Improvements in Spark Conductors.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spark Conductors.
I KENT HERSEY CAREER, of Salem in the County of Roanoke and State of
Virginia, United States of America, gentleman, 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 present invention relates to improvements in Spark Conductors.
The object of the present invention is to convey the sparks and cinders from a
locomotive smoke-stack to a suitable recoptacle at the rear of the tender where they
may be retained until the end of a trip or from where they may be deposited at:
suitable places, or be allowed to fall along the road to supply ballast.
Furthermore, the object of the invention is to provide a spark conductor adapted to
deposit the sparks and cinders in a receptacle at the rear of the tender with equal,
facility whether the engine is running ahead or backing, and, furthermore the object
of the invention is to provide a spark conductor adapted to afford a straight draft to
enable the steam to be readily gotten up and the fires to be started and kept burning:
while the engine is stationary.
A final object of the invention is to provide means for controlling the smoke and,
gases after they have left the flue and passed through the foraminous portion in the top
thereof and have been separated from the sparks and cinders and convey them beneath
the cars or to some other convenient point whereby they will be prevented from
entering the car windows.
The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement
of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and
pointed out in the claims hereto appended.
In the drawings
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an engine provided with a spark conductor constructed
in accordance with my invention.
Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of the conductor.
Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view of the spark and cinder receptacle taken one
line of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of the conductor flne.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a portion of the flue partly in section to illustrate, then
arrangement of the deflectors.
Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the top and front of the smoke stack.
Fig. 7 is a detail view of a portion of the flue showing the damper which when.
open causes a straight draft through the engine.
Fig. 8 is a detail view of a portion of the flue above the tender showing the manner
of securing the parts together and illustrating in dotted lines the position of the pipes
when swung aside.
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the spark conductor having a hood or casing for
conveying the smoke and gases beneath the cars.
Fig. 10 a detail longitudinal sectional view.
Fig. 11 a transverse sectional view on line - Fig. 9.
Fig. 12 a similar view on line y-y Fig: 9.
Fig. 13 a detail perspective view of a modification of the invention intended more
especially for passenger trains.
Fig. 14 a longitudinal sectional view of the construction shown in Fig. 13.
Referring to Figs. I to S, A designates the flue of the conductor extending from
the smoke-stack B to a suitable receptacle and consisting of two sections A and A.
the latter of which, being secured above the tender and provided with a flaring mouth.

page_text: to receive the former whereby a flexible connection is formed to permit free movement
of the sections.
The adjacent ends of the sections A1 and A2 are secured above the engine and
tender respectively by means of supports D and D' and their outer ends are secured
to the smoke-stack B and the receptacle C by riveting or the like.
The upper end of the smoke-stack is curved near the top where it joins the
section A of the flue A and has formed integral with ita forwardly extending tubular
portion the front end of which is slightly flared and has the large flaring end 62
riveted or otherwise secured thereto; but it may be desirable to form the parts b
and in one piece.
The smoke-stack communicates directly with the flue A by means of its curved
upper end b which has in its front face within the tubular portion ban opening
through which protrudes the reduced end e of a conical lining E which is secured
within the flaring front of smoke stack by upsetting its front edge el against the
outside of the flaring front portion; or in any other desired manner.
By this construction the draft through the flue is limited and the latter is not
choked up with air, as would bo the case were the draft opening in the flaring front
of the sinoke stack of the same diameter as the flue.
The section A is provided near its rear end with a wire gauze or foraminous iop
portion F which is directly over the cab of the engine and is of suitable size to permit
a portion of the smoke to pass out. By arranging the foraminous portion over
the top of the cab, the smoke is allowed to escape without being sucked into the
window..
In order to prevent the air from striking directly upon the wire gauze F and
thereby permit the smoke to escape freely, a series of deflectors G are provided which
are pivoted longitudinally between the sides h.of a frame H which is secured to the
top of the flue just over tho wire gauze F.
