Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Heating Railway Carriages.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 25th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 28th Dec., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Heating Railway
Carriages.
We, JOHN ELIOT HOWARD, of Oakhurst, Hampstead Heath, in the County
of London, Engineer, and JOHN CHARLES TAITE, of 63 Queen Victoria Street,
in the City of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to railway carriage heating apparatus of the kind described
in the Specification of our application for Letters Patent No. 7878 of 1894.
In that Specification we have described a drip valve for use in such apparatus
Constructed with small and large outlet passages for exit of steam and water of
condensation, and with a valve proper having a constant tendency to open and
arranged to control the said large outlet passage, the arrangement being such that
when the apparatus is put into action by turning on eteam thereto, the valve proper
will be moved and afterwards held by the steam pressure in such a position as to
close the large outlet passage and leave open the small one, and when the apparatus
is out of action and the pressure of steam therein falls to a predetermined amount,
the valve proper will automatically move so as to open the said large outlet
passage.
The small outlet passage when made in the form of a single hole requires in
some situations of the valve, as for example when located near the inlet of steam to
the apparatus, to be made very fine, and under such circumstances is liable to
become choked by dirt, with the result that the water of condensation being
prevented from flowing away, accumulates, and by preventing circulation of steam
is liable to become cooled in cold weather and ultimately frozen.
For this
Now this invention has for object to obviate this disadvantage.
purpose instead of forming the small outlet passage as a fine hole, as in the former
construction, it is formed by a layer or mass of porous or permeable material the
interstices in which are such as to act collectively as a small outlet passage that
will permit of the continuous escape of water of condensation and a small quantity
of steam necessary to maintain the apparatus, or the part thereof to which the drip
valve is applied, in effective action, and which will not be liable to become readily
choked by dirt.
As will be obvious the layer or mass of porous or permeable material and the
holder within which it is held, forming together what may be called for distinction
a leakage valve, can be constructed in various forms.
In one arrangement such a valve comprises a screw plug formed with an internal
chamber charged with compressed porous or permeable material held in place
between transverse perforated or permeable plates, the outer end of the chamber
being formed by a perforated wall and the inner end by a removable perforated screw
stopper or ripple, the arrangement being such that the leakage valve can be readily
screwed into place and that steam and water of condensation can escape in small
quantity therethrough. The inner end of the valve may with advantage be reduced
in crces section so that when in place, should the water naturally remaining in the
porous material when the apparatus is put out of use, freeze, steam will, on again
putting the apparatus in use, enter the steam space formed around the said reduced
inner end of the valve and thaw the frozen water therein, thus enabling the valve
to act.

page_text: The porous or permeable material may be of various kinds, as for examples felt,
asbestos fibre, unglazed earthenware, pumice stone. Satisfactory results have
been obtained with compressed fibrous asbestos.
A leak valve such as described may be screwed into the case of a main drip
valve of the kind described in our said former Specification, or be used separate
therefrom according to circumstances. In the former case, the main valve may be
in the form of a ball arranged to be automatically opened, when the pressure of
steam thereon is sufficiently reduced, by a weighted lever or its equivalent, all
friction on the valve being avoided.
the appeCRITES,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Heating Railway
Carriages.
We, JOHN ELIOT HOWARD, of Oakhurst, Hampstead Heath, in the County
of London, Engineer, and JoHN CHARLES TAITE, of 63 Queen Victoria Street,
in the City of London, 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 railway carriage heating apparatus of the kind described
in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to us and numbered 7878 of 1894.
In that Specification we have described a drip valve for use in such apparatus,
constructed with small and large outlet passages for the exit of steam and water
of condensation, and with a valve proper having a constant tendency to open and
arranged to control the said large outlet passage, the arrangement being such that
when the apparatus is put into action or use by turning on steam thereto, the
valve proper will be moved to and afterwards held by the steam pressure in such
a position as to close the large outlet passage and leave open the small one, and
when the apparatus is put out of action or use and the pressure of steam therein
falls to a predetermined amount, the valve proper will be automatically moved so
as to open the said large outlet passage.
The small outlet passage when made in the form of a single hole requires in
some situations of the valve-as, for example, when located near the inlet of steam
to the apparatus-to be made very fine, and under such circumstances is liable to
become choked by dirt, with the result that the water of condensation, being
prevented from flowing away, accumulates, and, by preventing or interfering with
circulation of steam, is liable to become cooled, and ultimately frozen, in wintry
weather.
Now this invention has for object to obviate the foregoing disadvantage. For
this purpose, instead of forming the small outlet passage as a fine hole, as in the
former construction, the outlet is formed by a permeable or porous layer or mass
of material the interstices in which are such as to act collectively as a small outlet
that will permit of the continuous escape of water of condensation and the small
quantity of steam necessary to maintain the apparatus, or the part thereof to which
the drip valve is applied, in effective action, and which will not be liable to become
readily choked by dirt.
As will be obvious, the permeable layer or mass and the holder within which it
is held, forming together what may be called for distinction a leakage valve, can
be constructed in various forms.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows partly in central vertical section

