IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Greig and Gustav Achilles both of the Steam
Plough Works Leeds in the County of Yorkshire Engineers for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Greig and Gustav
Achilles at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th March
1883.
ALFRED GREIG and GUSTAV ACHILLES both of the Steam Plough Works Leeds
in the County of Yorkshire Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES
"
Our Invention has for its object to facilitate the application of springs to the
road wheels of traction and other engines. The accompanying drawings represent
the arrangement of an ordinary type of traction engine with our improved
arrangement of spring gear.
Figure 1 is a side elevation Figure 2 a plan.
A is the crank shaft and B the second motion shaft which are both carried in
stationary bearings fixed to the fire box shell sides. The third shaft C carries a
wheel which gears into a pinion on the second shaft, and also carries a pinion*
which drives the main driving wheel. The shaft C is not carried in fixed
bearings as is usually done but coupled to the second motion shaft by two levers:
as shewn.
By this means the centres of the wheels are kept always the same distance apart
and the wheel on the third motion shaft is at liberty to roll round on the pinion
on the second shaft.
The hind or driving axle revolves in axle boxes arranged to slide vertically and
the weight of the engine and boiler is taken upon these axle boxes through
suitable springs. The axle box on the driving side is coupled to the third motion
shaft or axle by a strong link and as the springs play upwards or downwards the
third motion shaft is also carried in a similar direction, but always working truly
and equally distant from the centre of the second shaft. The motion of both
shafts being thus always parallel to each other the teeth of the gearing are. always
kept in their true position.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred Greig and Gustav Achilles in the Great Seal Patent Office
-on the 10th September 1883.
ALFRED GREIG and GUSTAV ACHILLES both of the Steam Plough Works Leeds
in the County of Yorkshire Engineers "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES
"
Our invention has for its object to facilitate the application of springs to the
road wheels of traction and other engines.
For this purpose the crank shaft and the second motion shaft are both carried
in stationary bearings fixed to the firebox shell sides. The third shaft carries a
wheel which gears into a pinion on the second shaft and also carries a pinion
which drives the main driving wheel. The third notion shaft is not carried in
fixed bearings as is usually done but coupled to the second motion shaft by two
levers.
By this means the centres of the wheels are kept always the same distance apart
and the wheel on the third motion shaft is at liberty to roll round on the pinion
on the second shaft.
The hind or driving axle revolves in axle boxes arranged to slide vertically and
the weight of the engine and boiler is taken upon these axle boxes through
suitable springs. The axle box on the driving side is coupled to the third motion
shaft or axle by a strong link and as the springs play upwards or downwards the
third motion shaft is also carried in a similar direction but always working truly
and equally distant from the centre of the second shaft. The motion of both
shafts being thus always parallel to each other the teeth of the gearing are always
kept in their true position.
The accompanying Drawings represent an ordinary type of traction engine having
our improved arrangement of spring gear applied to it.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a side elevation Figure 2 a plan and Figure 3 a cross section
through the hind axle and main driving gear.
A is the crank shaft which is free to revolve in stationary bearings A' A¹ these
are carried by the fire box shell sides and are fitted with adjustable brasses
secured by caps in the usual way. The second motion shaft B is hollow and is
also carried in stationary bearings B₁ B' of similar construction to those for the
crank shaft these bearings are also carried by the fire box shell sides. The
shaft C is coupled to the second motion shaft B by two lever arms D D fixed to
an axis D' which passes through the centre of the second motion shaft B as shown.
By this means the centres of the pinion and toothed wheel on the shafts B and C are
kept always at the same distance apart so that the toothed wheel on the third
motion shaft C is at liberty to roll round on the pinion on the second motion
shaft B. The hind road axle E which is the driving axle revolves in axle
boxes. F. F'. arranged to slide vertically and part of the weight of the engine and
boilor is taken upon these axle boxes through suitable springs S S. The axle
box F on the driving side is coupled to the third motion shaft C by a strong link H
and as the springs play upwards or downwards, the shaft C is also carried in a
similar direction but always working truly and equally distant from the centre of
the shaft B
Motion is given to the engine in the following ways:-The crank shaft A
carries two pinions a. a. both of which may be thrown out of gear with their

page_text: respective wheels on the shaft B by levers to allow the engine to run light and
pump water into the boiler or either may be in gear for fast or slow motion, either
for travelling or hauling as desired. The shaft B has on it pinions 6 and b¹ into
which the pinions a. a¹. can gear and the pinion b has cast on its side another
pinion 6 which gears into a wheel c running loose on the shaft C. The wheel c
has cast with it a pinion c¹ which gears into the wheel e which can be keyed fast
on to the road axle E. The wheel e and pinion c are always in gear with one
another and also the wheel c and pinion b³.
"
The wheel e drives the road wheels G by means of pins at g. g. or the road
wheels may be disconnected in the usual manner by withdrawing these pins.
Having thus described the nature of our invention and the manner of per-
forming the same we would have it understood that we claim as our improvements
in traction engines:―
First The coupling together the second and third motion shafts by means of
levers or other equivalent connections in such a manner as to keep the two shafts
always parallel to each other and at the same distance apart and yet allow the
third motion shaft to play upwards or downwards and connecting the third
motion shaft to the axle of the driving road wheels as herein before described so
that as the axle of the road wheels plays upwards and downwards the gear wheel
on the third motion shaft rolls truly around the pinion with which it gears on the
second motion shaft.
Second-The combination of driving gear for traction engines substantially as
herein described and illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof I the said Alfred Greig have hereunto set my hand and seal
this eighth day of September in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and eighty three.