improvements in warming railway али Ouller Car.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 5th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 9th Nov., 1888
improvements in warming railway али Ouller Car.
We CHARLES BOURDON of 26 Boulevard Magenta, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Engineer, and LOUIS ALPHONSE GIHOUSE MOREL of 36 Boulevard Voltaire, Paris
aforesaid, Pastrycook do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to warm railway and other carriages in a more
efficient and economical manner than heretofore, and the invention consists in heating
separate compartments of a railway carriage by means of movable foot warmers, each
provided with one, or with two fire boxes; and also in an arrangement of water
heating apparatus with an independent fire box capable of heating one, two, or all the
foot warmers of the same carriage.
The movable foot warmer consists of a flat metal plate, say of tinned sheet iron, of
a length equal to the width of the carriage. The edges of this plate are bent over
about 25 or 30 millimetres, and inside these turned down edges, and below, is
secured a second plate, so as to form a long shallow box or conduit, which is divided
longitudinally into two compartments by a serpentine partition.
At each extremity of the box or conduit is rivetted a rectangular fire box with
double walls forming a water jacket. These fire boxes are each provided with a
perforated iron fire basket for containing the ignited fuel, and the water jacket is
connected by an opening at the top with the water space in the foot warmer, the
opposite end of the foot warmer being connected by a pipe with the bottom of the
water space around the fire box.
The whole apparatus thus constructed being filled with water, and one of the fire
boxes charged with ignited fuel, the water in the walls of the fire box becomes
rapidly heated, and rising to the top, travels along one side of the foot warmer to
the opposite end, where the now partially cooled water descends by the pipe to the
bottom of the fire box, to recommence its circuit. As there are two fire boxes, one
on each side of the carriage, fuel can be supplied from the platform of the station,
no matter which side of the carriage may be standing next the station platform.-
Moreover, as each half of the apparatus has a distinct and separate circulation, either
one or both may be used according to the temperature of the weather, or to the distance
of the next stopping place where the fires can be attended to.
In cases where the fire boxes can always be charged from one side, but one fire box
need be used, which will simplify and cheapen the apparatus.

page_text: The air to support combustion enters through holes at the bottom of the fire box,
and the gases of combustion pass away by an opening over the door and under the
floor of the carriage.
In order to guard against over-heating, and also to economise the fuel, an automatic
regulator is placed inside each divison of the foot warmer. This regulator consists of
a coil or spiral, or it may be of a curved bar formed of two metals of unequal expansi-
bility (say, brass and steel, for example) soldered together. One extremity of this
coil or bar is rigidly fixed to the case of the foot warmer; the other extremity carries
a plate which, when the temperature rises and tends to straighten the coil or bar, serves
to cover more or less the opening for the escape of the gases of combustion, thereby
damping the fire and reducing the temperature.
In order to compensate for the expansion of the water, and to prevent undue pressure
in the apparatus, we place underneath the foot warmer two bags of india rubber. Each
of these bags communicates by a pipe with one of the water spaces of the foot warmer,
and serves to receive any overplus of water caused by expansion, and to give it back
again on contraction.
The apparatus thus described admits of being readily removed from the carriage
during the summer months, and replaced in cold weather.
In some cases, when space cannot be found for fire boxes of sufficient size to contain
enough fuel, it may be desirable to place the fire box at some distance from the
foot warmer, and to connect the two by pipes having joints which admit of ready
disconnection.
An arrangement of this kind admits of one or of many foot warmers being connected
to one and the same fire box, the hot water being distributed by one set of pipes, and
the cooled water returned to the fire box by another set.
In order that the heat may be equally distributed amongst the several foot
warmers, an automatic regulator similar to that above described is placed in each foot
warmer. This regulator may serve to close the opening of either the ingress or the
egress pipe.
When, therefore, the desired temperature is attained, the regulator will partially
close either the ingress or the egress pipe, allowing only sufficient water to circulate
to compensate for the loss of heat. So soon as all the foot warmers have their
regulators closed, the regulators in the fire boxes be come into operation and damp
the fire.
The fire box is formed of two cylindrical or rectangular tubes, one within the other,
having a water space between. The inner tube contains a drawer for the reception of
the fuel. By giving this form to the fire boxes, they may be fixed under and across
the carriage at some convenient point of its length, and will thus present a door at
cach end, permitting access to the fire from the platform, whichever side may happen
to be next the platform.
