New and Improved Means of and Apparatus for Supplying Fresh Air to Railway Carriages on Underground Railways.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1887
Complete Left, 24th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 25th Nov., 1887
New and Improved Means of and Apparatus for Supplying Fresh
Air to Railway Carriages on Underground Railways.
I, ALFRED ALEXANDER CLARKE of 348, Hackney Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This Invention relates to means of, and apparatus for supplying fresh air to railway
carriages on under ground railways.
In carrying out my invention, I provide at any convenient part of each carriage a
collapsible india rubber chamber fitted with a weight at the top, and said collapsible
chamber is filled with air. This chamber is provided with two nozzles and tubes, one
for refilling the chamber and the other for supplying the air to the carriage. This last
mentioned tube is connected to a radiator which will disperse the air in the carriage
thus creating no draught.
The compressed air by its own elasticity and the downward force of the weight on
the top of the chamber contracts said chamber and drives the air into the tube for
dispersing the air through the radiator into the carriage.
If desirable the fresh air tube could pass through a trough of iced water to keep and
render the air cool.
According to another arrangement the air chamber may be fitted at the ends of the
carriage & the air supplied through pipes running along the top of the carriage.
HUGHES & Co.,
131, Fleet Street, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Air to Railway Carriages on Underground Railways.
I ALFRED ALEXANDER CLARKE of 348 Hackney Road in the County of Middlesex,
Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
This Invention relates to means of and apparatus for supplying fresh air to railway
carriages on underground and other similar railways the object being to construct
apparatus for the purpose that can be fitted and adjusted to the carriages at present in
use as well as to such carriages or vehicles that may hereafter be constructed.
The carriages at present in use are constructed with a tank or tubular reservoir at
the bottom of the carriage for reception of the gas for lighting purposes and in
carrying out this invention it is not intended to interfere with this arrangement.
One method according to this Invention is as follows:-
Each carriage is provided at the end with a chamber of india rubber canvas or other
suitable material such chamber being filled with compressed air.
This chamber is supported, on wheels which run on lines in a bracket at the end or
in any other convenient part of the carriage. This chamber is provided with an inlet
or supply tube in any convenient part preferably near the bottom and on or near the
top is provided a union and joint to which is attached a pipe of india rubber or other
material, said pipe runs along the top of the carriage and is provided in the centre
with a gauge for registering the pressure of the air of any well known construction.
Said tube is also provided with one or more short tubes which are connected with a
radiator for supply of the air into the carriage.
According to a modification according to this Invention instead of the air chamber
being fitted at the end of the carriage a reservoir or chamber of any suitable material
is fixed underneath the carriage in any convenient manner. One end of this chamber
is provided with a tap for inlet of the air and the other is connected up by a pipe to a
pressure gauge of any desired construction for registering the pressure of the air in
the chamber.
At the top of this chamber and leading up into the bottom of the carriage are
provided short tubes for supply of the air into the carriages.
For cooling the air in hot weather these chambers may be enclosed in another or
outer chamber containing ice or other cooling medium. In cold weather the outer
chamber may be filled with steam or other heating medium so that as desired and as
according to the seasons of the year the fresh air may be heated or cooled.
In order that the said Invention may be more readily understood there is annexed
hereto a sheet of drawings illustrative thereof reference being had in the following
particular description to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a view showing the chamber fitted at the end of the carriage.

page_text: Fig. 2 end view of chamber with outlet and inlet valves supporting bracket and
rollers or wheels on the chamber and lines on the bracket. Fig. 2 the supply pipe
leading from the valve at the top of the chamber.
Fig. 2 trough or gutter in which the ice or iced water is enclosed or it may be
made to enclose the supply pipe (Fig. 2) or the chambers (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) for either
heating or cooling purposes.
Fig. 3 shows another construction of the air chamber which will be fitted under the
carriage in any convenient manner.
:
In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 2, the air chamber A is mounted on
wheels a which travel in grooved or other rails 6 on platform B and this chamber is
provided with a pin or runner c which travels in slot d' of bracket d e is the inlet
valve for forcing the air into the chamber; f is the valve for supplying the air
into tube E on top of the carriage which is connected to the air chamber by
flexible pipe and union F. This tube E is provided with a gauge g for registering
the pressure of the air. On the underpart of this tube are fitted or formed of a
piece therewith short tubes h connected to a radiator j for supplying and radiating
the air into the carriage. G is the ice trough or steam or other heating or cooling
jacket.
According to the modification shown in Fig. 3 the air chamber is fitted in any
convenient manner underneath the carriage and is supplied with a tap or valve e
for filling the chamber, the pressure gauge g being fitted at the other end of the
carriage as shown. The air is supplied into the carriage by branches which are
carried up from the air chamber A into the carriage underneath the seats or in other.
convenient position and a radiator tube may be provided if desired.
'
This air chamber may be surrounded with a second chamber to contain ice or
iced water or other cooling medium or instead thereof this outer chamber may be
used as a steam jacket or for reception of other heating medium.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The means of and apparatus for supplying fresh air to railway carriages
on underground railways as and for the purpose herein set forth and shown by the
drawings.
Second. The means of and apparatus for cooling or heating the fresh air in com-
bination with the apparatus for supplying fresh air to railway carriages on underground
railways as herein set forth.
HUGHES & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.