Improvements in Ventilating Railway Carriages.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th June, 1894-Accepted, 11th Aug.,
1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ventilating Railway Carriages.
SAMUEL HUGHES, of the Town of Lindsay, in the County of Victoria, in the
Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, Newspaper Proprietor, 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 :-
My invention relates to devices for supplying, purifying and tempering fresh
air to, and extracting vitiated air from, railway carriages.
The objects of my invention are to supply railway carriages with fresh air free
from dust, cinders and other impurities, cool in summer and warm in winter and
to extract the vitiated air and to effect the change without causing draughts.
Also, in placing and constructing the devices used for the purpose in such manner
as not to become unsightly externally or internally nor to occupy space otherwise
useful.
1 attain these objects by constructing the carriages with what are practically
double roofs and forming the space between the outer and inner skins composing
said double roofs into ducts and channels for the conveyance and distribution of
fresh air and for collecting and expelling or exhausting vitiated air, providing
suitable apertures to and from said ducts and channels, together with collecting
ducts or pipes for the exhaust ducts. Each fresh air duct is provided at one end
with an injector and tank in which the air is first passed over water and wet
surfaces and provided with cooling and heating mediums. One such injector and
tank is placed in the roof at each end of the carriage and connected with one of
the fresh air ducts. The tank is provided with strainers in the shape of wire
screens adapted to carry loose materials, also with steam or hot water coils, with
ice box and lime pot. It is made with a sloping bottom having a draining cock
at its lowest part and with an overflow. Each exhaust 'duct or channel is con-
structed with an ejector at each end. In each fresh air duct near the tank and
in each exhaust near the ejector may be placed an auxiliary fan, blast fans and
exhaust fans respectively, driven by any suitable means, such as strap, cord,
electricity and the like, to be used in emergencies or in addition to the injectors
and ejectors. One injector and two ejectors are placed at each end of the carriage
roof, extending across the same in a line, just at the point where the roof
slopes downwards towards the end, each being double mouthed, being constructed
with a partition which extends above the roof in the shape of a ridge, so that it
may catch the current when moving in either direction. The mouths of the
injectors and ejectors are covered with stout wire netting.
In order to show my invention more fully, I have illustrated the same in the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a top view of a railway carriage, showing the air ducts in dotted
lines.
Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of a carriage, showing the interior in
elevation and partly in section, the air inlet being shown at one end and the outlet
or exhaust at the other.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section of a carriage roof on the line 3, 3, Figs. 1 and 2,
showing my improvements.
Fig. 4 is a similar section taken near the end, on the line 4, 4, Figs. 1 and 2
and showing the tank.
Fig. 5 is a similar section taken at the other end of the carriage, on the line 5, 5,
Figs. 1 and 2, also through the tank.

page_text: Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the tank, shown in relation to the carriage
roof.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the air inlet or injector with tank and
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the exhaust or ejector.
·
A, Fig. 3, is the central raised portion of the carriage roof, known as monitor
roof, AA the vertical sides thereof and A" A" the two sides of the roof. A
false ceiling B, containing numerous openings covered with wire gauze or similar
material and provided with "hit and miss" slides, is constructed under the monitor,
so as to form a space between the roof and ceiling, which is divided longitudinally
by a partition B¹ to form two separate and independent channels or ducts 2, 2.
Each of these channels, 2, is closed at one end (Fig. 1) and the other end is
connected with a tank Ć (Figs. 12 and 7), which serves for purifying heating or
cooling the air, as the case may be, one placed at each end of the carriage and
near the ceiling. Each of these tanks has its bottom, c, sloping downwards towards
one side of the carriage and towards one corner at which it is provided with a
draw-off-pipe C¹ with valve or cock c¹ and also with an overflow pipe C", the
upper open end of which regulates the level of the water with which each tank is
partly filled. An uptake, D, connects the duct 2 with the top of the tank at its
rear, a wire screen D' being placed above the joint and a coil of pipes D", adapted
for being heated by steam or hot water, is placed as high above said screen as
convenient, the supply pipe passing under or near the tank to keep the latter from
freezing. The air inlet, funnel, injector or blast pipe E occupies the front of the
tank on one side, its throat e rising from the top and projecting upward and
forward so that one part of the mouth lies in the downward curved end of the
monitor and thus presents an inclined front in the direction in which the carriage
moves. It occupies a central position in the monitor roof and is divided trans-
versely in two separate parts or mouths, 3 and 4, by a partition E¹ extending
down the throat and above the top by a raised ridge el which is curved backwards
and so divides the whole mouth that the rear one, 4, is level, while the forward
portion, 3, is inclined downwards. Both mouths, thus formed, are covered with
heavy wire screens, that for the front, 3, being in the form of a hinged lid or door
to give access to the tank. Plates, forming covers, by which the size or opening
of the mouths 3 and 4 may be more or less reduced in winter, may be provided.
