Improvements in Sanding Apparatus for Locomotives.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sanding Apparatus for Locomotives.
I, GUSTAV LENTZ, of 18 Uhlandstrasse, Dusseldorf in the Empire of Germany,
Civil 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 :-
My invention relates to sanding apparatus for locomotives; such sanding
apparatus as ordinarily constructed works either, (1) so that the sand falls on the
rails by its own weight, the effect of the sand for increasing the adhesion being
very little; or (2) the sand is blown by steam and the pipes get blocked up by
moist sand, or get altogether frozen in winter time; or (3) the sand is blown by
air and most part of the sand is blown off the rails as it does not adhere to them,
the sand pipe gets blocked up by getting wet on the opening by splashes of rain
and the sand blast gives a sand dust which spoils the working parts of the engine.
To avoid all these disadvantages the sand is blown in this apparatus by air by
means of a little air nozzle which is placed in the sand box; the opening of the
sand pipe is protected by a mouth piece which is of a conical shape so that no
splashes can enter the sand pipe; and to prevent any sand dust being created and
to make the sand stick to the rails and tyres the sand is made wet by a little steam
jet which acts upon the sand blast after it has left the sand pipe. By this arrange-
ment the freezing of the sand pipe is also avoided as the steam and sand pipes are
independent of each other. For insuring the simultaneous action of the sand blast
and steam jet a double valve or cock is placed on the firebox so that the driver can
put the apparatus into work by moving a handle.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how
it can be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings in
which
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a passenger engine with the sanding
apparatus applied.
Fig. 2 a back elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 represents a plan of a double valve fixed to the back of the firebox and
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of sand box showing the position of the air and sand
nozzle which produce the sand jet.
Figs. 6 and 7 are longitudinal section and elevation of the said air and sand
nozzle for producing the sand jet.
Figs. 8 and 9 are longitudinal sections of mouth pieces for the sand pipe, and
Fig. 10 is a section to an enlarged scale of the arrangement of steam, air, and
sand, pipes.
The air is taken from a high pressure reservoir and led by a pipe to the double
valve A; the steam is taken from the firebox back or any steam pipe and led to
the same double valve or cock A. Both valve spindles are connected so that by
moving the handle both valves are opened or shut at once. From the air valve
the pipe divides to the right and left to the sand boxes into which it enters and is
screwed into the air and sand nozzle B which consists of a short pipe with a side
opening by which the sand enters into the pipe and is blown by the air through a
wider pipe between the wheels and rails. To the opening of this sand pipe is
fitted a conical mouthpiece D which prevents rain splashes from entering the
sand pipe.
The other part of the double valve A is connected by a pipe with a steam cock
fitted to the fire-box back, or any steam pipe, and guides the steam through a small

page_text: pipe along the two sand pipes above the mouth pipe D a little further on 60 that
this steam pipe C, which is on the lower side cut away, leads the steam above the
sand jet so that the latter gets moistened and sticks to the wheels and rails and
hinders the development of a sand cloud.
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 double valve or cock for air and steam which by one movement of the
handle is simultaneously set into or out of its work substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. An air and sand nozzle which is placed in a sand box of a locomotive
and produces by high pressure air, a sand blast substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. A conical mouth piece applied to the end of a locomotive sand pipe, substan-
tially as hereinbefore described.
4. A steam pipe in combination with the sand pipe of a locomotive for moistening
the discharged sand, substantially as described.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1893.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.