IMPROVEMENTS IN ASH PANS FOR LOCOMOTIVES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
"
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
ASH PANS FOR LOCOMOTIVES."" A communication from abroad by Michael
Birmingham O'Neil, of Halifax, in the County of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th May 1881.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ASH PANS FOR LOCOMOTIVES."
[A communication from abroad by Michael Birmingham O'Neil, of Halifax, in
the County of Halifax, Nova Scotia.]
The object of this Invention is to provide means for enabling the ash pan of a
locomotive engine to be emptied at any time or place, and it consists in the
employment of pans which form the bottom of the ash box, and are hung on pivots
and provided with connections from the driver's foot plate, whereby they can be
turned on their pivots and emptied; also in certain devices combined with the
pans, as hereafter described;
At the ends, front, and rear, the openings between the pans and the grate bars
are fitted with hinged doors or flaps, so that the ash box is completely closed.
The pans are formed of sheet or boiler iron, in semi circular form, or nearly so,
in cross section, and with their ends closed by plates. They are hung by pivots
at front and rear on cross bars that are fixed to the plates forming the sides of the
ash box, and are connected at the rear ends by pins to a rod or bar attached to a
crank lever. The pivots are at one side of the centre of the pans, and the pins are
below the pivots, so that the pans can be readily turned by endwise movement of
the connecting bar.
The pans are formed at their upper edges with flanges, so that at their joining
edges the flanges will overlap, and the side plates of the ash box are fitted with
guards against which the outer flanges impinge. The bottom is thus closed tightly,
so that sparks and ashes cannot escape.

page_text: A rod extends upward from the crank lever to a convenient position to be
operated from the cab. By the downward movement of this rod the connecting
rod is moved end wise, and the pans swung on their pivots so that their contents
will be discharged. A reverse movement of the rod restores the parts to their first
position.
A water pipe connected with the water tank passes over the pans, and is pro-
vided with openings for discharging into the pans. The pipe will have a cock
to regulate the discharge, so that the ashes can be wetted down before being
emptied.
This construction and arrangement lessens labour, promotes draught, saves fuel,
and avoids danger of fire. The ashes can be emptied at any time or place; being
wetted they will not set fire to bridges or sleepers; and being frequently emptied
will serve as ballast and prevent growth of grass on the line.
The readiness with which the ashes may be cleaned out without the operator
leaving his position on the foot plate, and while the locomotive is in motion is, of
great advantage, and an increased draught results from the ash box being emptied
frequently.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th November 1881.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ASH PANS FOR LOCOMOTIVES,"
A communication from abroad by Michael Birmingham O'Neil, of Halifax, in the
County of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The object of this Invention is to provide for emptying the ash pans of loco-
motive engines at any time or place, and it consists in pans hung on end pivots
and provided with connections from the locomotive cab, whereby they can be
turned on their pivots and emptied; also in certain devices combined with the
pans, all as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 is a rear end view of a locomotive firo
and ash box of the improved construction; Figure 2 is a side view; and Figure 3
a front end view of the same. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts.
A, A, are the sides of the locomotive cab; B is the floor line, and C is the fire
door of the furnace; D, D, are plates forming the sides of the ash box, the bottom
of which is formed by the pans E. At the ends, front, and rear, the openings
between the pans and the grate bars are fitted with hinged doors or flaps F; so
that the ash box is completely closed. The pans E are formed of sheet or boiler
iron, in semicircular form, or nearly so, in cross section, and with their ends closed
by plates. The pans are hung at front and rear by pivots a on cross bars b that
are fixed to the side plates D, and are connected at the rear ends by pins c to a
rod or bar d that extends from a crank lever e. The pivots a of the pans are at
one side of the centre, and the pivots c of the rod d are below the pivots a, so that
the pans can be readily turned by endwise movement of the connecting bar d.
The pans are formed at their upper edges with flanges f, so that at their joining
edges the flanges will overlap, and the side plates D are fitted with guards g
against which the outer flanges impinge. The bottom is thus closed tightly, so
that sparks and ashes cannot escape. From the crank lever e a rod h extends
upward to a convenient position to be operated from the cab. By the downward
movement of rod ½ the connecting rod d is moved endwise, and the pans swung
on their pivots to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, so that their
contents will be discharged. A reverse movement of rod h returns the pans to
their first position. A water pipe i connected with the water tank passes over
the pans E, and is provided with openings for discharging into the pans.
The pipe
will have a cock to regulate the discharge, so that the ashes can be wetted down
before being emptied.
This construction and arrangement lessens labor, promotes draft, saves fuel, and
avoids danger of fire. The ashes can be emptied at any time or place; being wetted,
they will not set fire to bridges or sleepers; and being frequently emptied, will
serve as ballast and prevent the growth of grass upon the line. The readiness
with which the ashes may be cleaned out without the operator leaving the cab,
and while the locomotive is in motion, is of great advantage, and an increased draft
results from the ash box being emptied frequently.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The combination with a locomotive ash box of pivoted pans E fitted for
movement by rod d, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

page_text: 2nd. The combination in a locomotive ash box of the pivoted pans E, formed
with flanges f, side plates D, provided with guards g, pivoted rod d, and connecting
rod h, substantially as shown and described.
3rd. The water pipe i combined with the swinging ash pans E, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty fifth day of November, A.D. 1881.
A M
ADIZ