IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR HEATING RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Somerset, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR
HEATING RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 28th February 1879, and dated the 4th September 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Somerset at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th September 1878.
JOHN SOMERSET, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR HEATING RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
This Invention relates to the heating of railway carriages by means of hot air,
and consists of an apparatus whereby I am enabled to heat air in the smoke-box or
in the fire-box of a locomotive engine, and pass the said heated air in pipes through
the various compartments of cach carriage of a railway train.
Inside the smoke-box of a locomotive engine I fix a coil of pipe connected to a
trumpet mouth in front of the smoke-box, so that as the engine travels a current of
air enters the trumpet mouth, and passes through the coil.
A pipe from the other end of the coil passes out through the back of the smoke-
box, and is carried to the rear of the engine outside the boiler, and is fitted with a
stop-tap within convenient reach of the engineer or other person in charge.
Each carriage is fitted with a series of pipes passing beneath the seats of each
compartment, and carried beneath the floor (or level therewith), where it crosses the
doorway or the passage between the two seats of a compartment, so that all the hot-
air pipes are out of the way of the passengers.
The connection between the engine or tender and the first carriage, and between
each two carriages of the train, is made by means of a telescopic sliding tube and a
ball-and-socket joint, so that the train can expand and contract and travel round
curves without breaking joint.

page_text: The rear end of tho hot-air tube of the last carriage is loft open, so that as the
train travels a continuous current of air passes in through the trumpet mouth to the
coil, where it becomes heated, and thence passes through the whole length of piping,
heating the various compartments on its passage towards the last carriage, whence
it escapes through the open end of the pipe.
The amount of heat may be regulated by a regulating valve or slide, and, if
required, this may be worked by the rising and falling of a column of mercury in a
thermometer, so as automatically to keep the carriages at one uniform heat.
Instead of heating the air in a coil of pipe in the smoke-box, it may be heated in
the fire-box if preferred; in which case (in consequence of the greater heat) a shorter
coil or a plain piece of pipe, made of copper, will suffice to bring the air up to the
temperature required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Somerset in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th March
1879.
JOHN SOMERSET, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR HEATING RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
This Invention relates to the heating of railway carriages by means of hot air,
and consists of an apparatus whereby I am enabled to heat air in the smoke-box or
in the fire-box of a locomotive engine, and pass the said heated air in pipes through
the various compartiments of each carriago of a railway train.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood
I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked
the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof:-
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawing is a front view of the smoke-box of a locomotive
engine, the front plate being removed in order to show the application of my Inven-
tion thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation (shown partly in section) of so much of a
locomotive engine, tender, and carriage as is necessary to illustrate my Invention;
and Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section (on
an enlarged scale) of the pipe joint which I propose to employ. Inside the smoke-
box a, a, of the locomotive engine I fix a coil of pipes b, b, connected to a trumpet
mouth c, c, in front of the smoke-box, so that as the engine travels a current of
air enters the trumpet mouth c, c, and passes through the coil b, b.
A pipe d, d, from the other end of the coil b, b, passes out through the back of
the smoke-box, and is carried to the rear of the engine outside the boiler, and is
fitted with a stop-tap e, e, within convenient reach of the engineer or other person
in charge.
Each carriage is fitted with a series of pipes f.f, passing beneath the seats of each
compartment, and carried beneath the floor (or level therewith), where it crosses the
doorway or the passage between the two seats of a compartment, as shown at f*,ƒ*,
so that all the hot-air pipes f. f, are out of the way of the passengers. The connection
between the engine or tender and the first carriage, and between each two carriages
of the train, is made by means of a telescopic sliding tube g, g, and a ball-and-socket
joint h, h, (see Fig. 4) so that the train can expand and contract and travel round
curves without breaking joint. The pipes f, f, are coupled by means of a bayonet joint
at i, i. The rear end of the hot-air tube ff, of the last carriage is left open, and pro-
vided with a revolving ventilator or fan k, k, so that as the train travels a continuous
current of air passes in through the trumpet mouth c, c, to the core b, b, where it
becomes heated, and thence passes through the whole length of piping f.f, heating
the various compartments on its passage towards the last carriage, whence it escapes
through the open end of the pipe at j. j. The amount of heat may be regulated
by a regulating valve or slide, and, if required, this may be worked by the rising
and falling of a column of mercury in a thermometer, so as automatically to keep
the carriages at one uniform heat. Instead of heating the air in a coil of pipe in
the smoke-box, it may be heated in the fire-box if preferred, in which case (in
consequence of the greater heat) a shorter coil or a plain piece of pipe, made of
copper will suffice to bring the air up to the temperature required.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention, the improved appa-
ratus for warming railway carriages by means of heated air, substantially as herein-

page_text: before described, and illustrated by the Drawing annexed, or any more modification
or imitation thereof, constructed and operating in substantially the same or a similar
manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Somerset, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand "
eight hundred and seventy-nine.
JOHN SOMERSET. (L.S.)