US281360A

US281360A - Toy locomotive engine

Info

Publication number: US281360A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1883-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 1900-07-17

Description

(No Modem W. H. HALL.

AVTOY LOGOMOTIVE ENGINE.

No. 281,360. Patented July 17.1883.

N. PETERS. Phmwthompnan wnhingum D. c,

UNITED {5r/vriesl PATENT OFFICE.,

WILLIAM H. HALL, or LONDON, ENGLAND.

TOY LoooMoTlvE-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 81,360, dated July 17, 1883.

Application tiled February 12. 1883.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that L'WILLIAM HAMILTON1 HALL, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain,

and residing at London, England, have invented an Improved Toy Locomotive-Engine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of a toy locomotive-engine in which the motive power for driving the toy is also employed to automatically sound a whistle by the com-` pression orsuetion of air through the whistle. 'The engine may be worked by one or more spring or springs, which may be of india-rub `ber elastic, spiral steel or other metal, or such lengthy body, with short tender behind, fixed and forming part of the structure of the engine; and the body of the said vengine should be sufficiently roomy inside to allow of a sufficiency of air being collected therein and utilized by compression, by the means hereinafter mentioned, for the purpose of sounding a whistle fixed outside the said engine! The cross-section of the said body of engine may be either round or the upper part round and lower part square, as most suitable and con-j venient to the means adopted for working the said engine and compressing the said air. :The driving-wheels should be placedas far forward as practicable, and the whistle at the after end of the engine, if the air is to be compressed by means of asingle compression operated in one direction only,with apair of smaller wheels behind; vand if the air is to be compressed by meansof a compression operating from both ends of the engine simultaneously,

the driving-wheel and whistle should be placed (No model.) Patented in England November 3, 1882, No. 5,253; in France January 9.6, 1883,

No. 152,335, and iu GrmanyJnnuary 3l, 1F83.

The body of the engine should contain either a bellows fitting loosely therein, and so that when distended the greater portion or nearly the whole'of` the interior space of the engine is occupied thereby, or else a movable part (in the case of a single compression,- as aforesaid) or two movable parts (in the case of a simultaneous compression, as aforesaid) fitting loosely in the said body of the engine, but sufficiently closely to prevent, as far as practicable, any escape of air, the said bellows or movable part or part-s working backward and forward along the interior length of the engine. The whistle is inserted in the top of the body of the engine in such a position, either at the after end thereof or in the center of the length of the body of the engine, as to receive through it the compressed air. The end or ends of the said bellows and the said movable part or parts for compressing the said air, as aforesaid, (hereinafter called the air-compressing part or parts,) may have a .vent-hole covered over on the inside by a piece of cloth or other suitable material falling loosely over it, so as to admit the air, but to prevent the same escaping when compressed. The said air-compressing part or parts may have round its or their edge or edges a packing consisting of a piece of cloth, felt, or other suitable material, to prevent any undue escape of air between such edge or edges and the surface of interior of engine. Air may be admitted freely into such part or parts of the body of the engine as are not sought to be air-tight, so as to allow of the free working of the means aforesaid for working the said engine and compressing the said air.

If the engine is worked by one or more indiarubber elastic spring or springs, the spring (in the case of one) may be attached to the back of the tender, and, leading through a small hole (large enough only to permit the spring to work freely backward and forward) in the after end of the engine, is then-attached tothe center 0f the working end of the bellows. The other end of the bellows being fixed to the after end of the engine, or to the center of an air-compressing part, (as the case may be,) and leading through the same, is then attached to the axle of the drivingwheels, (herel inafter called the main axle, the said work- IOO ing end of the bellows or air-compressing part being pressed close up to the after end of the engine when the spring is attached, as aforesaid. Then the driving-wheels are turned round backward, the spring is wound round the main axle and the bellows or air-compressing part extended, and when the wheels are let go they are turned by the spring in a forward direction and the bellows or air-compressing part contracted, the whistle being sounded by the air being forced through it.

If two india-rubber elastic springs are used, the engine is worked upon the same principle as aforesaid; but the springs are attached to the back ofthe tender, one on each side, and, leading through holes in the after end of the engine, are then attached to the working end ofthe bellows, outside the same, one on each side, and lead thence to the main axle, being attached at the center` of axle, so as to obtain greater space for winding round the axle. Two springs, as aforesaid, are not suitable to an air-compressing part; but such air-compressing part may have one spring attached to it from the back of the tender, as aforesaid, and then two springs, or two springs attached thereto outside the same, one on each side, and leading to the axle.

If a spiral steel or other metal spring is used, it may be fitted into the body of the engine between the working end of the bellows or aircompressing part and the main axle, and a string or strings used to connect such working end or air-compressing part with the said axle when the said string or strings is or are wound round said axle, the said spring being contracted and causing driving-wheels to revolve and the bellows or the air-compressing part to be contracted by its pressure when let go.

