76 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECrs JOURNAL. 



[March, 



The ]ilate iipon which the chairs are securely bolted is seen 

 to have three ribs or flanches cast upon the underside in order to 

 give the requisite strength, and also holes cast through it for bolt- 

 ing and securely fixing the chairs for holding the rails. There 

 are studs about an inch square cast upon the sides ot each plate, 

 and each plate has holes cast of a size exactly to fit and receive 

 these studs, (see A, fig. 5, which is a side view of these plates,) it 

 will therefore easily be understood that if these plates were shut 

 or closed together, these studs would enter into the holes cast in 

 each for that purpose, clearly showing that the whole covering or 

 flooring will be so united and securely fastened, so as to form one 

 general mass of support to the rails and the weight passing over 

 them. 



LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND BREAKS. 



Geohoe Taylor, of Holbeck, near Leeds, Yorkshire, mechanic, 

 for " Improvements in the construction of engines and carriages to be 

 used on railways." — Granted June 3 ; Enrolled December 3, 1847. 



This invention relates, firstly, to improved arrangements of the 

 cylinders of locomotive engines, and the parts which communicate 

 the reciprocating motion to the driving-wheels, for the purpose of 

 concentrating the driving power of the actuated pistons, so as to 

 communicate an even rotating motion to the axles of the driving- 

 wheels, and also to distribute the moving power (without first con- 

 centrating it) to one, two, or more pairs of driving-wheels in a 

 uniform manner. Secondly, this invention refers to an improved 

 break, for stopping the progress of carriages along the line of rail- 

 way ; such a]iparatus being also suitable for sustaining its carriage 

 on the rails, in case of the breaking of an axle. Thirdly, this in- 

 vention relates to an improved arrangement of tender. Fourthly, 

 to certain improvements in mounting the wheels of railway car- 

 riages. 



The improved arrangements are shown in the annexed engrav- 

 ings. Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and fig. 2 a plan, in which the 



Fig. 2. 



Fig. U 



motive power, communicated to the pistons of the working cylin- 

 ders, is concentrated in a line drawn longitudinally through the 

 centre of the plane of the engine, o, a, are a pair of cylinders, 

 placed over the end of the boiler b, nearest to the smoke-box ; 

 c, are the piston-rods, with cross-heads, which slide in guides fixed 

 to the outside casing of the boiler ; d, d, are rods for connecting 

 the piston-rods to the cranks c, which cranks are attached one to 

 either side of a central wheel/. The periphery of this wheel is 

 provided with cogs, for gearing into or driving a wheel ^, keyed to 

 the axle of the driving-wheels /*. In order to insure the proper 

 gearing together of the wlieels / and p, and allow of the play of 

 the bearing-spring, the guides, in which the axle-boxes or journals 

 of the driving-wheels h slide, are made at an angle, as shown at i, 

 fig. 1. By referring to the figures, it will be seen that the axles 

 are placed above the boiler, and, therefore, wheels of large diame- 

 ter (say from 10 to IS feet) may, if required, be employed with 

 safety ; the oscillation of the engine being, in great part, avoided, 

 by the central and uniform driving of the axle of the wheels h, and 

 the weight of the engine being near the ground. 'Wlien it is de- 

 sired to make all the wheels driving-wheels, their shafts may be 

 connected together by rods and crank-pins, as now generally em- 

 ployed. 



The specification describes two other arrangements of mechan- 



ism, for communicating the reciprocating motion of the pistons to 

 the axles of the driving-wheels. 



yl^. .'Msss^^^K.iz^ 



Fig. 4. 



Fig. 3. 



The improved apparatus or break for retarding and stopping the 

 train is shown at fig. 3, a side elevation of a tender, with the appa- 

 ratus attached thereto ; and fig. i being an end elevation, a is one 

 of two levers, attached to the bottom of the carriage, and intended 

 to vibrate slightly upon centre-pins h. At their outer ends these 

 levers are connected together by a eross-rod c, and are thereby 

 caused to move simultaneously when any motion is communicated 

 to them, rf, d, are flanged skids, attached to the outer end of the 

 levers a ; and they are provided, at their under surface, with a block 

 of wood, the grain of which is vertical. These skids are intended 

 to be depressed on to the rails, when the speed of the train is to be 

 ckecked ; and the flanges, which are formed on the inner side of 

 the skids, will act as guides and keep the carriages on the line of 

 rails, in case of the breakage of an axle, e is a strong spring, 

 stretching across from one skid to the other, and taking into slots 

 or openings formed in the upper part of the skids. This spring is 

 embraced, at the middle of its length, by a hoop/ which is jointed 

 to a vertical shaft g, composed or two parts, and capable of being 

 adjusted, in its length, by a threaded connecting-piece h. The 

 upper end of the shaft g is forked, and between its prongs two 

 antifriction rollers ?, f, are mounted. In the sides of these prongs, 

 and between the centres of the rollers i, longitudinal slots are cut, 

 for the purpose of receiving the axle A', of a cam /, which is in 

 contact vvith the peripheries of the antifriction rollers. The axle 

 k is mounted in bearings affixed to the end of the tender, and to 

 its outer end a worm-wheel m is keyed. This wheel gears into a 

 worm ?7, mounted on one end of a shaft o, which turns in bearings 

 at the side of the tender ; and at its other end a hand-wheel p is 

 ke)ed, for the purpose of giving it a rotary motion. Let it now 

 be supposed that the skids are required to be let down on to the 

 rail, — the hand-wheel p is turned, in order, by means of the worm 

 n, to move round the wheel vi and its axle, which carries the cam /; 

 the larger radius of this cam being now brought into contact with 

 the lower antifriction roller, it will depress the vertical shaft g, and 

 communicate, through the spring e, an elastic pressure to the skids, 

 whereby they will be made to bite the rails, and retard the progress 

 of the train. 



The third improvement consists in carrying the axles of tenders 

 through or abo\e the water-tank, whereby the weight is brought 

 near the rails, in a manner similar to that of the engines. By this 

 arrangement larger wheels than usual may be employed with 

 safety ; tlie weight of the load which the tender carries being 

 brought much nearer tlie rails, whereby the oscillation is in great 

 part pre\ented. 



Tlie fourth part of the invention relates to improvements in 

 mounting the wheels of railway carriages, — the railway axle being 

 composed of two parts, one being solid and the other tubular. The 

 solid axle is made to carry one of a pair of wheels, and the tubuLir 

 axle, which is slidden over the solid axle, or otherwise placed over 

 it, receives the other wheel. The advantage of mounting wheels 

 in this manner is, that they will be allowed to turn independently 

 of each other. In applying tlie improvement to axles, as now con- 

 structed, one boss is turned down, and a collar merely is left ; the 

 axle is then coated with " Paris white," or other suitable substance, 

 and afterwards heated in a furnace to a dull red heat. AVhen in 

 this state a tulie or hollow axle is cast around it, — the ends of the 

 hollow tube being inclosed between the boss and the collar of the 

 inner axle. On the contraction of the metals, the inner and outer 

 axles will, by reason of the intermediate filling substance, be en- 

 abled to revolve independently of each other, but will be in no 

 danger of separating, as the collar keeps them securely together. 

 When, therefore, the wheels are respectively secured in their 

 places by the ordinary means, they will be free to revohe inde- 

 pendently, and be as little liable to derangement as if mounted on 

 one solid axle. 



