Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Railway Carriages, also applicable to other like Heating Purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1891
Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Railway Carriages, also
applicable to other like Heating Purposes.
I, JEAN MARCELLIN DUPUY, of 45, rue St. Sebastien, Paris, in the Republic of.
France, 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:-
The apparatus forming the object of the present invention is more particularly
applicable to the heating of railway carriages but it may also be employed for other
heating purposes.
The said apparatus is constructed to form a chamber in which a piece of carbon
preferably of cylindro conical or cylindrical form as hereinafter explained is caused
to burn; the said carbon being gradually pushed forward by the action of a spring:
in proportion as it is consumed or burns away. Air is heated by being caused to
circulate about this chamber and is used for heating the railway carriages.
The combustible material or fuel employed consists of an artificial carbon
compound of any suitable composition the object to be attained in its preparation
being to provide for generating the greatest possible amount of caloric with a
material occupying the smallest possible space. Moreover the material must be of
such a nature as to cause the combustion to proceed slowly.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing illustrates in vertical transverse section an
example of an apparatus constructed according to my invention the section being
taken along the line 4-2--3 Figure 2 the lower part being in elevation.
Figure 2 represents the apparatus in vertical longitudinal section the section being
taken on the line 5-6 Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents the apparatus in horizontal section the section being taken
on the line 14 Figure 2.
Figure 4 drawn to a smaller scale illustrates in longitudinal section a modified
form of the carbon being different from that represented in Figure 2.
This carbon marked C in the drawings may be made of various shapes such for
example as the following namely a cylindrical part a, b, d, e, (Figure 2) combined
with two portions in the form of truncated cones marked c, d, f, e and e, f, h, g the
part e, d, f, e forming a shoulder or stop.
According to the modified form represented in Figure 4 two cylindrical
portions a, b, d, cand e, f, h, g of different diameters are connected by a truncated
cone e, d, f, e also forming a stop or shoulder. The parts ad c and e, i, o may
be of any convenient form provided that the part situated between them forms a
shoulder or stop.
These carbons are perforated throughout their entire length with a central
orifice O formed in proportion to the diameter in order to promote the combustion in
the vicinity of this central part.
The part a, b, d, c is inserted in a metal sheath or case F the intermediate part or
shoulder c, d, e bearing against inwardly projecting hooks or stops R (Figures 1
and 2) formed at the extremity of the sheath F. The third part e, i, hy is situated
in the interior of the combustion chamber and is the part where combustion
commences in working the apparatus the part within the sheath F not being ignited
until it enters the combustion chamber.
The apparatus in which combustion takes place is divided into two parts one of
..

page_text: which is capable of being removed in order to renew the carbon the other forming
the body of the heating apparatus or stove being permanently attached to the side
of the railway carriage for example.
The removeable part consists of the sheath F provided with the internal
projections R and on which is cast a flange H capable of being readily attached to
or removed from the fixed part of the apparatus by means of hooks t. This flange H
is perforated with air holes corresponding with the internal projections the draught
being regulated by a circular valve or perforated sliding plate capable of being
moved over the said holes. This moveable part also comprises a screwed plug or
cap B provided with a handle and which forms a support or bearing for a spring S
by which the carbon is gradually pushed forwards as it burns away.
.
"
In the interior of the projections R there is formed a groove or channel +
Figure 2, which enables the air to circulate freely over an annular surface or zone
extending all around the cylindrical part of the carbon inserted in the sheath so
that the part under or in contact with the hook shaped projections R is exposed to
the action of combustion on four sides and being consequently consumed at the part
where it bears against the said hooked projections or stops is enabled to advance
under the action of the spring S.
In consequence of this action the quantity of material consumed or burned away
at the surface of the carbon core C is replaced by an equivalent amount thus pushed
forwards corresponding to the extent of the movement of the cylindrical part in the
sheath and this gradual advance of the carbon continues until the shoulder is burned
down to the extreme end or base and the carbon drops or falls down on to a grating
inside the combustion chamber where it is entirely burned away to the last
fragment.
