In cach of the Figures the same letters
are used to indicate similar parts. I place a continuous tube or reservoir A of
adequate capacity, extending the whole length of the line of railway, and in
connexion with this tube or reservoir, at suitable distances apart, I place
stationary pumps or other apparatus either for compressing the atmospheric air
to a high degree of density into the tube or reservoir A, or for exhausting the
air from it partially or altogether, such pumps or apparatus to be worked by
steam or other suitable power. Near to the tube or reservoir A, I place a
second continuous tube B, running parallel or generally so with the first, also
extending the whole length of the line of railway, and occupying any conve-
nient situation between or at either side of the rails. In this second tube B
there is a continuous opening D running from end to end, and this tube B is
connected with the tube or reservoir A by short pipes or tubes C placed at
convenient intervals, which pipes are fitted with stopcocks or other valves E,
by which the communication between the reservoir A and the tube B can be
opened or closed as required. The plug E of the stopcock is secured in its
place by a screw E¹. On the stem of the plug E are affixed two sets of

page_text: levers or keys G and H, which are opened upon so as to open or close the
passage between the tubes A and B, as will presently be more fully described.
These levers are partially enclosed by a box or plate I, the front of which
supports a bearing K to receive the outer end of the plug E. The short tubes
C are connected to the tube B by the flanges M, and to the tube A by flanges
N, there being a ring of leather, felt, vulcanized india rubber, or other
suitable material between the joints, so that they may be perfectly air-tight.
Figure 5 represents a longitudinal side view of valvular apparatus, which I
will now proceed to describe, to be used according to my Invention in
connection with the tubes already described. Figure 6 is a plan of the same.
Within the tube B, I place the apparatus Figures 5 and 6, composed of a
tube a, with pistons b, b, packed so as to travel freely but air-tight along the
interior of the tube b, and so as to insulate a portion of the tube B, which for
the time being (between the two pistons b, b,) forms at that part a separate
chamber, which portion I prefer to be of sufficient length to extend over two
of the orifices of the connecting pipes C, fitted with stopcocks or other valves
which open into it from the tube A. This separate chamber is again placed
in communication with an outer tube or vessel, as will be more fully described
hereafter. The whole of the valvular apparatus contained within tube B,
together with the outer tube and connecting plates or pipes, constitute the
novel feature of my propelling apparatus; and it is by means of this apparatus
the power created in the tube or reservoir A, either as a plenum or vacuum,
is transmitted to and made effective in propelling the carriages along the line
of railway. This valvular apparatus is attached, as shewn in the Drawings, to
the carriage having the working cylinders. Figure 6 is a plan of the same.
The two pistons 6 are secured firmly to the travelling tube a, and are packed
with leather or other suitable material so as to travel freely but air-tight along
with it in the interior of continuous tube B. The distance between these
pistons may be of any convenient length, say from six to eight feet, more or
less. And I would remark, that the farther apart the pistons B can be
conveniently placed the further apart will the stopcocks admit of being fixed.
c is a longitudinal flap or valve formed outwardly of a strap of stout leather,
securely rivetted or otherwise affixed to a somewhat flexible strap of metal,
and extending from one piston 6 to the other. This longitudinal flap or valve
c must be wider than the slot or opening D in tube B along which (on the
inside) it travels, and being pressed against the inner edge of the slot by the
pressure of the condensed air, when a plenum is being made use of, it renders
that part of the tube B which for the time is between the before-mentioned
pistons b, b, air-tight. d, d', are plates securely attached to the extreme ends
of the travelling tube a, and these plates pass out through the opening or slot

page_text: D in the tube B, and are used, first, as guides to the pistons b, b, and
longitudinal valve a; secondly, to them are attached the bar e, which carries
the tappets or surfaces for opening and closing the stopcocks E, and to which
bar e is also secured the staples h, h; and thirdly, one of them, videlicit, d¹, by
the perforations d, d, d, forms a communication between the interior of the
travelling tube a and the outer tube n, the use of which will be herein-after
described. is a tappet or surface carried by the bar e for opening the stop-
cocks in the pipes between the tubes A and B, when the apparatus is
moved in the direction indicated by the red arrow. f is another tappet or
surface for closing the stopcocks in the pipes, connecting the tubes A and B
when the apparatus is moved in the direction indicated by the red arrow.
9, 9, are similar projections, which perform the same relative functions when
the apparatus is proceeding in an opposite direction. h, h, are staples or
plates slotted and bolted firmly to the bar e, by means of which the travelling
valvular apparatus is moved along the interiors of the continuous tube B by
the momentum of the locomotive, to which, through its instrumentality, motive
power is communicated from the tube or reservoir A. k are stout pins
bolted to the bar l, which is firmly secured to the frame of the locomotive, as
is shown at Figure 7 on a smaller scale, the pins k passing through the slots
in the plates h, so as to allow of any slight irregularity in the motion of the
carriage in passing along the line, thereby giving the impulse of the locomotive
to the travelling valvular apparatus herein just described. m is a small
chamber bolted air-tight to the upper surface of the plate d', into the interior
of which the perforations d³, d, d³, form a communication from the interior of
the travelling tube a, which again communicates with the strong flexible tube
n, which completes the communication from the tube or reservoir A, before
described, to the locomotive. The dotted lines o, o, represent the continuous
tube B, by which are shown the relative positions of the valvular travers-
ing apparatus and its parts, the dotted circle p shewing the relative position
of one of the openings through the short connecting pipes or tubes from
the continuous tube or reservoir A into the continuous tube B. q is an
opening by which a communication is made from the insulated portion of
the interior of the tube B to the interior of the travelling tube or pipe a of
the valvular apparatus. The dotted lines G, H, show the relative position of
the keys or levers of the stopcock, and the manner in which they are acted on
by the tappets or projecting surfaces f¹, f¹, 91, 9', before described. The
dotted arrows in all the Figures show the communications and passages of the
atmosphere through the apparatus. Figure 7 shows the manner in which the
locomotive is connected with and operated on by means of the above apparatus.
Figure 8 shows a transverse section of a line of railway with the atmospheric

