Improvements relating to the Heating of Railway Carriages and similar Vehicles, and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 6th Jan., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Heating of Railway Carriages and
similar Vehicles, and to Apparatus therefor.
I, EGBERT HABBERTON GOLD, of Room 652 The Rookery, Chicago in the
County of Cook and State of Illinois, United States of America, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what mauner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
My invention relates more particularly to the heating of railway carriages and
similar vehicles by steam and to apparatus therefor, and has for its objects to
provide against injury to the heating apparatus by the freezing of the water of
condensation; to provide for establishing a free circulation throughout the entire
train when applied to any number of carriages; to provide an improved storage
heater of the kind or class in which a body of water or other heat-absorbing
substance is employed to absorb a certain amount of heat when steam is turned on
and to gradually give out such heat after the steam is shut off; and to provide for
automatically and simultaneously relieving all the carriages of the train of the
accumulated water of condensation, whereby all danger of the freezing of such
water in different parts of the system is avoided.
These and other objects hereinafter referred to, are attained by the devices
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan of a railway carriage showing the arrangement
of the heating apparatus thereon.
Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section through the same.
Figure 3 is an enlarged detail side elevation of the condensation tank showing
the same partly broken away to disclose the internal arrangement of the parts.
Figure 4 is an end elevation of the same.
Figure 5 is a detail horizontal section of the steam nozzle in the condensation
tank.
Figure 6 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation of one of the storage
heaters.
Figure 7 is a transverse vertical section on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a similar view to Figure 7 but taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 6;
and
Figures 9 and 10 show a longitudinal and a transverse section respectively of a
modified form of heater.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of
the drawings.
A indicates the floor or deck of the carriage or vehicle which may be of any
usual or desired construction, and B, C, indicate the usual end platforms thereof.
The carriage or vehicle shown in the drawing is of the type in which transverse
seats D are arranged at the centre thereof and longitudinal seats (not shown) are
arranged along the sides at each end on the said carriage, but obviously, the
internal arrangement or construction of the carriage is quite immaterial to my
invention and may be varied at will according to the uses thereof and the desire
of the manufacturer and user, it being only necessary to modify or change the
piping and position of the apparatus to adapt my invention to any kind of
carriage.
E and F indicate storage heaters which extend longitudinally along the carriage
under the seats, the adjacent ends of the heaters being connected by pipes G, as
shown in Figures 1 and 2. This arrangement is desirable when my invention is

page_text: applied to carriages in which the seats near the ends thereof extend longitudinally
and those in the middle extend transversely of the said carriage, and as the
heaters E and F would be an annoyance to the passengers in the transverse
seats D, a pipe G, which is of smaller size, is provided. It will of course be
understood that on carriages having suitable seats, a single heater on each side
may be used, or in the case of a compartment carriage, a series of transversely
arranged heaters may be used properly connected by pipes at their ends in a manner
which will readily suggest itself to one skilled in the art to which my invention
appertains.
H and I indicate valves which are placed in the steam pipes J and K which
extend from the outer ends of the storage heaters E and F respectively and serve
to cut off the steam from such tanks.
Suspended under the platforms B and C of the carriage by any suitable means,
and preferably transverse of the carriage are horizontal cylindrical tanks L, M,
the construction of which is best shown in Figure 2. These cylinders L and M are
in all respects similar to each other and it will therefore be necessary to describe
but one of them.
The valved pipes J from the heaters E, E, communicate with the tank L, at
opposite sides of the carriage through openings as near the top of said tank as
can conveniently be arranged. Connected with the tank also near the top thereof
is a pipe N to the outer end of which is attached the coupling-hose O carrying at
its end a coupling P designed to fit a companion coupling on the adjacent carriage
of the train, for the purpose of continuing the system.
The inner end of the pipe N extends into the tank nearly to the centre of its
length along the top of the cylinder, and is provided with a laterally turned
nozzle Q which is curved to the shape of an elbow as shown more clearly in
Figure 5 and provided with openings R at either side but out of line with the end
of the pipe N.
