Improvements in Apparatus or Arrangements for Discharging Sand or other similar Materials between the Rails and Wheels of Steam and other Locomotive or Motor Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 29th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 26th Feb., 1898
Date of Application, 26th Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 29th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 26th Feb., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus or Arrangements for Discharging Sand
or other similar Materials between the Rails and Wheels of Steam
and other Locomotive or Motor Vehicles.
We, JAMES GRESHAM, Director of the Firm Gresham and Craven Limited of
Craven Iron Works, Salford, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers,
and HARRY EDWARD GRESHAM, of the same place, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention to be as follows:
Our invention relates to apparatus or arrangements for discharging sand or
other similar suitable material between the rails and traction wheels of steam
locomotive and other motors by air under pressure, and consists in combinations and
arrangements of apparatus, namely--a box for containing sand or similar suitable
material, which when the sand is placed in it is closed to exclude rain or moisture.
To the bottom of the box a vertical pipe or casting is connected by a flange and
the upper end of this pipe ascends a little above the inside of the bottom of the
box to prevent rain or moisture should it get into the box from wetting the sand
or material and causing it to adhere and block the entrance to the pipe.
The bottom of the pipe or casting is closed, except that there is a hole for
clearing out in the case of obstruction which hole is closed by a screw plug when
in use.
The outlet from the bottom of the pipe or casting is on one side of the bore of
the vertical pipe and there is a partition in the space formed at the bottom of the
casting forming a receptacle between the cavity at the bottom of the casting
and the bore which forms a junction between the casting and the pipe which is
to convey the sand or material to be discharged into the space between the rail
and the wheel.
The sand can descend from the box down the pipe into the cavity or trap for
it, but it cannot pass over the upper edge of the partition even by the vibration of
the engine when running.
There is a space in the casting above the upper edge of the said partition form-
ing a passage between the cavity or trap formed at the bottom of the casting for
sand, and the passage to which the pipe is connected for conveying the sand to
the rail and wheel.
There is a hole in the casting above the passage therein, and round which hole
there is a flange face for a flanged pipe junction which is secured to it air tight
by screw bolts.
The end of this pipe branch is prepared for coupling with the pipe supplying
air under pressure obtained in any convenient manner say from the air reservoir
of the pressure brakes of railway trains.
The face of the flanged pipe where it comes into the hole in the casting closes
it air tight except that there are seatings in it for two nozzles which screw into
the facing air tight.
One of these nozzles causes a small jet of high pressure air to be discharged

page_text: into the cavity in the casting for sand and upon its surface which is trapped
therein by the said partition, the other nozzle which discharges a larger jet of
air does so in about the centre of the bore in the casting to which the discharge
pipe is joined. The action of the two jets is such that sand is lifted and
sucked from the cavity or trap in the casting and is carried by the air down the
conducting pipe and discharged as hereinbefore explained.
There is a separate apparatus for each wheel to which sand is to be supplied,
but the air to be supplied to a number may be controlled by one cock which we
prefer to make by a hollow cone plug in a casing, one side of which has a junction
for a pipe from the air reservoir and in the axis of the casing opposite the axis of
the plug there is an outlet for air passing through the ports of the cock into its
hollow cone to be distributed by suitable branch pipes to each of the apparatus
above described.
We prefer to make the cone plug of the cock with three ports small, medium
and large, so that the cone plug can be turned to bring either port into use as
desired.
1 1.
8
1007
Improvements in Apparatus or Arrangements for Discharging Sand
or other similar Materials between the Rails and Wheels of Steam
and other Locomotive or Motor Vehicles.
We, JAMES GRESHAM, Director of the Firm Gresham and Craven Limited, of
Craven Iron Works, Salford, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers,
and HARRY EDWARD GRESHAM, of the same place, 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:-
-
Our invention relates to apparatus or arrangements for discharging sand or
other similar suitable material between the rails and traction wheels of steam
locomotive and other motors by air under pressure, and consists in combinations
and arrangements of apparatus, namely a box for containing sand or similar
suitable material, which when the sand is placed in it, is closed to exclude rain
or moisture.
