Improvements in or connected with Tram Car Motors.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 14th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 23rd Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Tram Car Motors.
I, FREDERICK GRIDLEY WHEELER of No. 904, Broadway, in the City County
and State of New York, United States of America, Inventor, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in that class of street-car motors in which
the water is raised to the requisite heat in a stationary boiler and supplied to the
water-chamber on the motor-car.
The water-chamber is secured to, and beneath, the lower rear part of the car and
forms a part of, and directly communicates with, the principal hot-water and steam
reservoir of the car which is to be charged through the intervening water-chamber
with hot water from a stationary steam boiler or generator through a pipe entering the
side of the water-chamber. The water-chamber surrounds the fire-box and is pre-
ferably formed of an inner and an outer shell the inner shell forming an inner heating
chamber or fire box and the space between the shells forming the water chamber.
The shells of the chamber have doors for charging the chamber from time to time
with hot blocks of iron or other suitable or non-inflammable substance capable of
receiving and maintaining a high degree of heat and which will serve to maintain
the temperature of the previously-charged hot water. The hot-water chamber is
connected with a series of circulating pipes or tubes provided with a dome which
forms a part of the circulating system and from the lower side of which lead pipes
which extend to and connect the said dome with the water chamber. By means of
the pipes the water chamber is connected to each end of the tube system through
the dome, thus affording a complete circulation of the water. To accelerate the
circulation of water, the water-chamber is also connected to the dome by means of
a pipe which passing from the top of the water chamber direct any accumulation
of steam in said chamber to the current of circulation in the dome. Steam is
supplied to the cylinders by a pipe which is connected to the top of the dome.
Under the front part of the car are mounted two condensers, one for each
cylinder and into which the exhaust steam from the adjoining engine-cylinder
passes. The condensers are preferably mounted on the car so as to be in about the
same horizontal plane or below the engine-cylinders, and consist of boxes or casings
having inclined bottoms and provided with a series of longitudinal tubes extending
through them the said tubes having both ends open and being preferably of copper
or some highly-sensitive metal the outer ends of which are formed in a bell or
funnel shape so that upon the movement of the car the outer area of the flaring
ends of the tubes upon which the air will impinge will largely exceed that of the
tube itself and will concentrate all the air striking the outer surface of the exhaust
chamber into the tubes. The condensers are in communication with each other
at their rear lower ends and are so arranged that the tubes will be in the direction
of line of movement of the car so that as the car moves in either direction the air
will be drawn through the tubes by suction and the exhaust steam rapidly con-
densed. To facilitate the condensation of the steam, I arrange above the system of
circulating pipes an auxiliary condenser of similar construction to the other
condensers and connected thereto by branch pipes so that any portion of the
exhaust steam in the main condensers remaining uncondensed will rise to the upper
condenser and there be condensed and returned. The water of condensation in the
condensers is returned to the water chamber and a complete circulating system
produced by means of a pump which is connected with the condensers and water-
chamber by suitable pipes and is operated by an eccentric on one of the axles of the
car connected to a lever which in turn is connected to the pump.

page_text: The operation is as follows-Hot water having been supplied to the water
chamber and a very high temperature being maintained by means of hot bars of
iron or other suitable or non-inflammable substance, the water will be caused to
pass through the various pipes and then back again to the water-chamber a con-
tinuous circulation of heated water being thus maintained. The steam generated
will accumulate in the dome and will pass through the pipes to the cylinders while
the exhaust steam from the cylinders will pass into the condensers, there be condensed,
and the water of condensation conducted back to the water chamber by the pump.
From the above described construction and arrangement of parts I cause the
water to circulate through the series of tubes back to the water chamber and also
cause the water of condensation from the exhaust steam to be led back to the said
water-chamber thereby producing a complete circulating system. I prefer to use
three condensers as described but one could be made to serve for both cylinders and
the upper condenser could be dispensed with or two upper condensers could be used
if desired.
Dated this 12th day of June 1891
.F. G. WHEELER,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Tram Car Motors.
I, FREDERICK GRIDLEY WHEELER of No. 904, Broadway, in the City County
and State of New York, United States of America, Inventor, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in that class of street-car motors in which
the water is raised to the requisite heat in a stationary boiler and supplied to a
water chamber on the motor-car, and is an improvement on the system described
in the Patent No. 299607 of the United States of America granted to me
June 3rd 1884.
The invention consists in the particular construction and arrangement of parts,
as hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvement, Figure 2 is an end view, partly
in section, Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the water-chamber and fire-box, and
Figure 4 is a plan view, partly in section, of the lower condenser.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a motor-car, the actuating mechanism of
which may be of any suitable construction. To and beneath the lower rear part of
the car is secured the water-chamber B. This water-chamber forms a part of, and
directly communicates with, the principal hot-water and steam reservoir of the car
which is to be charged through the intervening water-chamber with hot water from
a stationary steam-boiler or generator through a pipe entering the side of the
water-chamber and having a stop-cock b. The water-chamber surrounds the fire-
box and is preferably formed of an inner and outer shell, the inner shell forming an
inner heating-chamber or fire-box 2, and the space between the shells forming the
water-chamber. The shells of the chamber are provided with doors to permit of
charging the chamber from time to time as required, during the travel of the car
with hot blocks of iron or other suitable or non-inflammable substance capable of
receiving and maintaining a high degree of heat and which will serve to maintain
the temperature of the previously-charged hot water. From the hot-water

