Improvements in or connected with Locomotive Steam Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Apr., 1892-Accepted, 28th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Locomotive Steam Engines.
I JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of
Middlesex Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has
been communicated to me from abroad by Jean Pierre Serve of 17 Quai de Cuire
Lyons (Rhone) in the Republic of France Manufacturer to be as follows :-
==
This invention relates to locomotive steam engines and it consists in improved
means hereinafter described for increasing their efficiency by promoting the com-
bustion in the furnace and increasing the adhesion of the wheels on the rails.
In order to promote the combustion in the furnace an artificial draught is obtained
by means of fans or blowers which enable the steam blast to be dispensed with thus
obviating the injurious counter pressure produced in the cylinders by using the
exhaust for this purpose. These fans are preferably arranged on each side of the
smoke box so as to draw the products of combustion from the furnace and blow
them into the ordinary chimney or a separate chimney may be provided for each
fan at the side of the ordinary chimney. In the latter case valves suitably
arranged are employed to prevent the ingress of air either through the central
chimney or through the fans in case the ordinary exhaust is employed on descending
inclines for example.
The two fans may be mounted on one shaft receiving motion from a rotary or
other engine or motor. 'The said shaft is hollow and is cooled by a current of cold
air or water supplied by a rotary or other pump or an injector for example or the .
bearings alone may be cooled by the circulation of cold water.
The hollow shaft may be made in two parts connected by two discs or concave
plates whose elasticity enables the shaft to rotate with great speed without injurious
vibration. The two fans may be mounted on separate shafts or a single fan may
be employed if preferred. In any case the force expended in working the fans is
much less than that which is lost by the counter pressure resulting from the
employment of the exhaust to create a draught and at the same time the artificial
draught is enabled to be produced independently of the working of the engine as
the fans can be worked even when the engine is standing still and may be used with
good effect to urge the fire in ascending gradients for example which is precisely
when the engine is inclined to slacken speed and lessen the action of the exhaust.
The employment of mechanical apparatus to create a draught also enables the
exhaust steam to be expanded to a high degree or condensed at a great distance
and it may be condensed in a suitable combination of tubular condensers arranged
around the tender or above the latter in the form of a roof. Such tubular con-
densers are preferably constructed with internally ribbed tubes and are sufficiently
cooled by the movement of the locomotive the water of condensation being thus
rendered available for feeding the boiler the formation of incrustations or deposits
in the latter is greatly diminished.
In order to prevent the driving wheels from slipping when the rails are rendered
slippery by moisture the fans are provided with an outlet having a valve controlled
by the engine driver and communicating with a tube provided with branches
descending in front of the driving wheels.
These branch pipes communicate at their lower extremities with horizontal pipes
arranged parallel with the rails at a suitable height above the heads of the latter.
These horizontal pipes are perforated or provided with a longitudinal slot on their
lower sides.
By means of this arrangement a portion of the hot gases and sparks drawn
...

page_text: wheels and dries the rails effectually. Other branch pipes may be provided being
carried down to a point immediately in front of the driving wheels that is to say
between the driving wheels and the aforesaid perforated pipes in the same way as
the said pipes commonly employed so as to direct a jet of steam or a stream of hot
gases and sparks or a mixture thereof at the point where the wheel comes in contact
with the rail. These pipes being curved so as to be close to the head of the wheel
may also be perforated on the side towards the wheel so as to direct jets of hot
gases onto the latter which heat it and enable it to more effectually bite or adhere
to the rails.
When these means for increasing the adhesion of the wheels are applied to
locomotives unprovided with the fans or mechanical appliances for creating the
draught in the furnace it is simply necessary to provide one or two fans in connec-
tion with the smoke box so as to supply a sufficient quantity of hot gases to dry the
rails in front of the driving wheels.
These drying pipes may also be combined with arrangements for creating a
forced draught by forcing air into the ash pit. A brush composed of steel wires
may be suspended in front of the wheels so as to be capable of being lowered by
the engine driver when required in order to clear away any excess of water or
snow that may have accumulated upon the rails.
Dated this 23rd day of Inly 1891.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Locomotive Steam Engines.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been communi-
cated to me from abroad by Jean Pierre Serve of 17 Quai de Cuire Lyons (Rhone)
in the Republic of France Manufacturer) 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 introduced in the construction of locomotive
steam engines with a view to increasing their tractive or hauling power which is
dependent as well understood upon the quantity of steam generated in a given time
on the one hand and on the amount of adhesion of the driving wheels to the rails
on the other hand. The object of the present invention is to increase in great
measure the value or importance of these two factors of the tractive or hauling
power of locomotives as hereinafter explained.
The invention comprises-firstly means for augmenting the quantity of coal
burned per hour on the grate by a special arrangement for producing a forced
draught which enables the employment of the exhaust steam for producing the
draught to be dispensed with and consequently obviates the resulting back
pressure in the cylinders and secondly-means for giving the driving wheels a
maximum or greatly enhanced power of adhesion by directing on to the rails a
part of the gases proceeding from the furnace so as to enable the locomotives
to haul the heaviest loads even in rainy weather or in fog and frost.
In carrying out this invention a draught of any required power is obtained
by means of fans arranged at the sides of the smoke box and which are sup-
ported and driven in a special manner and on the other hand a portion of the
hot gases drawn from the smoke box is utilised for instantly drying the rails when
wet and for depositing in front of the driving wheels, a supply of cinders and hot
sparks which greatly increases the adhesion of the said wheels.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer

