CERTAIN MECHANICAL IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY ENGINES AND TENDERS, AND TO RAILWAY CARRIAGES OF VARIOUS KINDS
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WATERHOUSE, of Edgeley, in the Borough of Stockport, in the County of
Chester, Cotton Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Tenth day of March, in the tenth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas
Waterhouse, Her especial license that I, the said Thomas Waterhouse, my
exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Water-
house, my exors, admors, 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, my Invention of
"CERTAIN MECHANICAL IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY ENGINES AND
TENDERS, AND TO RAILWAY CARRIAGES OF VARIOUS KINDS;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Thomas Waterhouse, 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 the same
is to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Waterhouse, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention to
consist in the following improvements :-
First, in so arranging the wheels of railway engines, tenders, or carriages
on their axles as to allow to each wheel a revolving action independent of its
opposite wheel, so that in passing over curved lines of rails the wheel per-
forming the outer curve may move at a greater speed than the wheel perform-
ing the inner curve, and so that each wheel may in fact adapt its speed to its
own particular or special circumstances. And,
Secondly, in so arranging a signal whistle that it may be applied to any
railway tender or carriage as well as to the engine, and that it may be acted
upon by means of compressed air instead of steam.
And in further compliance with the said proviso, I, the said Thomas Water-
house do hereby describe the manner in which my said Invention is to be
performed by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, it being
observed that similar letters are used to denote similar parts in several of the
plan or rai way wheels
of the ordinary construction fast on to and moving round with the axle, and I
merely introduce these Figures to facilitate a comparison between the old plan
and my improvements, which are shewn in the remaining Figures relating to
this first part of my said Invention.
Letter A, in Figures 3, 4, 8, 10, and 14, show my improvements, consisting of
the application of one naved or bossed wheel to each axle, which nave or boss
may be made of various lengths, either shorter than that shown in the Drawing
or varying in length until it reaches to the opposite wheel on the axle, as
shewn in Figure 14, but I would recommend the length of the nave or boss
to be equal to one half of the diameter of the wheels to which it is applied;
Figure 10 shews a section of the wheel and nave or boss, which is bored out
to fit the axle b, Figure 5, so as to work loose upon it, and up to the fast
collar c on the axle, as shewn in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 8. When the wheel
is fixed upon the axle b, a loose collar, as shewn in section, Figures 11 and 12,
d, d, is fixed upon the axle, as shewn in Figures 3 and 4, 8 and 14 (d), for the
purpose of keeping the wheel up to the fast collar c on the axle, Figure 5,
which collar d is made fast on the axle by means of a cotter through the loose
washer or collar, as shewn in sections Figures 11 and 12, d, d. This cotter

page_text: or key is fitted into a groove cut in the axle, as shewn in Figures 3, 4, 5,
and 8, fff, or by any other known method, by which means the wheel is
kept perfectly firm and steady, and at the same time is at liberty to turn freely
upon the axle b, b, b. By these means the wheels on the respective axles
are kept at their proper guage or width to suit the width or guage of the
rails, whereby the wheels are kept quite as safe as they are when both are
made fast to the axle, as used heretofore; but as one of the wheels is loose on
each axle, each wheel can freely adapt or accommodate itself to any small
difference there may be in their respective sizes or diameters, or the different
lengths of the radius of each rail in every curve traversed, a matter of
importance, as the outer line in all cases of a curve is the longer, a difference
which will be greater in the broad guage than the narrow. By thus having
the wheels independent of each other as regards their revolving action, each
wheel can accommodate itself to the varying lengths of the two curved rails,
as before explained, each wheel going faster or slower, as it may be required
in passing over the various curves along the line.
In referring to the Drawing, Figures 3, 4, 8, and 14, it will be seen that
the relative motion between the naved or bossed wheel a, a, and the wheel
and axle b, b, b, is comparatively small, it being brought into action only when
the different lengths of the inner and outer rail on a curve require it, and
enabling it at the same time to accommodate itself to any inequality in the
diameter of the wheels. The bossed or naved wheel, as intended to be applied
by this Invention, will in all cases where a longer length of rail is not required
to be traversed by the wheels on one side of the carriages than the other,
revolve with the axle as at present, and will not move, as a general rule (if
properly fitted, and the wheels are, as they ought to be, of the same diameter),
with an independent motion. But when a curve or any inequality in the
diameter of any wheel on one side of a railway carriage requires a wheel at
one end of the axle to traverse faster than the corresponding wheel on the
other end of the axle, the wheel having the bossed or naved part, as herein.
before described, will be enabled to have an independent action either faster
or slower than the corresponding wheel, which is fastened upon and turns with
the axle, and thus enable the carriages and train to traverse the railway, more
especially on curves, with greater safety at quick speeds than at present, while
there will be comparatively little wear and tear on the bossed or naved part of
the wheel, inasmuch as its motion is only required occasionally and during the
passage of curves, or where the action of some deranging cause requires a
quicker or slower action of the wheels on one side of the carriages than on the
otber.

