AN IMPROVED WATER, STEAM, AND AIR PIPE CONNECTION BETWEEN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND TENDERS OR CARRIAGES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Holt, of Alverston, near Derby, Engineer, for the
"
Invention of AN IMPROVED WATER, STEAM, AND AIR PIPE CONNECTION
BETWEEN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND TENDERS OR CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 29th November 1878, and dated the 11th June 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Holt at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th June 1878.
"AN IMPROVED WATER,
FRANCIS HOLT, of Alverston, near Derby, Engineer.
STEAM, AND AIR PIPE CONNECTION BETWEEN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND TENDERS OR
CARRIAGES."
My Invention consists in connecting the locomotive engine to the tender or
carriage by means of a metal pipe, which is connected at one end to the boiler of
the engine, and the other end of which passes through an ordinary packed gland
fixed to the tender or carriage. The pipe must be of sufficient length to ensure the
required flexibility.
By means of this Invention the usual ball-and-socket joints, or hose pipes, or
metal coils are dispensed with, and a water, steam, or air tight connection is obtained
between the engine and tender or carriage, or between carriages, which connection
is particularly beneficial when the steam from the boiler is employed to act on
apparatus for applying the breaks to the train of carriages, or supplying the water
from the tender to the boiler; but it may be used for other purposes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Francis Holt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th December
1878.
FRANCIS HOLT, of Alvaston, near Derby, Engineer. "AN IMPROVED WATER,
STEAM, AND AIR PIPE CONNECTION BETWEEN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND TENDERS
OR CARRIAGES."
My Invention consists in connecting the locomotive engine to the tender or
carriage by means of a metal pipe, which is connected at one end to the boiler of
the engine, and the other end of which passes through an ordinary packed gland
fixed to the tender or carriage. The pipe must be of sufficient length to ensure the
required flexibility.
By means of this Invention the usual ball-and-socket joints, or hose pipes, or
metal coils are dispensed with, and a water, steam, or air tight connection is obtained
between the engine and tender or carriage, or between carriages, which connection
is particularly beneficial when the steam from the boiler is employed to act on
apparatus for applying the breaks to the train of carriages, or supplying the water
from the tender to the boiler; but it may be used for other purposes.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings,
reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
On Sheet, 1 Fig. 1 is an elevation of part of a locomotive steam engine with its
tender, to which my improvements are applied; and Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.
a is the front plate of the fire-box of the engine, to which is fixed the valve box b,
connected by the pipe c to the elbow bracket d, to which one end of the brass, steel,
or other metal tube e is attached; the other end of this tube passes through the
packed gland of an ordinary stuffing box f fixed to the tender; and this stuffing
box, which is shewn on an enlarged scale in Fig. 3, is connected by the pipe g to
the usual vacuum break ejector h, which is placed at the end of the tender near the
carriages. The tube e must be of such a length as will give the flexibility required
in passing through curves of a minimum radius; and the stuffing box must be
sufficiently long to allow for the telescopic motion of the tube when the engine and
tender are shunting or in a collision. This tube e and the stuffing box f, in which
one end works, are to be used in lieu of the ordinary ball-and-socket pipes, or hose
pipes, or metal coils now in general use for conveying steam from the engine to the
vacuum brake ejector on the tender, the tube e giving absolute security for working
the ejector.
In Figs. 1 and 2 I have also shewn how my improvements are applied to working
the breaks by a steam cylinder on the tender. The tube i is connected at one end
to the boiler of the locomotive engine, and the other end passes through the gland
of the stuffing box j, shewn also in Fig. 4, which is in communication with the
steam cylinder 2, which is connected to an ordinary apparatus for applying the
breaks to the wheels of the tender or carriages.
On Sheet 2, Fig. 5 is an elevation, and Fig. 6, a plan of part of a locomotive
engine and tender, to which my improvements are applied.
The
k, k, are the usual injectors for forcing the water from the tender into the boiler;
these injectors are connected by the pipes 1, l, to the elbow brackets m, m.
metal tubes n, n, are fixed at one end to the said elbow brackets, and the other
ends pass through the packed glands of the stuffing box o, o, which are connected
by valves to the under side of the tender. The metal tubes n must be long enough
to give the required flexibility, and the stuffing boxes o must also be sufficiently
long to allow for the telescopic action of the tubes, as before described in reference
to Sheet 1.
The tubes e, i, and n may be used to connect the carriages together, or to connect
the tender to the first carriage of a train.

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner of
performing the same, I declare that I claim the use of a plain metal tube, one end
of which passes through a stuffing box to form the connection between a locomotive
steam engine and its tender or other parts of the train, or between the engine and
the break apparatus, as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Holt, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Fourth day of December, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
eight.
FRANCIS HOLT. (L.S.)