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2 Sheets--Sheet 2
H. H. BAKER.
Improvement in Propulsion of Canal-Boats.
NO. . Patented Oct. 1 1872;
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;
HALSEY H. BAKER OF NEW MARKET NEW JERSEY.
IMPROVEMENT IN PROPULSION OF CANAL-BOATS.
Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. dated October 1 1872.
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I HALSEY H. BAKER of New Market in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey have invented an Improve-nent in Steam-Propulsion on Canals of which the following is a specification :
This invention relates to means for effecting the propulsion of boats or vessels on canals and other narrow waters by steam power on board the boat applied to set in motion traction or propelling devices arranged to gear with a rail or rack toothed on its under side and connected with the shore and the invention generally consists in a combination of an arm carried by the boat and through which the power is transmitted; a truck on the outer end of the arm for effecting the propulsion; a rack and rail combined disposed along the tow-path; and a tow-line or connection between the outer end of the arm and the rear portion of the boat whereby the propulsion is indirectly- effected through the tow-line in a very advantageous manner and every facility afforded for giving the requisite sheer to the boat to prevent lateral strain on the rail; also where-by a helm to the boat may be dispensed with. The invention also consists in numerous peculiarities of construction connected with the draft- arm and devices for communicating power through it to the truck whereby every provision is made for adjusting the traction to different loads or drafts for riding over irregularities in the rail or deviations in the rail's level; for varying the sheer of the boat and for shutting up or drawing in the arm; as also for extending and variously operating it and the truck to meet different emergencies or requirements.
In the accompanying drawing which forms part of this specification Figure 1 represents a plan of a boat upon a reduced scale to the rest of the devices with my invention applied thereto for operation in relationwith the tow-path or bank of a canal; Fig. 2 is a side view of the draft-arm through which the power is communicated and attached truck in connection with a combined rack and rail arranged along or near the bank of the canal in proximity to the tow-path; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of said arm ; Fig. 4 a broken outside face view of the front of the truck showing a toggle motion applied to the latter;
Fig. 5 a longitudinal section of the truck applied to a combined rack and rail of peculiar construction ; Figs. ti 7 and 8 are plans of modified constructions of the rail; and Figs. 9 10 and 11 are transverse sections of the same.
Similar• letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.
A is the boat to be propelled : and which may either be alone or be the leader of a train of boats: B is a jointed arm through which the power is communicated from an engine on board the boat to a truck C at the outer end of the arm for the purpose of effecting propulsion through the clip and gear of the truck on or with a line of rail D arranged along and over the canal in proximity to the tow-path E the draft or propulsion being communicated to the boat through gearing and shafting carried by said truck from or near the forward end of the boat in conjunction with a tow-line F connecting the truck or outward end of the jointed arm with the after part of the boat. The rail D is arranged and supported as follows: G G are a number of posts or supports let into the tow-path E at any suitable distance apart and so as to project obliquely upward in a cross relation with the canal and over the water therein for a distance from the tow-path not exceeding the shelving side of the canal. These posts are notched at their exposed ends sous to receive and hold longitudinal timbers H which may be rough logs smoothed only on their inner sides for the purpose of carrying the rail that is bolted to said sides an d thereby made tii'piesent both upper and lower surfaces for the truck`C to travel over and for the pinion c to gear with. The propulsion of the truck on and along the rail is effected by toothed gear and the rail may be variously constructed. Thus it may be constructed as shown in Figs. 1 2 3 and 5 of a double or reverse V-f'orm in its transverse section with teeth b constituting a rack along or across the lower edge of the under V for a pinion c carried by the truck and set in motion by the engine to gear with while two grooved wheels or rollers d d also connected with the truck bear down or hold on the upper V of the rail. This construction combines rolling friction or hold on the rail with a toothed or positive gear for effecting
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the propulsion and restrains the running de-vices front lateral play likewise protects the teeth or rack b from becoming clogged with ice dirt or other obstacles by reason of the arrangement of the same on the under side of the rail while the inverted V-form of the rail on top sheds any water or matter deposited thereon. Openings c may be made through the rail for water collecting by rain or other-wise on its inner side to run off and thereby prevent the formation of ice to interfere with the action of the truck on the rail; or the rail may be constructed substantially as first de-scribed but with its upper and under sides or faces of a rounded instead of a V-form as shown in Figs. 3 and 11. The arm B which is arranged in the forward portion of the boat is of a swinging-clime construction being free to revolve about a vertical driving- shaft f which is set in motion by the engine through a gear-wheel g or otherwise whereby said arm may be swung outward to bring the truck C in running connection with the rail or be adjusted within and over the boat to facilitate the passage of the latter through locks or be swung to project from the opposite side of the boat to connect with a rail on the other side of the canal. This swinging adjustment of the arm B is effected by a pinion; h arranged to gear with a wheel i fast to a sleeve h which surrounds the driving-shaftf Such adjustment may be effected automatically by a belt and pulley 1 on the shaft of the pinion 1 as will be hereinafter