This arrangement of the pipe N with reference to the tank prevents the entrance
of water into the pipe from the agitation which sometimes results from the motion
of the carriage. The transverse placing of the tank likewise tends to keep the
pipes J, which enter it at the ends free, by preventing the surging of the water to
either end of the cylinder when the carriage is stopped or started.
The construction of the heaters E and F may of course vary so far as relates to
the operation of the other portions of the device, the preferred construction which
will be described in detail further on, being shown in Figure 6. Steam is supplied
to the steam pipes from the locomotive or any other generator and enters, say, the
tank L through the pipe N from which it passes through the pipes J into the
heaters E and thence through the pipes G to the heaters F, passing out of the car
through the pipes K and valves I into the tank M. From the tank M the steam
passes out through a pipe corresponding in all respects to the pipe N of the
tank L, and on through the hose coupling to the next car. Any water of
condensation is collected in the tanks L and M and should the water of the
tanks Land M, freeze, as it can never fill these tanks above the pipe N, it will be
melted by the passage of the steam through said pipe. It is intended, however,
that under ordinary circumstances the water of condensation should be drained
from the tanks L and M by their respective drain-pipes, a hand-operated valved
drain-pipe S being shown in the drawings, for this purpose, although, as will be
described further on, it is preferable to drain all the tanks practically simultaneously
and automatically.
The tanks L and M being situated between the heating apparatus in the carriage
and the coupling between the carriages, intercepts all the water of condensation
from the carriage, so that none will lodge in the coupling excepting that which is
the result of the condensation within the coupling pipes themselves and the amount
of such water is found by experience to be so small as to dispense with the
necessity for any drain-pipe or trap directly connected to the couplings themselves.
In fact, by the peculiar arrangement of my system, any water of condensation

page_text: which lodges in the coupling pipes, even though the tanks L and M should be filled,
will be carried by the dry steam out of the coupling pipes and into the tanks upon
the next carriage.
The particular construction of the heater which I prefer for use in connection
with my invention, is illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8. This heater consists of an
outer shell or tube a of any desired length, which is connected by one of the pipes,
for instance, the pipe J with the source of steam supply, the connection being either
direct or through another heater or radiator, when a number of such are connected
in a series, as shown. The discharge or exhaust for the steam from the heater is
through the pipe G at the opposite end thereof, which conducts the steam to the
next generator of the series, as before described.
Within the outer shell or tube a is a smaller shell or tube b which is made
water-tight by suitable heads at each end of the tube while along the tube at
desirable intervals and near the top thereof, are a number of slots or openings c
which permit the steam to enter the interior tube b. This inner tube bears at some
portion of its periphery against the outer tube a so that it is exposed to the cooling
influence of the outer air to a limited extent.
As shown in the drawings this circumferential contact between the outer tube a
and the inner tube b is obtained by placing the inner tube eccentric within the
outer tube so that the two are in contact at the top. Any other mode of securing a
partial circumferential contact between the two tubes, however, would serve the
Bame end.
If found desirable to prevent the surging of the water of condensation which
gathers in the inner tube up to the level of the slots C, I may provide transverse
partitions d, as shown in Figures 9 and 10 extending up to or near the top of the
tube and having small openings e at the bottom thereof, through which the water
can pass slowly so as to maintain the same level throughout the tube. Such
openings, however, are too small to allow the sudden passage of any considerable
amount of water, hence there will be no considerable agitation or overflow of the
water contained in the inner tube if the latter is subjected to shocks such as arise
from the rapid motion of the car or its sudden starting and stopping.
Prior to my invention a storage heater of this class has been devised in which a
sealed tube similar in its relations to the interior tube 6 but concentrically located
within the outer tube, has been filled with water or other heat absorbing substances
for the purposes of a storage heater; but with such sealed tubes difficulties occur
in that the sealing is liable to be imperfect and if the contents are lost, there is no
convenient way of replacing them. Beside which, care must also be taken to fill
the tubes to precisely the desired point, as over-filling is liable to lead to their
bursting in case they are exposed to such a degree of cold as to cause the contents
to freeze, while partial filling detracts from their efficiency.
