Apparatus for Treating Railway Roadbeds with Oil.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1898-Accepted, 13th Aug., 1898
)
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Treating Railway Roadbeds with Oil.
I, JAMES HITCHCOCK NICHOL, of the City of Camden, State of New Jersey, United
States of America, Civil Engineer, 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 apparatus for sprinkling or spreading oil on the sur-
faces of the railway roadbeds. The primary object of treating the road beds
with oil is to prevent dust which is now raised in dry weather by the air currents
created by rapidly moving trains. The oil also prevents the growth of vegetation
upon the roadbed and tends to preserve the ties and the roadbed by shedding rain
water. The oils best suited for this purpose are heavy residual oils obtained in
the distillation of petroleum and it sometimes requires more force than the mere
action of gravity to distribute them. In such cases air under pressure or steam
from the locomotive which propels the apparatus may be used to force the oil from
the distributor.
I find it most convenient and economical to draw the supply of oil directly
from the commercial tank cars instead of providing the distributor with a tank.
The complete outfit for distributing oil therefore consists of a car provided with
distributing apparatus, an oil tank car to the tank of which the apparatus is
coupled, and a locomotive for drawing the apparatus and supplying air or steam,
when required to liquefy and eject the oil.
In the accompanying drawings,
-
Fig. 1 is a side view of a distributing car.
Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.
Fig. 3 shows the distributing car coupled to the tank car and the locomotive.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the distributing car, parts being broken
away.
Figs. 5 and 6 are details of the valves.
Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7, Fig. 4.
Fig. 8 is a detail of the swing pipe holder.
Fig. 9 is an end view of a coupling.
Figs. 10 and 11 are plan and sectional views of one of the swing pipes.
Fig. 12 is a section on the line 12-12, Fig. 11.
Figs. 13 and 14 are details of the hand distributor, Fig. 13 being a side view
and Fig. 14 being an end view, and
Figs. 15 and 16 are side and end views of the shield.
Referring to the drawings, A indicates flat car which is fitted up with my
improved apparatus for distributing oil. In Fig. 3, the car A is shown operatively
connected with an ordinary tank car B and a locomotive C. From the oil tank a
hose or pipe 1 delivers the oil to a pipe 2 extending along the side of the distribu-
ting car, preferably from end to end. A branch 3 which, as shown, is located
about the middle of the car, carries the oil to the center of the car from which
Price 8d71

page_text: point it is distributed to the sprinkling pipes. There are three sprinkling pipes,
the pipe 4 being arranged transversely under the car and the side pipes 5 being
pivoted so as to swing both horizontally and vertically. The pipe 4 is supplied
by a connecting pipe 6 and the pipes 5 are supplied by means of flexible hose 7,
all connected to the branch 3. Pipes 6 and 7 are provided with valves 8 for con-
trolling the flow of oil. The valves are preferably of the form illustrated in Figs. 5
and 6. They are slide valves, each having, two parts 9 which can be forced apart
against the valve seats by a wedge 10 operated by a screw 11 on the lower end of
the valve stem 12. The stem is provided with a suitable handle 13 at its upper
end by which it may be turned to lock and unlock the valve. The valve is opened
and closed by means of a lever 14 pivotally connected to a sleeve 15 on the valve
stem, the valve stem being free to turn in said sleeve but prevented by shoulders
from longitudinal movement therein. The lever 14 is connected by a link 16 with
the casing of valve 8, the upper end of the link forming the fulcrum of the lever.
It will be evident that the valve can be quickly opened or closed by the lever and
can be locked in any desired position by turning the stem 12. The levers 14 are
arranged so that they can be conveniently operated by a man standing on the car.
The stationary pipe 4 is supported and braced in any convenient manner. As
shown, it is carried by braces 17. The lower side of the pipe is provided with suit-
able openings such as perforations or slits through which the oil is discharged.
Preferably a series of slits 18 are used, such as shown in Fig. 10.
The swing pipes 5 are connected at the sides of the car by universal joints, being
pivoted in yokes 19 carried at the lower ends of vertical shafts 20, one shaft being
arranged at each side of the car. The shafts may be rotated by a hand wheel 21.