described. The driving-shaft f projects above the sleeve k and through a box in connected with a frame I that has mounted on or connected with it an upright 9a an outwardly-projecting tubular arm o and a forward upright p. The driving shaft f is divided transversely above the sleeve 1c and the junction of the two divided portions established by a universal joint q. The frame I is pivoted to the sleeve Ic on opposite sides of it by trunnions r arranged in line with the universal joint q and is made capable of being rocked on said trunnions by a toothed sector s through a pinion t upon a lower horizontal shaft it carried by the sleeve lc and operated by a crank or handle v. This provides for the general adjustment of the arm B up or down from the trunnions r as a center of motion to snit different heights or levels of the propelling-rail relatively with the boat or different drafts of the latter dependent up-on variations in its load and so that the propelling-truck may be brought to connect with the rail. The power is communicated to the truck by or through a system of shafting and revolving sleeves deriving their motion from a revolving stud or shaft section al which has its bearing within a revolving sleeve b' arranged within the arni-o and which carries a bevel-pinion a' that is driven by a bevel-pinion dl on the upper jointed section of the driving-shaft f. By the arrangement of the revolving sleeve Ic around the driving-shaft f the pivoted attachment of the frame I with its box m by trun-
pions r in line with the universal joint q and the bevel-gears el d' provision is made for communicating rotary motion to the shaft sectiou al from the driving-shaft f not only in various directions or changed positions of said shaft-section around the axis of the driving shaft but also in various angular positions up or down varying from a right angle to either an acute or obtuse one relatively to the lower section of the driving-shaft. Such combination of devices is not here claimed separately as the same is made the subject simultaneously with this of a distinct application for Letters Patent by me for an improved mechanical movement applicable to various purposes. Its use here however is important to communicate power to the truck C and to pro-vide for the adjustment of the latter or arm B carrying it to meet different requirements. The eltaft u of the pinion t by which. the angular position of the arm B up or down is chinged may be provided with adjustable frictioudisks for holding the arm from falling except when purposely lowered try- rotating the pinion. Such hold of the araa also provides for slip when releasing the truck from connection with the rail as 1 er einafter described. Notion is communicated to the pinion c of the truck C from the shaft-section al as follows: On the shaft-section al is a pin or driver which fits within a slot c1 in the sleeve b' to rotate the latter and to provide for its extension. The sleeve bl has another and advance slot fl into which fits a pin arranged to project from a shaft-section g1 arranged within the sleeve b1 and forming a disconnected continnation of the shaft-section al by which construction and arrangement not only is the shaft-section gl rotated by the sleeve b' but is capable of being extended and in due course of extending the sleeve b1. The object of these extensions is to provide for the lengthening or shortening of the arm or in other words to throw the truck in or out to form the connection of the truck with the rail the distance from the point of attachment of the arm to the boat from the rail varying. Power is communicated from the shaft-section gl to the shaft it' on which the pinion c is arranged that gears with the rack b of the rail D by a shaft-coupling or couplings it il united by a universal joint 1c1 and in pin and slotted connection with the shaft it' and shaft-section g1 so as to rotate in common therewith. Springs 11 11 are arranged within the shafts or shaft-sections gl Tai to force the one coupling it outward and the other coupling it inward. The object of this sliding arrangement of the couplings it it under the control of springs as described is to provide an indicator for determining the proper sheer of the boat A which is regulated by adjustment of the tow-line or rod F forward or backward along a rail ml disposed on either side of the boat. Thus when the driving-pins attached to the couplings it it are home under the control of the springs 11 11 as may be seen from the exterior or by the post-
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tion of collars on 'the couplings then the sheer of the boat is as it should be to prevent lateral crowding of the truck U on the rail D in either direction; but when the sheer is such as to produce lateral crowding of the truck then the one coupling ii being forced inward or the other coupling i' being drawn outward accordingly as the boat has too much of too little sheer the pin or collar on the coupling so affected will indicate whether the tow-line should be moved forward o'r backward on the boat to give the boat its proper sheer.
On the shaft h' is a pinion nl gearing with a pinion oi fast to an upper shaft pi on the truck which latter shaft may have a driving pinion or roller on it for operation on the upper surface of the rail D in conjunction with the pinion c acting against the under surface of the rail. The truck C is composed in part of a frame 'q' the front portion ri of which contains a box capable of sliding up and down within it and having attached the beam or piece si that is fitted loosely on the end of the shaft pi and carries at its ends the rollers d d which bear down and run upon the upper surface of the rail the forward end of the shaft pi having its bearing within the sliding box. Stops or projections on the sliding box and on the front of the forward portion of the frame q2 serve to keep the beam si in position. The beam 2 with the rollers d d is raised or lowered to bring the rollers d d down on the rail or to remove them therefrom when necessary to detach the truck from the rail by means of a toggle-joint ti ti connecting the sliding box or beam si carried thereby with the upper part of the forward portion Ti of the frame q' subject to the interposition of a spring It' and adjusting-screws vi Ti to regulate the pressure of the rollers d d on the rail and to provide for the rollers traveling over irregularities in the surface of the rail.