In practice my heater is erected without placing any water or liquid in the inner
tube. The steam used for heating is saturated so that the slightest lowering of the
temperature results in the condensation of a portion thereof. Such of the steam as
enters the interior tube through the slot c, being exposed to the cooling influence
of the outer air on one side, will condense and the water will be caught and retained
within the inner tube until such time as the tube becomes filled to the level of the
elots, when it will overflow into the outer tube. The water of condensation from
the outer tube, wherein condensation is much more rapid than in the inner tube, is
driven or carried out of the heater and deposited in the end tanks L and M when
such tanks are used in connection with the heater, or where such tanks are not
employed, it may be drained off in the usual manner such as by inclining the heater
in one direction or the other.
For draining the end tanks automatically and simultaneously I propose to provide
a suitable expansion device such as the diaphragm device f shown more particularly
in Figures 3 and 4, which may be operated either by a vacuum or by pressure. As
shown, a separate line pipe g shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 is run the length of
the train from the engine, where it connects either with the main reservoir of the

page_text: air-brake system, or with a separate reservoir, if desired, so that the engineer by
turning a suitable cock may at any time permit air to flow through the pipe g and
thus simultaneously actuate all of the expansion devices f, the diaphragms of which
operating from the lever h open a valve i and permit the discharge through the
spout of all or any portion of the water of condensation which has accumulated in
the end tanks. This attachment would render unnecessary the manipulation by
hand of the valved discharge pipes S which need only be supplied to provide for
emergency or the failure of the automatic device from any cause.
This automatic discharge device places the draining of the entire system wholly
and instantly within the control of the engineer so that he may exhaust the system
of the water of condensation as often as the severity of the weather may require.
The value of my arrangement containing these end tanks as well as the peculiar
form of storage heater, will be more fully appreciated when it is understood that
the principal use to which my invention is applicable, namely, the heating of
elevated and underground railway carriages, it is desirable that the water of
condensation should be caught and retained until the train reaches a suitable point
for discharging the same.
In such systems the amount of condensation is comparatively large, owing to the
constant opening of the doors at the ends or sides of the carriage, and consequently
the sudden changes of temperature which takes place in the carriage and for the
same reason the condensation in the apparatus on the different carriages varies very
materially in the exigencies of service.
Now as the heating apparatus on all of the carriages is dependent upon a single
source of supply and the steam must pass successively through the apparatus of
each carriage in the train, the apparatus consequently becomes a complete system
for each train and it is of course of the utmost importance that the steam should be
supplied as equitably as possible to all the carriages of the train and that the
water of condensation from all the said carriages should be properly disposed of
and should not interfere with the steam supply nor yet endanger the freezing of the
apparatus by an unequal distribution thereof.
I am aware that prior to my invention steam heating systems have been provided
with a separator designed to separate the steam from the water of condensation and
to catch and retain the same until discharged therefrom; but I am not aware of
any system wherein an arrangement of separators or tanks have been employed, or
where a series of separators or tanks have been so employed that an excers of the
water of condensation cannot remain in any portion of the system but will be
automatically distributed throughout a series of such separators so that the excess
of condensation in some of the separators will be carried to others in which the
condensation has not reached or exceeded the maximum, thus compensating for the
unequal condensation taking place in different parts of the system. This result
would not be possible where a single tank only is employed in a steam heating
system for railway carriages wherein the pipes and various apparatus are necessarily
in a horizontal position and in practically the same plane throughout the system.
