Iraction Logines.
Year: 1886

page_text: Iraction Logines.
I, WILLIAM WILKINSON, of Holme House Foundry, Wigan, in the County of
Lancashire, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
°
My invention relates to improvements in the surface condensers of tramway or
other traction engines; and is designed to effect the greatest amount of cooling
surface in proportion to cubical bulk, and to aid, by the special form of construction,
a natural circulation of air, to facilitate condensation.
•
It is well known that tube condensers, in which air, travelling outside and
around such tubes is utilised to produce the condensation of the steam therein, are
already in general use; but my improvement consists in arranging the tubes
vertically, so as to form natural chimneys or updraughts for the air to pass through
them, the steam to be condensed being in the chamber surrounding the said tubes.
This arrangement, in addition to the great acceleration of the circulation of the
air, caused by the vertical position of the tubes, enables me to provide a greater
amount of cooling surface in proportion to the cubical bulk, than compared with
any other type of condenser, where the steam or material to be condensed or cooled
passes inside the tubes, and the air or. cooling medium is outside them.
This result follows from the fact, that when the tubes are placed most closely
together, the cooling medium, that is, the air passing through the tubes, is
maintained in as large a bulk as possible according to the diameter of the tubes,
whilst the material or steam to be cooled, or condensed is divided up into the
smallest possible films between the tubes, thus facilitating the condensation.
Where the reverse construction is adopted, viz,-with the steam to be condensed
within the tubes and the cooling medium outside, any reduction in the bulk of
the condenser, by the closer packing together of the tubes, produces the contrary
and undesirable result of reduction of volume and splitting up of the cooling
medium or air, relatively to that of the steam, with increased inter-radiation of
beat between the tubes.
Instead of using vertical parallel tubes, I may, if desired, use conical tubes to
cause impingement of the ascending air upon the inside of the said tubes; or to aid
the ascending draught, by any modification of internal diameter found desirable,

page_text: I may also when desired use in conjunction with the said condenser, movable
bent nozzles or louvres or venetians on the top and bottom tube plates respectively,
which may be reversible in the direction of their angle or opening according to the
direction of movement of the tramway engine, so as to cause a forced updraught
from the bottom of the tubes, from the movement of the engine, and an induced
updraught at the top of the tubes from the same movement of the engine.
The louvres or venetians in such case would be capable of turning about their
own axis, for reversal or adjustment of angle, and the aforesaid movable nozzles,
like chimney cowls, will be adjustable, or have free rotation, around the axis of
the tube.
conveniently form the roof of the engine car,
4)
The said condensing
chamber may
the updraught serving to constantly change the atmosphere underneath.
FELL & WILDING,
Agents for the Applicant,
Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.

page_text: in surface condensers for Tramway or other
Traction Engines.
I, WILLIAM WILKINSON, of Holme House Foundry, Wigan, in the County of
Lancashire, Engineer, 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 the surface condensers of tramway or
other traction engines, and is designed to effect the greatest amount of cooling
surface in proportion to cubical bulk, and to aid, by the special form of construction,
a natural circulation of air to facilitate condensation..
It is well known that tube condensers, in which air, travelling outside and
around such tubes is utilised to produce the condensation of the steam therein, are
already in general use; but my improvement consists in arranging the tubes
vertically, so as to form natural chimneys or updraughts for the air to pass through
them, the steam to be condensed being in the chamber surrounding the said tubes.
This arrangement, in addition to the great acceleration of the circulation of the
air caused by the vertical position of the tubes, enables me to provide a greator
amount of cooling surface in proportion to the cubical bulk than compared with
any other type of condenser, where the steam or material to be condensed or cooled
passes inside the tubes and the air of cooling medium outside this.
This result follows from the fact, that when the tubes are placed most closely
together, the cooling medium, that is, the air passing through the tubes, is
maintained in as large a bulk as possible, according to the diameter of the tubes,
whilst the material or steam to be cooled or condensed is divided up into the
smallest possible films between the tubes, thus facilitating the condensation.
Where the reverse construction is adopted, viz, with the steam to be condensed
within the tubes and the cooling medium outside, any reduction in the bulk of the
condenser, by the closer packing together of the tubes, produces the contrary and
undesirable result of reduction of volume and splitting up of the cooling medium
or air relatively to that of the steam, with increased inter-radiation of heat
between the tubes.
Instead of using vertical parallel tubes, I may, if desired, use conical tubes to
cause impingement of the ascending air upon the inside of the said tubes, or to aid
the ascending draught, by any modification of internal diameter found desirable.
I may also when desired use, in conjunction with the said condenser, movable
bent nozzles or louvres or venetians on the top and bottom tube plates respectively,
which may be reversible in the direction of their angle or opening according to
the direction of movement of the tramway engine, so as to cause a forced
updraught from the bottom of the tubes from the movement of the engine and an
induced updraught at the top of the tubes from the same movement of the engine.
The louvres or venetians in such case would be capable of turning about their
own axes, for reversal or adjustment of angle, and the aforesaid movable nozzles,
like chimney cowls, will be adjustable or have free rotation around the axis of the
tube.

page_text: The said condensing chamber may conveniently form the roof of the engine car,
the updraught serving to constantly change the atmosphere underneath.
In order that my invention may be the more clearly understood, I now proceed
Like letters
'to describe the accompanying sheet of drawings illustrative thereof.
refer to like parts in each of the figures. .
Figure 1 is a vertical section through the top part of a tramway locomotive
showing my condenser in position.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the condenser.
"
Figure 3 is an elevation of my condenser with movable louvres or venetians.
Figure 4 is a plan of same.
In all the figures A are the series of vertical tubes closely packed and forming
updraughts for the air, the steam to be condensed circulating in the chamber B
surrounding the said tubes. The natural updraught is generally sufficient to keep
a constant flow of cool air through the vertical tubes, but I may combine
therewith a series of movable louvres, or venetians C, which are connected by a
cross bar D, and, being pivotted, are reversible as to the direction of their angle or
opening according to the direction of movement of the tramway car, so as to cause
a forced updraught from the bottom of the tubes from the movement of the
engine, and an induced updraught at the top of the tubes from the same
niovement.
÷
3)
It is not necessary that the said venetians or louvres should correspond in
number with the closely packed tubes, inasmuch as ono venetian may surmount
two or more, as shown in the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
L
1st. The construction of a condenser for tramway locomotives, in which the
steam is condensed in a chamber traversed by closely packed vertical air tubes,
substantially as and for the purposes specified.
2nd. The combination with such a condenser of pivotted and movable nozzles,
louvres or venetians for the creation of an induced draught resulting from the
movement of the locomotive, substantially as and for the purposes specified."
D: 07th day of November 1886
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