A tank may be placed under one of the seats of the carriage, and connected by pipes
with the system of distribution, to allow for the expansion of the water if it is thought
desirable:
The fire boxes, as described above, may be charged with any slow burning fuel, such
as carbonised peat or charcoal, or they may be heated by gas, in which latter case the
fire box will be made much smaller, the water spaces being connected by transverse
tubes, around which the heated gases circulate. The burners would be of the well
known "Bunsen" type, and the regulator, instead of operating a damper, would
operate a valve to check the supply of gas.
Or the heating may be effected by means of oil lamps, the regulator being arranged
to operate a device for raising and lowering the wicks, or a valve controlling the
supply of oil to the lamp.

page_text: Improvements in Warming Railway and other Carriages.
We, CHARLES BOURDON, of 26 Boulevard Magenta, Paris, in the Republic of
France, Engineer, and Louis ALPHONSE GIHOUSE MOREL, of 36 Boulevard Voltaire,
Paris aforesaid, Pastrycook, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to warm railway and other carriages in a more
efficient and economical manner than heretofore, and the invention consists in heating
separate compartments of a railway carriage by means of movable foot warmers each
provided with one or with two fire boxes; and also in an arrangement of water
heating apparatus with an independent fire-box, capable of heating one, two, or all the
foot warmers of the same carriage.
The movable foot warmer is formed of a flat metal plate, say of tinned sheet iron, of
a length equal to the width of the carriage. The edges of this plate are bent over
about 25 or 30 millimetres, and inside these turned-down edges, and below, is secured
a second plate, so as to form a long shallow box or conduit, which may be divided
longitudinally into two compartments by a serpentine partition. We do not, however,
wish to confine ourselves to this particular mode of constructing the long shallow box
or conduit.
At one or each extremity of the box or conduit may be secured a rectangular fire
box with double walls forming a water jacket. Each of these fire boxes will be
provided with a fire basket for containing the ignited fuel, and the water jacket is
in direct communication with the water space at one end of the foot warmer, the
opposite end of the foot warmer being connected by a pipe with the bottom of the
water space around the fire box; thus, a perfect circulation of the water is pro-
vided for.
•
The apparatus being filled with water, and one of the fire boxes charged with
ignited fuel, the water in the walls of the fire box becomes rapidly heated, and rising
to the top, travels along the foot warmer to the opposite end, where the now partially
cooled water descends by the pipe to the bottom of the fire box, to be re-heated and
re-commence its circuit. As there are two fire boxes, one on each side of the
carriage, fuel can be supplied from the platform of the station, no matter which
side of the carriage may be standing next the station platform.
The air to support combustion, enters through holes at the bottom of the fire box,
and the gases of combustion pass away by an opening over the door, or in any other
convenient position.
In order to guard against over-heating, and also to economise the fuel, an automatic
regulator is placed in the upper part of the fire box. This regulator consists of a
coil or spiral, or it may be of a curved bar formed of two metals of unequal

page_text: expansibility (say, brass and steel, for example) soldered together. One extremity
of this coil or bar is rigidly fixed to the case of the foot warmer; the other
extremity carries a plate which, when the temperature rises, and the coil or bar
straightens out, serves to cover, more or less, the opening for the escape of the
gases of combustion, thereby damping the fire and reducing the temperature.
In order to compensate for the expansion of the water and to prevent undue
pressure in the apparatus, we place underneath the foot warmer two bags of
india rubber. Each of these bags communicates by a pipe with one of the water
spaces of the foot warmer, and serves to receive any overplus of water caused by
expansion, and to give it back again on contraction.
The apparatus thus described admits of being readily removed from the carriage
during the summer months, and replaced in cold weather.
In some cases, it may be desirable to place the fire box at some distance from the
foot warmer,
and to connect the two by pipes having joints which admit of ready
disconnection.
An arrangement of this kind admits of one or of many foot warmers being
connected to one and the same fire box, the hot water being distributed by one set
of pipes, and the cooled water returned to the fire box by another set.
In order that the heat may be equally distributed amongst the several foot warmers,
an automatic regulator similar to that above described is placed in each foot warmer.
This regulator may serve to close the opening either for the ingress or the egress of
the water.
When, therefore, the desired temperature is attained in one warmer, its regulator
will partially close either the ingress or the egress pipe, as the case may be, allowing
only sufficient water to circulate to compensate for any loss of heat in that particular
warmer. When the temperature drops, the valve is again opened. So soon as all
the foot warmers have their regulators closed, the regulators in the fire boxes come
into operation and damp the fire.
The fire box may be formed of two cylindrical or rectangular tubes, one within the
other, having a water space between them. The inner tube contains a basket for
the reception of the fuel.
A tank may be placed under one of the seats of the carriage, and connected by
pipes with the system of distribution to allow for the expansion of the water, if it
is thought desirable.
