Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Railway Carriages.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 21st Jan., 1895-Accepted, 9th Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in 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 has reference to improvements in apparatus of the kind for
heating railway carriages in which steam passes from a main steam pipe to a system
of heat radiating pipes vessels or chambers, located on the carriages to be heated
and connected with a drain pipe or pipes which, as well as certain parts of the main
steam pipe if required, is or are provided with one or more drip valves through
which water of condensation and also a small quantity of steam can pass con-
tinuously whilst the apparatus is in action. In such apparatus as heretofore
constructed the plug of each drip valve has been constructed with two passages,
viz. a small passage and a large passage and a handle has been provided whereby
the plug can be turned into a position to permit water of condensation and a small
quantity of steam to escape through the small passage continuously whilst the
apparatus is in action, and afterwards, when the apparatus is not in use, into a
position to bring the large passage in communication with the drain pipe and the
atmosphere so that the pipe system can drain itself and thus prevent any water
laying in the pipes and becoming frozen. The proper manipulation of the various
drip valves throughout a train requires however considerable labour and time, and
in the event of the said valves not being properly attended to, the apparatus will
cease to work efficiently. Now this invention has for object to obviate the
disadvantages above referred to for which purpose the heating apparatus is
provided at the required parts thereof with automatic drip valves so constructed
and arranged that when the apparatus is put into action, each drip valve will be
moved and afterwards held by the pressure of the steam in the pipe with which it
is connected, in such a position as to close the large outlet passage and leave open
the small one so as to permit of the escape of water of condensation and also, of
the small quantity of steam necessary for the effective circulation of the main
supply of steam through the system of pipes, and when the apparatus is put out of
action and the pressure of the steam in the system of pipes falls to a predetermined
amount, each drip valve will automatically move so as to open the large passage
and permit of the free escape of the steam and water of condensation remaining in
the system of pipes.
Automatic drip valves to operate in the manner described can be constructed in
various forms.
In a simple and convenient construction of such a valve, the valve proper is of
disc form adapted to close upon a seat surrounding an outlet passage a d carried by
a spindle, that is mounted to slide endways in a bearing carried by the valve case
and is provided with a small axial passage extending through the valve, and with a
spring, the arrangement being such that when steam is admitted to the pipe to
which the valve is connected, it will press the valve upon its seat in opposition to
the spring and so close the large outlet passage whilst leaving open the small one,
and when the steam pressure falls upon cutting off the supply of steam to the

page_text: apparatus, the spring will act to automatically move the valve from its seat and so
open the large outlet passage.
Dated this 19th day of April 1894.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Railway Carriages.
We, JOHN ELIOT HOWARD, of Oakhurst, Hampstead Heath, in the County of
Loudon, 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 has reference to improvements in apparatus of the kind for
heating railway carriages in which steam passes from a main steam pipe to a
system of heat radiating pipes vessels or chambers, located on the carriages to be
heated and connected with a drain pipe or pipes which, as well as certain parts of
the main steam pipe if required, is or are provided with one or more drip valves
through which water of condensation and also a small quantity of steam can pass
continuously whilst the apparatus is in action. In such apparatus as heretofore
constructed the plug of each drip valve has been constructed with two passages,
viz. a small passage and a large passage and a handle has been provided whereby
the plug can be turned into a position to permit water of condensation and a small
quantity of steam to escape through the small passage continuously whilst the
apparatus is in action, and, afterwards, when the apparatus is not in use, into a
position to bring the large passage in communication with the drain pipe and the
atmosphere so that the pipe system can drain itself and thus prevent any water
laying in the pipes and becoming frozen in cold weather. The proper manipulation
of the various drip valves throughout a train requires however considerable labour
and time, and in the event of the said valves not being properly attended to, the
apparatus will cease to work efficiently.
Now this invention has for object to obviate the disadvantages above referred to
for which purpose the heating apparatus is provided at the required parts thereof
with automatic drip valves so constructed and arranged that when the apparatus is
put into action, each drip valve will be moved and afterwards held by the pressure
of the steam in the pipe with which it is connected, in such a position as to close
the large outlet passage and leave open the small one so as to permit of the escape
of water of condensation and also of the small quantity of steam necessary for the
effective circulation of the main supply of steam through the system of pipes, and
when the apparatus put out of action and the pressure of the steam in the system
of pipes falls to a predetermined amount, each drip valve will automatically move
so as to open the large passage and permit of the free escape of the steam and water
of condensation remaining in the system of pipes.
Automatic drip valves to operate in the manner described can be constructed in
various forms.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a central vertical section; and
Figs. 2 and 3 cross sections on the line A B and C D respectively of Fig. 1,
showing an automatic drip valve constructed according to this invention.
In this arrangement 1 is the drip valve proper having a small steam exit
passage 1º extending therethrough, and arranged to close upon an annular seat 2

