GB278419A - Improvements in and relating to locomotives - Google Patents

Abstract

278,419. Hutchinson, G. V. V. July 3, 1925. Railway locomotives, internalcombustion and compressed air; driving-gear of crank-type.- Comprises a locomotive propelled by one or more internalcombustion engines which drive an air compressor and are disconnectibly coupled to the driving-wheels, the compressed air being delivered to driving-cylinders permanently coupled to the driving-wheels; these cylinders may be associated with or may be those of an internal-combustion engine or engines permanently coupled to the wheels. In the construction shown in Fig. 1 a combustion engine 2 driving a rocking beam 5 is directly coupled by rods 10 to air-compressing cylinders 7 and by rods 11, friction clutches 13, rods 22, 23, a crank-shaft 18, and rods 24 to the driving-wheels. The compressed air is delivered by the compressor 7 to a reservoir (not shown), find from there to cylinders 32 permanently coupled by rods 36 to the driving-wheels. The rocking. arms 31 are fixed on a rod 30 carrying beams 29 which can be rocked when required by internal-combustion cylinders 27. To start the locomotive the friction clutches 13 are disconnected, the engine operates the compressor 7, and the compressed air is used in the cylinders 32. When the locomotive attains sufficient speed the internal-combustion engine 27 is supplied with fuel, the air cylinders 32 are shut off, the clutches 13 are engaged and the engine 2 and 27 drive the wheels. At the same time the reservoir is re-charged by the engine 2 and when this has taken place the cylinders 7 are automatically prevented from doing any work. If the engine works on a two-stroke cycle the cylinders 32 may be used for scavenging and charging, but if the cycle is a four-stroke one the cylinders 27 may be used both as air cylinders at starting and afterwards as internal - combustion cylinders. Specification 231,604 is referred to in the Provisional Specification.