page_text: tubes A, B, before described. In these Figures 7 and 8 the same letters refer
respectively to the same parts of the apparatus, as already described. n is the
strong flexible tube forming a communication for the atmosphere between the
traversing valvular apparatus a before described and the large tube I'
attached to the locomotive. N' is a stopcock with handle o' for regulating the
said communication. It is a large tube firmly attached to the frame of the
locomotive from which the required atmospheric power is immediately supplied
to the working cylinders of the locomotive, there being a supply pipe L'
through which the atmospheric power passes from the tube I¹ to the working
cylinders Q', only one of which is shown in the Drawing. The supply of the
atmospheric power to the working cylinders is regulated by the stopcocks M²,
and let on or shut off as required. P¹, P¹, are rod and handle connected to a
lever on the plug of the stopcock M², by which it is placed under the control
of the engine driver. The piston rod S of the piston R¹ is attached as shewn
to the connecting rod T, so as to give motion to one of the cranks U¹ of the
axle of the driving wheels V of the locomotive, as is well understood. W is
the frame of the locomotive on which is placed the waggon head or box x for
the purpose of receiving goods or passengers in place of the usual steam
generator or boiler, and parts which, according to my Invention, are not
required. Y, Y, are the rails of the railway. When the tube or reservoir A
is used as a plenum the propulsion is caused by the compressed air therein
contained being allowed, as described, to escape into the locomotive cylinders
I, and act on the pistons. Where the said tube is used as a vacuum the
contrary effect takes place, and the external atmospheric air, by its own weight
5 rushing into the locomotive cylinders Q' acts on the pistons, passes through
the valves and apparatus described into the vacuum tube, from whence it is
again discharged by means of the stationary pneumatic pumps or other
apparatus before mentioned, and thus an adequate amount of vacuum in the
tube A is maintained as long as required; but in using the travelling valvular
apparatus, when a state of vacuum in the tube A is made use of, a slight
modification is necessary, as shown at Figure 9, the only difference being, that
instead of the longitudinal flap c, described with respect to Figures 5 and 6, I
employ two flexible wires C pressed outwards by india rubber or other flexible
materials C¹, and covered by the packing C³, as shown. These parts C, C¹, C³,
5 extend from one piston 6 to the other, as was described with respect to the
flap c of Figures 5 and 6, and the other parts remain the same. I also
propose to combine the two modes of action by doubling such parts of the
apparatus as may be requisite for so doing; thus, by having two tubes or
reservoirs A, one as a plenum and the other as a vacuum, then by working

page_text: the pistons of the locomotive cylinders with compressed air from the plenum
tube, and afterwards discharging it into the vacuum tube, the amount of pro-
pelling power will be nearly doubled.
I will now describe the second part of my Invention. Underneath and
attached to railway locomotive engines, either steam, atmospheric, pneumatic,
or whatever motive power be used, I propose to fix a screw of a certain form,
the axis of which is to be horizontal, and placed in a direction parallel to the
rails, about midway between them. The screw is to be made to revolve
rapidly on its axis in a proper direction, by means of a pinion turned by a
wheel on an axis, which is to be acted on by means of the piston rods of the
locomotive engine, the power of the engines being disconnected, as is well
understood, from the driving wheels when the screw is in action. The screw
itself is to be of any convenient length, say twelve or fifteen feet, and diameter,
say eighteen or twenty-four inches, and pitch, say angle of forty-five degrees,
the ends of the axis of the screw are to turn in bearings firmly attached to the
locomotive, and the thread or periphery of the screw is to work in grips,
points, or notches of any ordinary construction firmly fixed in the ground at
certain accurately guaged intervals along the centre of the line of railway, in
such manner that the intervals shall be exactly equal to one, two, or more
turns of the thread of the screw measured along the centre of the axis in a
right line, and also in such wise as that the foremost part of the screw shall
come into gear with and act on one of the said grips, points, or notches,
before the latter part of the screw shall have left that with which it is
engaged. This railway screw propeller will be found applicable under nearly
all circumstances, but is particularly so for surmounting steep gradients.
Having thus described the Invention, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the details described, so long as the peculiar character of
either part of my Invention be retained. But what I claim is,-
First, the mode of arranging apparatus a, b, and parts working therewith, in
connection with a locomotive engine, as herein described;
And, secondly, I claim the mode of propelling carriages on railways by
applying screws to locomotive carriages, and fixing grips, points, or notches to
railways.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Samuel Templeton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of January, in the year of our
J. S. (L.s.) TEMPLETON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twelfth day of January, in the
year of our Lord 1846, the aforesaid John Samuel Templeton came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-six.