page_text: to the several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in both the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a diagram representing in elevation
a locomotive engine provided with the improvements forming the object of the
present invention.
Figure 2 represents the engine viewed from the front or smoke box end.
The body of the boiler is marked A (Figure 1), B is the smoke box, C_the
chimney and V V are two fans arranged on opposite sides of the smoke box.
The hot gases entering the smoke box from the furnace are drawn in at the eyes
or central parts of these fans and are forced into the chimney through two tubes D
arranged as represented in the drawing or the discharge from the fans may if
preferred be delivered into two separate chimneys, one of such chimneys being
provided over each fan. In all cases one or two valves suitably arranged and
worked when required are provided to prevent the ingress of air either through the
central chimney or through the fans in case the ordinary exhaust is employed to.
produce the draught on descending inclines for example.
The two fans VV are mounted on one shaft E receiving motion from a rotary
or other engine or motor.
In the arrangement illustrated a rotary steam engine M is provided being
placed at one end of the shaft E but it is evident that this motor may be arranged
in any other position and transmit motion to the shaft in any convenient manner
or an electric motor may be employed in place of the steam motor M.
The shaft E is hollow and is cooled by a current of cold water supplied by a
rotary or other pump P Figure 2 or by an injector for example. If desired the
shaft E may be likewise cooled by causing a strong current of cold air produced by
the suction of the fans to circulate in the said hollow shaft or the bearings may be
simply cooled by means of a constant supply of cold water.
The hollow shaft may be made in two tubular parts connected as represented
in Figure 2 by two discs or concave plates F forming an air tight connection whose
elasticity enables the shaft to rotate with great speed without injurious vibration.
The two fans may be mounted on separate or independent shafts driven by
separate motors or a single fan may be employed if preferred by suitably increasing
its power.
In any case the force expended in working the fans especially at high
speeds is much less than that which is lost by the counter pressure in the cylinders
resulting from the employment of the exhaust to create a draught. The advantage
of the employment of fans is that the artificial draught is enabled to be produced
independently of the engine so that the draught can be maintained even when the
engine is standing still and may also be used with good effect to urge the fire in
ascending gradients for example which is precisely when the engine is inclined to
slacken speed and lessen the action of the exhaust.
The employment of mechanical apparatus to create a draught also enables the
exhaust steam to be expanded to a high degree or condensed at a great distance
and it may be condensed in a suitable combination of tubular condensers
arranged around the tender or above the latter in the form of a rcof. Such tubular
condensers are preferably constructed with ribbed tubes which can be sufficiently
cooled by the movement of the locomotive so that the water of condensation is
rendered available for feeding the boiler and the formation of incrustations or
deposits in the latter is thereby greatly diminished.
In order to prevent the driving wheels from slipping when the rails are rendered
slippery by moisture the fans are provided at the lower part as indicated in Figure 1
with an outlet G having a valve worked by a rod so as to be controlled by the
engine driver and communicating with a horizontal tube H provided with vertical
branches I descending in front of the driving wheels.
The branch pipes communicate at their lower extremities with horizontal branch
pipes J arranged parallel with the rails R at a suitable height above the heads of
the latter in front of the driving wheels. These horizontal pipes are perforated or
provided with a longitudinal slot on their lower sides.

page_text: By means of this arrangement a portion of the hot gases and sparks drawn through
the fan is forced through the pipes I and J (being regulated by the valves in the
outlets G) and is projected on to the surfaces or treads of the rails in front of the
driving wheels and dries the rails effectually. Other branch pipes may be provided
being carried down to a point immediately in front of the driving wheels that is to
say between the driving wheels and the aforesaid perforated pipes in the same way
as the sand pipes commonly employed so as to enable a powerful stream of hot
gases and sparks or a mixture thereof to be ejected at the point where the wheel
comes in contact with the rail for the purpose of starting the engine. These pipes
being curved so as to be close to the tread of the wheel may also be perforated on
the side towards the wheel so as to direct jets of hot gases on to the tyre in order
to heat it and enable it to more effectually bite or adhere to the rails. The said
pipes K may be connected at their upper ends with the sand boxes S provided with
valves or the ordinary sand pipes may be employed in the usual manner.
When these means for increasing the adhesion of the wheels are applied to loco-
motives unprovided with fans or mechanical appliances for creating the draught in
the furnace it is simply necessary to provide one or two fans in connection with the
smoke box so as to supply a sufficient quantity of hot gases to dry the rails in front
of the driving wheels. These drying pipes may also be combined with arrange-
ments for creating a forced draught by forcing air into the ash pit. A brush
composed of steel wires may be suspended over the rails in front of the wheels so
as to be capable of being lowered by the engine driver when required in order to
clear away any excess of water or snow that may have accumulated upon the
surfaces of the rails.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In the construction of locomotive steam engines the combination of a hollow
shaft continually cooled by a current of cold water or air with one or two fans
arranged at the side or sides of the smoke box so as to draw the hot gases from the
said box and discharge them into the atmosphere, the said fan or fans being driven
directly or by means of suitable transmission by one or two steam, electric or other
motors substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
2. The combination of a hollow shaft such as E made in two parts connected by
a flexible coupling such as F, two fans V arranged upon the said shaft driven by a
rotary steam or electric motor such as M and a rotary pump such as P forcing a
current of cold water into the said shaft as hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
3. Increasing the adhesion of the driving wheels of locomotives by means of hot
gases delivered by a fan or fans and projected on to the rails in front of the driving
wheels substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
4. The combination with the fans V drawing the hot gases from the smoke box
of distributing pipes H and ejecting pipes such as J and K the latter being likewise
in communication with the sand box S substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. The arrangements and combinations of parts constituting the improvements in
or connected with locomotive steam engines substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of Anril 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.