Ko. 129.] 55 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ARTS AND SCIENCES ON 

 J. K. FISHER'S STEAM CARRIAGE. 



Your committee, to whom was referred the consideration of 



Mr. J. K. Fisher's improvements for plank road steam carriage, 



beg leave to report as follows : 



/ 



The carriage, as a whole, presented by Mr. Fisher, embodies a 

 number of new and important improvements, both as regards the 

 application of steam and its general arrangement. Mr. F. has 

 introduced a new method for working steam expansively in the 

 peculiar arrangement of gearing for the same, operated by means 

 of levers connected to the cross head of another engine ; and in 

 this case where two engines are used, we think highly successful 

 and effective ; the arrangement for cutting off" the steam at differ - 

 ent parts of the stroke, in connection with other movements of 

 the valve, is equally effective with its main movement. The 

 combination of the radius and parallel rods to afford steadiness 

 to the machine even at high velocities, is certainly a very great 

 improvement, particularly if the machinery and carriage are sus- 

 tained on springs similar to the arrangement presented in the 

 model ; by this arrangement it should be observed that all the 

 weight of the hitherto heavy framing is suspended, thereby giving 

 greater capacity for carrying additional weight or passengers. 

 The whole of the machinery in this plan is under the control and 

 direction of one person, including the tiller for steering the car- 

 riage, thereby placing the whole under the guidance and obser- 

 vation of the person in charge. 



We consider the model presented by Mr. Fisher for the above 

 purpose, capable, by some slight modifications, of affording a 

 very superior plan for steam carriage on a good level road. 



JAMES RENWICK, 

 HENRY R. DUNHAM, 

 H. MEIGS, 

 ConrniiUee on Arts and 8 deuces, 

 J<r^u>' York, Sept. i, 1851. 