An ordinary clock-work spring or springs may be used by fitting the same transversely into the body of the engine at either or both ends, connected with an axle running lengthwise through the center of the engine,the motion of the said longitudinal axle being transmitted to the main axle by means of cog-wheels or double strings attached to each axle, andthe said bellows or air-compressing part being extended and contracted by means of a screwthread on the said longitudinal axle working in a corresponding thread in the center of the head or worki ng end of the bellows or air-compressing part; and the said longitudinal axle may have a crank-handle ixed to 011e end thereof, outside the after end of the engine, for winding up. If the said engine is wound up by turningvthe drivingwheels or 011e of such driving-wheels, (one of the said wheels may be made to fit loosely on the axle, so as not to turn when the axle is wound up,) a small handle may be fitted or jointed between the spokes of the wheel to be turned, so that it can be used on the outside of the wheel for the purpose of winding the engine, and when turned inward can be used as a stop against the bot tom or some other convenient part of the body of the eil'gine, to prevent the engine running ofi until it is desired to start it. The said engine may be wound up by means of a vertical axle passing through or partially through the body of the engine, and having a crank-handle outside the said engine, such vertical axle being connected with the main axle by means of cog-wheels or a string.

The principle hereinbefore described of working the said engine and compression of air therein by means of a single compression operating in one direction only, (in which case the driving-wheels are placed as far forward as practicable,) with the use of a spring or springs. whether india-rubber elastic, spiral steel or other metal, or ordinary clock-work, is applicable to the working of the said engine and compression of air therein by means of a compression operating from both ends of the engine simultaneously, (in which case the driving-wheels are placed in the center of the length of the body of the engine,) the principal difference of construction being that with the latter method the bellows have two working ends instead of 011e, or there are two aircompressing parts instead of one, (as the case may be,) the said bellows or air-compressing parts, when contracted, being in the center of the length ofthe body of the engine, and having the main axle and whistle in the middle of or between them, and when extended reaching to or nearly to each end of the engine; and with such method of simultaneous compression, if india-rubber elastic is used for motive purposes, there should be two or more springs attached to each end of the interior of the engine and to each working end of bellows or each air-compressing part, and crossing one another; and if spiral steel or other metal is used there must be two springs, one at each end of the interior of the engine, and there may be one or more ordinary clock-work spring or springs, if such is or are used, connected with a longitudinal axle, as before mentioned and whichever kind of springs or spring are or is used, the power thereofl may be transmitted to the turning of the main axle and working the said bellows or aircomprcssing parts by means of a longitudinal axle, as

aforesaid, having a screw-thread working in opposite directions on each moiety thereof, with corresponding threads in center of each head or working end of the bellows or aircompressing parts, the motion of the said longitudinal axle being transmitted to the main axle by means of cog-wheels or double strings attached to each axle, the said longitudinal axle being revolved, after being wound up, for the purpose of driving the engine, either by the india-rubber elastic springs (where same are used) leading through eyes or pulleys at each corner of the interior of the engine, and thence being wound round longitudinal axle at each end, or by the natural pressure of screw threads, or, (where ordinary clockwork spring or springs is or are used,) by the direct force ol' the spring or springs; or a plain longitudinal axle without screw-threads may be used with IOO IIO

connecting springs, or=strings or other suit;

able means may be adopted for'applying ,the said principle to the working of the said engine and compression of air therein by means of a compression operating from both ends of the engine simultaneously.

In the construction of the said engine, cogwheels and pinion-wheels or pulleysvor'eyes with strings working therein (which may be fitted in any suitable known way) may be used, where practicable, for lengthening the Vrun of the engine in proportion to the working scope of the spring or springs.

In order that the -engine may be woundup without the driving-wheels or either. of them turning round, the main axle may be tted through a tube, the said tube having bearings on each side of the engine, and the spring or springs and winding -gear being connected with the tube instead of with the axle itself, andthe said tube having fittedv at one end thereof a check-wheel with a small lmetal spring fixed on driving-wheel .working with such check-wheel; or the saidl driving-wheels may both be fitted loosely on the axle, the said axle having iitted at one end thereof a checkwheel, with a small metal spring on the driving-wheel working therewith, so that when the said tube or the said axle (as the case may be) is turned round 011e way the said drivingwheels, or either of them, do not revolve; but when turned round theopposite way by the motive power the cheek-wheel acts on or is chocked with the small spring on drivingwheel and forces it round.

The check-wheel may be fixed on the driving-wheel instead of the axle, in the form of a small band or collar with teeth inside, Vand a small spring on the axle working therewith, inside the same. The said engine may be wound up by Ameans of a crank-handle fixed? to the end of the main axle outside the driving-wheel.

