Improvements in and connected with Apparatus for Drying Sand and Distributing the same from Locomotives, Tramway Engines, and the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left. 11th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by JOHN MCDONALD, The Railway, Shinbasi, Tokio,
Japan, Assistant Superintendent.]
Improvements in and connected with Apparatus for Drying Sand
and Distributing the same from Locomotives, Tramway Engines,
and the like.
1, WILLIAM EDWIN HEYS, of 70, Market Street, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for drying and for delivering sand from
locomotives tramway engines and the like to the rails or to the driving wheels.
In such apparatus as at present sometimes constructed, the sand is contained
within a suitable box or chamber within which is also included a steam coil with its
axis vertical. With this arrangement it commonly happens that all the sand in the
box is completely dried except that portion of it which is in the bottom of the box,
which portion becomes caked and blocks the sand outlet, and these improvements
have for their object to avoid the obstruction of the sand outlet by imperfectly
dried or caked sand, and to effect the more uniform drying of the sand
throughout.
In carrying out my improvements I apply steam heat to the bottom of the sand
box or sand chamber alone or in addition to steam heat applied either by means of
a steam jacket surrounding or partly surrounding the sand box or by means of a
steam coil within the sand box. The application of steam heat to the bottom of
the sand box or chamber is effected by means of a chamber constructed within or
secured above or below the bottom of the sand box. This chamber is preferably
annular and arranged with its annular part surrounding the sand outlet from the
bottom of the box.
In order to more effectively secure the escape of the sand on the opening of the
valve, I may attach to or connect with the valve a stirrer arranged to be moved
with or by the motion of the valves in such a manner as to break up or stir the
sand near the outlet whenever the valve is moved.
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WILLIAM E. HEYS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Apparatus for Drying Sand
and Distributing the same from Locomotives, Tramway Engines,
and the like.
I, WILLIAM EDWIN HEYS, of 70, Market Street, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Patent. Agent, 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 apparatus for drying and distributing sand, and more
particularly to such apparatus when employed for delivering sand from locomotive
and tramway engines to the rails or to the driving wheels.
In such apparatus as at present sometimes constructed, the sand is contained
within a suitable box or chamber in which is included also a steam coil with its
axis vertical. With this arrangement it commonly happens that all the sand is
completely dried except that part of it which is in the bottom of the box, which
portion becomes caked and blocks the sand outlet.

page_text: These improvements have for their object to avoid the obstruction of the sand
outlet by imperfectly dried or caked sand, by effecting a more uniform and complete
drying of the sand throughout.
In carrying out my improvements I apply heat and preferably steam heat to the
bottom of the sand box or chamber, either alone or in combination with or in
addition to an application of heat either by means of a steam jacket surrounding or
partly surrounding the sand box, or by means of a steam coil within the sand box.
The application of the heat to the bottom of the box or chamber may be effected
by means of steam contained in a chamber constructed or secured within above or
below the bottom of the sand box. This steam chamber is preferably but not
necessarily, annular and arranged to surround the sand outlet from the bottom of
the box.
In order to more effectually secure the escape of the sand upon the opening of
the sand outlet valve, I may attach to or connect with the sand outlet valve, a
stirrer or equivalent device arranged to be moved by or with the motion of the
sand valve in such a manner as to break up or stir the sand near and about the
outlet whenever the sand valve is opened.
I will more particularly describe my said invention with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which
Figures 1, 2, and 3 are vertical sections of modified forms of the apparatus ;
Figure 4 a vertical section through the bottom of the sand box, the sand valve,
and the steam heater, with an elevation of the sand stirrer;
Figure 5 a plan of Figure 4 taken just below the sand box; and
Figure 6 an elevation of the apparatus as applied to a locomotive.
In each of the figures the apparatus is represented as constructed for application
to a railway locomotive, but these improvements are not limited to this particular
application, and may obviously be employed for analogous purposes where steam or
hot water is available and dry sand is required.
In each of the figures similar parts or details are indicated by similar letters of
reference.
;
A is the sand box; B the valve controlling the sand outlet; C the sand outlet
pipe Da steam (or hot water) chamber which may be above, within, or below,
the bottom of the sand box, but which is represented as being and is preferred to
be, fixed below the bottom. E is a drip cock arranged to permit the escape of the
condensed water from the chamber D. F is the steam inlet pipe the other end of
which communicates with the interior of the boiler or with a pipe leading therefrom.
G, (Figure 2,) is a casing or jacket which may be arranged outside the sand box
but which is preferred to be within the box as shewn, or it may alternatively be
constructed within the side walls of the box; and H, Figure 3, is a coil. This coil,
or alternatively, the jacket G, if used, is connected to the steam supply pipe as
indicated, and also with the steam chamber D so that the steam may pass through
the coil H or jacket G to the chamber D. I is the steam pipe which in the modifi-
cation represented in Figures 2 and 3 is employed to connect the coil or jacket with
the chamber D. J (shewn in elevation and plan respectively in Figures 4 and 5)
is the sand stirrer or breaker which may be of any convenient construction and
arrangement and which is moved with and by the valve B. KK are lugs on the
steam chamber D by means of which it may be secured with set screws or otherwise
to the bottom of the sand box. L. Figure 6 is a steam pipe communicating with
the interior of the boiler M and into which the steam pipe F opens. N is the
locomotive driving wheel; O the rail; and the sand valve rod which is provided
with lugs or projections R R at its opposite ends arranged to come into contact
with the sides of the steam chamber D and thus act as stops to limit the longi-
tudinal motion of the valve B formed or secured thereon. S is an opening in the
bottom of the sand box through which the stem of the sand stirrer passes and
through which also the sand passes to C when the valve B is opened.
In Figures 4 and 5 the valve B is represented in the closed position in full lines
and in the opened position by the dotted lines. In these figures also the valve is

