Engineers and Mechanics Encyclopedia 1839: Railways: W. G. and R. Heaton

Messrs. W. G. and R. Heaton, of Birmingham, have built several steam carriages which have operated with various degrees of success in their own neighbourhood. Their patent is dated the 5th of October, 1830.

The complicated nature of the machinery exhibited, in the specification of this patent, renders it quite impossible to make it fully understood without a series of drawings, and a detailed description, for which we cannot find room in this article. We shall therefore confine ourselves to an outline of the methods which the patentees adopt to accomplish the object they have in view that of guidance of a locomotive carriage, and the management of the steam apparatus, that the power and speed may be accommodated to the nature of the road, the quantity of the load, &e.

For the purpose of steering the carriage, a vertical spindle is placed at some distance before the axle of the front wheels, and on its lower end a small drum is fixed Around this drum is coiled a chain with its middle fixed upon the drum, and its ends made secure to the front axle at a considerable distance from the middle, so that the chain and axle may form a triangle with the drum, situated at the angle opposite the longest side.

The other end of the vertical spindle is connected with a frame situated in front of the coachman's, or rather the steersman's seat; and here is fixed upon the spindle a horizontal bevelled-toothed wheel. Over this wheel an axis extends, terminated in two crank handles proceeding from the axes in different directions, no that one will be down when the other is up; and upon this axis is fixed another bevelled-toothed wheel taking into the first. Now it is evident when these wheels are turned in one direction the right-hand fore wheel of the carriage will be advanced, and the coach will be turned towards the left, while if they be turned in the other direction, the left-hand wheel will be advanced. and the carriage will be turned towards the right. This plan of steering will be immediately recognised by our readers as the same with that adopted by Mr. James.

The driving wheels, or those to which the power of the engines is to be applied, are connected with the axle by means of a pair of ratchets furnished with a double set of ratchet teeth and a reversing pall. By this contrivance one wheel can be advanced or backed while the other is stationary, or moving in a contrary direction; an arrangement which becomes necessary in the act of turning and backing. The means of acting upon the reversing pall is brought within the reach of the steersman by means of a set of connecting rods and lever.

Motion is communicated to the driving wheels by a double set of spur wheel gear, arranged to give different powers or velocities, by having both a large and a small wheel fixed on the driving as well as the driven axis. By shifting the large wheel on the driving axis into gear with the small wheel or the driven axis, speed is obtained; and by shifting their relative position till the small wheel on the driving axis comes into gear with the large wheel on the driven axis, power is obtained at the expense of speed. These two axes are kept at the same distance from each other by means of connecting rods, notwithstanding the relative position may be changed by the motion of the carriage on rough roads.

These patentees do not claim novelty in any one of their arrangements in a detached form, but only the combination of the whole, as they have described them in their specification. A principal merit of the arrangement seems to be, that all the adjustments are brought within reach of the man having the guidance of the carriage.

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