AN IMPROVED CARRIAGE TO BE WORKED OR PROPELLED BY MEANS OF STEAM
Year: 1827

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. I, JAMES
NEVILLE, of New Walk, Shad Thames, in the County of Surry, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS is most Gracious Majesty King George the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fifteenth day of January, in the seventh year of His reign,
did, for Ilimself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Neville, His especial licence that I, the said James Neville, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Neville, my executors, administrators, 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,
and His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "AN
IMPROVED CARRIAGE TO BE WORKED OR PROPELLED BY MEANS OF STEAM"; in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging ne, the said James
Neville, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
he same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in His
Price &1

page_text: Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said recited Letters, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Neville, do hereby declare and describe the nature of my said
improvement or Invention, to be as follows: -
The Drawing Figure 1 represents the ground plan of my said carriage
(without the body). a, a, a, a, is a strong frame of oak or any suitable
material, and to which are attached the steam engines, steam boiler, and
necessary machinery for driving the hinder wheels b, b, b, b, Figure 1, which
are of large diameter, say six feet; they are formed by connecting the wooden
felloes c, c, c, c, Figuro 3, by means of a double set of wrought-iron arms or
spokes, d, d, d, d, to the cast-iron nave, e, e, as shewn in section, Figure 2.
The peripheries of these wheels are shod with iron tire in the usual manner
about five or six inches wide; but in order to increase their propelling power,
or resistance on the ground, I usually let rows of steel studs, rivets, or buttons
into the tire, which project about one fourth of an inch, and which are
tempered to the requisite degree of hardness without rendering them brittle, the
iron tire having a corresponding number of holes punched therein to receive the
stcel studs, which can be replaced as they wear out. These studsare shown
by dark dots on the tire of the large wheels b, b, b, b, Figure 1. When this
steam carriage is intended to run up very steep hills, I attach (if necessary),
instead of the said steel studs, plates of elastic steel about eighteen inches
long, which are made sufficiently rough on their outside surface by projecting
steel studs or by any other means. These elastic steel plates are to be the
width of the tire, and are affixed at one end by countersunk screws thereto, so
that the elastic steel plates, when not compressed, will form tangents to the
circumference of the wheel, as shewn, f,f,f,f,f,f,f, f, Figure 3. The
elasticity of the steel plates f. f. f,f,ƒ, f, f, f, will enable them to assume the
circular form of the tire as they ascend with the wheel from the ground; at
the same time their extended surface will occasion greater resistance and
prevent the wheels from slipping when ascending steep hills. The substance of
the steel plates f.f,f,f,f,f,f.f, Figure3, must depend on the load to be carried,
but they should never be so thick as to require much power to compress thein.
9, 9, 9, Figure 1, shews the main shaft or axle of the carriage on which the
hinder or propelling wheels b, b, b, b,Figure 1, are mounted. This shaft or axlo
is furnished with double cranks h, h, h, h, Figure 1, which are placed at right
angles. To these cranks the piston rods of the two horizontal steam cylinders

