IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING SPARKS IN THE CHIMNEYS OF LOCOMOTIVE, PORTABLE, AND OTHER STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Guy Wilson, of the City of Manchester, Mechanical
Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING SPARKS IN THE CHIMNEYS OF LOCOMOTIVE,
PORTABLE, AND OTHER STEAM ENGINES." A communication from abroad by
Bernhard August Schäffer and Christian Frederick Budenberg, of Buckau,
Magdeburg, in the Empire of Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Guy Wilson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th September 1876.
JOHN GUY WILSON, of the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer and Patent
Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING SPARKS IN THE
A coin-
CHIMNEYS OF LOCOMOTIVE, PORTABLE, AND OTHER STEAM ENGINES."
munication from abroad by Bernhard August Schäffer and Christian Frederick
Budenberg, of Buckau, Magdeburg, in the Empire of Germany.
In accordance with this Invention a tube or pipe which is open to the atmosphere
at one extremity is so fixed in the funnel or chimney, as that a portion of its length
passes through the exhaust steam pipe, and above this point such pipe is suitably
perforated and surrounded by a series of inverted cones or funnels with sharp
annular edges, whilst the other extremity of such pipe terminates in a bell-shaped
vessel which is inverted over it and perforated all over with holes opening directly
into the chimney.
The action of this apparatus is as follows:-The exhaust steam escaping all
round the upper extremity of the pipe herein-before mentioned induces a current of
air to enter such pipe by a suitable trumpet mouth, and to pass forwards through
such tube towards the chimney when owing to the peculiar construction of the
inverted cones, upon the outside of which the exhaust steam is thus constantly
playing, a sufficient portion of such exhaust steam becomes condensed upon the
inverted cones, and is blown upwards into the interior of the bell shaped inverted

page_text: vessel from whence it escapes into the chimney in the form of thin streams of water,
and which assisted by the current of air passing at the same time effectually
extinguishes all sparks in the chimney.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and
of au Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said John Guy Wilson in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 25th April 1877.
JOHN GUY WILSON, of the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer and Patent
Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING SPARKS IN THE
CHIMNEYS OF LOCOMOTIVE, PORTABLE, AND OTHER STEAM ENGINES." A com-
munication from abroad by Bernhard August Shäffer and Christian Frederick
Budenberg, of Buckau, Magdeburg, in the Empire of Germany.
In accordance with this Invention a tube or pipe which is open to the atmosphere
at one extremity is so fixed in the funnel or chimney as that a portion of its length
passes through the exhaust steam pipe, and above this point such pipe is suitably
perforated and surrounded by a series of inverted cones or funnels with sharp
annular edges, whilst the other extremity of such pipe terminates in a bell-shaped
vessel which is inverted over it and perforated all over with holes opening directly
into the chimney.
The action of this apparatus is as follows:-The exhaust steam escaping all round
the upper extremity of the pipe herein-before mentioned induces a current of air to
enter such pipe by a suitable trumpet mouth, and to pass forwards through such tube
towards the chimney, when owing to the peculiar construction of the inverted cones,
upon the outside of which the exhaust steam is thus constantly playing a sufficient
portion of such exhaust steam becomes condensed upon the inverted cones, and is
blown upwards into the interior of the bell shaped inverted vessel from whence it
escapes into the chimney in the form of thin streams of water, and which assisted
by the current of air passing at the same time effectually extinguishes all sparks in
the chimney.
And in order that the said Invention may be more readily understood and
carried into practical effect, I have hereunto annexed a Drawing illustrating the
improved spark extinguishing apparatus applied to a locomotive.
Fig. 1 represents a transverse section of the smoke box of a locomotive having
the improved spark extinguishing apparatus applied thereto; and Fig. 2 is a side
sectional view of Fig. 1, both drawn to a scale of about one-tenth full size.
A is a trumpet mouth or funnel (seen full size in Fig. 3), which is shewn as fixed
below the body of the locomotive, but it may be situated at the side or any other
convenient part of the locomotive; this funnel A opens into an air pipe B, the
upper end of which opens into a series of conical shaped nozzles or cups C screwed
together as illustrated and perforated with holes D; the uppermost nozzle or cup
terminating in an inverted bell or cup E which is also perforated. A full sized
view of these last-mentioned parts is shewn in Fig. 4. It will thus be seen that the
air pipe B passes through the centre of the blast pipe nozzle F, and that its invert
bell or cup E is situated inside and at or near the bottom of the funnel G.
Fig. 5 represents a sectional view of another modification of part of Fig. 4
shewing how the air pipe B may itself be perforated and continued upwards and
arranged with conical cups C surrounding it on the outside. The cups C may be
constructed of iron, brass, or any other suitable metal, and are arranged with sharp
annular edges as illustrated, whilst in all cases it is preferred that the air pipe B
should be formed out of wrought-iron piping.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The exhaust steam escaping all round
the upper extremity of the pipe B, and passing the outside of the conical cups C

page_text: induces a continuous current of air to enter the air pipe B through the trumpet
mouth A, thence to pass through such pipe, and finally to escape therefrom through
the perforations D, thus acting upon the exhaust steam and causing it to condense
upon the conical cups C. The water or moisture thus produced is immediately
blown upwards into the inverted vessel E from whence it escapes through the
perforations in the form of thin streams of water which effectually extinguish all
sparks in the funnel or chimney, and at the same time tends to cool and so to
preserve the smoke box.
Although only described as applied to the funnels of locomotives it will be readily
apparent that this apparatus is equally applicable for the same purpose to the
funnels or chimneys of marine, portable, and other steam engines, in which case the
trumpet mouth would be mounted upon a swivel in order to be turned in the
direction of the wind, whilst as applied to locomotives and marine engines its
mouth would by preference be fixed facing the direction in which the engine is
running.
I claim,-
1st. The introduction of air to the funnels or chimneys of locomotive, marine,
portable, and other steam engines, as and for the purpose herein-before described.
2nd. The spark extinguishing apparatus consisting essentially of the trumpet
mouth A, air pipe B, conical cups C, and inverted perforated vessel D, as and for
the purposes herein-before described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Guy Wilson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal this 24th day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven.
JOHN G. WILSON. (L.S.)