CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES TO BE EMPLOYED ON COMMON ROADS OR WAYS APPLICABLE TO AGRICULTURAL AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES."
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Wagstaff, of Mottram, in Longdendale,
in the County of Chester, Blacksmith, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES TO BE EMPLOYED ON COMMON ROADS OR
WAYS APPLICABLE TO AGRICULTURAL AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Wagstaff at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th August 1857.
I, ROBERT WAGSTAFF, of Mottram, in Longdendale, in the County of
Chester, Blacksmith, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES TO BE EMPLOYED ON COMMON
ROADS OR WAYS, APPLICABLE TO AGRICULTURAL AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," to
be as follows:-
My Invention relates principally to the novel method of propelling
locomotive engines to be employed for agricultural purposes, either when
used as a traction engine or for the purposes of pumping or forcing
water, &c., or for irrigating, or when used on common roads for the
transportation of goods or passengers.
The Invention consists in driving the main wheels by the friction of contact
of other wheels, in order that the wheel at either side of the engine may be
worked irrespective of the other when required, the engine being thereby
[Price 8d.]

page_text: under better control. The steam for driving is generated in an upright boiler
and exerts its power upon pistons working in cylinders as in ordinary engines.
Upon the crank shaft are secured two wheels, one at each end; these wheels
impart motion by friction or adhesion of contact to other wheels conveniently
situated, and each having a pinion upon their axis gearing into a large toothed
wheel secured upon the main (or travelling) wheel of the engine, which thus
becomes driven by means of the friction gearing; it will be evident that (such
arrangement being applied to each side of the engine) one side may be worked
entirely alone when required, as in turning or running on a curved track or
both sides at different speeds, according to the size of wheel in contact with
the driving friction wheel, or the engine may be stopped by disconnecting or
separating the, friction wheels, which is effected by means of a screw worked
by bevil gearing by means of a handle. Upon the main wheels I secure
lags of wood or iron across and somewhat broader than the tire or rim, so
that in passing over soft ground the interstices between the lags will allow.
the adhering clay, &c., to pass through and prevent the wheel from being
encumbered by the accumulation thereof; upon harder ground these lags
enable the wheel to hold or "bite" the surface and prevent slipping, or
they may (if preferred, on good travelling roads) be dispensed with.
The guiding or steering of the engine is effected by means of the front
pair of wheels, which are also in connection with and governed by friction
gearing, worked by bevil wheels by the motion of the guiding wheel or
handle. The more minute details of my improvements will be particularly
described in the Complete Specification of the same to be hereafter filed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Wagstaff in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th February 185c.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ROBERT WAGSTAFF, of Mottram, in Longdendale, in the County of Chester,
Blacksmith, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Wagstaff, Her especial license that I, the said Robert Wagstaff,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert

page_text: Wagstaff, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES TO BE EMPLOYED ON COMMON ROADS OR WAYS, APPLICABLE TO
AGRICULTURAL AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," upon the condition, amongst
others, that I, the said Kobert Wagstaff, 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 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 1, the said Robert Wagstaff, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
My Invention relates principally to the novel method of propelling
locomotive engines to be employed for agricultural purposes, either when
used as a traction engine for the purposes of pumping or forcing water, &c.,
or for irrigating, or when used on common roads for the transportation of
goods or passengers.
The Invention consists in driving the main wheels by the friction of contact
of other wheels, in order that the wheel at either side of the engine may be
worked, irrespective of the other when required, the engine being thereby
under better control. The steam for driving is generated in an upright or
other form of boiler, and exerts its power upon pistons working in cylinders as
in ordinary engines. Upon the crank shaft are secured two wheels, one at each
end; these wheels impart motion by friction or adhesion of contact to other
wheels conveniently situated, and each having a pinion upon their axis gearing
into a larger toothed wheel secured upon the main or travelling wheel of the
engine, which thus becomes driven by means of the friction gearing; it will be
evident that (such arrangement being applied to each side of the engine) one
side may be worked entirely alone when required, as in turning or running on
a curved track, or both sides at different speeds, according to the size of wheel
in contact with the driving friction wheel; or the engine may be stopped by
disconnecting or separating the friction wheels, which is effected by means of
a screw worked by bevil gearing by means of a handle. Upon the main
wheels I secure lags of wood or irou across, and somewhat broader than the

