IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR VENTILATORS
Year: 1885

page_text: I; ALONZO BELL, of Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America,
Patent Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CAR VENTILATORS," 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 a simple and effective device for
facilitating the ventilation and cleansing of a railway car through an outlet passage
in the bottom thereof.
I attain this object by arranging beneath the floor of a car an exhaust casing,
or outlet passage, communicating with the interior of the car through a register or
registers in said casing, and communicating with the outer air, below the car floor,
through the open bottom of a double cowl, longitudinally placed at the base of
said casing.
The forward cowl, relatively to the movement of the car, deflects the air, which
enters it, downward and obliquely across the open bottom of the double cowl,
creating a downward draft in the casing, or outlet passage, through which the
unobstructed discharge of air and refuse dirt may take place from the body of
the car.
Figure 1, represents a perspective view of my device, showing double cowl, the
casing forming central passage therein, and register placed over said passage.
Figure 2, represents a longitudinal vertical section of the device drawn on line x, x,
of Figure 1.
Figure 3, represents a perspective elevation of a section of the interior of a car,
showing horizontal and vertical extension of the casing, or outlet passage, and the
floor and side registers placed therein.
Like letters indicate like parts.
A, A, are the cowls having deflecting plates d, d, d, d. B, is the exhaust casing,
or outlet passage, open at the bottom, and communicating with the interior of the
car through either of the registers C, E, F, and with the outer air between the
throats a, a, of the two cowls.
It will be seen that these cowls, so arranged, form a double cowl with an open
bottom, the casing B, acting as a central passage through which air and dirt may
be discharged below the line of the car floor.
The broken lines z, z, in Figure 1, indicate the upper and lower surfaces of the
car floor.

page_text: In Figure 3, the exhaust casing B, or outlet passage, is shown by dotted lines,
extended horizontally and vertically, for the ventilation of the upper and lower
portions of the car, through registers C, E, and F.
By opening the upper register and closing the lower one, the hot air is drawn
from the upper part of the car, while by closing the upper register, and opening
either of the lower ones, the lower portion is ventilated.
The impure air found along the line of the floor, as well as the refuse dirt
arising from sweepings or other causes, are best discharged by opening the register
in the floor, and closing those in the side.
It will be seen that the same effect is produced, whether the car is moving
forward or backward, as the air rushes in the cowl presented to the wind, and
is deflected downward at the base of the outlet passage, causing therein a positive
downward draft.
In cars already provided with upper ventilators, the casing vertically extended
on the side and the registers therein, may be dispensed with.
It is essential to the perfect operation of my device, that the air currents moving
downward through the outlet passage B, and those deflected through either of the
cowls A, A, should encounter nothing tending to obstruct their free flow into the
open air below the open bottom of the double cowl and the central outlet passage
therein.
It will be seen that the open bottom of my device, permits the free flow downward
of the currents passing through both the casing B, and the cowl A, thus effectually
preventing the accumulation of dirt or refuse at the base of the outlet passage, or
the formation of ice at that point, due to driving snow in severe weather.
The cowls A, A, may be connected with the exhaust casing in any way best
calculated to secure the full force of the deflected currents, either by a direct
attachment to the casing itself; or, by means of an independent boxing connected
therewith.
I
.
I am aware that the ventilation of a car by means of outward currents created
by cowls arranged on the side or top of a car, or at the base of, a closed hopper,
is not new.
:
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
.
J
1. The car ventilator herein described, consisting of the double cowl A, A, open
at the bottom and having central passage B, arranged beneath the car and,
communicating, with the interior thereof, and a register placed over the passage B,
whereby air and dirt may be discharged from the bottom of the car, as and for
the purpose set forth and described.
2. The car ventilator herein described consisting of a double cowl A, A, having
an open bottom and arranged horizontally beneath a car floor, exhaust casing B,
forming at its lower end a vertical central passage through said double cowl, and
communicating with the interior of the car, a floor register and a side register or,
registers, opening into said casing as shown and described, whereby air and dirt
may be discharged from the lower portion and the hot air removed from the upper
portion of the car, substantially as set forth.
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LT1005