Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 24th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 26th Oct., 1888
1. ISAAC WATT BOULTON of Ashton under Lyne in the County of Lancaster
Engiucer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of traction engines and other engines
intended to run upon common roads and consist first of improvements in the con-
struction of the driving wheels of such engines and secondly in an improved
arrangement for mounting the engines on such wheels and gearing them thereto; the
object of the invention being to reduce the vibration and jarring of the working part
of the engine caused by unevenness in the paving or rough surface of the road.
In the first place I propose to construct the hub and arms of the wheel in any
ordinary or known manner, but preferably with a cast iron hub and wrought iron
spokes.
The rim of the wheel I make preferably of cast iron (say) about nine inches deep
with an inner flange to which the spokes are attached and with a series of rectangular
recesses all round the outside such recesses being preferably arranged in two circum-
ferential rows divided by a midfeather, and being also divided from each other by
transverse ribs, so arranged as to break joint, that is to say the transverse ribs
between one row of recesses are opposite to the centre of the recesses on the
other row.
In each recess I fit a block of wood with the end of the grain outwards (or other
suitable material) each block being fitted with an iron hoop to prevent its splitting,
Each wooden block is held in its place by means of a wrought iron bolt the head of
which is recessed into the wood below the outer surface, the screwed end of the bolt
being passed inwards, through the rim and having a nut screwed thereon, preferably
secured by a lock nut and split pin.
Between the rim and the inner surface of the wood I place a buffer or spring block
of india rubber or other suitable substance to give elasticity to the wooden blocks, so
that as the wheel revolves the blocks may work in and out in the manner of pistons
and thus form an elastic or spring wheel,

page_text: But in cases wherein the second part of my invention is adopted the elastic buffers
or spring blocks behind the wooden blocks may be dispensed with and the blocks may
be bolted solid into the recesses.
In either case the wooden blocks will project beyond the cast iron rim so as to
support all the weight of the engine and prevent all jarring between the metal and
the road.
According to the second part of my invention I make the frame of the engine some-
what in the form of a railway locomotive engine, with horn plates and springs, the axle
of the two driving wheels being provided with axle boxes capable of sliding up and
down between the horn plates and in order that this arrangement shall not interfere
with the working of the toothed rearing which drives the said wheels I arrange the
engine and gearing in the following manner.
The spur wheel which is bolted to the driving wheel in the usual manner, instead of
being driven by gearing from above, is driven by gearing at the front, the centre of
this gearing and of the crank shaft, and the steam cylinder being all arranged in the
same horizontal line as the axle of the driving wheels. By these means the frame
carrying the boiler and engine can work up and down upon the springs without
interfering with the proper depth of gearing of the teeth which it could not do if
the driving gearing were mounted at the top of the large spur wheel as usually
practised.
By this method of arranging and mounting the engine and its gearing the jarring
and vibration caused by uneven paving and rough roads will be reduced to a minimum
and the wear and tear of the engine will be proportionally lessened, and at the same
time the engines will not injure the surface of the roads in the same degree as is the
case with those of the ordinary construction.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1887.
GEORGE DAVIES.
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I ISAAC WATT BOULTON of Ashton under Lyne in the County of Lancaster
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :--
This invention relates to the construction of traction engines and other engines
intended to run upon common roads, and consist First of improvements in the con-
struction of the driving wheels of such engines, and Secondly in an improved
arrangement for mounting the engines on such wheels and gearing them thereto; tho
object of the invention being to reduce the vibration and jarring of the working parts
of the engine caused by unevenness in the paving, or rough surface of the road.
The nature of my said invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to
the sheet of drawings hereunto annexed and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1. is a side elevation (shown partly in section) of a traction engine driving
wheel constructed according to my invention and Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same
also shown partly in section.
Fig. 3. is a detached sectional view of one of the wooden blocks hereinafter
mentioned and Fig. 4. is a similar view illustrating another method of securing the
same.
