Improvements in Locomotive Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left. 16th Aug. 1892-Accented. 1st Oct. 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by LA COMPAGNIE CONTINENTALE D'EXPLOITA-
TION DES LOCOMOTIVES SANS FOYER, of No. 15 Avenue Kléber, Paris,
France, Manufacturers.]
Improvements in Locomotive Engines.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
+
This invention relates mainly to an improved construction of locomotive engines,
wherein, instead of generating steam by direct fire heat during the entire journey,"
such production of steam by fire heat is only effected during certain portions of
the journey, in which the emission of smoke and noxious vapours from the engine
is not objectionable, the heat produced and transmitted to the water and steam
being during such times in great part stored up for the purpose, during the other
portions of the journey, of being expended in raising steam for working the
engines without direct action of the fire.
My correspondents have for some years constructed locomotive engines that
were worked entirely without direct fire heat, being supplied with stored heat in
the shape of large volumes of water heated to a very high degree from stationary
apparatus at the end stations, which stored heat served to raise steam for driving
the engine during the entire journey, this arrangement being adopted in all cases
where the emission of smoke and combustion gases along the line was not
admissible, such as in underground lines.
There exist however numerous cases where at one or more points of the line
(such as the open spaces on an underground line) the emission of smoke &c. does
not constitute a nuisance and is consequently not prohibited, and the present
invention relates as before stated to a construction of locomotive engines that can
be worked both by direct fire heat in the ordinary way and by stored heat, the
latter being used on those parts of the 'line where no emission of smoke
is permissible.
For this purpose the locomotive engine is constructed with an ordinary fire
box, but is arranged to contain a much larger mass of water heated to a much
higher degree than is usual with ordinary engines, the ordinary fire tubes being
arranged in the lower part of the boiler shell so as to have a large mass of water
above it, which is very equably heated by the fire tubes. The steam is taken from
a dome, and there is combined with the boiler a reducing valve apparatus through
which the steam is taken off at a reduced pressure and passed through a set of
pipes arranged in the steam space of the boiler which pipes act as a superheater
for drying the steam and increasing its temperature, and from which it passes
through a distributing valve to the engine cylinders.
As before stated, the water and steam are heated by the direct heat of the fire
box to a much higher degree and correspondingly greater pressure than in
ordinary engines, so that the large mass of water heated to this degree constitutes
a magazine of heat that will be available for generating steam for any desired
length of time after the fire has been put out of action, the reducing valve being
suitably regulated by the driver, so that although the steam pressure in the boiler
will vary from a very high degree when the fire is active, to a comparatively low
degree after the engine has been running for some time without a fresh supply of
fuel, the pressure of the steam passing through the superheater to the cylinders
shall be practically uniform.
The throwing out of action of the fire is effected simply by discontinuing the
supply of fuel; and stopping the draught either by preventing the exhaust steam

page_text: from acting on the draught or by closing the chimney funnel by a hood or other
suitable means.
When the engine has arrived at a point where the emission of smoke is again
permissible the draught is opened again, and the fire is fed with fuel, either when
stopping, or during the running, so as to again store up.a fresh quantity of heat.
According to another modification, instead of constructing the boiler with a
single ordinary cylindrical shell of large capacity a second steam and water
chamber is arranged above it, by preference of cylindrical form and extending
along the top of the main shell, with which it is made to communicate by two or
more connecting branches, the entire lower shell and part of the upper shell being
in this case filled with. water, while the upper part of the upper shell constitutes
the steam space, and carries the steam dome, from which the steam is led through
the reducing, valve into the superheating tubes which are also in tlie upper shell.
By this means, a, still greater magazine of heat will be afforded, enabling the
engine readily to run up inclines, for which purpose the reducing valve might be.
temporarily adjusted so as to admit steam at increased pressure to the cylinders.
In order to prevent the exhaust steam from accelerating the furnace draught when.
the fire is out of action, the blast pipe may have a moveable tubular extension
reaching up to the top of the funnel and through the hood thereof, and fitting
with an enlarged lower end into a restricted opening of the blast pipe.
When the tubular extension is in this position, the exhaust steam escapes up it
without acting upon the draught. For accelerating the latter when the fire is
active, the tubular extension is lowered into the blast pipe so as to fit with its
lower end into a socket therein; an annular opening will thus be formed between
the mouth of the blast pipe and the smaller sized upper part of the tubular
extension, through which the exhaust steam will issue into the smoke box.
