Improvements in Sand-distributing Apparatus for Use on Tramway and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1894
[Communicated from abroad by HENRY MCPHERSON, of No. 2, Brunswick Place,
in the City of Troy, County of Rensselaer and State of New York, United
States of America, Machinist.]
Improvements in Sand-distributing Apparatus for Use on Tramway
and similar Vehicles.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements upon that class of apparatus which is used
upon street cars operated to run upon rail tracks; the purpose and use of which
apparatus is to distribute sand upon the tracks when greasy or icy, so that the
wheels will turn upon the rails instead of sliding thereon.
As heretofore made devices of this kind have been constructed with a hopper
baving a sand delivery chute connected with the bottom of the hopper, and the
interior of the latter provided with an agitator designed to stir up the sand, and
facilitate its descent into the chute from whence it passes to the rails. The chutes
of these older devices connected directly with the hopper bottom, and as thus
placed when the cars were in motion would suck up moisture that would cause the
sand to pack in summer and to freeze in winter, so that they were difficult to
operate and uncertain in their action. To avoid these contingencies and to obtain
better results from an apparatus designed for these uses is the object and purpose
of my invention. This better adaptation to the purposes designed I accomplish
by means of a cylindrical-form sand receptacle which at its sides is hung on
trunnion journals; is made with a delivery spout-form mouth that is tangent to
its outer cylindrical form face, with this receptacle operated to in part rotate
on its bearings so as to bring its delivery mouth down over a chute leading to
the track for the delivery of sand thereto, and which receptacle when the power
applied to thus tilt it on its bearings is removed the receptacle by the action of
gravity or a spring will be returned to a normal position with its mouth uppermost,
all of which will be more fully set forth hereinafter and stated in substance in the
claims.
Accompanying this Specification to form part of it there are three plates of
drawings containing eight figures illustrating my invention, with the same
Of these
designation of its parts by letter reference used in all of them.
illustrations
Figure 1 is a perspective of my improved sand box, shown as resting on a
part of the car bottom.
Figure 2 is a top view of the sand box, showing a part of the car platform, part
of the car truck, side beam, and car-floor.
Figure 3 is a central vertical section of the apparatus taken on the line x' x' of
Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 2³ ³, of Figure 2, through the
sand box, the chutes, the car-platform and floor, the shaft and hanger with the
vertical shaft and operating crank, its drum, pulley and draw-belt shown in side
elevation, and with the sand box illustrated in a position to deliver sand to the
track.
Figure 5 shows the same parts that are illustrated at Figure 4, but with the sand

page_text: DOX turned so that its delivery spout is uppermost and in a position to not deliver
sand and with the supplemental chute shown as raised.
Figure 6 shows in elevation the side of the sand box in which a coil spring is
used to return the box to a normal position on its bearings after having been
operated to deliver sand to the chute.
Figure 7 is a side view of the sand box illustrated with the cap enclosing the
spring, removed, to show the position of the latter.
Figure 8 is a side elevation of the sand box taken upon the side opposite to that
on which the spring is located, showing a stop and spring to arrest the return
movement of the sand box as operated by the spring.
The several parts of the apparatus thus illustrated are designated by letter
reference and the function of the parts is described as follows: The letter B
designates the sand box proper, it having a drum-form adapted to contain sand,
and made with the sides 62, 63, and a cylindrical form perimeter 3, made to have,
preferably, an outwardly rounded surface m. The letters T designate trunnion-
form journals of which there is one at each side of the box. The letters A
designate standards of which there is one at each side of the box. These
standards are preferably bolted to the car floor at F, beneath one of the car seats,
and they are each made with a journal box J, for one of the trunnion journals T.
The letters M designate a mouth or spout for the discharge of sand from the box
when the latter is turned half a revolution so as to bring the mouth or spout
projecting downwardly. This mouth or spout is tangentially projected from the
concave exterior of the perimeter.
The letter S designates, as shown at Figure 7, a coil-spring made to encircle
one of the trunnion journals T, on which the sand box turns, with the inner end of
this spring at e, connecting with the stationary trunnion, and the outer ³ of this
spring, connected at et with the spring ca-ing that turns with the sand box. So
that as the latter is actuated to turn to bring its mouth or spout in a position to
discharge sand it is so moved against the force of this spring and it is by the
latter caused to return to a position with its mouth or spout uppermost when the
tension which pulled it down is released. The letter designates a stop-pin
arranged upon one side of the sand box near its outer edge as shown at Figure 8.
The letter designates a leaf-spring adapted to engage with this stop-pin as the
sand box is actuated to return in half revolution by the spring S³.
The letter D' designates a drum-pulley arranged on so as to turn with the journal
bearing J, to which it is attached, and the letter S', a shaft having its journals in
hangers H, that are downwardly projected from the underside of the car truck.
The letter D designates another drum-pulley arranged on so as to turn with said
shaft S', said drum-pulley D, having tangentially connected thereto a draw-belt d²,
which at its other end connects tangentially with the drum pulley D', on the sand
bex journal bearing J; and the letter D designates still another drum-pulley
airanged on the lower end of the vertically placed operating shaft S', which at its
upper end is constructed with an actuating crank K; and the letter da draw-belt
which at one of its ends tangentially connects with the drum-pulley D³, and at its
other end connects with the drum-pulley D³ on its vertical shaft S. As thus made
and arranged, when the operating crank K is moved to cause the shaft S², to make
half a turn, it operates the drum-pulley D³, thereon, and this operates its connected
draw-belt d', to operate the shaft S', to make a half turn, and this causes the draw-
belt d³, to actuate the drum-pulley D', to move the sand box on its journals against
the recoil force of the spring S, and so as to bring the spout or mouth of the box
in a position to discharge sand; and when this tension upon the crank K is released,
the sand box is caused to return to a position with its mouth or spout uppermost by
the action of the spring S, as before described.
The letter designates a chute located in the car bottom, said chute having
an upper expanded and Haring top, and a contracted lower end e*. The letter C
designates a supplemental chute that is made to be operated telescopically within
the other chute, so as to rise and fall through a connection made with the sand box.