page_text: or engines I, I, Figure 1, are attached; and the said steam engines or cylin-
ders I, I, vibrate on cast-iron centres at k, k, Figure 1. The vibration of the
steam cylinders render connecting rods or parallel motions unnecessary; but
as I do not confine myself to any particular construction of the steam
engines for propelling my said carriage, I do not consider a detailed descrip-
tion of such steam engines necessary. K, K, Figure 1, represents the steam
boiler for generating the steam for both engines I, I, for the peculiar con-
struction of which I refer to my Patent dated the Fourteenth day of March,
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-six, and the Specification thereof
dated the Twelfth day of September, Onethousand eight hundred and twenty-
six; but in like manner I do not confine myself solely to the use of any
particular form or description of steam boiler, but apply and adopt such as
shall produce the greatest effect with a diminished consumption of fuel. The
propelling wheels b,b,b,b, Figure 1, are at liberty to revolve on the main shaft
or axle g, g, Figure 1, and the direct motion thereof is communicated to the
said propelling wheels by means of the clutch boxes i, i, Figure 1, which slide
on the main shaft or axle in the usual manner, and which may be thrown in
and out of gear by the levers 7, 1, Figure 1. As it may be necessary to
encrease the effect of the steam power when the carriage is moving on heavy
roads or ascending hills, I attain that object by withdrawing the clutch boxes
i, i, Figure 1, and communicate a diminished speed to the second shaft
K 2, K 2, Figure 1, by means of the wheel and pinion l, m, Figure 1. This
second shaft K 2, K2, Figure 1, is furnished with two pinions n, n, Figure 1,
which work into the two wheels o, o, Figure 1, and which are fixed or bolted
to the cast-iron naves of the propelling wheels b, b, b, b, Figure 1. The
relative proportions of these wheels and pinions must depend on the increased
power required to be communicated, and which can best be ascertained by
practice. The method of throwing these wheels in and out of gear is similar
to that employed in heavy cranes, and such well-known methods may be
varied according to circumstances. p, p, Figure 1, represents a fan or set of
revolving flies or vanes inclosed in a spiral case, for producing the required
blast of air for the more rapid and effective combustion of the fuel, and for the
particular construction of which I refer to my Patent dated the Eighth day
of January, Onethousand eight hundred and twenty-three, and to the Specifi-
cation thereof dated the Seventh day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and twenty-three. A quick rotary motion is communicated to the vanes of
the said fan by means of the riggers or pullies g 2, g 2, Figure 1, which are
connected by the leather strap r, r, Figure 1, or by any other contrivance.

page_text: The blast or current of air so produced is conveyed by a hollow trunk or pipe
shewn by the dotted lines s, 8, 8, 8, Figure 1, into the ashpit of the steam
boiler or generator K, K, Figure 1, which is furnished with air-tight doors,
and the smoke or gases arising from the combustion of the fuel are emitted
through a short iron or copper flue or chimney which may be placed in any
convenient situation, and which is shewn by t, f, t, t, Figures 1 and 4. u, u,
Figures 1 and 4, represent the water cistern for supplying the steam boiler
with water as it evaporates, and which is effected by a small forcing pump or
by any other contrivance, and worked by the steam engines in the usual
manner. The steam is conveyed from the boiler to both the steam engines by
the steam pipes v, v, Figures 1 and 4, which branches out at right angles at the
bottom to communicate with the separate steam cylinders, from whence it is
blown off through separate pipes into the flue or chimney t, t, Figures 1 and 4.
In the steam pipe v, v, is placed a regulating cock or throttle valve, and a
small connecting rod passes from thence to the front of the carriage, so that
the conductor or guide who is placed there can regulate or vary the speed of
the engines and carriage to stop them at pleasure. In like manner the
stoker who attends the fire, and who is carried on a platform w, w, Figures 1
and 4, which is mounted on springs which project from the back of the
carriage, has perfect control over the speed of the engines, as also the several
levers for throwing the clutch boxes and the multiplying wheels already
described in and out of gear. On the front of the fore carriage I affix a
cast-iron segment of a cogged or toothed wheel x, a, Figure 1, of about two
feet radius, into which works a pinion of about five inches diameter, which is
fixed on the upright shaft or spindley, y. Figures 1 and 4, and to the top of
which is attached a steering wheel or cross arms, and which is for the pur-
pose of guiding or steering the carriage, immediately behind which steering
wheel the driver or conductor sits. In going down hill I employ the
usual and most convenient method of locking one of the hinder or propelling
wheels, which inust be detached from the engines or be thrown out of gear for
this purpose. Figure 4 represents the elevation of my said said carriage; the
body,, is mounted on horizontal springs, but I do not confine myself to any
particular shape or form for the bodies of my said steam carriages, but vary
them according to the uses for which they may be desigued. The letters and
parts referred to in each Drawing correspond, and the scale attached will give
the relative proportions. And, lastly, I disclaim as being new, or as forming
any part of my present Invention, the mode of steering my said carriage, or
of altering the speed of the steam engines and the connections thereof to

page_text: my propelling wheels, so far as the same have been hitherto known and
generally understood.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Neville, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and twenty-seven.
Clerk to Mr. Edward Wildes.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Fourteenth day of July,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid James Nevillecame before our Lord
the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and
all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And also the
Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute in
that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Fourteenth day of July, in the year above written.