A spring may also be used similarly to the weight mentioned, for pressing the hollow metal piece towards the axle in the latter apparatus ; that which the patentee recommends for this purpose, is a flat thin lamina of steel, placed hori zontally through apertures in the lower parts of the axle beds in the sustaining bars, so as to press against the bottom of the hollow metal piece with a force, that is regulated by a screw, which passes upwards against one of its ends through a hole underneath the apertures in which this latter is inserted. Amongst the singular propositions fot producing a locomotive action, was that invented by Mr. T. S. Holland, for which he took out a patent, dated the 19th December, 1827. The invention consists in the application of an arrange ment of levers, similar to that commonly known by the name of for the purpose of propelling carriages. The objects appear to be, to derive irom the reciprocating motion of a short lever a considerable degree of speed, and to obtain an abutment, against which the propellers should act horizontally, in the direction of the motion of the carriage, instead of obliquely to that motion, as is the case when carriages are impelled bylevers striking the earth. The draw ings attached to the specification seem designed rather to explain the principle, than to represent what the patentee would deem an eligible form of its application. (See next page.) a is one of the main wheels of the carriage; attached to the axle is a long guide-rod 6 b, extending before and behind, and passing through holes in the blocks c e., placed over the beds of the propelling wheels d d; e e are double palls, acting against two sets of ratchet wheels on the boxes of d d; f standards attached to the beds or axles of 4 d, and serving to place them in any required position, by means of the wheels attached to them; gg a series of expanding levers, the central pair playing upon the main axle ; h h a pair of longer bars, connected with the two bars g g, at their lower ends, and with each other, at the upper ends, by a bar, shown by dots, between two uprights; the ihicrum 1, a lever connected by a rope es, with a counter weight, supported by two short bare o o, suspended from the lower bars gg; p a fly-wheel, connected with the upper extremities of the bars h h, which rise and fall in grooves, in the upright poet g, the fly serving to equalize the motion; r the platform or carriage.
The action is as follows :—Suppose the apwatus in the position shown in the engraving ; allow the weight a to descen and the levers gg will collapse; but as the wheels d a can only revolve in the direction of the arrow, on account of the palls e e, the wheel d 1 will remain stationary, and the wheel d, and the main Wheel a, will be drawn towards d 1. On raising the weight, the levels g g will be extended, and g 2 now becoming stationary, the centre wheel a and d will be pushed forward from d 2.
Two days after the last-mentioned contrivance obtained the privilege of the Great Seal, Dr. Harland, of Scarborough, also passed a, patent for what may be denominated a steam phaeton, from the figure of the carriage given in the specification, of which the engraving on page 483, is a sufficient resemblance.
"The improvements contemplated by Dr. Harland, are stated, in his specifi cation, to consist, first, in the construction of a boiler, by which a very large surface of the fire and flue will be placed in contact with the water, for the rapid production of steam • secondly, in the employment of a condenser, which, by its extensive surface, shall condense the steam by the influence of the atmo sphere ; thirdly, in a mode of fixing the working cylinder, without allowing it to vibrate in hollow arms or trunnions.
era a represents the bed of the carriage ; b 1 and 6 2 the boiler, composed of two double cylinders, b 1 containing the fire-grate and ash-pit, and the cylin der b 2 containing another double cylinder; so that there are, in fact, three double cylinders, each full of water, and communicating with the reservoir and steam chamber c, which must be of sufficient capacity to keep the boilers sup plied during the period of one stage, so that they be always full : d is the edniney; e a damper, by which the boiler 6 2 may occasionally be withdrawn in part from the action of the fire; f is a spherical vessel on the top of the reservoir, the object of which is to prevent the water thrown up with the steam being driven with the steam into the pipe g, which conveys it to the working cylinder is; this cylinder is secured horizontally to the bed of the carriage, and having guides extending from end to end, in which side-rods, attached to the cross on the piston rod, move, and carry with them the connecting rod k, which turns the crank 1; this crank has on its axis a toothed wheel in, and revolves on bearings placed on the bed of the carriage. The carriage receives
its impulse from the engine upon the hind wheels; the axis of these carry small tooth-wheels n, which gearing into m, receive their motion, and thereby round the running wheels. Arrangements are made by the patentee for throw ing the toothed-wheels is and a out of gear, and bringing into operation another pair of wheels on the same axles, when additional power is wanted; but the apparatus for this purpose is not brought into view in the engraving, to prevent confusion. At o an eduction pipe, leading to a series of tubes p, which are denominated the condensing chambers, and may be used, either alone or in conjunction with water, to condense the steam on leaving the cylinder ; g, is a pipe for conducting the hot water and uncondensed steam into a globular vessel r, connected with an additional series of condensing pipes a, of an annu lar form, and connected with each other by short pipes; t, is a pipe for return ing the condensed water from r to the boiler, by the aid of a small force v is a forked rod attached to the steering wheel z, and descending into holes in the arms of the fore wheels, and having liberty to move up and down, according with the inequalities of the road; the vertical standard, upon which the upper steering wheel z is fixed, also forms the centre of motion to the arms of the fore wheels, and is thereby made to direct them in their course.
"The advantages contemplated by Dr. Harland in these arrangements, will, we fear, not be realised. In the construction of the boiler, there is nothing upon which we can congratulate him. The attempt to condense the steam has been long since abandoned by those who have had the most experience on the subject; it is evidently impracticable to carry sufficient water to effect even a tolerable condensation ; the conducting power of the air is much too slow for the abstraction of the heat, and it should be considered that the air which is liberated from the boiling water, would require a pump to draw it off, which would add complexity to the machinery. With regard to the mode of fixing the cylinder, it differs but little from that adopted by Mr. Gurney. The mode of communicating the power to the wheels is extremely defective, for it will be observed, that the driving toothed-wheels in are (in effect) mounted upon the springs of the carriage, above the driven toothed-wheels a, by which means they will be continually liable to be thrown out of gear by the motion of the car riage, and the teeth will be liable to break from the same cause." Pursuing our narration chronologically, we must now draw the reader's atten tion to the labours of Mr. Walter Hancock, who commenced his• career of con structing locomotive carriages about the same time as Mr. Gurney ; but whose mechanical arrangements possess far more originality and genuine merit, and have, in consequence, been attended with greater success. It was at this period. (1827) that Mr. Hancock took out his first patent, which was for a light high pressure boiler, designed for locomotive purposes; the description of this we shall, however, until we have made a retrospect of his previous labours.