This feature is one of the broad ideas of my invention, but my invention in a
more limited sense also comprises a receiving tank of a special construction
whereby this desirable result may be attained, such, for instance, as the one herein
shown and described wherein the inlet and exhaust from the tank are both near the
top thereof, the exhaust being so arranged that when the water of condensation
reaches the same, it will be carried out of the tank by the action of the steam,
through the connecting pipes into the next tank, where it may rest and help to fill
such tank, or if that tank be full then it will pass on through the system until it
finally reaches a tank which is not yet full.
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. In a carriage heating system the combination with a series of heating

page_text: apparatus in the different carriages or vehicles, a series of coupling pipes between
the carriages and a main steam supply pipe connecting said couplings and heating
apparatus, of a series of horizontal separators located on the carriages between
each heating apparatus and coupling pipes, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. In a carriage heating system the combination with a series of heating
apparatus located on the carriages of a train, the coupling pipes between the
carriages, and a main steam supply pipe connecting the coupling pipes and
apparatus of each carriage, of a series of horizontal separators located one at each
end of each carriage and between the coupling pipes and the heating apparatus on
each carriage, whereby the steam for the heating apparatus must pass through the
separators, substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. In a carriage heating system the combination with a series of heating
apparatus in the carriages of a train, the coupling pipes between the carriages, and
the main steam supply pipe connecting the coupling pipes with the heating
apparatus, of a series of horizontal separators, one at each end of each carriage
between the heating apparatus and the coupling pipes thereof, said separators
consisting of horizontal cylinders for the water of condensation, provided with a
steam pipe extending to about the centre of the length of said cylinder and opening
thereinto near the upper portion thereof and to which the main supply pipe is
connected and also provided with steam pipes entering the ends of said cylinder
near the upper portion thereof, said steam pipes forming a connection between the
heating apparatus and the coupling pipes, substantially as described.
4. In a carriage heating system the combination with a carriage, longitudinal
heaters at each side thereof, transversely arranged separators at each end of the
carriage and steam supply pipes connecting said heaters and separators, said
separators being connected at each end with the heaters at opposite sides of the
carriage and at one end with the coupling pipes, substantially as described.
5. In a carriage heating system the combination with a carriage, longitudinal
heaters therein at each side of the carriage, transversely arranged separators at
each end of the carriage and steam supply pipes connecting said heaters and
separators, said separators comprising the cylinder L, steam pipes N extending to
the centre of length of said cylinder and having an upturned nozzle opening there-
into near the upper portion thereof, and another steam pipe connection near the
upper portion of said cylinder forming the connection between said separators and
the coupling pipes substantially as described.
6. In a carriage heater the combination of an outer tube connected with a steam
supply and an inner tube of substantially less cross section than the outer tube,
whereby the space between said tubes constitutes a steam chamber, said inner tube
having closed ends and being provided with opening at or near its top, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
7. In a carriage heater, the combination of an outer tube connected with a steam
supply, an inner tube of substantially less cross section than the outer tube whereby
a space between said tubes constitutes a steam chamber, said inner tube being
provided with closed ends and openings at or near its top, and transverse partitions
within said inner tube, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
8. In a carriage heater, the combination of an outer tube connected with a steam
supply and an inner tube having closed ends and openings at or near its top, said
inner tube being in contact with the outer tube at one point only of its periphery,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
9. In a carriage heater, the combination of an outer tube connected with a steam
supply, an inner tube provided with closed ends, and openings at or near its top,
said inner tube being in contact with the outer tube at one part only of its
periphery, and transverse partitions within said inner tube, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
10. The combination with a carriage heating system of a series of tanks for
receiving the water of condensation therefrom and automatic discharge valves

page_text: for each of said tanks, controlled by the engineer of the train, substantially as
described.
11. In a carriage heating system the combination with a series of heating
apparatus in the different carriages connected in series with a source of steam
supply, and a series of tanks on the carriages for receiving the water of condensation
from said heating apparatus, of a discharge valve for each of said tanks, an
expansion device for operating the same and an air pipe leading from a suitable
source on the engine to each of said expansion devices and controlled by the
engineer, substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of November 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.