In the first place I propose to construct the hub a and the arms or spokes >> of the
wheel in any ordinary or well known manner but preferably with a cast iron hub and
wrought iron spokes as shown at Fig. 2.
C
The rim I make preferably of cast iron (say) about nine inches deep with an inner
flange e to which the spokes & are attached, and with a series of rectangular, parallel
sided recesses all round the outside, such recesses being preferably arranged in two
circumferential rows, divided by a midfeather c", and being also divided from each
other by transverse ribs so arranged as to break joint that is to say the transverse
rihs hetween one row of recesses are opposite to the centre of the recesses on the other
row as clearly seen at Fig. 2 on the drawing.
I wish it to be understood however that I do not confine myself to this alternate
arrangement of the recesses and 1 do not claim such arrangement as any part of my
said invention.
In each of the recesses of the rim c I fit a block of wood d having its sides made
parallel and rectangular so as to fit and be capable of sliding in a radial direction
therein, each block being fitted with an iron hoop e to prevent its splitting.
These blocks although preferably made of wood, with the end of the grain outwards
may be made of any other suitable durable material.
Each wooden block d is held in its place by means of a wrought iron bolt f the
head of which is recessed into the wood below the outer surface (see detached view
Fig. 3.) the screwed end of the bolt being passed inwards through the rim c and
having a nut y screwed thereon which is preferably secured by a lock nut and
split pin.

page_text: Between the rim c and the inner surface of the wood I place a buffer, or spring
block of india rubber or other suitable substance to give elasticity to the wooden
blocks, so that as the wheel revolves the blocks may work in and out of the recesses in
the manner of pistons, and thus form an elastic or spring wheel.
In the modification shown by the detached view Fig. 7. I have replaced the bolt f
by an eye bolt attached to the block by an iron pin driven through the block, and
I have also placed spring washers k* inside the rim c.
The wooden blocks d project beyond the cast iron rim e so as to support the whole
weight of the engine and prevent all jarring between the metal and the road.
According to the second part of my invention I propose to make the frame of the
engine somewhat in the form of a railway locomotive engine with horn plates and
springs, the axles of the two driving wheels being provided with axle boxes, capable of
sliding up
and down between the horn plates, as will he well understood by Engineers
without further illustration and in order that this arrangement shall not interfere with
the working of the toothed gearing which drives the said wheels I arrange the engine
and gearing in the following manner.
The spur wheel (shown by the dotted circle on Fig. 1) which is bolted to the
driving wheel in the ordinary manner, instead of being driven by gearing from above
as is usually the case, is driven by gearing at the front (see dotted circles m) the
centre of this gearing and of the crank shaft being in the same horizontal line as the
axle of the driving wheels.
By these means the frame carrying the boiler and engine can work up and down
upon the springs without interfering with the proper depth of gearing of the teeth of
the wheels, which it could not do if the driving gear were mounted at the top of the
large spur wheel as usually practised.
By this method of arranging and mounting the engine and its gearing the jarring
and vibration caused by uneven paving and rough roads will be reduced to a
minimum, and the wear and tear of the engine will be proportionally lessened and at
the same time the engines will not injure the surface of the roads in the same degree
as is the case with those of the ordinary construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed or carried into practical effect
I declare that what I claim is
First in the construction of the driving wheels of traction and other road engines,
the combination with parallel sided recesses in the outside of the rim, of blocks of
wood or other suitable material made with corresponding parallel sides, so as to slide
in such recesses in the manner of pistons substantially as hereinbefore described, such
blocks being provided with elastic buffer blocks so as to give elasticity thereto and
Secondly, in the arrangement and mounting of the engine I claim the combination
with a frame provided with bearing springs and sliding axle boxes of toothed driving
gear for communicating the power of the engine to the driving axle the axes of sucli
toothed driving gear being mounted in the same horizontal line as that of the driving
wheels substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore particularly set
forth and described.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.