The extension or contraction of the arm B is effected by a sliding-rack a2; fast to the outer end of the shaft gi or arranged between said end and a collar on the inner coupling and operated by a pinion b2 on turning a wheel c2 the rack a2 being arranged on one side of the tubular arm o and fitted to slide in or out up-on said arm. The mere extension and con-traction of the arm B however with its horizontal swing or adjustment and change in its angular position up or down as hereinbefore described would fail to adjust the truck C to its proper position on the rail were it not that the track is made capable of an independent adjustment up and down as well as horizon-tally from the joint kl as a center of motion. This is effected by a windlass d2 carried by or connected with the sliding - rack a2 and the rope or chain e2 which is arranged to pull up-on a spring-box f2 carried by a rocking ex tension g2 of the uprightp to which said ex-tension is jointed at h2. A bail or rod a2 connects the frame of the truck C with the spring box f2 so that according to the direction in which the windlass d2 is turned the truck maybe independently adjusted up or down from the joint kl as a center to bring it or its propel-ling and guiding devices square upon the rail the joint kJ- also providing for any horizontal adjustment that may be necessary as well as for folding the truck sidewise and in relation with the remainder of the arm B when swinging the arm within the boat so that there will be no projection of the truck beyond the boat; and increased compactness is given to the arm when thus drawn in. A friction-disk v2 on the windlass serves to hold the truck C at its vertical adjustment from the joint ki as a center of motion; while the spring-box f2 insures an elastic hold or support of it and provides for its self-adjustment to meet irregularities in the level of the rail D. The horizontal adjustment or lateral folding of the truck is effected by or through a pulley k2 on a vertical shaft carried by the tubular arm o and having a pinion 12 which gears with a wheel 7n2 that is eccentrically connected by a rod n2 with the one side of the truck by a two-motion joint. The pulleys k2 and 1 may both be operated automatically by the. engine from a pulley 02 on the upper section of the driving - shaft f as a prime mover or otherwise whenever the truck is released by the flexing of the toggle joint ti ti from connection with the rail D so that the arm B will be swung within the boat and the truck C be folded out of the way and the boat may be run into a lock by the momentum in the direction it has received by the action of the engine as it were and without special steering a helm and helmsman being unnecessary. To thus disconnect the truck from the rail and make the boat direct itself into the lock the rail has arranged upon it a sloping guide or guard K against which a projection q2 on the toggle joint t' strikes and causes said joints to be flexed as required. The toggle-joint ti ti is flexed or straightened by hand as needed to establish bite with or. release from the rail by a lever r2 in slotted connection with a sliding rod s2 which works through the upright n and rocking piece g2 and is connected with the truck and toggle joint by a sliding bar a2 attached to the sliding rod s2 by a universal-joint coupling piece u2 to provide for the vertical and horizontal adjustment of the truck as hereinbefore described. The engine and propelling mechanism carried by the arm B may if desired be kept running after the disconnection of the truck from the rail.
What is here claimed and desired to be se-cured by Letters Patent is-
1. The rail D constructed of double V-form toothed at its lower angle and to present a smooth upper angle in combination with the longitudinal timbers H and supports G the whole being arranged in relation with the canal substantially as specified.
2. The jointed arm B provided with a universal joint kl in combination with the truck 0 substantially as specified.
3. The toggle joint ti ti in combination with the beam sl and rollers d d.
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4. The combination of the spring u' and adjusting-screws v' v' with the toggle joints t' the beam s' and rollers d d or their equivalents substantially as specified.
5. The truck C provided with upper clamping-shaftp' and lower propelling-shaft h' and pinion c in combination with the rails D constructed and arranged for operation essentially as described.
6. The projection q2 from the toggle joint t' t' of the truck in combination with the guide or guard K essentially as specified.
7. The windlass d2 with its friction-disk v2 and rope or chain e2 in combination with the spring-boxf2 the rod or connection i2 the rocking-support g2 the truck C and universal joint k'.
8. The combination of the rocking support g2 the sliding rods s2 t2 the universal joints u2 k' with the truck C substantially as specified.
9. The wheel m2 and eccentrically-attached rod n2 in combination with the truck C and universal joints u2. k'.
10. The indicating-couplings and universal joint k' in combination with. the truck
C and adjustable tow-line F substantially as specified.
11. The rack a2 and pinion b' in combination with the telescopic sleeve b' the shaft-sections a' g' the indicating-couplings i' and truck C of the arm B essentially as described.
12. The adjustable tow-line F in combination with the rail m' and the truck C as set forth.
13. The jointed telescopic arm B with its attached. truck C adjustable horizontally around the driving-shaft f as a. center of motion and up or down in angular relation with said shaft substantially as specified.
14. The combination of the universal joint k' the truck C the revolving shaft-sections g' a' the telescopic sleeve b' the bevel-gear c' d' the box r the frame I supported on trunnions r the revolving sleeve k and the driving-shaft f having a universal joint q substantially as specified.
H. H. BAKER. Witnesses:
HENRY T. BROWN
FRED. HAYNES.