The above described supplemental water and steam chamber and arrangement
of reducing valve may also be applied with advantage to ordinary locomotive
engines, the boiler pressure of which is then maintained somewhat higher than is
required for ordinary running, so that on starting or running up inclines the full
steam at full pressure may be admitted to the cylinders by means of the reducing
valve and the link motion or expansion gear, the reducing valve being afterwards
adjusted so as to reduce the working pressure to the required degree. With.such
an arrangement also the regulation of the fire is facilitated, as it does not require
to be controlled accurately according to the working pressure required.
Dated this 18th day of November 1891
ABEL & IMRAY,.
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Locomotive Engines.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent
Agent, 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 :-
This invention relates mainly to an improved construction of locomotive engines,
wherein, instead of generating steam by direct fire heat during the entire journey,
such production of steam by fire heat is only effected during certain portions. of the
journey, in which the emission of smoke and noxious vapours from the: engine is
not objectionable, the heat produced and transmitted to the water and steam being
during such times in great part stored up for the purpose, during the other
portions of the journey, of being expended in raising steam for working the
engines without direct action of the fire.
My correspondents have for some years constructed locomotive engines. that

page_text: were worked entirely without direct fire heat, being supplied with stored heat in
the shape of large volumes of water heated to a very high degree from stationary
apparatus at the end stations, which stored heat served to raise steam for driving
the engine during the entire journey, this arrangement being adopted in all cases
where the emission of smoke and combustion gases along the line was not.
admissible, such as in underground lines and where it was advantageous to
establish a stationary depôt of generators for the supply of steam. There exist.
however numerous cases where at one or more points of the line (such as the open
spaces on an underground line) the emission of smoke &c. during the journey,
from the locomotives themselves does not constitute a nuisance and is consequently.
not prohibited, and the present invention relates, as before stated, to a construction
of locomotive engines that can be worked both by direct fire heat in the ordinary
way and by stored heat, the latter being used on those parts of the line where no
emission of smoke is permissible.
For this purpose the locomotive engine is constructed with an ordinary fire box,
but is arranged to contain a much larger mass of water heated to a much higher
degree than is usual with ordinary engines, the ordinary fire tubes being arranged
in the lower part of the boiler shell so as to have a large mass of water above
them which is very equably heated by the fire tubes. The steam is taken from a.
dome, and there is combined with the boiler a reducing valve apparatus through
which the steam is taken off at a reduced pressure and passed through a set of
pipes arranged in the steam space of the boiler which pipes act as a superheater
for drying the steam and increasing its temperature, and from which it passes.
through a distributing valve to the engine cylinders.
As before stated, the water and steam are heated by the direct heat of the fire
box to a much higher degree and correspondingly greater pressure than in ordinary
engines, so that the large mass of water heated to this degree constitutes a
magazine of heat that will be available for generating steam for any desired length
of time after the fire has been put out of action, the reducing valve being suitably
regulated by the driver, so that although the steam pressure in the boiler will vary
from a very high degree when the fire is active, to a comparatively low degree
after the engine has been running for some time without a fresh supply of fuel, the
pressure of the steam passing through the superheater to the cylinders shall be
practically uniform.
The throwing out of action of the fire is effected simply by discontinuing the
supply of fuel and stopping the draught either by preventing the exhaust steain
from acting on the draught or by closing the chimney funnel by a hood or other
suitable means.
The accompanying drawing shews two arrangements of locomotive boilers for .
carrying out the above described invention.
Fig. 1 shews a part longitudinal section and Fig. 2 an end view of one arrange..
ment, only so much of the boiler being shewn as is requisite to explain the
invention. A is a tubular boiler of considerable capacity, the tubular part being
arranged in the lower part so as to leave a large volume of water above it, which
is heated to a uniform high temperature; B is a comparatively small firebox, being
proportioned in size to the mean duty required of the engine, the large mass of
water heated thereby in combination with the reducing steam valve and the super-
heater employed, enabling the fire box to supply the maximum duty required
without being necessarily worked to its maximum capability. C is the steam pipe
D'the variable reducing valve similar in construction to those which have been
used for some time in locomotives working without furnace.
E is the regulating load on the reducing valve.
F is a lever by means of which the equilibrium valves of the reducing valve are
operated, and which is acted upon by the regulating load.
G is a tubular superheater similar to those used in locomotives without furnace.
His a regulating valve by means of which the superheated steam is distributed
to the cylinders.
'

page_text: .