The fire boxes, as described above, may be charged with any slow burning fuel, such
as carbonized peat, or charcoal, or they may be heated by gas, in which latter case
the fire box will be made much smaller, the water spaces being connected by
transverse tubes, around which the heated gases circulate. The burners would be
of the well known "Bunsen" type, and the regulator, instead of operating a damper,
would operate a valve to check the supply of gas.
Or the heating may be effected by means of oil lamps, the regulator being arranged
to operate a device for raising and lowering the wicks, or a valve controlling the
supply of oil to the lamp.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. is a transverse section of part of a railway carriage, shewing our invention
as adapted to warm one compartment.
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of our apparatus, and Fig. 3 is a plan view.
Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line XX, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and on an enlarged
scale, of a fire box.
Fig. 5 is a three-quarter full-sized plan view, and Fig. 6 a side elevation of a
regulator.
Fig. 7 is a partial longitudinal section of a railway carriage shewing our invention
as adapted to warm the whole carriage.-Fig. 8 is a plan view and Fig. 9 is a
transverse section of the same.
Figs. 10 shew in longitudinal and cross sections an improved detachable joint.
Fig. 11 is a transverse section, Fig. 12 a plan, and Fig. 13 a longitudinal section,
shewing the arrangement of the regulator.

page_text: Fig. 14 shows in side elevation and section an arrangement of boiler apparatus
heated by gas.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, and Fig. 16 is a cross section of the
boiler.
In all the figures, the same letters of reference will refer to corresponding parts.
A is the frame of the carriage, B the floor, and C the sides.
The heating apparatus consists of a removable foot warmer D, having a furnace or
fire box E at one or both ends.
The foot warmer consists of a shallow vessel, not exceeding 25 or 30 millimetres in
depth, of a length and width corresponding to the length and width of the footway in
the compartment of the carriage. This vessel is made of tinned sheet iron, and is
provided centrally and longitudinally with a partition D', which divides it into two
separate conduits or passages, for convenience of reference marked D² D³.
Instead of one double vessel, we may employ, in some cases, two single vessels
placed side by side, with a separate fire box for each, or even a single vessel.
The fire box is secured to the underside of the foot warmer D, and consists of a
rectangular box with double walis, which form water spaces in direct communication
with one or other of the passages D2 D3, that is to say, the fire box E will be in
connection with passage D, and the fire box E' with passage D³, (see Fig. 2).
The fire is contained in a basket E³, which is inserted into the box E from the side,
or in any other convenient manner, and, for convenience in withdrawing and inserting
the fire basket, we may secure it to the back of a loose door E³, which closes the
opening of the fire box E. This door is provided with means whereby it may be
secured readily in place, and so as to heruietically seal the opening.
Air to support
combustion enters by the opening E in the bottom of the fire-box, and the products
of combustion pass to the smoke box E³, and from thence by the opening E, (see
Fig. 4).
At the end of each of the passages D2 D3 opposite to the fire box, is an opening a a¹,
in connection with which is a pipe bb, which lies alongside the shallow box B, and
extends to the fire box end. At this end, the pipes are connected, by vertical
pipes e el, with the lower parts of the respective fire boxes E E¹ (see Figs. 2 and 4),
so that a complete circulation of the water in the foot warmer will be provided for.
The intensity of the fire is moderated by a regulator, which acts under the influence
of the temperature of the water, or under that of the gases of combustion from the
fire, to close the openings E for the exit of the gases of combustion, or to close the
entrance for air E, or it may act to cut off the admission of gas or oil which is to be
burnt in the stove, or the regulator may be placed inside the warmer to arrest the
circulation of the water.
F is the regulator (see Figs. 5 and 6), which is fixed underneath the foot warmer,
but in contact therewith. The regulator consists of strips of two metals of unequal
expansibility, soldered together and coiled spirally round a fixed axis. The number of
convolutions will depend upon the amount of sensitiveness required.
The free end of this compound plate is straightened out, the object being to increase
the extent of its movement in a radial direction. To this free end is rivetted a valve
or damper F, which overlies, and closes, more or less, according to the temperature,
the exit opening E for the products of combustion, thus decreasing the draft and
damping the fire. By this arrangement, we provide a motion similar to that of a
flute key for opening and closing the exit E, thereby avoiding friction, and ensuring
the perfect action of the apparatus. The slightest variations in temperature in the
water act upon the coil which regulates the draft, thus maintaining a regular burning
of the fuel, and a proper working of the whole system.
