Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Railway Vehicles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 16th Apr., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE CONSOLIDATED CAR-HEATING COMPANY,
of Wheeling, West Virginia, United States of America.]
Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Railway 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 :-
This invention relates to new and useful improvements in car heating apparatus,
and to that class of heaters, in which steam is employed either directly in the
radiators, to heat and circulate water in the radiators. The construction I have
herein shown is adapted for either steam or hot water heating.
The invention consists in the peculiar construction arrangement and combination
of the various parts, of the piping the heater, etc., whereby an efficient and simple
heating apparatus is obtained, which may be heated by steam from the locomotive
or from a boiler upon the baggage or other special car.
In the drawings,
Fig. 1 is a diagram perspective view of a car floor, with the piping system
applied thereto, with the radiators within the car.
Fig. 2, is a vertical central, longitudinal section of the car and piping shown in
Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, is a diagram plan of a system of piping for indirect radiation, the car floor
being shown in dotted lines.
Fig. 4, is a vertical, longitudinal section through a car having a system of piping
as shown in Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the heater, or what is termed the "commingler" where
the steam is noiselessly commingled with the water, and
Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line x a, of Fig. 5.
A represents the floor of a car, of that type ordinarily used in Great Britain,
divided by transverse partitions B, into compartments, each of which has seats C
on each side.
To heat such a car by steam from the locomotive or from a steam generator
located upon a baggage or other special car, a main steam supply pipe D is
employed preferably extending from such source of supply, beneath the cars, and
provided with suitable flexible couplings E between the cars.
In this main steam supply pipe, which is usually called the "train pipe," at each
eud are placed valves F, so that when a car is placed at the end of a train, the end
of the train pipe may be shut off; otherwise these valves are normally open.
Each car on the train is similarly equipped, so that a description of one will suffice
for all.
Beneath the car is preferably placed a "commingler," as shown in Figs. 5 and 6,
preferably consisting of a hollow casing, of metal made in two parts ab screwed
together. In this casing are secured the two screens of the wire cloth or perforated
metal c, separated some distance, and forming between the commingling chamber.
In this chamber is placed a nozzle d having perforations on its upper surface only,
and connecting into this nozzle is a steam supply pipe e, which communicates with
the branch steam supply pipe f, which connects into the train pipe. This steam
supply pipe preferably extends into the car and above the highest point of the
radiators, and is controlled by a valve g.
Between the screens, and around the nozzle is placed gravel, shot, or other kind
of fine pieces of material, to make a porous body, into which the steam is delivered,

page_text: and which it has been found, destroys the sound entirely in bringing the steam into
contact with the water which it is desired to heat and circulate.
The heater or commingler at one side is provided with an inlet g' below the
commingling chamber, and with an outlet h at the top.
The heater I preferably arrange centrally of the car, and connect to the outlet
and inlet therein the outgoing main G, and return main H, extending beneath the
car in both directions from the heater, suitably inclined to drain to the heater.
The heater is provided with a drainage outlet pipe I at its lowest point controlled
by a valve J, by opening which the entire system may be drained.
K are radiators in the car, preferably arranged beneath the seats, and connected
at opposite ends to the outgoing and return pipes of the circulating system
respectively as plainly shown in Fig. 1.
These radiators are suitably inclined to carry off the water of condensation, and
if desired, each may be provided with a controlling valve L. I preferably arrange
also an air valve M in each radiator, closed by the steam or by internal pressure
and opened to admit air to drain all parts of the system if the valves L should be
closed.
In Figs. 3 and 4, is shown the same system, adapted for indirect radiation from
the radiators, which in these drawings are shown placed beneath the car, with
registers O, in the floor of each compartment for controlling the heat thereof. In
this construction each radiator is preferably enclosed in a box or casing P, through
which also, the train pipe preferably passes, so that in case any radiator may be
shut off the heat of the train pipe will prevent freezing of such radiator, and in
moderate weather, the steam may be shut off from the main system, and the short
section of train pipe in the box, will take the chill off the compartment.
P1 is an overflow pipe connected at any point in the system, and extending
above the highest point of the radiators, or connected to the radiators at the
highest point. This overflow pipe is preferably provided with a valve Q, and
extends near its discharge end into a special fitting R, on the train pipe, (or it may
be on the commingler) so that the overflowing water of condensation will be heated
sufficiently to prevent freezing up of the overflow.
The operation of the device is as follows: If it is desired to heat by steam, the
valve on the overflow is closed, and the drain valve J is slightly opened, the steam
entering drives out the air, fills the radiators, and the condensation drains to the
commingler and out through the valve J.
The preferable mode of operation is however as follows: The valve J being
closed, and overflow valve opened until the air is driven out, and then closed until
but a small opening is left, the device will operate as a direct steam system, until
the water of condensation has accumulated and filled the piping, when the water
will be circulated by the ingress of steam through the nozzle in the commingler,
and the device will continue to operate as a hot water circulating system, the
accumulating water of condensation finding exit through the overflow pipe. When
the car is side tracked, the water may be emptied by opening valve J. This mode
of operation is the better for the reason that it gives the direct steam heat for
quickly heating the cars at the start, and the pleasant heat of hot water apparatus,
as soon as the pipes have filled.
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
my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is :
1. In a car heating apparatus the herein described arrangement of heater and
piping for steam and hot water.
2. In a car heating apparatus, the combination of a heater comprising a casing,
a steam supply pipe leading therein having its discharge upwardly, of a main
outgoing circulating pipe, and a main return circulating pipe connected to the
heater, and of radiators connected in multiple with said mains.

page_text: 3. In a car heating apparatus, the combination of a heater comprising a casing,
a steam supply pipe leading therein discharging upwardly, of a main outgoing pipe
and a main return pipe connected to the heater, of radiators connected in multiple
with said mains, a valve controlling each radiator, and an air valve in each
radiator.
4. In a car heating apparatus, the herein described arrangement of heater and
piping, with an overflow pipe arranged in contact with a steam heated surface.
5. In a car heating apparatus, the combination of a car divided into compart-
ments, a heater, an indirect radiator for each compartment, an enclosing case or
box for each radiator, and a main steam pipe or "train pipe" for supplying steam
to the heater, passing through each box.
Dated this 17th day of February 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.