The water in the boiler is heated to a high temperature by the furnace so as to
produce steam at a pressure above that at which it is admitted to the cylinders, in
order that a considerably greater amount of power may be produced and stored up
in the boiler in a given time than the amount which is expended in work during
that time. The heat or its equivalent of steam thus produced and stored up passes
into the reducing valve D through the pipe C, by which valve it is discharged at
a reduced pressure which is determined by the load E on the lever F connected to
the reducing yalve.
+
The steam thus reduced in pressure then passes into the superheater G where it
becomes superheated and dried by the greater heat of the surrounding steam of
higher pressure, and whence it then passes to the cylinders.
up.
It will be readily seen that after having stored up a considerable volume of
water and steam at high pressure by the above described means, the feeding of the
furnace can at any time be entirely suspended so as to prevent all discharge of
smoke, and the engine be worked simply by the expenditure of the power stored
After travelling a certain distance the furnace can again be fed at any point
of the journey where the smoke is not objectionable, so as again to store up power
to replace that which has been expended. Also, such storing up of power may be
effected when running down inclines or on a level road, for the purpose of expend-
ing. such store while still working the furnace in the ordinary way, when an
increased duty is required in running up inclines, instead of having to increase the
fuel supply and forced draught for this purpose, the action of the furnace being
however stopped whenever the engine arrives at any point of the journey where
the smoke would be objectionable.
Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings shew respectively a longitudinal section and an
end view of an arrangement of locomotive boiler of ordinary construction, the
capacity of which is increased by providing above the same a tubular reservoir R,
which communicates freely with the main body A by means of two branch
connecting tubes T. The main body A is in this arrangement entirely filled with
water the steam space being provided in the part R. By means of this reservoir
the boiler is made to contain about double the quantity of hot water, and con-
sequently to store up double the number of calories, which will be converted into
steam at the time when an increased duty is required such as when running up an
incline, or when it is required to work without the fire. D is the reducing valve,
receiving the steam from the dome by means of the tube C in order to supply it to
the cylinders at a regulated pressure determined by the load E.
G is the tubular superheater, the tubes of which are fixed directly to the ends
of the reservoir R and receive the steam of reduced pressure from the reducing
valve in order to superheat and dry it before passing through the distributing
valve H. to the cylinders.
K is an escape chamber, shewn to a larger scale in section at Fig. 5, for leading
the exhaust steam by the pipe L through the smoke box and out' through the
chimney when it is not desired to force the draught at the times when the furnace
is out of action. Figs. 6 and 7 are sections on plans at right angles to each other
and Fig. 8 is a sectional plan on X X of the escape chamber, K.
When it is desired to use the steam blast, the pipe L is lowered into the socket K¹
by any suitable known means, whereupon the steam will escape through the
annular opening surrounding the tube Linto the smoke box.
14
M is a cap on the chimney having a hole for the passage of the discharge tube L.
The above described construction of locomotive boiler also admits of using the
full available steam power at full pressure when starting from a station by acting
on the load E of the reducing valve the steam pressure being suitably reduced
again by the reducing valve after the train is once started:
From the above described mode of working there results a considerable economy
in consequence of using steam at comparatively low pressure with a cut off of
from 40. to 50 per cent., under which conditions the lead both for exhaust and for
compression can be proportionately much less than is the case with the earlier cut

page_text: off's required when working the engine with the full boiler pressure in the
usual manner.
The consumption of fuel is also proportionately less in consequence of the
difference between the boiler pressure and the working pressure.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The construction of locomotive engine wherein a tubular steam boiler of
large capacity is provided firstly with a furnace adapted to the mean consumption
of power and secondly with a reducing steam valve, these parts being so combined
and arranged that a considerable volume of water and steam can be stored up in
the boiler at a pressure above that at which the steam is to be supplied to the
engine cylinders, the steam being reduced in pressure by the reducing valve on its
way to the cylinders, substantially as and for the purposes described.
2.In combination with a locomotive steam boiler constructed and operating as
set forth in the preceding claim, the use of a superheater into which the steam is
made to pass from the reducing valve in order to be superheated and dried on its
way to the cylinders, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
3. The combination with a locomotive steam boiler with furnace of ordinary con-
struction, the use of a supplemental tubular reservoir communicating freely by
branched connections with the boiler such supplemental reservoir being combined
with a reducing steam valve and being constructed with tubes acting as a super-
heater, so that the steam taken from such reservoir is first reduced in pressure on
passing through the reducing valves and is then superheated on passing through
the said tubes on its way to the cylinders, substantially as described with reference
to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.
Dated this 16th day of August. 1892
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.