1819.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



m 



and this is effected by adopting two or more shafts, instead of one, 

 as the chimney, into which shafts the steam is discharged simul- 

 taneously from a corresponding number of blast-pipes. Fig-. 2 is 

 a vertical section, and fig. 3 a plan of a chimney, having three 

 shafts a, a, a, say five feet long each. Into these shafts three blast- 

 pipes b.b,b, convey exhaust steam simultaneously; which, being 

 discharged at the top of the chimney, will cause a rapid in-draft 

 of air to the furnace. 



The patentees do not confine themselves to the particular ar- 

 rangement shown in the drawing; but they intend to use two, 

 three, four, or more shafts for the cliimney, with a corresponding 

 number of blast-pipes, and of dimensions according to the quantity 

 of steam to be discharged. They claim the division of the chim- 

 ney into several shafts, into which a like number of blast-pipes 

 exhaust simultaneously, as above described. 



The third improvement in steam-engines, which consists of an 

 improved arrangement of the eduction-passages and steam-valves 

 in high-pressure engines, for the purpose of increasing the effective 

 power of the steam, is shown in longitudinal section at fig. 4, and 

 in cross section at fig. 5. To all persons acquainted with the 

 working of steam-engines, it will be evident that a great saving of 

 power and consequent economy will result from diminishing the 

 back pressure of eduction steam on the piston; or, in other words, 

 much of the power now expended in expelling the steam from the 

 cylinder, after it has performed the operation of pressing the pis- 

 ton to the end of the stroke, will be saved, if the passage for this 

 eduction steam is rendered more direct and capacious than accord- 

 ing to the arrangements at present adopted. In order to accom- 

 plish this, the patentees have arranged the eduction-passages and 

 valves as shown at figs. 4, and 5. n, represents the present cylin- 

 der, as in use on a locomotive engine; b, the slide-valves of the 

 engine; c, c, the valve-spindles; d, the steam-passages; and e, the 

 eduction-passage. In addition to this (the ordinary arrangement), 

 another eduction-passage from the cylinder to the atmosphere is 

 provided at each end of the cylinder, as shown at/,/,/; and this 

 passage may be placed as found convenient, either exactly opposite 

 the opening from the interior of the cylinder, or at any interme- 

 diate distance between that and the passage which admits the steam. 

 The valves are also somewhat differently arranged, as one valve g, at 

 each end, is used for the purpose of regulating the emission of the 

 steam from the cylinder. These valves g, g, are attached to the 

 same spindle c, c, as the ordinary steam-valve, and are moved 

 simultaneously with it. In order to explain the operation of the 

 above, it is proper to state that the valve <7, at either end, is so 

 placed that it is open to the atmosphere from the cylinder at the 

 same instant that the eduction steam, from the same end of the 

 cylinder at which the said valve is placed, is escaping by the ordi- 

 nary passages to the atmosphere. The size of the passage for 

 steam, next to the interior surface of the cylinder, as shown at 

 A, h, should be increased, in order to allow for the increased area 

 of the eduction-pipes, caused by the additional passages through 

 the valves (jf, 51. ?, i, represent the two blast-pipes for taking the 

 eduction steam to the chimney; and the arrangement of these 

 ]>ipes, and also the plans of packing the back of the valves, may 

 be varied according to the circumstances and particular construc- 

 tion of the engine to which they may be applied. It will be obvi- 

 ous that a similar arrangement of valves and eduction-passages, 

 for increasing the area for the passage of eduction steam, may be 

 adapted to any of the various kinds of engines in which high- 

 pressure steam is employed, as well as in locomotive engines. It 

 will be understood that, by the arrangement of passages and 

 valves as described, the pressure in the blast-pipe and eduction- 

 passages will be diminished, so as to admit of a diminution of the 

 back pressure or resistance to the motion of the piston. The 

 patentees claim the constructing and arranging of the eduction- 

 passages and valves in the manner above described and repre- 

 sented. 



The second head of this invention relates to improvements in 

 connecting railway carriages or wagons together; and consists, 

 firstly, in an improved method of coupling; and, secondly, in im- 

 proved arrangements of the buffers. 



