AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR HEATING RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR HEATING RAILWAY AND OTHER
CARRIAGES, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES."
A communication from abroad by Anatole Ancelin, of Paris, France, Civil
Engineer
Sealed the 20th February 1880, and dated the 15th October 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th October 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR
HEATING RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE
FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES." [A communication from abroad by Anatole Ancelin, of
Paris, France, Civil Engineer.]
Among the various methods heretofore employed for heating railway carriages
the one found to be most advantageous is that wherein boxes or cases containing
hot water are used, for the reason that this method does not require for the purpose
the connection of separate carriages forming a train.
The water which contains the heat effects the warming of the carriage only by
virtue of its specific heat, that is to say, by reason of the caloric, which is given off
in the proportion of one unit for each degree of depression of the temperature, and
for each kilogramme of water.
But if water is the most useful reservoir of heat in comparison with other bodies,
by reason of its great calorific capacity, this advantage no longer exists when such
bodies change their condition and pass from a solid to a liquid form.
The method of heating to which this Invention relates is based upon the utiliza-
tion of the latent heat of fusion, and it comprises the liquifying by heat of such solid
substances as possess a high degree of latent heat of fusion, so that the said liquified
substances introduced into the objects or places to be warmed give off not only their
sensible caloric, but also their latent caloric of fusion. The said improved method
may be employed for railway and other vehicles, for rooms, and for a variety of

page_text: purposes where heat is required. It may be applied to the keeping up of heat
without fire for a long time in cooking apparatus or utensils.
It will therefore be seen that this Invention consists essentially in the novel
employment for general heating purposes, and specially for warming railway
carriages, of the heat due to the solidification of substances which were solid and
have been liquified by beat for the purpose.
The substances to be used may be simple or composite bodies, and of either
animal, vegetable, or mineral origin. The following will be found advantageous,
that is to say-Fatty substances, resin, wax, bituminous and tarry matters, mix-
tures in which they are combined with other bodies, and their derivatives, such as
stearic acid and paraffine, either alone or mixed. I consider as specially valuable
for this purpose solutions saturated when hot, and those salts which melt in their
crystallization water. Amongst these salts I prefer acetate of soda, which fuses at
a temperature of about sixty degrees. I may also employ those salts which can be
submitted to igneous fusion without decomposition, such as the acetates, the
phosphates, and the like.
It is to be understood that the bodies or substances which are most suitable for
the purposes of this Invention are those which are fusible at the temperature that
it is desired to give to the boxes or cases when they are in the carriages or other
object to be heated.
I heat the said boxes or cases containing the acetate of soda or potash or other
analogous salt, or one of the substances herein before named, either by plunging
them in a hot bath or by placing them in an enclosed space into which a current of
steam is directed. This heating will take place without necessitating the emptying
of the boxes, whose plugs may even be soldered to prevent all chance of escape.
The great superiority secured by the said improved method of substituting for
water a solid body or substance is proved by the fact that the boxes containing
acetate of soda remain warm six times as long as the ordinary boxes with water,
and they effect the warming while remaining at a constant temperature during the
whole of the time the substances therein are becoming solid.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
April 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR
HEATING RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE
FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES." A communication froin abroad by Anatole Ancolin, of
Paris, France, Civil Engineer.
Among the various methods heretofore employed for heating railway carriages
the one found to be most advantageous is that wherein movable boxes or cases
containing hot water are used, for the reason that this method does not necessitate
for heating purposes the connection of the separate carriages forming a train. The
water however which contains the heat effects the warning of the carriage only by
virtue of its specific heat, that is to say, by reason of the caloric, which is given off
in the proportion of one unit for every degree of depression of the temperature, and
for each kilogramme of water.
But although water is the most advantageous reservoir of heat in comparison
with other bodies, by reason of its great calorific capacity, this is not the case withi
regard to bodies which change their condition and pass from a solid to a liquid
forin.
The method of heating to which this Invention relates is based upon the utiliza-
tion of the latent heat of fusion, and it comprises the liquefaction by heat of such
solid substances as possess a high degree of latent heat of fusion, so that the said
liquefied substances introduced into the objects or places to be warmed give off not
only their sensible caloric, but also their latent caloric of fusion. This improved
method of heating may be employed for railway and other vehicles, for rooms, and
for a variety of purposes where heat is required. It may be applied to the keeping
up of heat without fire for a long time in cooking apparatus or utensils.
It will therefore be seen that this Invention consists essentially in the novel
employment for general heating purposes, and specially for warming railway
carriages, of the heat evolved during the solidification of solid substances which
have been previously liquefied by heat.
The substances to be used may be simple or compound bodies, and of either
animal, vegetable, or mineral origin. The following will be found advantageous,
that is to say-Fatty substances, resin, wax, bituminous and tarry matters, mix-
tures in which they are combined with other bodics, and their derivatives, such as
stearic acid and paraffine, either alone or mixed. I consider as specially valuable
for this purpose solutions saturated when hot, and those salts which dissolve in their
water of crystallization. Amongst these salts I prefer acetate of soda, which fuses at
a temperature of about sixty degrees. I may also employ those salts which can be
submitted to igneous fusion without decomposition, such as the acetates, the
phosphates, and the like.
It is to be understood that the bodies or substances which are most suitable for
the purposes of this Invention are those which are fusible at the temperature that
it is desired to give to the boxes or cases when they are in the carriages or other
object to be heated.
I heat the said boxes or cases containing the acetate of soda or potash or other
analogous salt, or one of the substances herein before named, either by plunging
them in a hot bath or by placing them in an enclosed space into which a current of
steam is directed. This heating will take place without necessitating the emptying
of the boxes, whose plugs may even be soldered to prevent all chance of leakage.
In practice I prefer to employ acetate of potash or acetate of soda, as above men-
tioned, dissolved in its water of crystallization. When however the temperature

page_text: has been elevated to that of igneous fusion, the dissolved salt in cooling, instead of
solidifying at the temperature at which the melting began, remains liquid and
continues in that state until a temperature which may be as low as 20° Centrigade
above zero is attained. A slight shaking then imparted to a part of the mass suffices
to congeal it suddenly and cause it to become again solid. This is the phenomenon
so well known in connection with ice and sulphur, and which is a low point of
solidification (surfusion). This displacement, or rather this lowering of the point
of solidification, is accompanied by the great disadvantage of retarding the evolution
of latent heat, that is to say, the proper heating effect of the process. To prevent
this condition I modify my Invention by the introduction into the mass in fusion
of a small quantity of anhydrous acetate, in the proportion of about 3 to 4%, and
I employ means to prevent the production of a vacuum by subsidence, that is to say,
by the contraction the matter undergoes in cooling, which vacuum is one of the
causes of the retarded solidification. For this purpose I place in the box or case
containing the heating mass an india rubber bag inflated with air. Moreover, when
the foot warmers are reheated in hot water, it is preferable to place them on end, as
in that position the superficies of the level of the substance within the same is of
less extent than when the foot warmers are laid flat.
The great superiority secured by the said improved method of substituting for
water a solid body or substance is proved by the fact that the boxes containing
acetate of soda remain warm six times as long as the ordinary boxes with water,
and they effect the warming while remaining at a constant temperature during the
whole of the time the substances therein are becoming solid.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. The utilization as herein specified for warming or heating purposes, and
more especially for heating railway carriages, of the heat emitted or thrown off
by the solidification of previously liquefied bodies or substances such as above
described.
Second. The modification of the said Invention whereby I provide for preventing
the retarded solidification (surfusion) of the body or substance in the case or box,
as above set forth.
In witness whereof, J, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.