page_text: chamber B lead pipes c which connect the water-chamber with the lower pipes or
tubes C of the series of circulating pipes or tubes C, D, E, and F, which are con-
nected by the couplings d, e, and f. Above the series of pipes or tubes is arranged the
dome G which forms a part of the circulating system and with which the upper pipes F
are connected by the couplings g. From the lower side of the dome G lead pipes h
which extend to and connect the said dome with the water-chamber. By means of
the pipes c and h the water-chamber is connected to each end of the tube system
through the dome, thus affording a complete circulation of the water.
To accelerate
the circulation of water, the water-chamber is also connected to the dome G by
means of pipe i which passing from the top of the water-chamber, as shewn, direct
any accumulation of steam in the water-chamber to the current of circulation in
the dome G. From the top of the dome G leads a pipe which is connected to
the pipes leading to the cylinders H and through which steam is supplied to said
cylinders. Under the front part of the car are mounted two condensers I I¹ one
for each cylinder and into which the exhaust-steam from the adjoining engine-
cylinder passes through the passages l. The condensers I are preferably mounted
on the car, so as to be in about the same horizontal plane or below the engine-
cylinders, as clearly shewn in the drawings. The condensers consist of boxes or
casings having inclined bottoms and provided with a series of longitudinal tubes m
extending through them, the said tubes having both ends open and being preferably
of copper or some highly-sensitive metal, the outer ends of which are formed in a
bell- or funnel-shape, so that upon the movement of the car the outer area of the
flaring ends of the tubes upon which the air will impinge will largely exceed that
of the tube itself and will concentrate all the air striking the outer surface of the
exhaust-chamber into the tubes. The condensers are in communication with each
other at their rear lower ends, and are so arranged that the tubes will be in the
direction of line of movement of the car, so that as the car moves in either direction
the air will be drawn through the tubes by suction and the exhaust-steam rapidly
condensed. To facilitate the condensation of the steam, I arrange above the system
of circulating-pipes an auxiliary condenser J constructed in a similar manner to the
condensers I 1 and connected thereto by branch pipes n and n', so that any portion
of the exhaust-steam in the condensers I remaining uncondensed will rise to the
upper condenser J and there be condensed and returned to the condensers I I. In
order that the water of condensation in the condensers 1 1' may be returned to the
water-chamber B and thereby produce a complete circulating system, I mount a
pump K on the car and connect it with the condenser I by the pipe o and with the
water-chamber B by the pipe p. The pump K is operated by an eccentric q on
one of the axles of the car connected to a lever ? which in turn is connected to the
pump.
The operation is as follows: Hot water having been supplied to the water-
chamber B and a very high temperature being maintained by means of hot bars of
iron, or other suitable or non-inflammable substance, the water will be caused to
pass through the various pipes and then back again to the water-chamber, a con-
tinuous circulation of heated water being thus maintained. The steam generated
will accumulate in the dome G and will pass through the pipes kk' to the cylinders H.
The exhaust-steam from the cylinders will pass into the condensers I, I', J, there
be condensed, and the water of condensation conducted from the lowest point in
condensers I I¹ back to the water-chamber by the pump K.
From the above-described construction and arrangement of parts, I cause the
water to circulate through the series of tubes back to the water-chamber and also
cause the water of condensation from the exhaust-steam to be led back to the said
water-chamber, thereby producing a complete circulating system.
Although I have shewn two condensers I I', one for each cylinder, yet one could
be made to serve for both cylinders and the upper condenser J could be dispensed
with or two upper condensers could be used if desired, but I prefer to use the three
condensers, as shewn.

page_text: 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. The combination, with an engine-cylinder, of a circulating system connected
with said cylinder and comprising a water-chamber, a series of tubes, a condenser, and
means interposed between the condenser and hot-water chamber for conducting
the water of condensation back to the said chamber, substantially as described.
2. In a system of street-car propulsion, the combination, with the engine-cylinders,
of a water-chamber, a system of circulating pipes connected with the cylinders and
water-chamber, condensers arranged in the front lower part of the engine and
connected with the exhaust-ports of the cylinders, an auxiliary condenser arranged
above the level of the first-named condensers and connected with the same, and a
pump connected with the lower condensers and the water-chamber, substantially as
described.
3. In a system of street car propulsion, the combination, with the engine-cylinder,
of the water-chamber surrounding an inner heating-chamber, a system of pipes
connecting the water-box and cylinders, the condensers I, I, J, connected together,
and the condensers I I¹ connected to the exhaust-ports of the engine-cylinders, the
pump K connected to the condensers I I¹ and water-chamber B, and means for
operating the pump from the axle of the motor, substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of March 1909
F. G. WHEELER,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.