And first, as to the improved method of coupling the carriages 

 and wagons together.— The object of the improved method of 

 coupling is to obviate the present dangerous mode of coupling 

 railway carriages and wagons, wherebv the men employed to do 

 that work are constantly liable to be crushed to deiith, or to 

 receive serious injury, particularly when in the act of coupling 

 merchandise or mineral wagons together. This is effected by pre- 

 venting the necessity of a man going under, or standing between, 

 the carnages or wagons, when in the performance of the duty of 

 coupling them together or uncoupling them. 



Fig. 6 shows, in elevation, a carriage with the improved coupling 

 apparatus applied thereto; and fig. 7 is a plan gf the framing of 

 the carriage, showing also the arrangement of the coupling, a, n, 

 a, are brackets, for supporting the rods which carry the hook- 

 links; b,b, are the hooks; c, c, the coupling-links, placed in their 

 coupled position. At e, (see fig. 6,) the right-hand link is shown 

 as turned up uncoupled. J\ J\ are handles for working the 

 coupling-links: they may be applied to the outside of the carriage 

 or wagon as well as to the inside of the framing, /i, /*, are mitre 

 or bevel wheels, for working the screws which draw the buffers of 

 the carriages together. 



Fig. fi. 



Fig. 8. 



Fig. 7. 



Figs. 8, and 9, show, in plan and side views, a modification of 

 the above-described arrangements. «, «, are the brackets; 6,6, 

 the hooks; and r, and rf, the links. The right-hand link d, is 

 shown as coupled ; and the left-hand link c, falling down over the 

 link rf, to be coupled. /, are the handles for working the coupling- 

 links; /(, is a worm-wheel, for drawing the buffers of the wagon 

 together; /, is a shaft, with an endless screw, for working the 

 worm-wheel; fr, is a rod, for connecting the coupling-hooks to the 

 springs under the carriages; and /, /, show the handles for giving 

 motion to the shaft «', which carries the endless screw for working 

 on tlie worm-wheel and drawing up the carriages. They give also 

 a plan for tightening the carriages from their centres, by making 

 use of one worm-wheel and one shaft passing through from one 

 side of the carriages to the other: and they claim the connecting 

 of railway carriages and wagons together by the arrangement abo\e 

 described, whereby carriages may be coupled together or un- 

 coupled from the outside, without the necessity of any person 

 being between them. 



The second improvement, under this head of the invention, 

 consists in connecting railway carriages and wagons by means of 

 an improved system of buffers, so as to ensure uniformity in height 

 of the same, whereby, whatever may be the position of the car- 

 riages or wagons, in respect of deflection of springs from load or 

 other circumstances, the buffers will always be at the same dis- 

 tance from the rails, and in a line with each other both laterally 

 and vertically: thus ensuring safety to the train in this particular, 

 and also great economy in tlie wear, and ease in the travelling of 

 the carriages or wagons. This improvement consists in attaching 

 the buffers to, or connecting them with, the axles, or a frame 

 affixed to the axles, instead of the bodies of the carriages; by 

 which means the buffers, or the line of their action, will maintain 

 one and the same height from the surface of the rails, to whatever 

 amount the carriages may be loaded. It will be obvious that, pro- 

 vided the buffers are attached to a frame affixed to or connected 

 with the axles instead of to the carriage (the height of which from 

 the rails is liable to variation according to the load and other cir- 

 cumstances), the line of the action of the buffers will be main- 

 tained. The patentees recommend that the buffer-rods should 

 be hollow, and of wrought or drawn-iron tubing; but this is not 

 essential. They claim as an improvement in connecting railway 

 carriages and wagons, the constructing and arranging the carriages 

 and wagons so that they may be brought together by means of a 

 system of buffers, framed to or connected with the axles, in such 

 manner that tlie line of their action, when the carriages and 

 wagons are coupled together, may be at one and the same height 

 throughout the train, and independent of the loading of the 

 carriages. 



The third head of this invention relates to improvements in the 

 means of retarding engines and carriages, and in effecting a com- 

 munication between one part of a railway train and another by 



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