Improvements relating to the Blast Pipes of Locomotives.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 29th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 4th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Blast Pipes of Locomotives.
I, WILLIAM ADAMS of the Engineers Office, L. & S. W. Ry. Co.'s Locomotive
Works, Nine Elms, in the County of Surrey, Locomotive Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-—
This invention relates to variable vortex blast pipes such as are described in the
Specification of my Patent No. 12714 in the year 1890.
In these blast pipes the steam orifice is annular and surrounds a hollow core
through which a powerful upward current is induced. The annular orifice is
adjustable by means of a coned ring which can be slidden up or down. Heretofore
the adjusting ring has been carried upon the central core. I now fit it into the
mouth of the outer pipe. 1 provide a cone surface upon the upper end of the hollow
core parallel to the coned surface within the adjusting ring. A convergent blast
issues between these coned surfaces. By raising the ring the area of the annular
aperture is increased and by lowering it the area is diminished.
In its highest position the top of the ring is level with the top of the hollow
core. Upon the movable ring there are two lugs on the opposite sides and studs
are fixed in the lugs. The lugs descend for a short distance on the exterior of the
blast pipe and in their lower ends, which are enlarged, rectangular apertures are
formed; they receive into them the rounded ends of a pair of fingers which serve
to raise and lower the ring.
There is a bearing upon the front of the blast pipe in which a horizontal axis is
carried; upon this axis the fingers are fixed. The ends of the axis project through
the sides of the smoke box. One end is held in a cap or closed bearing fixed upon
the exterior of the smoke box; the other end passes through a gland bearing fixed
on the smoke box and has a lever arm upon it. The gland is packed with asbestos.
To the lever arm a rod is attached which passes back to the foot plate of the
engine and is there actuated in any suitable way to transmit movement to the
adjusting ring.
1
1001
Dated this 90th day of July 1801.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Blast Pipes of Locomotives.
I, WILLIAM ADAMS, of the Engineers Office, L. & S. W. Ry. Co.'s Locomotive
Works, Nine Elms, in the County of Surrey, Locomotive 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 variable vortex blast pipes such as are described in the
Specification of my Patent No. 12714 in the year 1890.
In these blast pipes the steain orifice is annular and surrounds a hollow core
through which a powerful upward current is induced. The annular orifice is
adjustable by means of a coned ring which can be moved up or down. Heretofore
the adjusting ring has been carried upon the central core. I now fit it into the
mouth of the outer pipe. By raising the ring the area of the annular aperture is
increased and by lowering it the area is diminished.
Upon the movable ring there are two lugs on the opposite sides and studs are
fixed in the lugs. The studs descend for a short distance on the exterior of the
blast pipe and in their lower ends, which are enlarged, rectangular apertures are

page_text: formed; they receive into them the rounded ends of a pair of levers which serve
to raise and lower the ring.
There is a bearing upon the front of the blast pipe in which a horizontal axis is
carried upon this axis the levers are fixed. The ends of the axis project through
the sides of the smoke box. One end is held in a cap or closed bearing fixed upon
the exterior of the smoke box; the other end passes through a gland bearing fixed
on the smoke box and has a lever arm upon it. The gland is packed with asbestos
or other suitable packing. To the lever arm a rod is attached which passes back to
the foot plate of the engine and is there actuated in any suitable way to transmit
movement to the adjusting ring.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section and Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical
section of the smoke box end of a locomotive boiler with the variable vortex blast
pipe within it.
a is the barrel of the boiler, a¹ a¹ are fire tubes, 5 is the smoke box, c is the
chimney. d d are the exhaust steam pipes conveying steam to the annular steam
orifice e. f is the outer tube of the annular orifice and g the inner tube to the
lower end of which the products of combustion are free to pass as described in the
Specification of my Patent above mentioned. is the cone ring fitted into
the mouth of the outer tube-internally the ring is coned with the smaller diameter
uppermost.
As shewn in Figures 1 and 2 the upper part of the inner tube g is cylindrical or
but slightly coned but if preferred it may be coned to correspond with the coned
inner surface of the ring as shewn in Figure 3.
ii are two lugs on the opposite sides of the ring h.. k k are studs fixed in the
lugs i i.
The studs descend for a short distance on the exterior of the blast pipe
and in their lower ends, which are enlarged, rectangular apertures are formed;
they receive into them the rounded ends m' m' of a pair of levers m m which extend
from a horizontal shaft o.
There is a bearing n upon the front of the blast pipe in which this horizontal
shaft is carried. The ends of the shaft project through the sides of the smoke box b.
One end is held in a cap or closed bearing g fixed upon the exterior of the smoke
box b, the other end passes through a gland bearing fixed on the smoke box and
has a lever arms on it. To the lever arms a rod t is attached which passes back
to the foot plate of the engine and is there actuated in any suitable way, such as
the way shown in my former Patent No. 1271400 to raise or lower the adjusting
ring. Or other means may be adopted for turning the shaft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. An annular steam blast pipe having within it at its upper end a ring which
externally is cylindrical and fits within the outer tube and internally is conical with
the smaller diameter uppermost so that by moving the ring upwards or downwards
the area of the orifice between the top of the ring and the upper part of the inner
tu be may be increased or decreased.
2. The combination of a blast pipe with annular orifice an internally coned ring
fitting within the upper part of the outer tube and a shaft passing across the smoke
box and having lever arms upon it coupled to arms which extend outwards from
opposite sides of the ring and mechanism which may be operated by the driver for
giving a partial turn to the shaft to raise or lower the ring to increase or decrease
the area of the annular orifice.
3. The construction of the blast pipes of locomotives and the mechanism in
connection therewith substantially as hereinbefore described.