They are yieldingly fastened in any desired position by a cross bar 22 which rests
in radial notches in a plate 23 which is fastened to the floor of a car, as shown in
Figs. 7 and 8. The object of this fastening is to hold a swing pipe in position at
any desired angle to the car but in such a manner as to permit it to yield without
damage should the pipe be struck by any object along the track. The swing pipes
may be adjusted horizontally or to any desired angle above or below the hori-
zontal. As shown the adjustment is accomplished by means of a chain 24, any
link of which may be connected to a hook 25 upon the swing pipe shaft 20. The
outer ends of the swing pipes are closed and their lower sides are provided with
slits or openings similar to those on the rigid pipe 4. The lower end of shaft 20
is held rigidly in place by braces 26 (Figs. 4 and 7.)
Directly beneath the sprinkling pipes 4 and in line with the car wheels are
shields D to prevent the oil from falling or splashing on the rails. The shields
may be of any suitable construction. The preferred form illustrated in the draw-
ings is quite effective. This shield consists of curtains 40 of rubber cloth or
other flexible fabric which are suspended from frames 41. The frames 41 are con-
nected at their middle points with clamps 42 upon the pipe 4. There are curtains
on both sides of the rail and extending down below the head. As shown, the cur-
tains are held at their upper edges by clamping strips 45 which are bolted to the
frames 41. Between the frames 41 extends a metal plate 43 which has side flanges
also clamped between the parts 41 and 45, forming a roof or cover for the shield.
The plate is furnished at its ends and sides with upturned flanges 44 which form
a pan to catch any oil that may fall upon the shield and the flanges are cut away
at the middle of the shield to permit the oil to run off at the sides over the outer
surfaces of the curtains 40. The flexible curtains effectually protect the rails
and at the same time they yield in passing over crossings and turn-outs. Each
pair of curtains is preferably formed in a single piece, the middle portion extend
ing across beneath the pan.
When very heavy and sluggish oil is used it is sometimes necessary to force or
blow it from the spray pipe with pressure and this pressure I sometimes apply
directly to the material in the spray pipes. In Figs. 2, 11 and 12 I have shown
an air or steam pipe 29 which I will call a pressure pipe, entering the inner end

page_text: of a swing pipe 5 and provided with perforations 30 opposite the slits 18 (Figs. 11
and 12. In cold weather when the oil is thick steam is preferably used and in.
warm weather either steam or compressed air from the locomotive may be used if
necessary. As shown the pipe 29 is connected with a hose or pipe 31 running to
the locomotive.
The apparatus above described is used when it is necessary to treat the entire
surface of the road-bed or a considerable portion thereof with oil. It sometimes
becomes desirable to treat small parts of the road-bed, where repairs have been
made or where the previously deposited oil is not sufficiently thick, with additional
oil and in such cases it can be conveniently directed by hand by the apparatus
shown in Figs. 1, 9, 13 and 14. At one end of the car there are one or more coup-.
lings to which hose pipes 32 are connected, the pipes being provided with valves 33
and spray nozzles or spreaders 34. The device shown in Figs. 13 and 14 is a
sheet metal nozzle having a long and narrow opening 34. Any other suitable
sprinkler may be substituted for this form. As shown, the main oil pipe 2 is pro-
vided with a cap 35 in which there are three hose couplings 36, Figs. 1 and 9.
The manner of using the oil distributing apparatus is as follows: The oil dis-
tributing car A is coupled to a tank car B containing the oil and is moved along
the track at a uniform speed by a motor, such as a locomotive C. On railways
having a different motive power the cars may, of course, be drawn by electric or
other motors. The main oil pipe 2 is connected by a suitable hose with the usual
outlet of the oil tank and the supply of oil of the sprinkling pipes is governed by
the valves 8. A uniform amount may be discharged from each of the pipes, or the
valves may be set so that any one of the pipes will discharge more or less than the
others. It may in some cases be desirable to discharge more from the swing pipes:
than from the central pipe 4.
The swing pipes 5 may be set at any angle either horizontally or vertically. In
narrow cuts it may be necessary to swing the pipes around to an angle of 45
degrees more or less with the car in order to pass the banks and still keep the
pipes near the ground. In crossing embankments the pipes may be lowered as.
shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. When not in use the swing pipes can be turned
around to bring them underneath the car and parallel with the car and suitably
fastened in such position. By using a distributing car which can be connected to
ordinary tank cars the oil from said tank cars can be distributed directly and most
economically. When it is necessary to use heat to liquefy the oil, or pressure to
discharge it, the heat and pressure can be obtained from the boiler of the loco-
motive or pressure can be obtained from the air tank of the locomotive. As pre-
viously stated, the automatic sprinkling devices may be cut off and the hand
sprinklers at the end of the car may be used by one or more men either walking
on the ground or riding upon the car.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a distributing apparatus, the combination with a car, of distributing pipes
connected at the sides of the car by universal joints, and means for adjusting said
distributing pipes both horizontally and vertically and holding them in any desired
adjustment, substantially as described.