Each compartment of the foot warmer is provided with an india rubber bag G* G¹*,
which serves to receive the air escaping from the water, and allow for expansion, thus
guarding against risk of explosion in case the regulators, from any cause, fail
to act.
The apparatus is movable as before mentioned.
When in position, the foot warmer rests on the floor of the carriage, and the fire

page_text: boxes project through openings made in the floor to receive them. These openings
will be closed in any convenient manner when the warming apparatus is not in
position.
The fuel represented in this arrangement is solid, preferably peat charcoal, but
liquid or gaseous fuel may also be used, as will be hereafter more fully explained."
The following is the manner in which the apparatus works. We will suppose, first,
a single stove lighted
:-
The water, heated in the fire box E, rises into the foot wariner D, and travels along
the conduit D. From this conduit, the water returns to the bottom of the stove by
the opening a, return passage b, and descending pipe c. The other half, DS, of the
foot warmer, in this case, is heated by contact, but a similar course is taken when the
fire box E is heated, the compartment D then being heated by contact.
If desired, both stoves may be lighted, when each will act as above described. In
this way, the effect is more rapid, and the foot warmer is kept at the same temperature
over its whole surface, as the liquid heated by each stove traverses directly one of the
horizontal conduits into which the foot warmer is divided.
When it is desired to have but one stove for the whole of a carriage, an arrange-
ment such as shewn in Figs. 7 to 13 is employed.
<<
The stove E, which is of a form similar to that previously described, and may be
single or double, and furnished with a regulator or regulators for the fire, is placed at
some point lengthwise of the carriage. The water heated in the walls of the stove
rises into the general distributing pipe G, in connection therewith, and from thence
passes, by the junctions G¹, to each of the foot warmers D. The return of the water
to the base of the stove is effected by means of the pipes H, which are connected to
opposite ends of the foot warmers 1) by junctions H¹. The joints on the junction
pipes G and H¹ are made by means of what are known as garter" joints, which
may easily be disconnected, but other readily detachable joints may be employed.
These garter joints" consist of pieces of india rubber tubing, G2, which are slipped
on to the ends of the junction tubes G', and are clamped thereto by clamping rings G³,
(see Figs. 10). It is evident that the warmer D nearest the stove, would, if care be
not taken to regulate the circulation, be hotter than the others. We therefore put in
each foot warmer, by preference at the exit of the water which has been cooled by its
traverse through the warmer (but it may be at the entrance for the hot water), a
This regu
temperature regulator J, of the kind previously described for the stove.
lator J, under the action of the excess of heat, closes, by means of the plate or valve J¹
attached thereto, the exit opening for the water. The circulation is thus retarded in
that particular varmer D until the normal temperature is regained, whilst the less
favoured warmers D have a more active circulation. This regulator is placed in a
chamber formed in the underside of the warmer D to receive it (see Figs. 11, 12
and 13).
P is an expansion vessel usually required in all systems of hot water pipes, and
which also serves for refilling the apparatus.
The regulators above described, founded upon the expansion of two different metals
such as brass and steel, may, when they are not likely to be submitted to the action of
the fire, be replaced by elliptical Bourdon tubes coiled into a spiral or helix, and filled
with water or other liquid.
a
When it is desired to heat by gas or by oil, we modify the form of the fire box and
boiler to some extent. It will be understood that the arrangement we are about to
describe is but one of the numerous forms that the apparatus may take. It is evident,
priori, that in the employment of gas-heating for the heating of a railway carriage,
either one or more stoves may be adapted to the foot warmer in each compartment,
or a single stove may supply the hot water to several warmers, as above described
with reference to heating with other fuel. In the first case, gas-distributing pipes
only would be required, while in the second, both distributing and collecting tubes for
the water would have to be provided.
We will now describe the apparatus when heated by gas, as we propose to construct
it for application to a single compartment of a railway carriage.

page_text: In this arrangement the stove E is connected to the foot warmer D by two pipes G
and H, one being the inlet and the other the outlet: thus a complete circuit is
provided for. The apparatus includes several parts, the boiler or heater K, the gas-
burner L, and the temperature regulator M.
The boiler or heater K may be said to consist of two shallow vessels set on end a
short distance apart, and connected together by cross tubes, the pipe G being connected
to the upper part, and the pipe H to the lower part of the boiler.
It will be seen on reference to the drawing that this arrangement of boiler provides,
in a small compass, a large heating surface well arranged to obstruct the movement of
the gases of combustion, and to rob them of their heat.
Lis the burner, which may be of the Bunsen type.
A regulating arrangement, which we will now describe, moderates the flame so as
to maintain the water at a given temperature.
