AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ROAD ROLLERS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Aveling, of Rochester, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
STEAM ROAD ROLLERS."
Sealed the 8th October 1878, and dated the 5th July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Aveling at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th July 1878.
THOMAS AVELING, of Rochester, in the County of Kent, Engineer. "AN IM-
PROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ROAD ROLLERS."
In the Specification of a Patent granted to me and bearing date February 25th,
1871, I described an arrangement of steam road roller, in which the hind rollers
formed the driving rollers, and the front rollers the steering rollers. These front
rollers were so mounted relatively to the back rollers as to take that portion of the
road which is in line with the space, and is consequently missed by the back
rollers.
In order to bring these front or steering rollers close together, I adopted a con-
trivance which necessitated the making of those rollors slightly conical. To avoid
the use of conical rollers, which required an undue expenditure of driving power,
caused unequal wear, and were costly to fit up, I now propose to use for the front
steering rollers a pair of cylindrical rollers, which I mount loosely on a straight
shaft, which shaft I connect externally of the rollers with the vertical pivot shaft.
This pivot shaft passes through a bracket casting attached to and projecting in front
of the smoke box. This casting at its attached end takes in cross section the form
of the smoke box, so that it may fit thereon, and be bolted securely thereto. It is
cast with a hollow neck, which coincides with the opening in the sınoke box
through which the gases of combustion escape, and upon this neck the chimney is
fitted.
The forward end of the bracket casting is pierced vertically with a laterally
tapering hole to receive the pivot shaft, and fitted to this shaft, so as to embrace the
casting, are two flanges.

page_text: The taper hole is circular at its lower end, and of such diameter as to allow of the
pivot shaft turning freely therein under the action of the steering gear. At its
upper end this hole is widened sufficiently to provide for the lateral oscillation of
the shaft when the steering rollers are canted by meeting an obstruction in the road,
and thus, as in the arrangement above referred to, the verticality of the engine is not 5
interfered with by the canting of the steering rollers.
The pivot shaft is made fast at its lower end to a cross bar or girder, which
girder forms part of a saddle framing, which extends over the top of the bracket
casting.
。
Below the cross girder depend portions of the framing which carry the bearings 1
of the shaft, on which the front rollers are mounted loosely. Thus the shaft of the
front rollers is securely attached to the pivot shaft, which shaft carries the weight of
the front of the engine, as in my former Patent, and the steering rollers, which are
brought into close proximity with each other, will be free to follow the movements
of the steering gear, as well as the irregularities of the road on which the engine is 1
travelling.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Lotters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Aveling in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th January
1879.
THOMAS AVELING, of Rochester, in the County of Kont, Engineer. "AN IM-
PROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ROAD ROLLERS."
In the Specification of a Patent granted to me and bearing date February Twenty-
fifth, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, I described an arrangement of
steam road roller, in which the bind rollers formed the driving rollers, and the front
rollers the steering rollers. These front rollers were so mounted relatively to the
back rollers as to take that portion of the road which is in line with the space
between, and is consequently inissed by the back rollers.
In order to bring these front or steering rollers close together I adopted a con-
trivance which necessitated the making of those rollers slightly conical. To avoid
the use of conical rollers, which required an undue expenditure of driving power,
caused unequal wear, and were costly to fit up, I now propose to use in lieu thereof
a pair of cylindrical rollers, which I mount loosely on a straight shaft, which
shaft I connect externally of the rollers with the vertical pivot shaft in such
manner as to permit of their following any irregularities in the surface of the road
without interfering with the steering of the engine.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a road roller, arranged
according to my present Invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; and
Fig. 3 is a partial plan view.
In these Figures A, A, are the cylindrical steering rollers, and B is the steam
boiler; C is the horizontal shaft on which the rollers A are loosely mounted. This
shaft has its bearings in a saddle frame D, which carries also the pivot shaft E.
This pivot shaft passes through a bracket casting F, attached to and projecting in
front of the smoke box. This casting, at its attached end, takes in cross section the
form of the smoke box, as shewn at Fig. 2, so that it may fit thereon and be bolted
securely thereto. It is cast with a hollow neck f, which coincides with the opening
in the smoke box through which the gases of combustion escape, and upon this neck
the chimney is fitted.
The forward end of the bracket casting is pierced vertically with a laterally
tapering hole, to receive the pivot shaft E, and fitted to this shaft, so as to embrace
the casting, are two collars e, e.
The taper hole is circular at its lower end, and of such diameter as to allow of the
pivot shaft turning freely therein under the action of the steering gear. At its
upper end this hole is widened, as shown by dots at Fig. 3, to provide for the
lateral oscillation of the shaft when the steering rollers are canted by meeting with
an obstruction in the road, and thus, as in the arrangement above referred to, the
verticality of the engine is not interfered with by the canting of the steering
rollers.
The pivot shaft is formed with a flange at its lower end to receive screw bolts,
which connect it firmly with a cross bar or girder & forming part of the saddle
framing D, and this pivot shaft, at its upper end, passes through the top of the
framing D and serves to stiffen the same. This framing, it will be seen, extends
over the top of the bracket casting, which is faced to a segment shape to correspond
with the curve of the upper part of the framing, such curve being struck from the
point a at Fig. 2.
Below the cross girder depend those parts of the framing which carry the bearings
of the shaft C of the steering rollers. Thus, the shaft C of the front rollers is
securely attached to the pivot shaft E, which shaft carries the weight of the front
of the engine, as in my former Patent, and the steering rollers, which are brought
into close proximity with each other, will be free to follow the movements of the

page_text: steering gear, as well as the irregularities of the road on which the engine is
travelling.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improvement in the
Construction of Steam Road Rollers," and explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim, the arrangement of parts above described with reference to
the Drawing, whereby I am enabled to use cylindrical steering rollers set centrally
with respect to the track of the hind rollers, and capable of following the irregulari-
ties of the road.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Aveling, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Third day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-nine.
THOS. AVELING. (L.S.)