page_text: tire or rim, so that in passing over soft ground the interstices between the lags
will allow the adhering clay, &c. to pass through and prevent the wheel
from being encumbered by the accumulation thereof; these lags enable the
wheel to hold or "bite" the surface, and prevent slipping (or they may,
if preferred, on good travelling roads be dispensed with.
The guiding or steering of the engine is effected by means of the front pair
of wheels, which are also in connection with and governed by friction gearing
worked by bevil wheels by the motion of the guiding wheel or handle.
In order that my said Invention may be better understood and explained
in detail I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings, made upon a scale
of about one inch to a foot, aud having similar letters of reference marked
upon corresponding parts of the apparatus throughout.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the engine, having one side removed in order to
shew more clearly the friction driving apparatus and the interior construction
of the engine and position of the cylinder, and also the apparatus for bringing
the friction wheels into and out of gear, or for regulating the amount of
friction Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, having the boiler removed, to
shew the front view of the friction gearings for driving and guiding the
machine. In Fig. 1, a is the boiler in which steam is generated, and b the
cylinders in which work a piston, upon which the pressure of steam is applied
at the top and bottom as in an ordinary engine; c is the piston rod which
extends from each end of the piston through the top and bottom of the
cylinder and is in connection by means of the connecting rod d with the
crank shaft of the main driving friction wheel e, and at the upper end of the
piston rod extending through the top of the cylinder is secured a parallel
slide f, in which slides a bush carrying the crank pin of the crank g upon
the shaft h, upon which are fixed the friction plates i, i, and also bearing the
loose or sliding friction plates k, l, which may be brought into contact or
thrown out of gear by means of a handle or other substitute. Upon the
friction plates i, i, are bevil wheels 1, 1, which gear with the wheels upon the
shafts m, m, the opposite end of which are in connection with the vertical
guiding shaft n, by means of a worm and worm wheel, by the action of which
the machine may be guided or turned. The driving friction wheel e gives
motion to the friction wheel e' which carries a pinion gearing with a toothed
wheel upon the travelling wheel (removed for the more clear illustration of
the friction wheels), by which means the engine becomes driven, but when
more power and less speed is required the large friction wheel o is brought
into gear with the driving wheel e, which is supplied with flexible bearings p,
consisting of two thicknesses of india-rubber or other clastic substance,

page_text: between which is a nut in which a screw works, so that the bearings of the
friction wheel e may be slightly moved, so as to ease the friction between the
wheels e and e', when the large wheel o is brought into gear and also when
turning or travelling upon a curved way, so that at one side of the engine the
wheels may be slightly in contact, the whole driving power being exerted upon
the opposite side (or outer diameter of the circle in turning) of the engine.
The friction wheels el are also provided with breaks by which the stoppage of
the engine is assisted. It will be evident that by taking the friction wheel
out of contact with the driving wheel the engine will be rendered capable
of performing the work of an ordinary stationary engine. 9, 9, are tanks
or vessels containing water for the boiler, the water being supplied to them
by means of the double-action pumps r, r, which pumps may also be em-
ployed for the purpose of pumping or forcing water or other liquid, for the
purpose of irrigating or otherwise.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, together with
the method of carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark, in
conclusion, that I claim driving and steering the locomotive engine as
employed for agricultural purposes, or as a traction engine upon common
roads by means of the power of the engine being transmitted and applied
for such purposes by frictional contact, either in the manner herein-before
described, and fully illustrated in the Drawings attached, or by any other
equivalent arrangement for transmitting such power.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Wagstaff, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
ROBERT WAGSTAFF.
L.S