A small pilot light is used to relight the burner automatically, should the regulator,
in its action, have temporarily turned off the gas completely.
The temperature of the warmers should be maintained constant so long as the
burner is alight.
For this purpose we place in a small cavity or box K', outside the boiler, a spiral
regulator M, like those above described. This box forms a gas chamber, to which
the gas is supplied by the pipe K³. This box has also an outlet pipe K³ in connection
with the burner L. The free extremity of the spiral M carries a small cone M¹,
which engages in a seat or socket of the same form at the end of the pipe K³.-The
temperature of the water in the boiler causes the spiral to open out or close up, as the
case may be, thus closing or opening the gas supply to the burner, and reducing or
increasing the size of the flame, so that the temperature of the water will be main-
tained constant. At the same time, as it is necessary that this temperature should be
capable of variation according to the season, the conical seat is mounted upon a
threaded piece K, which permits of the relative position of the two pieces M¹
and K³, which produce the obturation, being modified. The conical seat can be
turned, and advanced towards, or withdrawn from the regulator cone M¹ by means of
a square key inserted in the hole K³. The temperature that the foot warmers should
attain to, may thus be fixed at any desired degree.
An india rubber ring Kª prevents all escape of gas past the screw to the
exterior.
This regulator may be replaced by one of any system fulfilling the same end.
The whole of the apparatus is surrounded by an envelope of sheet iron N, into
which the gases of combustion escape, which gases still retaining some heat, serve to
diminish the causes of exterior cooling. This envelope is provided with a small door
permitting of the inspection and lighting of the burners.
The foot warmer is arranged. like those described above. The water enters at one
end, and passing to the other extremity, comes back to the stove by a return pipe
placed in a recess formed in the foot warmer (see Fig. 15), or the foot warmer may be
divided internally into two parts by a partition, one side serving for the outflow of
the water, and the other for its return.
We will now describe our arrangement in which oil or petroleum is used.
The stove is in many respects analogous to the one we use for heating by gas.
The construction of the foot warmer and its mode of circulation remain the same.
The heating with a combustible liquid is applicable to both the systems we have
described, that is to say, the system with a single stove for all the carriage, or that
with a stove for each compartment of a carriage. In the latter case, it is necessary
only to employ distributing tubes for petroleum, but in the former case, distributing
and collecting pipes for the water will be required.
A mixed system may also be installed, which consists in having a small oil reservoir
or space at the side of the stove of each foot warmer, sufficient to feed it for a certain
given time.
The arrangement that we employ is the same as that of our gas foot warmers.

page_text: The burner is composed of one or more wicks of asbestos, which dip into a small
reservoir fed with petroleum.
:
The liquid, before reaching the wicks, passes through the regulator box, which
checks the delivery. This part of the apparatus is arranged precisely in the same
manner as that for the gas heating the cone of the regulator is however pierced
with a small capillary hole, which will allow a small quantity of oil always to pass,
thereby avoiding the complete extinction of the flame of the lamp, or a small watch
light fed by a tube which is not connected with the regulator, may be placed by the
side of the large wick.
The regulator above described may be replaced by another of any system which
will answer the same purpose.
The movement of the regulator may also be employed to adjust the flame of the
lamp by covering more or less of the wick, or by raising or lowering the same.
In the gas foot warmers, as also in those just described, the automatic regulator
may be dispensed with for feeding the wicks or the gas burners, by employing cocks
with two or more different sized openings, giving passage to definite quantities.
Whilst raising the temperature of the foot warmer, the larger opening of the cock
would be employed, in order to effect the purpose rapidly, but when once in operation,
the cock would be turned, so as to supply the burner only by the aperture calculated
to furnish the quantity required to maintain the desired temperature of the plate. All
danger of explosion would in this case be avoided by the use of the india rubber bags
hereinbefore described.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The construction of heating apparatus for railway carriages as herein shewn and
described.
2. The expansible metallic regulators as herein shown and described.
3. The application of an expansion vessel of india rubber, or other expansible
material, to the foot warner itself, as and for the purpose set forth.
4. The arrangement of the heating apparatus, which permits of its being dismounted
with great facility, when not required for use, as set forth.
5. The application of the expansible metallic regulators to effect the equal
distribution of hot water to several foot-warmers from a single stove or boiler.
6. The use, for heating carriages, of foot-warmers constructed so as to contain a
thin layer or stream of water in combination with a detachable stove, as set forth.
7. The application of the "garter joint" to our apparatus, to permit of the parts
being readily dismounted and replaced, as set forth.
8. The different arrangements that we have described for working our apparatus
with solid fuel, gas, or oil.
Dated this 5th day of October 1888.