IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING LOCOMOTION OR PROPELLING ON LAND
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Henry, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR EFFECTING LOCOMOTION OR PROPELLING ON LAND."-A communication
from abroad by Auguste Bernier and Hyppolite Louis Godard Desmarest,
both of 33, Boulevart Saint Martin, Paris, France.
Sealed the 21st July 1865, and dated the 31st January 1865.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st
January 1865.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING LOCOMOTION OR PROPELLING ON LAND," Communi-
cated to me from abroad by Auguste Bernier and Hyppolite Louis Godard
Desmarest, both of 33, Boulevart Saint Martin, Paris, France, to be as
follows:-
This invention refers to engines. carriages, and machinery to be propelled
on land. Heretofore such apparatus have been propelled by applying power
in the wheels on which they run, whereas according to the present Invention
the propulsion of the engine, carriage, or machine is effected by means of
levers, legs, or feet having an alternating or rising and falling motion imparted
to them by steam or other power, and so fitted and worked that at their down
stroke they apply their lower ends against the ground or surface to be travelled
over, and thereby. move the apparatus in the required direction in a manner
somewhat similar to the propulsive action of the legs of a horse. These levers,
legs, or feet may be jointed and curved or inclined as required.
[9/1

page_text: Sometimes the following arrangement may be adopted:-The legs, which
may terminate in broad ends or feet, may be attached to cranks on a pair of
cranked shafts geared together, and may be guided laterally by bars working
in a slotted frame and connected by cross pieces against which the legs strike
in their longitudinal or fore-and-aft travel, so that their inclination may be
regulated. The bars may be worked by levers and connecting rods and the
legs kept up by springs. The direction of motion may be reversed by another
cranked shaft working legs inclined in an opposite direction to the others.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Michael Henry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31s!
July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I. MICHAEL.
HENRY, of 84. Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Iler most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent. bearing date the Thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself. Her heirs and successors. give and grant unto me, the
said Michael Henry, Her special licence that I, the said Michach Henry, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said. Michael
Henry, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
EFFECTING LOCOMOTION OR PROPELLING ON LAND," communicated to me from
abroad by Auguste Bernier and Hyppolite Louis Godard Desmarest, both of
33, Boulevart Saint Martin, Paris, France, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Michael Henry, 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 10
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Michael Henry, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to he particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, as communicated to me, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
This Invention refers to engines, carriages, and machinery to be propelled
on land, such as locomotives, traction engines, portable engines, steam cul-
tivators, and similar apparatus. Heretofore such apparatus have been
propelled by applying power to the wheels on which they run, whereas
according to the present Invention the propulsion of the engine, carriage,
machine or apparatus is effected by means of levers, legs, or feet which have
an alternating or rising and falling motion imparted to them by steam or
other power, and are so fitted and worked that at their down stroke they
apply their lower ends against the ground or surface to be travelled over, and
thereby move the apparatus in the required direction. These levers, legs, or
feet work in a manner somewhat similar to the propulsive action of the legs of
a horse; they may be jointed and curved or inclined as required.
The accompanying Drawings exemplify more particularly in what manner
the Invention may be carried into effect.
Figure is a sectional elevation, and Figure 2 a plan of an apparatus
constructed according to this Invention.
A is a frame, consisting of two longitudinal bars connected by cross pieces,
to which are secured longitudinal frame bars A' which support the machinery.
Platforms are fixed at. the front and back ends of the frame; F is the driver's
seat. At the back end of the frame is an axle B combined with springs, as in
a railway carriage, and carrying bearing wheels C. The axle B is cranked so
that large wheels may be used. At the front end of the frame is an axle g
carrying two wheels D which serve as bearing and steering wheels: the axle
and wheels are connected by springs with an annular frame or ring E centered
on a bolt or pole pin e. Rotary motion is communicated to this frame E by
a hand wheel b worked by the driver, this wheel bhaving on its axis a
toothed wheel H in gear with a toothed flange G fixed to the frame E. The
driver guides or steers the apparatus by turning the wheel b, and thereby
turning the frame E which carries the axle and its wheels. The framing
A, A', supports a steam engine, with its boiler and appurtenances, from which
motion is communicated to two cranked shafts T. T'. geared together by
wheels r, r, and turning in bearings . ', bolted to the cross bars of the
frame. Each shaft has four right-angled cranks, the eight cranks corres-
ponding with eight divisions of a circle divided into eight parts. To each
crank is fastened a leg V, V, V. Each leg consists of a head V, like the
forked end of a connecting rod, attached to a wood shank V terminating in