If any crank-handle is used for wiudingup the said engine, there should be apiece of wire or other material jointed to the body of the engine in the path of the handle when being .Y turned, so as to prevent the engine running off until it is desired to start it, and the same folding down clear ofthe handle when not required asastop. Y

The axle of the after wheels may have its bearings at each end of a frame or case,the said frame or case being pivoted at its center to tender or engine, (according to the exact position of the whcels,) so that the said enginev may be made to run in a circulardirection or straight, as desired, by adjusting the said after wheels, the said pivot being made to fit sufficiently tightly, so as not to be shifted from position by the running of the engine when once adjusted. If bellows are used for compressing the said air, as aforesaid, the same may have rigid rings of wire or other suitable material fitted inside or outside the same at convenient distances apart, to assist the effectiveness andregular working of the said bel lows; and the said bellows may have indiarubber elastic bands also around them at distances in between the said rigid rings, to further assist the effectiveness and regular working of the said bellows, and the power of the said elastic bands may be utilized for motive purposes, either alone or in conjunction with another or other spring or springs.

The principle of working the said engi-ne by means of a spring or springs, as aforesaid, and automatically sounding a whistle by compression .of air in the bodyof the engine may be adapted to the workingof the said engine in same .manner and automatically sounding a whistle by expanding or extending a bellows or a movable part or parts fitted into the body of the engine, as aforesaid, and drawing air through an inverted whistle into the body of the engine, the respective positions of the main axle and the spring or springs and whistle in relation to one another being-altered to meet the circumstances ofthe case.

The said engine may also be worked without a spring or springs, or in conjunction therewith," by making the body of the engine airtight, or so far air-tight as is practicable, admittin g the air only through an inverted whis- .tle, and contracting the said bellows or movable part or parts by winding a string or srings attached to head of the bellows or movable part or parts round main axle or axles in connection therewith, and creating thereby a partial vacuum in' body of the engine, the

pressure ofthe atmosphere (the said atmosphere rst passing through and sounding the whistle) expanding `or extending the -said bellows or movable part or parts and affording the motive power, and the 'said bellows or movable part or parts in thiscasefshould have no vent-hole.

A dual whistle-sounding may be obtained by making the body of the engine as air-tight as practicable, and .by means of bellows or a movable part or parts, as aforesaid, worked by a spring or springs, as aforesaid, forcing the air. out through a whistle outside one part of the body of the said engine, and at the same time drawing the air in through a whistle xedvinside the other part of thebody of the said engine, the said two parts of the body of the engine being kept air-tight in relation one to the other; and the body of the said engine being made sufficiently air-tight, the said air may be forced out and drawn in, respectively, for the purpose of sounding any whistle or whistles, as aforesaid, either by contracting bellows by means of a spring or springs, as aforesaid, or by expanding the same by means of any such spring or springs.

The accompanying drawings serve to illustrate two simple methods of carrying out m invention.

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, to show the interior mechanism; Fig. 3, a plan showing the interior mechanism of an appara- IOO riations in the construction.

z In'Figs; l and 3,' A, in Fig. l is the Whistle,

z teriorof thehody of the enginiaat top and and in Fig. 3 the aperture in vthev vtop of the engine to receive same. E in both, figures is i a metal rim iixed vinside theafter endof the engine, to reoeire varonnil vit thev soft material:

; oi' the bellows C. Dis the working' end of the bellows.' y is theiinainzaxle, andi@ represents the india-rubber elastic slnings'fastened to the the; engine by: turning the Wheel upon which v speetivelythe vwhistle and a metal :ease at the mainv axieandto the ,workingend of the bel lows, and passing1 through holes in :tliebaek of the engine, eaoh side of said inetal'rini, and

thence: around hooks G, (shown i11I1g.3,)

, ginedeseribed, eonsistingof the body ofthe engine, havingvwithin it a bellows or diskop: y erated; hynieans of springs, and by a'string or v 'elastic wound' upon the lnai'n axle, eomhined and tied together vat the back :of z the tender. i H inzFig. ,3 is a small handle for winding up itisxed.vvv ,In Figs. 2, and 4, A and, B in Fig. 2 are retop of the engine to receive :saidwhistle.v 1B'v inFig., 4 is the aperture, in the top ofthe en- :gine for saidwhistle. v C', in: ,both tigures :is a

disk having a broad. rim, D', around it to reg F isi a, nnetal rim, iixed partially aroun the'inbottoni for one end vof spiralvsteel springG (shown in Fig. 2) to rest against, the other end H represents 4 is: a handle, H, for Winding, as in irstillns tration. The said steel spring is notshown in y Figui.,

'elain1 The improved antomatie Whistling` toyen-z 25 veeive a paekingso as tomakeD fit close into thevbody of the engine.: :Eis themain axle.-