IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION AND TRAMWAY LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Henry Mills, of College Street, in the City
of London, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION
AND TRAMWAY LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES."
Sealed the 31st October 1873, and dated the 3rd May 1873.
.i
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Henry Mills at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd May 1873.
I, JAMES HENRY MILLS, of College Stroot, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
“IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION AND TRAMWAY LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in steam traction and tramway
locomotives, whereby they may be stopped and started more easily,
quietly, and quickly than is now the case, and at the same time without
the puffing noise made by such engines in starting with full weight on
them, and which is one of the principal objections to their use on common
roads.

page_text: I accomplish the above objects by so contriving the stopping and
starting gear of such engines that they may be pulled up without
stopping the working of the pistons. To effect this I disconnect the
driving gear from the driving wheels at the moment it is desired to stop
the engine, which may then easily be pulled up by a brake whilst the
pistons and driving shaft are allowed to run on under the regulating
power of a governor, which may be of any suitable construction.
The driving wheels are driven from the main shaft by straps, the shaft
being provided with fixed and loose pulleys. At the moment it is
desired to pull up the engine the straps are thrown off the fixed on to
the loose pulleys by a lever or levers suitably placed for that purpose,
from which moment the motive power ceases to be imparted to the
driving wheels, so that the engine may then easily be pulled up by a
brake. When it is desired to start the engine it is only necessary to ease
the brake, and throw the straps on to the fixed pulleys, when the engine
will be again set in motion, and without the least puffing noise. Either
one or both sets of wheels may thus receive motion direct from the
driving shaft.
If the engine be required to stop so long that to continue the working
of the pistons would cause any considerable waste of steam, they may be
stopped after the engine has been pulled up, and started again before the
driving wheels and shaft are connected, and thus effect the objects of
this Invention without waste of steam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said James Henry Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office 2
on the 3rd November 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HENRY MILLS, of College Street, in the City of London, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Henry Mills, Her special license

page_text: that I, the said James Henry Mills, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Henry Mills, 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 TRACTION AND TRAMWAY LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES," upon. the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Henry Mills, 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 immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Henry Mills, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to improvements in steam traction and tramway
locomotives, whereby they may be stopped and started more easily,
quietly, and quickly than is now the case, and at the same time without
the puffing noise made at present by such engines in starting with full
weight on them, and which is one of the principal objections to their use
on common roads.
I accomplish the above objects by so contriving the stopping and
starting gear of such engines that the engine may be pulled up without
stopping the working of the pistons. To effect this I disconnect the
driving gear from the driving wheels at the moment it is desired to stop
the engine, which may then easily be pulled up by a brake, whilst the
pistons and crank shaft are allowed to run on under the regulating
power of a governor, which may be of any suitable construction.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the same, with the aid of
the accompanying Drawings, reference being had to the letters and
figures marked thereon, and in which Figure 1 is a plan of the bottom.
of a tramway locomotive engine, shewing my improvements attacheɖ;.

page_text: Figure 2 is a longitudinal elevation, with part of the outer casing
removed; Figure 3, a full longitudinal elevation; and Figure 4, views of
part of the apparatus detached. In each Figure the same letter of refer-
ence, wherever it occurs, indicates like or, corresponding parts.
The driving wheels A are driven from the crank shaft B by straps C,
which straps run on pulleys fixed to said crank shaft and the axles of the
driving wheels. On the said axles are fast and loose pulleys D and D³,
whilst the pulleys E on the crank shaft are made sufficiently wide to
allow of the straps being shifted alternately on to either the fixed or
loose pulleys, as occasion may require. The engine having been started, 1
and the crank shaft set in motion, the motion will be immediately
imparted to the driving wheels by the straps, and the engine will proceed
along the tramway or road.
When it is desired to pull up the engine the straps are thrown off the
fixed on to the loose pulleys by means of the lever F. This lever is 1
shewn detached and enlarged at Figure 4. The motion of the crank.
shaft thus ceases to be imparted to the driving wheels, so that the engine
may be then easily pulled up by a brake, which may be of any suitable
construction. When it is desired again to start the engine along the
road it is only necessary to ease the brake and throw the straps on to the
fixed pulleys where the motion of the crank shaft will be imparted to the
driving wheels. The power is thus applied gradually, and the engine
started without the least puffing noise. Either one or both sets of wheels
may thus receive motion. direct from the driving shaft. The whole of
the working parts are covered in from the dirt by a thin casing G.
Instead of the above method of actuating the driving wheels by straps
any suitable friction gearing may be employed.
If the engine be required to stop so long that to continue the working
of the pistons would cause any considerable waste of steam they may be
stopped after the engine has been pulled up, and stated again before a
the driving wheels and crank shaft are connected, and thus the objects.
of the Invention may be effected without waste of steam.
I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine myself to any
particular construction of engine to which to apply my improvements as.
above set forth, as they may be applied with equal benefit to traction
engines of either. three or four wheels.

page_text: The engine shewn in the accompanying Drawings is intended to be
worked by gas carried under pressure in the double roof of the carriage
covering in the engine, and the boiler and furnace are constructed
according to Inventions for which Letters Patent have been granted to
me, viz., No. 1088, dated 8th April 1872, and No. 1039, dated also
the 8th April 1872.
my
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to or may be
performed, I claim as my Invention to be secured by the herein.
before in part recited Letters Patent, the improvements in traction and
tramway locomotive engines, substantially as herein-before set forth and
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Henry Mills, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.