page_text: Figures 6 and 7 show another mechanical arrangement for accomplishing
the object of the first part of my Invention, by enabling the various wheels to
accommodate themselves to the varying radius of the two rails, as heretofore
mentioned. The method or plan by which this arrangement is to be carried
into effect will be best seen by reference to Figures 6 and 7, where the action
is shown in two separate and independent parts.
.
This arrangement is to be applied to railway carriages of whatever make,
which have their wheels outside the carriage, or with the bearing of their axles
between the two wheels, as shewn in Figure 2. By reference to the Drawing
Figure 7, it will be seen that the axles there shewn are made in two lengths,
with additional bearings supported from a cross tree or to the bottom of the
carriage, which gives them all the advantages of my first-mentioned plan for
passing along the different radii of curves at different speeds, or enabling them
to accommodate themselves to any inequality in the diameter of the wheels,
this arrangement also enabling each wheel to have an independent or separate
action of its own. The advantage of these improvements will be evident when
it is considered that when the opposite wheels are both fast upon the same
axle, and are passing along a curve, either one or the other must sledge or
drag, which causes great friction, adding greatly to the resistance, to say
nothing of the breakage of the wheels and axles caused by such a strain, and
which becomes greater as the weight on the carriage is increased, for two
wheels of equal diameter being fast on the same axle, their tendency will be
to move in a straight line, and, consequently, they must sledge or slide along
a curve, or run off the line, as is now often the case when passing along curves
at a great speed.
.
Figures 8, 9, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, have reference to the second part of
my Invention.
These improvements consist in the application of certain mechanical ar-
rangements to carriages of railway trains, consisting of a force pump, by means
of which the atmospheric air is compressed or forced into a receiver, from
which it is admitted into a railway whistle, or other such-like instrument of
alarm or warning, at pleasure by the guard or conductor of the carriage to
which it is applied. These pumps are worked. by means of a lever or levers,
which are acted upon either by hand or by the motion of an eccentric fixed on
the axle of the wheels of the said carriage, and which force or compress any
required quantity of air into the receivers aforesaid to such pressure as may be
found necessary by experience to blow or sound any of the well-known signal
whistles used on railways, which pressure in the above-mentioned receivers
when not worked by hand, is kept to any required amount, and also is