To the bottom of the box a vertical pipe or casting is connected by a flange,
and the upper end of this pipe ascends a little above the inside of the bottom of
the box to prevent rain or moisture should it get into the box from wetting the
sand or material and causing it to adhere and block the entrance to the pipe.
The bottom of the pipe or casting is closed, except that there is a hole for
clearing out in the case of obstruction which hole is closed by a screw plug when
in use.
The outlet from the bottom of the pipe or casting is on one side of the bore of
the vertical pipe and there is a partition in the space formed at the bottom of
the casting forming a receptacle between the cavity at the bottom of the casting
and the bore which forms a junction between the casting and the pipe which is
to convey the sand or material to be discharged into the space between the rail
and the wheel.
The sand can descend from the box down the pipe into the cavity or trap for
it, but it cannot pass over the upper edge of the partition even by the vibration
of the engine when running.

page_text: There is a space in the casting above the upper edge of the said partition.
forming a passage between the cavity or trap formed at the bottom of the casting
for sand, and the passage to which the pipe is connected for conveying the sand
to the rail and wheel.
There is a hole in the casting above the passage therein, and round which hole
there is a flange face for a flanged pipe junction which is secured to it air tight by
screw bolts.
The end of this pipe branch is prepared for coupling with the pipe supplying
air under pressure obtained in any convenient manner say from the air reservoir
of the pressure brakes of railway trains.
The face of the flanged pipe where it comes into the hole in the casting closes
it air tight except that there are seatings in it for two nozzles which screw into
the facing air tight.
One of these nozzles causes a small jet of high pressure air to be discharged
into the cavity in the casting for sand, and upon its surface which is trapped
therein by the said partition, the other nozzle which discharges a larger jet
of air does so in about the centre of the bore in the casting to which the discharge
pipe is joined. The action of the two jets is such that sand is lifted and sucked
from the cavity or trap in the casting and is carried by the air down the conducting
pipe and discharged as herein before explained.
There is a separate apparatus for each wheel to which sand is to be supplied,
but the air to be supplied to a number may be controlled by one cock which
we prefer to make by a hollow cone plug in a casing, one side of which has a
junction for a pipe from the air reservoir and in the axis of the casing opposite
the axis of the plug there is an outlet for air passing through the ports of the
cock into its hollow cone to be distributed by suitable branch pipes to each of the
apparatus above described.
We prefer to make the cone plug of the cock with three ports small, medium
and large, so that the cone plug can be turned to bring either port into use as
desired.
Fig. 1, is a vertical section of the casting forming the sand trap also showing
the connections with it.
Fig. 2, is a vertical longitudinal section of the air valve or cock for supplying,
controlling and shutting off air to the sand trap apparatus.
Fig. 3, is a front elevation and section across the cone of the air cock through
its ports or in the line A-B Fig. 2.
Fig. 4, is a general side elevation of a locomotive showing the sanding apparatus
applied thereto.
a,
is a casting forming a vertical pipe a¹, having a flange a³, round it to which
the incline sided box a³, for the sand is secured, this box a³, being partly shown
in Fig. 1. It is made with a lid or cover, and is hinged to one side of the box
if desired to exclude rain and keep the sand in it as dry as possible. The vertical
pipe a', projects at its upper end a short distance as shown in Fig. 1, above the
bottom of the box a³, so that if rain or moisture should at any time get into the
box owing to the flange joint becoming loose, the sand which may thus become
moistened at the bottom is not so liable to block the entrance to the vertical pipe.
The bottom of the pipe a', is closed except that there is a hole for clearing it
out in case of obstruction, which hole is closed by a screw plug a, when the
apparatus is in use.
The outlet at the bottom of the pipe or casting is formed on one side of the bore
of the vertical pipe a', and there is a partition a³, in the space at the bottom of
the casting forming a receptacle between the cavity a', at the bottom of the cast-
ing, and the bore or passage a6, which forms a junction by a flange as, between
the casting and the pipe b, for conveying the sand or material to be discharged
into the space between the rail (c) and the wheel d, see Fig. 4.
