IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES OR ROAD STEAMERS AND OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES OR ROAD STEAMERS AND OTHER
VEHICLES."-A communication from abroad by George W. Fitts, of
Tai Staton of Amoxine
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th May 1872.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES OR ROAD STEAMERS
AND OTHER VEHICLES," a communication to me from abroad by George
W. Fitts, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America, to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates partly to a peculiar construction of the driving
wheels of traction engines or road steamers, applicable also to other
vehicles, and partly to an arrangement of the steering gear of such
engines or other vehicles.

page_text: The driving wheels are composed of two metal discs of the full
diameter of the wheel, having a metal hub and a metal rim interposed
in their proper places between the discs, the rim being of less diameter
than the side plates in order to afford sufficient depth for the pockets
herein-after referred to, the whole being firmly held together by through {
bolts. Round the rim and between the projecting edges of the side
plates are bolted a number of triangular shaped metal blocks or
partitions, with the apices of the angles directed inwards, so that the
spaces left between the several partitions will form pockets or chambers
broader in one direction at the base than at the surface of the wheel. 1
In each of these pockets there is fitted an india-rubber block which may
or may not be protected on the projecting portions by metal caps which
may or may not also be made to cover a portion of the surface of each
block. Each elastic block is thus contained within a pocket of its own
and acts entirely independently of the other blocks forming the tread of 1
the wheel. The steering gear consists of a strong horizontal metal ring
having a fixed axle extending diametrically across it and firmly secured
thereto. Upon the centre of this axle is fitted loosely the steering
wheel of any suitable or well known construction.
Upon the surface of the horizontal ring there is formed an annular 2
projection or groove, as the case may be, which is intended to fit a corrc-
sponding annular rim which bears upon it, the said rim and horizontal
ring being maintained in contact with each other by a forked standard
rigidly secured to the axle, and connected to a swival joint to the
under portion of the vehicle directly over the centre of the horizontal 2
ring, the rim and ring being at the same time allowed to revolve freely
one over the other.
The ring may be actuated for the purpose of steering by a pinion
gearing into spur teeth on the periphery of the ring or it may be turned
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of 35
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors,
administrators, or 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
ENGINES OR ROAD STEAMERS AND OTHER VEHICLES," a communication to me
from abroad by George W. Fitts, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner tho
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 John Henry Johnson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:-
The said Invention relates, firstly, to a peculiar construction of
traction wheels for road steamers and other vehicles, and secondly, to
a peculiar construction and arrangement of apparatus for controlling
a guide wheel attached to a road steamer or other vehicle for the purpose
of giving direction and guidance to the same.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the
same letters of referenco indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.

page_text: Fig. 1 of the Drawings is a side view of the improved traction wheel
with one of the side plates partially removed shewing the hub and rim
with its pockets for the reception of rubber blocks; Fig. 2 is a section
on the line 1, 2, Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an edge view of the wheel showing the arrangement of the 5
pockets for the reception of the rubber blocks.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the rubber blocks detached,
and Figs. 5 and 6 are views of a metal cap to be used in connection with
the rubber blocks.
A, A, represent two circular side plates of the full diameter of the 1
wheel formed of plate or boiler iron of sufficient thickness to give the
required strength, and perforated at the proper points for the reception
of bolts B, B', and B³, which secure them together, and to the hub D,
rim E, and triangular partitions F, which are thus retained between the
said plates. The hub D is circular, and is perforated at the centre for 1
the reception of the axle, and it may be formed of cast or wrought
iron. The ends of the hub are made perfectly smooth, so that they
may rest evenly and solidly between the side plates to which the hub
is secured by the bolts B. The annular rim E is formed of iron of the
proper width and thickness, and is of less diameter than the side plates 2
between which it is clamped, its outer surface being enough below the
outer edges of these plates to give the required depth to the pockets G,
more particularly referred to hereafter, of which it forms the base. The
said rim is held in place between the side plates by the bolts B, all
of which are in contact with the inner surface of the rim, as shown 2
in Fig. 1. The triangular fixed partitions F are arranged at equal
distances apart between the side plates, with their narrow edges resting
upon and slotted into the rim E, and their outer sides flush with the
edges of the plates A, and forming part of the surface of the wheel,
the said partitions thus serving to separate the space between the rim E 3
and side plates into a number of tapering pockets G of equal size. A
bolt B passes through the broadest part of cach partition, and thus
serves to hold the same firmly and without permitting it to yield or have
any play in its proper position between the side plates.