The upper edges of the deflectors Gare connected to a rod I which has its rear end
pivoted to a lever I that is fulcrumed in the bifurcated end of a curved arm
whereby the engineer by means of the lever 1' can incline the deflectors G-forward or
backward according to the direction in which, the engine is going, to cause air to
strike against the sides of the deflectors and be thrown upward thereby affording
means for carrying off the smoke.
The rear end of the section A is curved downward and communicates with the
spark and cinder receptacle C, and has a foraminous top portion F' similar to the
portion Falready described and the smoke which has not already escaped, passes out
through the wire gauze top portion F-which is similarly protected from direct
contact with the air by a series of deflectors G which is pivoted between the sides of
a frame that is secured to the section A and has its ends ' curved outward to
direct the smoke upward. The upper edges of the deflectors G₁, are connected to a
rod J and a lever J and are operated as heretofore described.
The spark and cinder receptacle C is situated at the rear of and is of the same
width as the tender and it fins depending from each side thereof two discharge
pipes CC which are provided near their lower ends with valves c. The valves are
attached to arms of similar levers K which are arranged upon each side of the
tender and are provided at their upper ends with pawls and ratchets k¹ which securely
retain the levers in position to keep the valves open or shut. The valves may be kept
open to deposit the cinders along the road to provide ballast or they may be closed
and the cinders deposited at the end of the trip or other suitable places, and to direct
the cinders into the discharge pipes the receptacle is provided with a false
bottom which has inclined sides that cause the cinders to fall into the said
pipes C¹.
When it is desired to deposit the cinders along the road bed to form ballast the flue
is preferably provided at intervals along its inner surface with triangular or other
angular shape pieces L which project a slight distance inward from the flue A to
obstruct the passage of the cinders and extinguish and pulverize the same.

page_text: The flue A is provided in its top, a short distance in the rear of the smoke stack,
with a rectangular opening, a, the sides of which project slightly above the flue. The
opening is closed by a damper M which is pivoted at one corner to the flue and has
connected to the opposite corner of the same side, one leg n of a V shaped lever
which has its other leg pivoted to the flue A. A rod O extends from the cab to
the apex of the lever N whereby the damper M may be opened to cause a straight or
substantially straight draft through the engine which is necessary in getting up
steam.
The draft through the flue A is also regulated by a slide P which is moved
longitudinally along the top of the flue in suitable ways, to cover the wire gauze
top F and restrict the passage of the smoke therethrough.
As illustrated in Fig. 8 the section A may be constructed of two pieces which are
connected together by linges a' that are arranged upon the sides of the flue and are
provided with removable pintles a whereby the flue may be swung aside as illustrated
in dotted lines, to free the tender if necessary in order to connect the latter to a water-
tank.
From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings it will readily be
seen that an extension front to receive the sparks and cinders is dispensed with, that
there is no necessity for inspection of smoke stacks and that the draft is increased
thereby getting the maximum amount of heat from the coal used.
Referring to Figs. 9 to 14, the flue A has a portion B of an approximately semi-
cylindrical hood or casing B, situated over portion of the section A' of the flue, to
receive the smoke and gases after passing through the foraminous portion and been
separated from the cinders and sparks and to convey them rearward into section Bº
of hood B, which section extends along flue A and teriminates in a depending tube or
pipe B extending through spark receptacle A³ to a suitable point below same where
Sinoke and gases are discharged and carried away.
The hood or casing which forms a separate way for sparks and cinders and other
solid matter, is riveted or similarly secured to the sides of the flue and section B' has a
flaring mouth and situated slightly in advance of portion a.
The rear end of section A of flue and section B' of hood enter and project u
suitable distance in mouth formed by the forward ends of section A and section B²
and the portion a' is slightly flared and projects beyond and over the upper portion of
the rear end of section A' of flue and separates the passage for the sparks from that of
the smoke and gases.
In Figs. 13 and 14 the smoke and gases are conveyed to the rear of the train
instead of beneath the tender.
The pipe Band portion B of casing are omitted and pipe D which extends along
the top of the cars, and has suitable flexible connections is secured to the rear end of
section B2 of the hood, the lower portion of the front end of pipe D being cut away to
conform to the configuration of flue A and make a neat connection between the pipe
and hood.