page_text: represented as having longitudinal motion and as being arranged below the bottom
of the box, and this is the arrangement which I prefer to adopt, but the valve may
be constructed and arranged to have an angular motion in opening and closing the
sand outlet as indicated by Figures 1, 2, and 3, and it may be arranged within the
sand box as there represented.
The arrangement represented by Figures 4 and 5 will in all ordinary cases be
found quite sufficient for the purpose of effectively drying the sand, and the stirrer
may be omitted, although I prefer to employ it in all cases. When the apparatus
is employed for drying sand for a locomotive in a damp climate or under other
adverse conditions, the steam chamber D may have a larger area as indicated in
Figure 1 and in some cases it may if desired be reinforced by the steam jacket G or
the coil H.
The steam chamber is preferably constructed to surround the upper part of the
sand outlet pipe C as indicated in the drawings, and this pipe may be secured by
means of a set screw T passing through a boss formed on the under side of the
chamber D.
In order to enable the sand pipe to be adjusted for thicker or for thinner tyres,
I may employ the arrangement shewn by Figure 4. For this purpose the sand
pipe has a pap or projection W formed upon it near its upper end; and in the eye
of the steam chainber within which the sand pipe is fitted, I turn a few annular
grooves or recesses U of such a size that the projection W may fit therein. In the
eye of the chamber I likewise form a longitudinal groove V also of such a size as
to admit the passage of the projection W. Assuming the sand pipe to be out of
place, and that it has to be inserted, the end of the pipe is entered into the eye so
that the projection W will come into the longitudinal groove V and the sand pipe
is pushed in until its bottom end is at the required distance from the rail. A part
of a turn then being given to the sand pipe, the projection W will enter one of the
annular grooves U, and the pipe can no longer be moved vertically without first
bringing the projection W into the longitudinal groove V, and this turning of the
pipe is prevented by the tightening screw T. If there is no annular recess to
receive the projection W at the precise point required, the pipe must be moved
upwards or downwards, until the projection engages with one of the nearer
recesses.
When the steam coil H or the steam jacket G is employed within the sand box,
it is important that all joints and connections between the coil or jacket and the
pipe F and the chamber D should be brazed or other suitable precaution be taken
to prevent a possible escape of steam within the sand box.
It will be obvious that instead of steam, hot water may be circulated through the
apparatus, but it will generally be found more convenient to employ steam as
hereinbefore described.
I am aware that a steam coil within a sand box has already been used for the
purpose of drying sand contained within a sand box and I therefore desire it to be
understood that I do not make any claim for this device.
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. In an apparatus for drying sand, the construction and arrangement of a steam
or hot water chamber in above or below the bottom of the sand receptacle,
substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
2. In an apparatus for drying sand, the combination with a sand box of a steam
or hot water chamber situated in above or below the bottom of the box and
surrounding the sand outlet, constructed and arranged substantially as herein before
described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
3. In an apparatus for drying sand, the combination with a sand box of a steam
or hot water chamber, in above or below the bottom of the box, a valve for

page_text: controlling the sand outlet, and a stirrer for breaking up any caked sand, con-
structed arranged and operated substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
4. In an apparatus for drying sand, a sand stirrer operated by the motion of the
outlet valve, constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described.
5. In an apparatus for drying sand means for adjustably securing the sand pipe
in position, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described and as
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
1041
WILLIAM E. HEYS.