page_text: the reception of a separate rubber block H (Figs. 1 and 4) of corre-
sponding shape, so that the said blocks when fitted to their pockets,
although free to work up and down in the latter and yield to any
pressure that is applied to their surfaces, are effectually prevented from
working out of the said pockets.
The projecting portions of the rubber blocks are protected by means
of metal caps J fitted around the said blocks and extending into the
pockets to a sufficient distance to prevent them from working out and
becoming detached from the blocks. These caps, which may be made
) of any kind of hard metal, yield readily with the rubber to any direct
pressure that is applied to the surface of the latter, but prevent the
same from yielding laterally. The caps may merely surround the sides
of the rubber blocks so as to permit the whole of the projecting ends
of the latter to be exposed, as shewn in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, in order
to obtain the greatest possible traction, or they may entirely enclose
the projecting portions of the rubber blocks, or they may be formed with
flanges a at their outer ends, as shewn in Fig. 6, so as to only partially
cover the surfaces of the said blocks.
A wheel constructed as above described possesses great clasticity,
▸ traction, and strength, and is especially applicable to road steamers,
although available for other vehicles.
On reference to the second part of the Invention, Figure 7 is a side
elevation partly in section of the improved steering apparatus for road
steamers and other vehicles; and Figs. 8 and 9, detached views of
5 portions of the same, drawn to an enlarged scale.
K represents a steering or guide wheel arranged in such a manner
as to give direction and guidance to the vehicle to which it is attached.
This wheel turns loosely on a fixed axle or shaft L, which extends
across and is securely bolted at its opposite ends to an annular rim M,
O the latter having in the present instance a semicircular annular pro-
jection 6 on its upper surface, and being provided on its outer edge with
cog teeth c, with which engage the teeth of a pinion P secured to the
lower end of a shaft Q, furnished at its upper end with a hand wheel D.
An annular rim R, to which the frame or body of the vehicle may be
5 attached rests upon the annular rim M, and has a semicircular annular
recess e in its under surface, into which the corresponding projection 6
of the said rim M fits accurately so that it may revolvo freely therein.

page_text: A forked standard is secured rigidly to the axle L, and is connected
by a swivle joint to the under portion of the vehicle directly over the
centre of the rim M, the said standard thus serving to hold the two
rims together and permitting them to revolve one upon the other. By
rotating the pinion P the rim M and guide wheel K will be also rotated,
and thus the latter can be turned as required to accord with the
direction in which it is desired to guide the vehicle. The pinion P and
its appliances are not absolutely necessary in carrying out the Invention,
as the rim M can be revolved by a band or belt, or by the shafts of a
vehicle attached thereto, or by any other means.
The apparatus might also be slightly modified by arranging an
annular projection upon the upper rim adapted to an annular recess
in the lower rim, instead of the recess as above described, and the
projection and recess may be V shaped or of other suitable form, instead
of semicircular.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I am aware
that it has been already proposed to employ separate blocks or pieces
of india-rubber or other equivalent elastic material fitted round the
rims of traction engine wheels, such elastic blocks being separated from
each other by intermediate blocks or pieces of wood or metal, and
therefore I make no claim generally to the use of wheels so constructed,
but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as
the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters :
Patent is,―
First. A traction wheel constructed in the peculiar manner herein-
before described, and as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawing.
Second. A traction wheel having slots or pockets constructed in its
rim in the peculiar manner herein-before described and illustrated by
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings, into which slots or pockets are
inserted separate blocks of rubber combined with metal caps J, sub-

page_text: one provided with an annular projection adapted to an annular recess in
the other.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, the Eighth day of
November One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)