John Ruggles

“ For planes much inclined the distance between the teeth should be such that the cogs shall over lay them about 1⁄16 of an inch. The cogs should be applied to each of the working wheels.
To enable locomotives to ascend inclined planes with heavy loads it is necessary also to give them an increased tractive power; I effect that object in the following manner, which is described as applicable to geared locomotive engines, but all locomotives may be geared for this purpose. ”

“ By this means whether the engine be at rest, or in motion, all the cogs are drawn into their sockets at once by a single motion of the engineer. There is one lever between each to spokes, each raising two cogs. The principal advantage of this is the withdrawing the cogs from action in descending a plane, where a check rail is laid when their use is not necessary, and thus avoiding the wear of them. It may be found useful too on curves in an ascending plane to withdraw the cogs of the inside wheels from action, facilitating the adjustment of the wheels to the curved rails. ”

“ It is readily perceived that by increasing the diameter of the wheel D, and diminishing C, the tractive power of the engine may be increased four fold if desired in chinaging the running gear as described. ”

“ Their action is attended with very little friction acting only when necessary to supply the deficiency of adhesion and their pressure against the flank of the teeth is only the balance of the leverage which is not sustained by the adhesion at the tread. ”

“ The tractive power of the engine may be just doubled, trebled, or quadrupled to adapted to the grading of the road on which it is to be used. Another mode of changing the gearing by holding fast the two wheels B, and D, alternately, is by means of levers placed in a groove lengthwise the shaft, one arm of which being raised operates like a feather entering a notch or groove in the bush of the wheel, the arms of the levers are raised, depressed by a slide, and gage bar as shown in Fig. ”