The sand can descend from the box or receptacle a³, down the pipe a¹, into the
cavity or trap a', at its bottom, but cannot pass over the top of the partition a³,

page_text: even by the vibration of the engine when running. In such case the surface of the
sand in the trap may assume the level of the dotted line a³, but when there is no
vibration and no sand is being removed from the trap surface, the sand in its
descent will assume the angle shown by the dotted line a.
There is space in the casting above the upper edge of the partition a", which
forms a passage over it between the trap and the bore a, connected with the
discharge pipe b.
There is a hole in the casting above the said passage,, and round this hole there
is a flanged face for a flanged lid or casting ab, to be secured to by screws forming
a junction for the air supply pipe.
This flanged junction lid covers the hole in the casting air tight, and its
flanged face is at an angle to the vertical as shown.
This flanged junction ab, is screwed at its tubular end so that the air supply
pipe e, can be connected to it by a union °.
In the face of the junction casting ab, there are holes for two nozzles which are
screwed into the casting air tight, one nozzle ad, has a small bore and discharges
a jet of air upon the surface of the sand in the trap, the other a, is a nozzle of
larger bore and discharges a jet of air into about the axis of the bore of the
passage a, connected with the discharge pipe b.
The action of these 'two jets of air is such that sand is lifted and sucked from
the cavity or trap in the casting a, (but only when the air jets are acting) and
is carried by the air down the pipe b, and discharged as hereinbefore explained.
The air used is at high pressure, such as that in the air reservoir of air pressure
brakes for railway trains or from other source and the sanding is started, regulated
and stopped by a cock or valve, which we prefer to make as illustrated by
Figs. 2 and 3.
'
The body or casing of the cock or valve f, is formed with a boss fi, on its
exterior having an external screw thread by which when the boss is passed through
a hole in a plate or bracket f³, secured at the fire box end of the locomotive, it
may be secured thereto by a screw nut f³.
The discharge end of the casing f, is screw threaded for a union f, which
connects it with the end of a pipe e, to convey the air to the sanding apparatus.
This casting f, at a right angle has a screwed junction fo, for another union f
which connects it with the end of the pipe e¹, through which the supply of air
comes.
The interior of the casing f, is bored out conical for a hollow cone plug f, the
end of the cone being open towards the bore discharging the air.,
The hollow cone plug f, has a spindle f8, that passes through a stuffing box
in which the packing material is compressed by a gland nut f, screwing into the
front end of the casing.
The handle f, for actuating the hollow cone plug or valve fits upon squares
on the end of its spindle fo.
In the side of the hollow cone plug f7, opposite the junction passage f³, in the
casing supplying air, there are three ports fo, by preference, of a small, medium
and large size, see Fig. 3, either of which can be readily brought into use, and
the others shut off by slightly turning the spindle f8, of the hollow cone plug,
so as to give the desired supply of air according to the required quantity of sand
to be discharged between the rail and wheel.
From the general view Fig. 4, it will be seen that the air cock f; is by prefer-
ence placed at the fire box end of the locomotive convenient to the driver's hand.
e, is the pipe conveying the air from the pressure reservoir of pressure brakes
or other source of supply; from the cock or valve f, the air is conveyed by a pipe e,
(which may branch at e, to the sand trap for the wheel on the other side) to the
sand trap a, for one wheel d, on one side.
a³, is the sand box indicated by dotted line; b, the pipe conveying the sand
from the trap a, between the rail c, and wheel d, there being a similar arrange-
ment for each wheel to be sanded.

page_text: All the wheels to be sanded may have air supplied by the same cock or valve f, or
each pair of wheels by a separate cock or valve f.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The combination of a nozzle or nozzles for a jet or jets of air under pressure
with a sand trap arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the drawings.
2. The combination, arrangement and construction of sand trap and nozzles
for jets of air under pressure substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and illustrated by Fig. 1 of the drawings.
3. The combination with one or more sand trap arrangements similar to that
herein before described and illustrated by Fig. 1, of a valve or cock for turning on,
regulating and turning off the supply of air to the sand trap arrangement sub-
stantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
drawings.
4. The combination, arrangement and construction of air valve having two or
more ports of various sizes for controlling the supply of air to one or more sand
raps substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and illustrated
Ly the drawings.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of December 1897