The side of the tank, which forms a continuation with the throat e, is formed
with a long curve to direct the current sideways into the tank, but a projecting lip
or ridge is provided to check the splashing of the water upwards. A wire
screen E is hung on the opposite edge forming the junction of tank and throat
and projects into the water below; this may be padded with loose filtering
material, such as moss, fibre, and the like. A receptacle for ice or other cooling
medium is provided in a suitable position in the tank or uptake, such as a box F,
held in position on the front d, where it is accessible from a slide d' which can be
reached from the mouth of the funnel E for convenience in filling. A lime pot F¹
may be placed in the uptake D. There may also be a damper D³ in the uptake D
or close to it in the duct 2, adapted to throttle its area to not less than one
half.
A blast fan K is placed in the duct 2 near the tank. It may be driven by
any suitable means, as belt, cord, clockwork electricity &c.
So far the provision for the supply of air, which it will be observed operates
as follows as the car moves, air will be forced in the funnels E by atmospheric
pressure through the mouth 3 at the forward end and through the mouth 4 at the
rear end. This air takes a downward direction in the throats e and projects upon
the water surface of the tanks C. The heavier impurities, such as cinders and the
like are retained by the water and are subsequently discharged through the draw-
off-pipe. The finer impurities are retained by the wet filtering materials and wire
screens. The air, thus filtered, passes over the cooling surface of the ice if the
weather be warm; if cold. the ice is dispensed with and the heating apparatus Du
is set to work to heat the air as it passes from the tank through the uptake D.

page_text: Thence it passes into the ducts 2 and out of any openings therein that may be
uncovered. The fan K may be used when the carriage is standing still, or in
addition to the injectors.
For the extraction of the vitiated air, collecting channels G, Figs. 1 2 3 and 7,
are formed in the spandrels formed by the sides A¹ with the upper or lower portion
of the roof, i.e. either inside or outside; outside channels being shown in Fig. 3.
An air space may also be formed on the sides A" of the roof, by adding an inner or
outer covering B" and the space so formed may be used in addition to the
channels G or in lieu thereof, or it may be divided into a number of upright ducts
or channels connecting with the channels G and connecting downwardly with the
vertical collecting or escape pipes or ducts G¹ and G" which are open at the lower
end or have a number of adjustable openings. The ducts G form the trunk pipes
The
and the vertical pipes G and G" the branches connecting with them.
pipes G' may be brought down as far as convenient, even to the car floor, and in
Fig. 2 are shown to extend just below the windows all along the body of the car.
These pipes are open at the lower end but may have other openings higher up. At
each end of the car, however, it is preferred to use long pipes, G", extending down
to the floor and having a number of adjustable openings at intervals all the way.
down; both pipes and openings lending themselves readily to artistic treatment.
Dampers g may be placed near the ends of each channel or duct G reducing their
area when closed, to not less than one half. Such dampers may also be placed in
the collecting or escape pipes G' and G".
The ducts G are open at both ends of the carriage, extending to the extreme end
of the platform roof, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 where they are connected with
ejectors H, shown in detail in Fig. 8, and terminating in nozzles 7. These are.
double mouthed and double throated, being divided by a partition / terminating
above the mouths 5 and 6 by a raised and lipped edge /. Said mouths are
transversely in line with the blast pipe or injector mouths 3 and 4 and on each side
of the latter and like them are covered with wire gauze and with them occupy the.
whole width of the raised portion of the roof. A suction fan L is placed in the
duct near the ejector, which may be driven by a belt, cord weight, electricity &c.