In order to kindle the carbon or core Cafter it has been inserted in the sheath F
and the cap B screwed on so as to compress the spring S it is simply necessary to
place the projecting part e, f, h, g, in a fire and when it is ignited it may be placed
in the apparatus by attaching the removeable part to the fixed part by means of the
flange and hooks t as represented in the drawing. The core can thus be lighted,
extinguished and relighted with ease.
The fixed part or stove proper can be attached to any part of the carriage such
as the exterior of the side frame for example and is constructed with three
casings MN P. The first or inner casing M forms the combustion chamber. The
casing N forms the chamber in which the air is heated and the third or outer
chamber P forms an insulating or heat retaining space which is packed with a bad
conductor of heat. For this purpose a series of holes provided with screw stoppers T
are formed in the back of the stove and afford access to the different parts of this
insulating space between the casings P and N.
In constructing an apparatus which is to stand in a room or in a conservatory for
example which is to be heated by radiation this outer casing is not required.
In order to obviate the waste of heat resulting from the strong draught of air
caused by the movement of a railway carriage each extremity of the air passages
in the stove may be protected by a disc or screen.
The apparatus illustrated in the drawing being especially designed for heating a
railway carriage, is provided with four air inlets D D and E E. The two open-
ings D admit air to supply the combustion chamber and the two openings E admit
air to the hot air chamber or space between the casings M and N. This
arrangement ensures a uniform supply of air independently of the direction in which
the train may be moving.
The artificially prepared carbon compound emits no smoke and heats the pipe or
chimney provided for the escape of the air employed to support combustion to a
high temperature so that on the one hand this pipe is not liable to become choked
by any deposits that might otherwise be formed and on the other hand a proper
amount of draught is ensured.
In all cases it is advisable, considering that the carbon is capable of being
consumed or burned with a very small amount of draught, to prolong this discharge

page_text: pipe in the interior of the carriage in order to utilise the whole of the caloric in the
gases which it contains. The said pipe may be caused to conduct the hot gases
under the seats for example before discharging them into the outer atmosphere at the
upper part of the carriage.
The air entering at E and heated in the space surrounding the combustion
chamber M passes through a pipe into the interior of the carriage. A single hot air
pipe is sufficient when the carriage is not divided into compartments but in the case
of carriages with separate compartments the hot air pipe must be connected with as
many branch pipes as there are compartments. These and other arrangements of
details may of course be modified or regulated to suit the conditions under which
the apparatus is employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A heating apparatus for railway carriages and other like heating purposes
constructed with a removeable part or sheath provided with inwardly projecting
parts or stops and carrying a piece of carbon which is pushed forward in proportion
as it burns away or is consumed by the action of a spring and with a fixed part or
stove proper in which the carbon is burned and the air is heated substantially in the
manner and for the purpose hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1, 2
and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In a heating apparatus of the class hereinbefore described the combination of
a sheath F carrying stops or projections R having a circular groover enabling air
to have access to all parts of the burning surface and a screwed cap or plug B
provided with a spring S for the purpose of gradually feeding forward the carbon in
proportion as it is consumed or burned away substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In a heating apparatus of the class referred to in the first claiming clause the
combination of a stove composed of three casings namely a casing (M) forming the
combustion chamber a casing (N) forming a hot air chamber and an external
casing (P) forming a heat retaining or non-conducting wall being packed with a
material forming a bad conductor of heat and four or other suitable number of air
inlet orifices D and E substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
4. In combination with a heating apparatus of the class referred to in the first
claiming clause a carbon composed of three parts namely a part a, b, d, c of cylin-
drical or other form corresponding with the form of the sheath or holder F, a
part c, d, e in the form of a truncated cone so as to form a surface bearing against
the stops R and a part (such as that marked e, f, h, g) which may be of the form of
a truncated cone as represented in Figure 2 or cylindrical as represented in Figure 4
or of any other suitable configuration substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described with reference to Figures 2 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The general arrangement and combination of parts forming an improved
apparatus for heating railway carriages or for other like heating purposes
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 4th day of February 1801