The smoke and gases leave flue A through the portions a and a² as in the con-
struction shown in Figs. 1 to 8, and are received by the hood or casing and thereby
controlled and carried away.
It will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction
and arrangement of parts as shown, as changes may be made therein without
departing from the spirit of my invention.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be perforined I declare that what I
claim is
1. A spark conductor having a flaring mouth provided with a conical lining having
its reduced end communicating with the flue, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. A spark conductor provided with a foraminous top portion and a series of
movable deflectors arranged above the same, substantially as described.

page_text: 3. A spark conductor having a flue provided with a foraminous top portion a frame
extending above the foraminous portion and a series of deflectors pivoted in said frame
and suitable means for operating the deflectors, substantially as described.
4. A spark conductor having a flue provided with a foraminous top portion a series
of deflectors arranged above the foraminous portion and a slide adapted to close the
foraminous portion substantially as described.
5. A spark conductor having a flue provided with a foraminous top portion, a
frame extending above the foraminous portion and having curved ends to direct the
smoke upward and a series of deflectors pivoted in said frame, substantially as
described.
6. In a spark conductor, the receptacle O situated at the rear of the tender and
having outlet pipes depending from each side and provided with a false bottom having
inclined side to direct the cinders into said pipes, substantially as described.
7. A spark conductor having a flue provided with an opening in its top near its
front end and a damper adapted to, close said. opening substantially as and for the
purpose described.
8. A spark conductor having a flue provided with an opening in its top near its
front end, a damper closing said opening and a V-shaped lever pivoted to the damper
and the flue and provided with an operating rod substantially as described.
9. A spark conductor having a flue provided along its interior with projections to
pulverize the cinders substantially as described.
10. In a spark conducior, a flue; having its sections secured together by hinges
having removable pintles substantially as described.
11. A spark conductor having its flue provided with angular projections for the
purpose set forth.
12. A spark conductor having a flaring mouth provided with an inner lining, the
inner end of which projects beyond the sinoké flue, substantially as described.
13. In a spark conductor, the flue extending along the top of the locomotive and
each car, and the smoke stack having its upper end curved rearwardly and con-
necting directly with and forming a part of the flue so as to provide a direct passago
for the sparks and products of combustion, said smoke stack having a flaring mouth
mounted on its outside, and provided. with an opening in its front-side combined with
the conical lining mounted in the flaring mouth of the smoke stack and having its
inner end extending through the opening in the front side of the smoke stuck for the
purpose set forth.
14. The combination in a spark conductor, of a flue provided with a foraminous
portion for the discharge of the smoke and gases, and a hood or casing extending
along, the flue and adapted to receive: said smoke and gases, substantially as
described.
15. The combination in a spark conductor of a flue having a foraminous portion for
the discharge of smoke and gases and a hood extending along the flue and adapted to
receive the smoke and gases and terminating in a pipe or tube whereby the smoke
and gases may be carried to a convenient point for discharge, as described.
16. In a spark conductor the combination of the flue provided with a foraminous
portion and a semi-cylindrical hood or casing arranged above the foraminous portion
and extending along the flue and terminating ina suitable pipe or tube substantially
as described.
17. The combination in a spark conductor, of a section A¹ of the flue provided with
a foraminous portion the portion of the semi-cylindrical hood or casing arranged
above the foraminous portion and having, its front end slightly flared, the section A³
of the flue and the portion B of the semi-cylindrical hood or "ensing, said sections
having their front ends flared and adapted to receive the rear ends of the section A¹
of the flue and the portion B of the hood or casing as described.
: -
18. In a spark conductor the combination with the section. A of the flue and the
portion B of the hood or casing, of the section A of the flue and the portion B of
the hood or casing having their front, ends flared and adapted to receive the end of
section A and the portion B, the upper portion of section A of the flue being slightly.
"

page_text: flared and extending over the upper portion of the end of the section A¹, whereby the
passages for sparks and cinders and smoke and gases are separated at the junction of
the sections, as described.
Dated this 23rd day of Santambar 1980
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.