This exhausting device operates as follows: As the carriage moves, air is forced
by atmospheric pressure in the ejector mouths 5 at the forward and in the mouths 6
at the rear end of the carriage, the mouths 5 presenting an inclined surface to the
movement of the carriage and the mouths 6 catching the current by the raised
ridge h. The current thus created in and passing down the throats and out of the
nozzles 7 of the ejectors H, exhaust the ducts G. The air in the body of the car
then passes through the branch pipes G¹ and G₁ to balance the pressure in the
ducts G and is, of course again drawn out in the same way. The auxiliary suction
fans may be used when the carriage is standing still, or in addition to the
ejectors.
my said
declare that what
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
I claim is
1. In a ventilating system for railway carriages, the combination with the carriage
roof of a false ceiling B in the monitor roof provided with screened adjustable
openings, false ceilings B extending from the sides of the monitor roof to the sides
of the carriage and a channel G formed to adjoin each side of the monitor roof and
complete a false ceiling formed in sections and partly or wholly serving the purpose
of channels or ducts substantially as set forth.
2. In a ventilating system for railway carriages, the combination with the carriage
roof of a false ceiling B and partition B' forming two ducts 2 each closed at one
end, a tank C at each end of the carriage, a connecting pipe or uptake D at the
rear of each tank connecting said tank with one end of a duct 2, substantially as
set forth.
3. In a ventilating system for railway carriages, the combination with the carriage

page_text: roof of a false ceiling B and partition B¹ forming two ducts 2 closed at one end and
having at its lower surface a series of openings, a connecting pipe or uptake D at
the other end of each duct, heating pipes D" in said uptake, a wire screen D' at the
bottom of said uptake, a tank C at each end of the carriage communicating with
one of the ducts by said uptake and a blast funnel or injector E on each. tank,
substantially as set forth.
4. In an over head tank for a ventilating system for railway carriages, a bottom c
sloping to one side, an overflow pipe and draw-off pipe with cock at the lowest point
of the bottom, a part of one end of the tank extended upwards to form part of an
inlet and the junction with the bottom made with a large curve and provided with
a lip c, a wire screen E hung at the opposite side of the inlet, an ice box F, an
uptake D at the rear with wire screen at the mouth and lip dipping in the water at
the front and an inlet for air, substantially as set forth.
5. In a ventilating system for railway carriages, the combination with the monitor
roof, of a series of three openings occupying the width of the raised portion of the
roof near each end and each divided transversely by a partition and raised and
curved rims to form.mouths 3 and 4 in the center and 5 and 6 at each side of said
center, the mouths nearest the end situated in the curved end of the roof so as to
present an inclined face and said openings covered with wire gauze, said openings
continued by downwardly projecting throats and through which said transverse
partition partly extends, the throats of the central openings connecting with a tank
and the side throats forming nozzles in the ends of ducts, substantially as set forth.
6. In a ventilating system for railway carriages, the combination of ducts G
formed on each side of the carriage roof and extending to each end of the same,
branch pipes Gand G" connecting with said ducts and extending down the sides
of the car and having one or more openings, and an ejector at each end of each duct
having its mouth flush with the top of the roof and divided transversely by a raised
ridge in two parts facing in opposite directions and the end of their throats forming
a nozzle in the ends of said ducts, substantially as set forth.
7. In a ventilating system for railway carriages, the combination with the monitor
roof of openings formed therein and partly situated in the curved ends, said openings
continued downwards by contracting throats and terminating in nozzles inserted in
the open ends of ducts, a partition dividing said throat and mouth transversely and
said partition extending upwards by a curved rim, substantially as set forth.
8. In a ventilating system for railway carriages, the combination with the fresh
air ducts 2, of blast fans placed in the mouth thereof, substantially as set forth.
9. In a ventilating system for railway carriages, the combination with the exhaust
ducts or channels G, of suction or exhaust fans placed near their outlets,
substantially as set forth.
10. In an overhead tank for a ventilating system for railway carriages, the
combination with a duct 2 of a blast fan K at its junction with the uptake, an
uptake D joining said duct to the top of a tank, an injector E joined to the front of
Baid uptake, a tank C having openings in said injector and uptake, an ice bex F.
secured to the partition between said injector and uptake, a door d' in said partition
and a movable top on the mouth of said injector substantially as set forth.
Dated this 31st day of Mar AD 1804
SAMUEL HUGHES,
Per A. Harvey,
His Agent.