page_text: prevented from exceeding the same by means of certain other mechanical
arrangements herein-after described, while by other mechanical arrangements
the sound of the whistle or whistles can be varied at the wish of the conductor
or guard to indicate to the engine driver or others any signal of danger, or
other communication that may be necessary, as herein-after described.
In Figures 9, 15, and 17, a, a, shew a force pump, which is worked by
levers b, b, their motion being obtained from the eccentric c, c, fastened upon
the axle of the carriage. The lever b, b, is kept upon the eccentric c by
means of a weight d or spring f, or where high speeds are run by the trains,
the speed of the pumps may be reduced by means of a countershaft and
pulleys h, i, as shewn in Figures 17 and 18. On this countershaft an eccentric
c is fixed, which answers the same purpose as the eccentric c fixed on the
axle, as heretofore described, the pulley h being fixed on the axle of the wheel
revolves with it; the pulley h having a less circumference than the pulley i, in
proportion as the circumference of the driving pulley h is less than the driving
pulley i, will the speed be reduced to that which by practice may be found
requisite. These two pullies h and i are kept in contact by a spring in the
usual way in which driving pulleys which act by contact only, without cogs,
are used.
I would have the downwards motion of the lever to press the air
into the receivers by means of a weight d or spring f, which presses the lever
against the eccentric by either the weight d or spring f, and adjusted to the
pressure required in the receivers 9, Figures 8, 9, so that when the receivers
9 are full, the pressure of the air in the receivers g, g, g, g, Figures 8 and 9,
being equal to or greater than the pressure of weight d or spring f, the lever
is kept from off the eccentric c, and the punip ceases to work, and thereby
any further accumulation of air in the receivers g, 9, 9, 9, is stopped. When
the pressure in the receivers 9, 9, 9, 9, is lessened by means of the escape of
air.requisite to sound any requisite signal, the weight d or spring f acting
upon the lever brings the lever again in contact with the eccentric c, and again
supplies the requisite quantity of atmospheric air, thereby making this machine
self-adjusting. These pumps a, a, a, may be fixed either under the carriage,
or at the ends of the carriage, as shewn in Figures 9, 15, and 17, or at any
other more convenient place. Figures 9 and 16 shew the signal whistle. W is
a fly wheel and handle fixed upon the plug of the tap, which, turned quickly or
otherwise according to the sound required to be produced, will enable the
guard to produce either a detonating or any other of the well-known railway
signal sounds, intermittent, varying, or otherwise.
Figure 18 is another mode of working the air pump. h is the fast pulley,
as in Figure 17, fixed on the axle of the wheel to drive the other pulley i, on

page_text: which is placed the eccentric c. a is the air pump; x is the piston rod;
1, 1, 1, are grooves or steps, in which this rod works, so as to keep it in its
proper place; b is a ledge or projection fixed at a right angle from the piston
rod, and firmly connected therewith; f is a spring or springs, which may be
spiral, or in any other form affording sufficient elasticity. The eccentric
acting on the ledge will draw the piston rod towards the spring and compress
the same; the eccentric retiring, caused by its revolution, they allow the spring
to act upon the piston rod, and so work the air pump.
Figure 19 shows a mode of working the air pump by hand, X being the
guard's seat, Y a platform for him to stand on while working the lever Z, by
which he fills the receiver.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I hereby claim as the certain mechanical
improvements for which the said Letters Patent were granted,-
First, the giving of a revolving action to one wheel on each axle of a
railway engine or tender, or of railway carriages of various kinds, wholly inde-
pendent of the action of the opposite wheel on the same axle, in one case
without interfering with the rotation of the axle itself, and in the other case
described by dividing the axle into two parts, so that in either case the said
first-mentioned wheel may travel at any speed faster or slower than its opposite
wheel, suited to the curved line of rails which it may have to pass over or
along, or to other circumstances, rendering such variation of speed between two
opposite wheels desirable. And,
Secondly, an improved apparatus for sounding a signal whistle, to be applied
to railway engines, tenders, and to railway carriages of various kinds, in order
to cause the whistle to be acted upon by condensed air obtained by the motion
of the carriages in travelling along the line, or otherwise, instead of by steam,
and which whistle, therefore, being wholly independent of the steam of the
engine for its action, may be applied to any convenient part of any engine or
tender or railway carriage, or any number of carriages, and thus furnish a
signal by which the guards may communicate with each other or with the
engine driver from any carriage of a train, however distant it may be from any
other carriage or from the engine.
And such my Invention being, to the best of my knowledge and belief,
entirely new, and never before used within that part of Her said Majesty's
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her said
Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, I do hereby declare
this to be my Specification of the same, and that I do verily believe this my
said Specification doth comply in all respects, fully and without reserve or

page_text: disguise, with the proviso in the said herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent contained; wherefore I hereby claim to maintain exclusive right and
privilege to my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Waterhouse, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
THOMAS (L.S.) WATERHOUSE.
Signed, sealed, and delivered, by the
within-named Thomas Waterhouse,
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixth day of May, in the
year of the reign of our Lord 1847, the aforesaid Thomas Waterhouse
came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged
the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and
specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Tenth day of May in the roar of our Lord One thousand
WOOK