Miller's earliest invention was recorded but lost in a fire, but it is referred to in
a list from the Patent Office as being dated 1830, according to John H.
White of the Smithsonian Institution.
June 1834
Ezra L. Miller of Charleston, South Carolina
Letter Patent
The
schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the
same containing a description in the words of the said Ezra L. Miller
himself of his improvement in the mode of increasing the adhesion of
the driving wheels of the Locomotive Steam Engine.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. Be
it known that I Ezra L. Miller of the City and District of Charleston,
State of South Carolina have invented a new and useful mode of
increasing the adhesion of the driving wheels of the Locomotive Steam
Engine on Rail Roads by using the tender or car next the Engine for
purpose of adding weight to the driving wheels of the Engine at such
time only as a greater adhesion is required than the weight
would give which it would be practicable to carry as a fixed weight on
those wheels, without injury to the road. At the points of
starting and on the ascents where increased adhesion is required.
I attach part of the weight of the Car or tender which is next the
engine to the end of the frame of the Engine next the driving wheels
which may be done by means of a lever, a screw, wedge or pulley,
and detach it again when the increased adhesion is no longer
necessary. The mode which I have used and found to answer
perfectly in practice is simply to connect the car or tender next
the Engine, to the Engine by a strong iron bar or lever one end of
which is bolted to the under side of a cross timber in the frame of the
car or tender. A little back of the center and which lever
extends under the frame of the tender to the end of of the frame of the
Engine and into the iron which together with the driving bolt secures
it to the Engine. Traversely to this lever I attach to the end of
the tender next the Engine two levers so that their fulcrums
shall be six or eight inches on each side or the main lever or
drawing bar. These levers have a jaw or pivot five or six inches
in length directly over the main lever and shall be 4 1/2 feet in
length. When the increased adhesion is wanted , the Engineer has
only to place his foot upon the ends of the levers and press them in to
a hook or groove for that purpose on the corner post of the
tender and a portion of the weight of the car or tender next the
engine is thus thrown upon the driving wheels of the engine and when
the increased adhesion is no longer wanted his weight is detached by
simply loosing the ends of the levers. What I claim as my
invention is the making use of the car or tender next the Engine for
the purpose of increasing the adhesion of the driving wheels of the
Locomotive Steam Engine at these points when more adhesion is required
than the weight would give which is eligible to carry as a fixed weight
on these wheels whether the same be effected in the mode above
described or any other which attains the same end.