2. In a distributing apparatus, the combination with a car, of a distributing
pipe arranged transversely beneath the car, additional distributing pipes connected
at the sides of the car by universal joints, means for adjusting said pipes both
horizontally and vertically, and flexible connections to said side pipes, substantially
as described.
3. In a distributing apparatus, the combination with a car, of a transverse dis-
tributing pine beneath the car, independent distributing pipes connected by uni-
versal joints at the sides of the car, means for adjusting said side pipes vertically
and horizontally, valves for governing the flow of oil to each of said pipes inde-.

page_text: pendently, levers for operating said valves and locking devices for said valves,
substantially as described.
4. In a distributing apparatus, the combination with a car, of a distributing
pipe pivotally connected at the side of the car, and devices for locking said pipe
yieldingly in any desired horizontal adjustment, whereby said distributing pipe
may yield and swing back toward the car upon coming in contact with any ob-
stacle, substantially as described.
5. In a distributing apparatus, the combination with a car, of a distributing
pipe pivotally connected at the side of the car, a vertical shaft upon which said
pipe swings and a yielding locking device for holding said pipe yieldingly in any
desired position, substantially as described.
6. In a
distributing apparatus, the combination with a car, of vertical shafts
at the sides of the car, distributing pipes connected to said shafts, means for turning
the shafts to adjust the pipes horizontally, and means for locking the shafts in any
desired position, substantially as described.
7. In a distributing apparatus, the combination with a car, of vertical shafts
mounted at the sides of the car and distributing pipes pivotally connected to said
shafts for vertical adjustment, and means for sustaining the pipes at any desired
angle, substantially as described.
8. The combination of the car, the vertical shafts mounted on the sides of the
car, the yokes connected to the lower ends of said shafts, the pipes pivotally
mounted in the yokes, and means for adjustably suspending the pipes from the
upper ends of the shafts, substantially as described.
9. The combination with a car, of the vertical shafts, the pipes pivotally con-
nected to the lower ends of the shafts, means for vertically adjusting the pipes
and sustaining them in any desired position, and means for adjusting the shafts
horizontally and locking them in any desired adjustment, substantially as
described.
10. The combination with a car, and oil distributing apparatus carried by the
car, of shields sustained by the car, in line with the wheels and in proximity to
the rails, whereby the oil is prevented from falling upon the rails, substantially
as described.
11. In combination with a car, of a transverse oil distributing pipe carried
beneath the car and shields sustained beneath said pipe and over the rails whereby
the oil from the pipe is prevented from falling on the rails, substantially as
described.
12. The combination with a car and oil distributing apparatus, of shields for
preventing the oil from falling on the rails, said shields having upturned end
Hanges, substantially as described.
13. The combination with a car and a perforated oil distributing pipe, of a
steam pipe communicating with said distributing pipe, whereby heat and pres-
sure may be applied to assist the discharge of oil from said latter pipe, substan-
tially as described.
14. The combination with a car and an oil distributing pipe provided with suit-
able openings or perforations, of a pressure pipe arranged within the oil distribu-
ting pipe, said pressure pipe having openings to permit its contents to mingle with
the oil in the distributing pipe, substantially as described.
15. The combination with a car and an oil distributing pipe having suitable
openings or perforations in its lower side, of a pressure pipe within said oil pipe,
said pressure pipe being provided with openings in its lower side opposite the
openings in the distributing pipe, substantially as described.
16. The combination with a car and oil distributing apparatus mounted on the
car, of a main oil supply pipe, means for connecting said supply pipe with an oil
tank car, a pressure pipe, and means for connecting said pressure pipe with a
source of fluid pressure such as steam or air, substantially as described.
17. The combination with a car and oil distributing apparatus, of shields for
preventing the oil from falling on the rails, said shields comprising top plates
•

page_text: located over the rails and flexible curtains extending down from said plates upon
both sides of the rails, substantially as described.
1
1 L M 1909
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.