page_text: and partly in side elevation a modified construction of the drip valve described in
our said prior Specification provided with one form of leakage valve according
to the present invention; and Fig. 2 shows a horizontal section of the same along
the line A B of Fig. 1.
The drip valve proper, 1, is in the form of a ball arranged to close upon an
annular seat 2 surrounding a large outlet passage 3 in the valve case 4, which is
adapted to be attached to the steam pipe 5 and the drain pipe 6. 1º is a guard to
prevent the valve 1 from accidentally falling out of its casing before the latter is
secured in position. Against the underside of the valve 1 bears the short arm 7 of
a lever which is loosely mounted on a pin 8 secured in the valve case and the long
arm 7 of which extends outward beyond the valve case and is made sufficiently
heavy to overcome the weight of the valve 1 when the latter is not subjected to
steam pressure or is subjected to only a small steam pressure. As will be obvious,
a drip valve of the construction just described acts very readily, as all friction
upon the valve 1 is avoided.
The leakage valve forming the small outlet for water of condensation and steam
from the drip valve shown in Figs. 1 and 2, comprises a plug 9 adapted to be
readily screwed into place in a lateral branch 4 of the valve case 4 and formed
with an internal chamber which is charged with a compressed permeable mass of
material 10 held in place between transverse perforated or permeable plates 11, 11ª
and the outer end of which is provided with a perforated wall or stopper 12. The
inner end of the leakage valve may, with advantage, be reduced in cross section as
shown, so that when in place, should the water naturally remaining in the porous
mass 10 when the apparatus is put out of use, freeze, steam will, on again putting
the apparatus into use, enter the steam space 13, formed around the said reduced
inner end of the valve, and thaw the frozen water therein, thus enabling the said
valve to act again in the required manner.
The porous or permeable mass 10 may be of various kinds, as for examples, felt,
asbestos, fibre. Satisfactory results have been obtained with ordinary fibrous
asbestos compressed in place within the hollow screw plug 9.
When steam is admitted to the pipe 5, it presses the valve 1 down upon its seat 2
in opposition to the weight of the lever 7, 7", and so closes the large outlet
passage 3, but sufficient steam and water of condensation can still pass through
the leakage valve to maintain the heating apparatus in working order. When
the steam pressure falls, upon cutting off the supply of steam to the heating
apparatus, the outer arm 7° of the lever 7, 7" is caused by gravity (or it might
be by a spring which is not, however, recommended) to fall and cause the
inner arm 7 to lift the valve 1 and thereby permit the free escape, through the
large outlet passage 3, of steam and water from the pipe 5.
The stop 4 cast on the valve case 4 may be provided, as shown, with an
adjusting screw 4° to enable the extent of opening of the valve 1 to be regulated.
Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a longitudinal central section and au end elevation
of a leakage valve according to this invention in which a coiled spring 14 is
embedded in the permeable mass of material 10, and a set-screw 15 is screwed
through the plug 12 so as to act against the plate 11ª, the arrangement being such
that on screwing the set-screw 15 outward the spring 14 will open or expand the
mass of material 10 and permit of a greater flow of steam and water of condensation
therethrough, and that on screwing the set-screw 15 inward, the said mass will
be compressed so as, by reducing the size of the interstices therein, to reduce
the flow of steam and water of condensation therethrough. In this way the rate
of flow of steam and water through the leakage valve can be regulated to suit
requirement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-

page_text: described in the Specification of our former Patent No. 7878 of 1894 with an outlet
of small effective cross sectional area formed by the interstices of a permeable layer
or mass of material which will permit of the continuous escape of water of
condensation and the small quantity of steam necessary to maintain the steam
heating apparatus, or the part thereof to which the drip valve is applied, in
effective action, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A railway carriage heating apparatus in which there is a permeable layer or
mass of material so arranged within a suitable casing or chamber communicating
with the interior of the heating apparatus and with the external atmosphere as to
allow of the necessary continuous escape of water of condensation and of steam in
small quantity, as and for the purpose specified.
3. The improved leakage valve constructed arranged and operating as herein-
before described with reference to and shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings for the purpose specified, whether or not a spring be embedded in the
permeable mass for the purpose set forth (Figs. 3 and 4).
4. The improved drip valve constructed arranged and operating substantially as
herein before described with reference to and shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the
accompanying drawings for the purpose specified.
Dated this 25th day of November 1895.
App
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.