Improvements in Fruit-cars.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th July, 1892-Accepted, 29th Oct., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fruit-cars.
I, ALFRED THOMAS PERKINS, of Alameda, in the County of Alameda, and
State of California, United States of America, Clergyman, 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 improvements in railway-cars for transporting fresh
fruit and other perishable articles and substances and for other purposes as well
where a cool atmosphere is desired; and my improvements consist in a novel
construction of storage chamber or compartment with two sets of channels, spaces,
or passages in or between its walls, having communication separately with the
interior space of the chamber and with the outer air and no direct connection with
each other, in combination with an air forcing or blowing apparatus adapted to
deliver and produce continuous currents of air through the inner space or set of
spaces or channels, all as hereinafter fully described.
The following description explains the nature of my said improvement and the
manner in which I proceed to construct and carry out the same, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings that form part of this Specification.
Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevation of a fruit car constructed according
to my invention, with a portion of the side broken away.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken transversely through the car-body at any
point between the ends.
Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive, represent a construction in which the outer shell or casing
of the walls is of a temporary character and is removable. Fig. 3 is a side
elevation. Fig. 4 is an end view, and Fig. 5 is a cross-section. Fig. 6 represents
a portion of the temporary casing and its supports.
Fig. 7 is a transverse section of a portion of a car, showing the ventilators going
through all three walls.
Fig. 8 is an interior elevation of a portion of a car, showing the valves and
means for manipulating them.
Fig. 9 is a detail view of the operating-rod for the valves.
The body of the car is constructed with double walls or sides A B and the floor
or bottom C, inclosing an inner space, passage, or channel E under the bottom and
upward on the sides of the chamber. An outer shell or casing D, inclosing the
sides and a portion of the top space forms another and separate passage or
channel Ex, between the outer walls of the chamber E and the outer air.
Apertures in the bottom of the chamber connect the interior space of the
chamber directly with the channel or passage E, and other apertures Fx at the
top or upper portion of the chamber lead directly into the outer passage Ex.
Within the space or passage under the floor is a pipe or conductor G, having
outlet apertures g, and a coupling G* on the end outside by which to couple it with
an air conducting pipe from a source of supply provided on a separate car in the
train or upon the car itself.
To furnish a constant supply of air under pressure a pressure blower and
mechanical means to work it are arranged for operation in a separate compartment
of the car, or air apparatus of suitable size and capacity can be mounted on a
separate car to furnish air under regular pressure to a number of cars in a train
by a single service pipe carried through the train to which the supply pipes of all
the cars will be coupled. A regular pressure to any desired degree is obtained in
each car separately by using an accumulator and taking it from that reservoir by
the service pipe. The individual supply pipe of each car being provided with a
pressure-regulating valve, each car can be controlled and regulated independently

page_text: of the others on the line of service pipe, and thus the pressure or the rapidity of
circulation can be kept at any desired point or degree in each car.
The outlets from the chamber into the space Ex are furnished with gates or
valves H, operated either from the outside or the inside of the car, to regulate the
size of the openings, and thereby vary the tension or pressure in the rapidity of the
outflow to the outside. The operation of the valves H may be accomplished by
having them pivoted to move sidewise, as shown in Fig. 8, and providing an
operating-rod H', which connects the series of valves and which is moved as
desired by a screw H* working in a nut on the operating-rod. The space Ex,
into which these outlets deliver, is open to the outer air at the ends and bottom
and also at the top along the foot-board, so that in their out-flow and discharge the
air-currents pass through the channel or space Ex to the outer air. In such flow
and circulation therefore the air entering the chamber through the inner space and
the apertures F passes upward through the contents of the chamber. It is
discharged into the outermost space Ex whence it finds exit to the outer
atmosphere. By this means a constantly moving body or stratum of air is
maintained through the hollow spaces between the outer casing and the walls of
the chamber, and the escaping air-currents are thus utilized to keep the exterior or
exposed sides and top of the chamber cool.
Instead of arranging all the outlets to discharge from the chamber into the
space Ex under the casing, I sometimes provide direct discharge-apertures H*
from the chamber directly to the outer air by carrying them across the space E* to
furnish more rapid discharge of the air-currents from the chamber and a ready
means to increase the circulation as occasion may require. These direct outlets are.
provided with valves or dampers the same as the other outlets F*.
The construction illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive, is intended to furnish a
casing of a temporary character to be taken off and stowed away when not
required for use. This casing D* is made of some heavy cloth or fabric-such as
duck or canvas-supported by a frame-work clear of the sides of the car to leave
a space or passage Ex open at the ends at top and bottom.
Where the door of the chamber is located in the side of the car, as illustrated
in Fig. 3 the cover is not carried over it; but in cars having openings in the
ends the cover will be without break along the sides. It is not carried over the
foot-board or top of the roof, where it is necessary or more convenient to leave
that portion of the top uncovered for the train hands to pass along the top
from one car to another. This temporary cover or casing is constructed and
applied to be readily detached to be taken off and stowed away-as for instance,
when the car is not carrying fruit and is being used for ordinary freight, as
on the return trip from market or during cool weather, or in passing through
cool climates, for on those parts of the road above the snow-line. At such
times the casing can be removed and stowed in the car to protect it from the
weather. At other times, however, as when the car is exposed to hot weather or
in those parts of the road running through warm climates the cover is stretched in
place and the currents of air are caused to circulate through the space between the
car-body and the casing instead of being discharged directly into the atmosphere.
In this manner the currents of air passing beneath the casing protect the sides of
the car from the direct rays of the sun and form a non-conductor of heat and a
cooling means for the body of the car. In the other and more permanent
construction before described the circulation or passage of air is maintained in the
same manner by the rapid movement of the car and by the forced draft or forced
circulation of air from the chamber into and through the outside spaces or passages.
I have not shown or described any particular character of apparatus or means
to produce and maintain the air currents between the outer sides of the car and
the walls of the chamber, for the reason that any ordinary pressure blower or pump
with an accumulator to furnish pressure and motor to work the blower can be
arranged to supply the air for this purpose.. These can be arranged for connection
and operation with a number of fruit-cars coupled together in a train without the

page_text: exercise of any special skill other than that of the intelligent mechanic acquainted
with the construction, application, and management of the apparatus for supplying
forced air-currents of continuous flow of air under pressure.
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. A railway-car having air-conducting spaces or passages in its walls, with
apertures opening into the interior space or chamber of the car, an air-conducting
pipe extending across the bottom space of the car, adapted to deliver into the said
spaces or passages currents of air under pressure when connected with a source of
supply, and an outer casing or covering arranged to inclose between it and the sides
or walls of the chamber a channel or passage, which is open to the atmosphere at
the ends, and apertures connecting said outer channel or passage with the inner
spaces or passages in the walls of the chamber, substantially as herein before
described.
2. The combination, with a fruit-storing chamber or compartment, of two sets of
air spaces, channels, or passages, of which one set is in direct communication with
the interior of the chamber at or near the bottom thereof and is connected with a
source of supply of air under pressure and the other set is open to the outer
atmosphere and is connected with the upper part of the chamber and the outer
atmosphere, substantially as described, for operation as set forth.
3. In combination with a railway-car having air spaces or passages in its walls and
apertures connecting the interior of the car with said passages, an outer casing
covering the sides and top of the car, but open to the atmosphere at the ends, for
operation as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 7th day of July 1892
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.