IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES."-A com-
munication from abroad by Corydon Charles Merriman and Owen
Redmond, both of Rochester, State of New York, United States of
America.
Sealed the 24th May 1870, and dated the 23rd December 1869..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd December 1869.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES," to..
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in traction engines, and
mainly consists in producing the traction by means of a set of flukes or
anchors of any suitable form or shape, which are made to protrude

page_text: through the rim of the driving wheel and enter the ground as the wheel
advances upon it, and again to withdraw into the wheel after the
traction is accomplished, both the protrusion and the withdrawal being
made in a somewhat perpendicular direction to avoid tearing up the
ground. The wheel may be fitted with any number of such anchors,
and the machine may have one or more such driving wheels. The said
anchors or flukes may also be arranged so as not to withdraw into the
wheel at each revolution after action on the ground, but to remain in
the protruding condition until they are not required to act and then be
all withdrawn together. The anchors are connected to the wheel by
links and can swing freely inward and outward through the apertures
in the rim. On the upper part of each anchor is a small friction roller
and a stem above that which moves between braces secured to the
spokes of the wheel. The anchors or flukes are forced into the ground
by a cam firmly secured to a lever. This lever is held in position by a
strong coiled spring. The flukes are raised out of the ground by another
cam (a portion of an excentric), which is secured by bolts to the frame of
the machine; a supplementary guide wheel is also employed, which is
intended to run in the last furrow, and it can be raised or lowered for
use or not at pleasure by means of a lever.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd June 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the.
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Edward Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there.

page_text: after 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ENGINES," being a communication to
me from abroad by Corydon Charles Merriman and Owen Redmond,
both of Rochester, State of New York, United States of America, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Edward Newton,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 I, the said Henry Edward Newton, 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 Drawings here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say):-
This Invention relates to improvements in traction engines, and
mainly consists in producing the traction by means of a set of flukes or
anchors which are made to protrude from the rim of the driving wheel
and enter the ground as the wheel advances upon it, and again to
withdraw into the wheel after the traction is accomplished, both the
protrusion and the withdrawal being made in a somewhat perpendicular
direction to avoid tearing up the ground. The wheel may be fitted with
any number of such anchors, and the machine may have one or more
such driving wheels. The anchors or flukes may also be arranged so as
not to withdraw into the wheel at each revolution after action on the
ground, but to remain in the protruding condition until they are not
required to act, and then be all withdrawn together. The machine may be
actuated by a steam engine or other locomotive power and be guided by
throwing the driving wheels or either of them in or out of gear by
any of the well-known devices for that purpose or by a guide wheel or
wheels in front or in rear.
The following is a more particular description of the peculiar parts of
the machine and one of the many modes of construction which may
be adopted, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, in which

page_text: Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view of the anchor and connecting arms;
Fig. 4 is another detailed view shewing the anchor when arranged to
rest on the top of the ground, also showing an enlarged view of the cam;
Fig. 5 is a detached view of the levered cam; and Fig. 6 is a perspective
and cross section of a fluke.
A and B are two driving wheels; B is the chief and most important one,
which performs the work of propulsion. This wheel is about six feet in
diameter and with a two feet width of rim; it is wholly constructed of
iron, and there are twelve equally spaced apertures a, a, a, therein
corresponding in form to the cross section of the anchors b, b, b. These
anchors are made of steel, polished on their protruding ends; they may
be of any suitable form or shape for hauling or ploughing in various
kinds of ground; they may be either spoon shaped or of a wedge or
gouge form, or like the flukes of anchors; or when the machine is
intended for drawing heavy loads on common roads the protruding ends
of the anchors may be made in the form of a concave foot or other foot
which will rest on and not enter the ground instead of sharp points, as
shewn in Fig. 4. The anchors in this case instead of penetrating the
hard road will force the lever G upward and recede into the wheel, while
the rimmed or crooked ends of the same will be pressed with great force
into the roughness or inequalities of the roadway and will thus develope
an immense hauling power. The anchors are connected to the wheel
by the links c, c, c, and can swing freely inward and outward through
the apertures in the rim, or they may be held in (when not protruded
by the arms) by a coiled spring sufficiently strong for that purpose, or
by any elastic material. There is a friction roller e on the upper part
of each anchor and a stem f above that which moves between the
braces q, q, q, secured to the spokes of the wheel. The wheel A is
simply a driving wheel without anchors, and is used for the purpose of
supporting and carrying the engine more steadily and to aid in turning
the machine. It may be engaged and disengaged with the driving
shaft D by the clutch E and lever F at the pleasure of the attendant.
The lever G has a cam H connected firmly to it. J is another cam (a
portion of an excentric) which is secured by bolts to the frame of the
machine; K, K, are chain wheels bolted to the arms of the wheels
A and B and carry gear chains over the smaller wheels L, L, which are
connected to gear wheels M, M, in gear with the pinions on the crank

page_text: shaft D of the engine. The boiler O is an upright one having a pair of
cylinders P, P, bolted to it, which operate the driving axle; Q is a
single flanged guide wheel, from which the flange can be removed when
the machine is to run upon a hard road; it is controlled by the lever R;
S is a water tank capable of holding three or four hundred gallons
and is secured firmly along the frame of the machine outside of the main
driving wheel B, or it may be located underneath the rear platform;
T is a strong coiled spring attached by chain to the extreme end of the
lever G, and holds the latter in position until subjected to excessive
upward pressure by the anchor, therefore if an anchor should be
obstructed by a stone or other hard body it can move upward into the
wheel or slip past the obstruction and re-enter the ground. The anchors
can be set to enter the soil more or less as may be required by raising or
lowering the lever G and cam attached, allowing the lever to rest upon a
stud B which may be placed higher or lower, as shown in the plan.
U is a supplementary guide wheel intended to run in the last furrow, and
by means of the lever V it can be raised or lowered for use or not at
pleasure; X is a seat for the attendant or engineer.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-Motion being com-
municated to the pinions M on the crank axle the driving wheels A and
B revolve, and as the wheel B rotates the anchors are brought in
succession under the cam H, by which they are retained in a protruded
position until they have rolled past the cam H. Being thus relieved
from downward pressure they now roll up on the other cam J and by it
are drawn out of the ground and into the wheel. The anchor in with-
drawing describes a peculiar curve, which throws its face from the soil
and in this way moves out with ease and but little friction. The
whole machine should be constructed as light as possible, since excessive
weight is not needed for the purpose of traction. Exclusive of water
it should not weigh with a twenty-horse power boiler over two tons.
For arranging the flukes so as not to withdraw them at each revolution
they may be connected by pivot points to a concentric rim on the
wheel B and the latter arranged so that by oscillating it a part of a
revolution it will thrust the flukes out and retain them in that position
until it is turned back again. This latter arrangement is more especially
designed for temporary use in ascending grades and the like, while the
former is intended mainly for continuous use on soft ground, as when
nlonghing.

page_text: Having now described the Invention which has been communicated
as aforesaid, and having explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid,-
First. The use of the anchors arranged in any manner to be moveable
in connection with driving wheels for the purpose of producing traction,
as herein set forth.
Second. The adaptation to the driving wheels of the anchors, as
described, so that they may be made to protrude from the driving wheels
and withdrawn into them again by any mechanical device.
Third. The combination of the anchors b, b, b, with the driving wheel
B, as herein set forth.
Fourth. The combination of the lever G, cams H and J, anchors and
wheels B, as herein set forth:
Fifth. The use of the spring or its equivalent combined with the
lever G, cams, and anchors, as described.
Sixth. The application of the supplementary guide wheel U and the
lever V, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of June, 2
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.