page_text: an iron foot of a shape like that of a horse's hoof slightly convex at the
middle; the leg may be jointed at the foot or at the middle, or at both; the
under surface of the foot may be smooth or rough. These legs receive alter-
nating motion from the shafts T. T', so that they rise and fall, they touch the
surface to be travelled over at the same angle the feet bear against such
surface when the legs descend, and the apparatus is thereby propelled by the
action of the legs.
I now proceed to describe certain arrangements which may be employed for
bringing the legs into and out of action. Two brackets are secured under
the frame bars, one in front of and the other behind the legs. In each bracket.
are four slots, in which work four bars "connected by stays or distance
pieces there are thus four bars " connected together at the right side,
and four bars connected together at the left side of the machine. In the
space between every two bars work one fore leg and one hind leg. the legs are
thus guided laterally, and as they descend they strike against the stays "",
whereby their initial inclination is regulated. These stays are provided with
friction rollers to ease the action. Within reach of the driver's hand are two
levers J, one lever works one set of bars 2", and the other works the other
set, whereby the legs are brought into and out of action; for this purpose
each lever J actuates a connecting rod carrying at its further end a lever y
centered on an axis " supported in the bracket r. This lever works another
lever connected with the set of bars 2". A spring Z tends to force the bars
back and raise the legs. When the driver raises the lever J the spring keeps
the feet raised one after another as fast as they quit the ground. When the
driver restores the lever J to its position the legs resume their action. Thus
the driver is at liberty to regulate the power of the legs by raising them
gradually in this manner as required; and when he desires to steer the
machine by the wheel and frame E he lifts the legs on one or other side of
the machine out of action, and thereby assists the machine to obey the action
of the steering wheel b. The legs strike the ground at the dead point and then
rise gradually they bear against the ground or surface travelled over at
their down stroke, whereby they propel the carriage. Any ordinary break
may be used, as for example, the break M worked by a hand wheel p. Shoes
or skids suspended by chains may also be used, being forced under the wheels
when the chains are freed or released. Two cams are mounted at the end of
the back cranked shaft outside the gearing and work two legs inclined and
working in a contrary direction to the first-named legs; these two legs can
be lifted out of action by levers. When the carriage is to be moved backward
the propelling or forward action legs are raised out of action, the breaks put

page_text: on. and the two backing legs set in motion, whereupon the direction of motion
will be reversed without reversing the engine. When the apparatus is stopped
the legs may serve as props. The apparatus may run on rails, common, roads,
or other solid surfaces.
Although I have herein described. and herein-after claim certain particular
mechanical arrangements for bringing the legs into and out of action, I do
not restrict myself to those particular arrangements for the purpose: also I
do not restrict myself to the mechanical arrangements described for steering
or guiding the machine, nor to the arrangements described for communicating
motion from the motive engine to the legs; also, instead of using a steam
engine to work the legs, other ordinary means of obtaining motive power may
be used: of course the number and form of the legs may be varied, as also the
arrangements of the frame. breaks, and skids, and bearing wheels, and the
mere mechanical details. without departing from the nature of the Invention
as herein set forth.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be performed, I declare that I claim.-
First, the employment of legs which have an alternating or rising and
falling motion communicated to them and work against the surface to be
travelled over, whereby they propel an engine, carriage. machine or apparatus,
substantially as described.
Second, the arrangement and combination of parts for bringing the legs
into and out of action. in which levers, bars, stays, and springs are used<<
as represented in the Drawings. and herein-before described in reference
thereto.
Third, the general arrangement and combination of parts for effecting
locomotion or propulsion on land, as herein-before described and represented
in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I. the said Michael Henry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of July, in the year One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-five.