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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[January, 



REGISTER OF NEW PATENTS. 



(Under tbis head we propose giving abstracts of the specifications of all tbe most im. 

 portant patents as tliey aie enrolled. If any additional information be required as to any 

 pa'.ent, the same may be obtained by applying to Wr. LAXTON at the Office of this 

 JOURNAL.) 



PILBROW'S ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAY AND CANAL PROPULSION. 



James Pilbrow, of Totlenham, civil engineer, for " Certain imiirovement.s in 

 the machinery Sor^ or a new method of propelling carriages on railways and common 

 roads, and vessels on lii'ers and cnnn/s."— Granted May 17 ; enrolled Novcm- 

 Ltr, 1844. 



We are indebted fur the following description to a pamphlet just issued by 

 Mr. Pilbrow ; tlic invention is one of great importance, and appears to be 

 very ingeniously contrived, and as such it deserves attentive consideration. 



Mr. Pilbrow observes that his syslem has the following advantages over the 

 present syslcm.' In having no discontinuance of the " main," and therefore no 



".'.ection valves," at crossings of roads, lanes, &.C., or any necessity for 

 bridges fur cross lines, roads, lanes, &c. In having fewer engine establish- 

 ments, one to every 10 miles being sufficient, instead of one to every 3 miles, 

 thus saving 23 engines, &c., out of 34 in 100 miles. ITO reason why a less 

 number will be required on this plan than tbe other is, (hat there being no 

 long valve the leakage will be so diminished that it will amount to less 

 in 10 miles than now in one ; it is estimated that now the leakage eijuals five- 

 liorse power per mile, and therefore should there be but one engine to lOmiles 

 of main, 50-hoise power out of the 100 would be lost for leakage alone, so it 

 is found absolutely necessary to have one engine every 3 miles, thus reducing 

 the loss to 15-horse power out of the 100. Wliy the pinion-valves as pro- 

 liosed will not leak so much as the long valve is, first, because the surfaces 

 are ground truly, and are pressed together by the weight and fall of the 

 pinion, (and the more used the better they will stop); and, secondly, on 

 account of the small quantity of surface or space that can leak, the propor- 

 tion being as 1 to 20 between the two systems, for the pinion-valve or sea 



Fig. 1. 



iC? 



<= 



v////y///////^/m//////////m^^^^^^ 



V/y^////- . ♦->/;» / .V//W///////////. 



* We are indebted to llie Editor of the "Mechanic's Magazine," for the use of the 

 V ood engravings. = uo» u. mv 



being but about 9 inches in circumference at the aperture where the air is 

 admitted, and being only two of them to every 30 feet of main = 1 5 feet j 

 whereas, the present long valve would be the whole 30 feet exposed and liable 

 to leakage ; lience, even were the pinion-valves to leak as much as the long 

 valve, surface for surface, this plan would only leak 21 -horse power instead 

 of 50-hoise power, in 10 miles! 



In h.iving no necessity for "cranes," or elevated rails, for the taking on 

 and ofl' carriages, as that would be done in the usual manner, 8ic., and this 

 arrangement will permit of the " main" being varied in its diameter at dif- 

 ferent parts of a long line, to suit any irregularity in the general level or 

 gradients, or traffic, which is often greater at one part than at another. 



Description. — Fig. 1 represents part of a pipe or tube (in section) supposed 

 to be lying along a railway between the rails, similir to the tube as well 

 known in the various plans hitherto devised for the propelling of carriages 

 or trains on the "atmospheric principle ;" but here it is proposed it shall lie 

 in a hollow or channel dug in the e'lrth, and fastened also in any convenient 

 manner to the sleepers. At intervals (say at 30 feet or nearer) along this 

 tube there are affixed pinions or small cogged wlieels, as shown at c, and d. 

 Fig. 2 made or cast in one solid piece of iron, the upper portion r, having 

 cogs or teeth around it, and the lower portion (/, being made the same, so 

 that the cogs may correspond in both. The tube has a projection cast or 

 otherwise made upon it, at the required places proposed to place these 

 jiinions, and also has an opening in it to allow of the lower portion of the 

 pinion d, to enter and project a short distance into the hollow of the tube, as 

 shown at d, the upper and lower end of the spindle, or the pivots of the 

 pinion working in holes or bearings made for that purpose in this projecting 

 case or box, as at h i, the box having a support carried up as a ; but that part 

 ol the spindle or axis between the toothed portions/loes not touch, but passes 

 through a hole or passage made in the tube and " box," which is larger than 

 the spindle, as aty ; but there is a flat or conical part, as at k, which is al- 

 lowed to touch, as will be explained hereafter. These pinions, therefore, are 

 free to turn, when acted upon in any proper manner for that purpose, and 

 are partly inside the tube and partly out. It is proposed that a piston be 

 made, to fit as nearly air-tight as possible into this tube, and having attached 

 to it behind a long bar, or piece or pieces of iron, or other suitable material, 

 having cogs along its edge or edges, to correspond and fit the cogs of the 

 pinions. Fig. 3 is a side view of such a piston and appendage ; /, is the pis- 

 tun head, and from thence to m, the line of cogs ; n, is a wheel or roller 

 placed near the centre of the rack, to support it in its proper place, and to 

 obviate friction in its progression. Fig. 4 represents the end front view of 

 the piston, and fig. 5 a section of the rack portion. The cogs do not pass 

 quite through or entirely down, but along the lower part there is a plain 

 piece as shown at o, o, which at the piston end declines or approaches the 

 bottom, forming a small inclined plane as shown at d d, fig. 3, there being no 

 cogs at the commencement ; this "piston rack" is to be sufficiently long 

 to reach two or more of the pinions in the tube, that it may never be entirely 

 free, that is, will touch one before it leaves another ; the pinions then being 

 so arranged" that they project at about the middle or horizontal diameter of 

 the lube, and the rack being arranged in the same (position as to the p ston, 

 so that when the piston is placed in or allowed to pass along the tube, the 

 ■' rack" or cogged edges will act upon, and be [in gear with that part of the 