page_text: eurrounding a large outlet passage 3 formed in the valve case 4 which is adapted at
its upper end, as for example by providing it with an internal screw thread vas
shown, to be attached to a pipe 5 in connection with steam heating apparatus of the
The
kind hereinbefore mentioned, and at its lower end to receive a drain pipe 6.
valve 1 is provided with a stem 1' that is arranged to slide endways in bearings 4ª,4"
in the valve case 4 and is formed with a vertical slot 1° to receive the short arm 7
of a lever that is pivotted to the valve case at 8 and the long arm 7 of which
extends outward beyond the valve case and is made of sufficient weight to overcome.
the weight of the valve 1 with its stem 1' when the valve is not subjected to steam.
pressure, or only to a small steam pressure. As will be seen the arrangement is.
such that when steam is admitted to the pipe 5 to which the valve case is connected,
it will press the drip valve 1 upon its seat 2 in opposition to the weight of the lever
arm 7 and so close the large outlet passage 3 whilst leaving open the small one !",
so as to allow sufficient steam and water of condensation to escape to maintain the
heating apparatus in working order, and that when the steam pressure falls upon
cutting off the supply of steam to the said apparatus, the lever arm 7 will act by
gravity to automatically move the valve from its seat and so open the large outlet
passage 3 and permit of the free escape of the steam and water of condensation
remaining in the system of pipes. Should scale or dirt at any time prevent the
valve from properly closing, it may be readily dislodged by tapping or oscillating
the outwardly extending arm 7" of the lever 7, 7" which for this purpose may
conveniently be made in the form of a hand lever as shown.
In the example shown the drip valve 1 is formed at its underside with a flat
annular face the wearing portion of which consists of a renewable ring 1" formed of
hard material, such as vulcanized asbestos, that is capable of withstanding for a long
time, without injury, the action of steam and hot water, and which will form an
effective joint with the valve seat 2 which is preferably raised, as shown, to obviate,
as far as possible, lodgement thereon of scale or dirt. As will be obvious the drip
valve may be constructed in other forms, but that shown has been found to give
very satisfactory results in practice. The motion of the lever 7, 7" may be limited
by forming its inner end with an extension 7 as indicated by dotted lines in
Figs. 1 and 2, adapted, when the valve 1 is opened to a small extent, to come in
contact with the valve casc at 4°. Or the valve case may for a like purpose be
provided with an external stop as shown at 4". To enable the valve I to be closed
by a small steam pressure, the stop used should be so arranged that the valve will
lift only to a small extent, say about of an inch.
A spring arranged for example so as to encircle the valve stem 1" and to act
against a collar thereon and against the bearing 4h may be used to effect the
automatic opening of the valve 1, but we do not consider such a spring so
advantageous in practice as the weighted lever 7, 7* which is the equivalent
thereof.
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 :-
1. In apparatus of the kind berein referred to for heating railway carriages by
steam, a drip valve 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
steam 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 put 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 substantially as herein described for the
purpose specified.

page_text: 2. For steam heating apparatus of the kind herein referred 'to, an automatic drip
valve constructed and arranged substantially as described and shown, or modified as
set forth.
1007
334 CHID
21st day of January
For the Applicants,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.