Cerugines by Means of a Jet of Live or Exhaust Steam. "SLIPPING OF LOCOMOTIVE OR OTHER, ENGINES
Year: 1886

page_text: PP8
Cerugines by
Means of a Jet of Live or Exhaust Steam.
"
JOSEPH RICHARDS DIX General Manager of the Corris Railway, Corris Merioneth-
shire North Wales do hereby declare the nature of my invention for. PREVENTING
THE "SLIPPING OF LOCOMOTIVE OR OTHER, ENGINES to be as follows:
"
A Jet of Live or Exhaust Steam is by means of a pipe or tube brought down to
play upon the rails, either in front, rear or between the wheels of a Locomotive or
other Engine thereby clearing or cleaning the rails of the matter, substance or
thing which prevent the effectual adhesion of the wheels to the rails.

page_text: Preventing the "Slipping" of Locomotive or other Engines by
Means of a Jet of Live or Exhaust Steam.
I, JOSEPH RICHARDS DIX, General Manager of the Corris Railway, Corris,
Merionethshire, North Wales, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide, in a very simple and effective manner,
for preventing slipping of the wheels of a locomotive upon the rails.
It is well known that much inconvenience and delay are frequently caused by
the slipping of the driving-wheels of locomotives in frosty or wet weather, or when
any grease or greasy substance accumulates upon the wheels or upon the rails.
To obviate this inconvenience and delay, it has been customary to drop sand upon 1
the rails in front of the driving wheels.
Now I have discovered that, by directing jets of steam upon the rails in front of
the wheels of a locomotive, the adherence of the said wheels to the rails is very
considerably increased, the surface of the rails being effectually cleaned by the
action of the steam-jets. According to my said invention, I utilize for this purpose,
either the live steam from the boiler or the exhaust steam from the cylinders of the
locomotive or both the live and the exhaust steam.
In carrying my said invention into practice, according to one method, I attach a
cock or valve to the exhaust pipe or passage of each cylinder, and connect with each
cock or valve one end of a pipe, the other end of which extends, in front of one of
the driving wheels, to within a short distance from the top of the rail. I sometimes
provide the said pipe with a branch which extends in rear of the driving wheel.
Or I use two separate pipes one extending in front and the other in rear of the
driving wheel and so arranged that either pipe may be used according to the
direction in which the locomotive is travelling. The lower ends of these pipes are
partially closed or are provided with nozzles so that the steam will issue therefrom
in jets of suitable size.
In some instances, I connect the said pipes with cocks or valves on the boiler, as
well as or instead of upon the exhaust pipes or passages of the cylinders. Or I so
arrange the said pipes that either the exhaust steam or the live steam from the
boiler or both the live and the exhaust steam may be used as desired.
The two pipes are sometimes connected with a single cock or valve on the boiler
or on a pipe connecting the exhaust passages of the cylinders.
In some cases, it may be found sufficient to use a steam-jet in front or in rear or
both in front and in rear of only one of the driving wheels; but I prefer to provide
for directing steam-jets in front and in rear of all the driving wheels.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
First. The utilization of one or more steam-jets, substantially in the manner
above described, for preventing slipping of the wheels of a locomotive on the rails.
Second. The employment, in combination with a locomotive, of one or more cocks
or valves on the boiler or on the exhaust pipe or passage and one or more pipes
connected therewith for directing a jet or jets of steam upon the rails, substantially
as, and for the purpose, set forth.