page_text: This connection consists of a link L, which at its upper end 12, is pivoted to the
side of the spout M, and at its lower end 13, is pivoted to the top of the suppie-
mental chute C, at its side. As thus made, when the sand box makes a half
revolution, it carries down the supplemental chute within the chute C, until the
discharge end, of the former is close to the track, and when the sand box makes
a half revolution in reverse movement, the supplemental chute is drawn upwardly
within the chute C', where it is out of the way.
The generic feature of my invention being to have the sand box operated so
that atter having made a halt revolution under tension, and caused to come into a
position where it will discharge sand, and to automatically make a half turn with
reverse motion when the tension is released, I do not limit my invention to the
precise means which I illustrate, as so employed to operate the sand box, but I do
limit my invention to the use of a means that will operate it in substantially the
same manner.
While I have shown two chutes, one working within the other, yet either
may be used independently of the other in con.bination with my improved
sand box.
As thus made and arranged to be operated, a sand box is produced in which
no packing of the sand can occur, and which when not del vering sand has
its mouth or discharge chute within the car, which as thus arranged, prevents
the dampening and packing of the sand in warm weather and its freezing in
winter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
iny foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In an apparatus for distributing sand to rail tracks the combination
with a sand box arranged wit in the car interior, said sand box having a drum-
form that is provided with trunnion-form journals on which to turn, and a stop
to regulate its reverse rotation, and having a delivery spout, substantially as
described; of a passage-way made in the car bottom, through which the sand
coming from the sand box may pass to the track when the sand box is turned to
bring the spout over said pa-sage in the car bottom, substantially in the manner as
and for the purposes set forth.
Second. The combination with a sand box having a drum-form, and trunnion-
form side journals made with bearings, and provided with a mouth or spout in its
circumferential face, and constructed to make a half turn in its bearings and
bring the spout or mouth at the bottom, and to automatically reverse by a half
revolution to bring its n.outh or spout at the top; of a stationary chute passing
down through the floor with its upper end immediately below the mouth or spout
of the sand box when turned down, substantially in the manner as and for the
purposes set forth.
Third. The combination with a drum-form sand box provided with side journals
and bearings, and having a mouth or spout in its circumierential face, said sand box
being constructed to make a half turn and to automatically reverse, substantially
as described; of a sand chute pivotally connected with the mouth or spout of said
sand box constructed and arranged to operate substantially in the manner as and
for the purposes set forth.
Fourth. The combination with a drum-form sand box provided with said
journals and bearings, and having a mouth or spout in its circumferential face, and
constructed to make a half turn and to automatically reverse, substantially as
described; of a stationary chute arranged with its upper open end in the car Hoor
and its lower end projected downwardly towards the truck, and a supplemental
chute arranged within the stationary chute and pivotally connected by a link with
the mouth of the sand box, and operated by the latter to telescopically move
reciprocatingly within the stationary chute, substantially in the manner as and for
the purposes set forth.

page_text: Fifth. The combination with a drum-form sand box that is provided with side
journals and bearings arranged in upwardly projecting standards and having a
mouth or spout that is projected from its circumferential face, said sand box being
constructed to make a half turn and to automatically reverse, sub-tantially as
described; of a stop arranged on one of the drum sides of the sand box, con-
structed and placed to engage with the side edge of the adjacent standard, and to
arrest the progressive motion of said sand box, substantially in the manner as and
for the purposes set forth.
Sixth. The combination with a drum-form sand box that is provided with
journals and bearings arranged in upwardly projected standards and having a
mouth or spout that is projected from its circumferential face, said sand box being
constructed to make a half turn and to automatically reverse, substantially as
described; of a stop arranged on one of the drum sides of the sand box, con-
structed and placed to engage with the side edge of the adjacent standard, and to
arrest the reverse motion of said sand box, substantially in the manner as and for
the purposes set forth.
Seventh. The combination with the sand box B, made with journals T,
bearings J, and having the mouth or spout M; of the drum pulley D, arranged
on one of said sand box journals: the shaft S' having bearings or hangers
dependent from the car bottom, ard provided with the drum pulleys D2 and D';
the vertical shaft S, having the crank K. at its upper end, and the drum-
pulley D, at its lower end; the draw-belt d³, tangentially connecting with the
drum pulley D' and D²; and the draw-belt d, tangentially connecting with the
drum pulley D and D, substantially in the manner as and for the purposes
set forth.
Dated this 9th day of January 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.U., Agents for the Applicant.