Page:Report from the Select Committee on Steam Carriages.pdf/72



Mr. Walter Henrick. 5 August, 1831. What is the diameter of the hind wheels?—Four feet. That is not a proportion that I consider to be working as a profitable diameter; I consider that the diameter that should be used for a Steam Coach is at least five feet.

How wide could you make that tire without losing power?—It depends on the weight; but taking the common coaches, I should say from six to eight inches.

Without injuring the power?—I have no doubt it would be no drawback on the power.

Do you consider that such breadth would be as good as any other, the best you could make?—Yes; because a broad wheel on gravel is considered to be a great advantage; it is a great disadvantage on a road which is between wet and dry; but in those cases we have always an overplus of power blowing off at the safety-valve, and from that circumstance I am rather pleased at having rather a dead road to run upon, because we are obliged to construct the vehicle so as to overcome all obstacles in the road, such as dead gravel, &c.

To how many of your wheels do you apply your power?—To two; occasionally one.

Do you apply it to a crank?—The axletree of the present Carriage is made precisely the same as the common axles now in use, straight and merely bent at the end, and I have a chain which I put on the pave of the wheel, and that communicates with a corresponding chain wheel on the crank shaft of the Engines.

What is the size of the circle on the wheel to which you apply your chain?—About ten inches.

How wide is the corresponding circle on the crank shaft?—The corresponding pulley of the shaft is just the same; so that the power of the Engine is the same exactly as though it were applied to the wheel itself.

You have two wheels; how do you move the first wheel?—There are two Engines working on two cranks, exactly on the same principle as used in common for Stage Coaches; I take the chains; I