IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY WATER CRANES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Christopher Rapier, of 5, Westminster
Chambers, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY WATER CRANES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Christophor
Rapier at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 27th August 1869.
I, RICHARD CHRISTOPHER RAPIER, of 5, Westminster Chambers, in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY WATER CRANES," to
be as follows:-
In constructing railway water cranes I arrange the flue from the fire
basket, which is used as a protection from frost, to pass up through
the water pipe in place of around it as heretofore, where a hot air flue
has been provided.
I proceed as follows:-On a suitable base plate I cast a short length
of pipe, and at one side of the pipe a fire-place, and an elbow pipe
passing from the fire-place into the said pipe, and turning up so as to

page_text: become flush or nearly flush with the flange joint of the pipe and con-
centric with it. If the water pipe be 8" diameter the said elbow pipe
would be about four inches diameter, and would terminate with a socket
to receive a pipe, which passes through the water column, and so acts
like a chimney; the water column is then bolted on to the short length
of pipe cast on the base plate. Or instead of a fire-place for a coal fire I
cast or fix on the base plate a short length of pipe of a larger diameter
than the diameter of the water pipe of the column, and inside this short
length I make a chamber, in which I burn gas or paraffin or any other
oil or spirit used for illuminating or heating purposes, the said chamber
terminating in a socket flush with the top flange or nearly so, into
which socket I fix a smoke pipe, as above described. The water column
may be finished either with a short bend to attach leather hose, or may
be furnished with a swing jib as may be preferred.
Another provision against frost is as follows:-In constructing the
valve for turning on the water I make the valve chest, by preference,
so that the water supply comes in on the top of the valve, and the
passage way to the water column leads from underneath the valve. I
continue the valve spindle through the bottom of the valve chest, and on
the under side of the valve chest I fix a small valve seat and an external
valve fixed on the main valve spindle. The distance between the two
valves is greater than the distance between the two valve seats, so as
to allow of the full opening of the main valve by the time the small
valve is shut. When the main valve is shut the small valve is open
and drains the water column as a precaution against frost. Over the
small valve a cap may be fixed furnished with a cock, so that the cock
may be closed in summer weather, and so prevent the waste of water,
and when frosty weather returns the cock may be opened, and then the
small valve drains the water column after each time of using. When
a cock only is fixed, as heretofore, the men using the water crane con-
stantly forget to turn the cock. This valve makes the draining of the
water crane quite independent of the forgetfulness. of the men. If the
water supply comes in underneath the valve, or if the valve be reversed,
then I place the small draining valve on one side of the water column
pipe, and actuate it by a tappet fixed to the main valve spindle, and
if necessary a bell crank interposed between the tappet and the small
valve.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Christopher Rapier in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 26th February 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
CHRISTOPHER RAPIER, of 5, Westminster Chambers, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
exe-.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Richard Christopher Rapier, Her
special licence, that I, the said Richard Christopher Rapier,
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I; the said Richard
Christopher Rapier, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY WATER CRANES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Christopher Rapier, my
exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seál Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Christopher Rapier, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in railway water
cranes.
In constructing railway water cranes I arrange the flue from the fire
basket, which is used as a protection from frost, to pass up through the
water pipe in place of around it, as heretofore, when a hot-air flue s
been provided. I also, as a further provision against frost, so arrange.

page_text: as may be most convenient. An air vessel e' is also provided in con-
nection with the supply pipe. From the lower part of the valve box
the pipe b rises to the under side of the bed plate, where it is fixed in
such manner as to communicate with the column b. i is the main
water valve with its spindle ¹ passing up out of the valve box through
a gland to the bracket on the column b. The spindle is so formed
that it cannot turn in this bracket, and immediately above it has a
screw thread upon it engaging with a corresponding thread within the
hand wheel k, the boss of which bears upon the top of the bracket b³, so
that by turning the hand wheel & the valve i is lifted so that the water
may pass it; is a second hand wheel at a suitable height to be worked
from the engine, its axis is carried by a second bracket 3 and is keyed
into the wheel k. On the valve spindle below the valve i is a small
cylindrical valve working in a corresponding opening g' in the
bottom of the valve box g. 9' is a passage from the side of the opening
g', which when the main valve i is closed is in free communication with
the lower part of the valve box and with the column b, and any water
these parts contain can escape by this passage, but when the valve i is
lifted the small valve covers the passage g2, and closes it whilst the
water crane is in use; m is a small tap or valve, which may be closed
to put the, draining arrangements out of work during the summer
months; is a grating to let waste water from the hose pass into the
pit f, from whence a suitable drain conveys it away; o is a dash plato
beneath the grating n to prevent the water splashing the pipes and
parts in the pit and keeping them constantly wet.
Where solid fluel is employed to protect water cranes from frost I
prefer somewhat to modify the construction in the manner shewn in
section at Figure 4. On a suitable base plate a I cast a short length of
pipe a', and at one side of the pipe a fire-place a² and an elbow pipe a³
passing from the fire-place into the said pipe, and turning up so as to
become flush or nearly flush with the flange joint of the pipe and con-
centric with it. If the water pipe be 8 inclics diameter the said elbow
pipe would be about four inches diameter and would terminate with a
socket to receive a pipe b which passes through the water column c, and
so acts like a chimney, the water column c is then bolted on to the
short length of pipe cast on the base plate.
In water cranes in which the main valve is arranged as is now usual
with the supply beneath it I provide for the draining of the column

page_text: each time that the water crane is used by preference in the following
manner: I place the small draining valve on one side of the water
column pipe, or in a similar convenient position, and actuate it by a
tappet fixed to the main valve spindle, and if necessary a bell crank
interposed between the tappet and the small valve.
This arrangement is shewn in section at Figure 5. a is the main valve
with its spindle a¹; b is the supply pipe; c is the draining valve fitted
in the portion of the valve box which is in constant communication
with the water column; d is a bell-crank lever which actuates it; and e
is a tappet on the spindle a' working the lever d. The valve c forms
the stop which regulates the distance the valve a can lift.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Christopher Rapier, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of
February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy.
RICH'. C. RAPIER. (L.S.)