Improvement in Locomotive Cab Windows or Doors and Windows for Lighthouses, Pilot Houses, or other Windows.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 12th May, 1894
COME LEIL SIMOIFICATION.
Improvement in Locomotive Cab Windows or Doors and Windows
for Lighthouses, Pilot Houses, or other Windows.
I, CHARLES ARTHUR ALLISON, of 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention' (which
has been communicated to me from abroad by Hollis Wilson Tinker, of Nashua,
in the County of Hillsborough, State of New Hampshire, United States of America,
Locomotive Engineer), and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in windows whereby the same
are rendered free from obstruction by the accumulation of ice, sleet, steam, snow
or frost thereon.
My invention consists in providing a door or window with two panes of glass
arranged with a space between them, or a glass chamber having substantially
parallel sides and means for heating a heavy fluid or transparent liquid between
said plates or within said chamber to a sufficient degree to cause the melting of
any such gatherings thereon.
My invention also consists in novel features of construction whereby a tight
chamber or space between two transparent plates is heated and also whereby
water to be heated may be introduced into the chamber and passed down into
a lower portion and also whereby discoloured water may be drawn off.
In carrying my invention into practice one of the simplest forms of construction
is as follows: A frame is provided, which may be of metal, celluloid, hard
rubber, vulcanized fibre or any suitable material and glass plates are arranged
on each side of said frame, suitable packing being interposed, if necessary, between
the inner surface of each plate of glass and the outer edges of said frame. A
clamping frame is arranged upon the outer surfaces of each of the glass plates,
with suitable packing interposed and the whole are then clamped together,
preferably by the employment of screws passing through the outer clamping plates
and into the inner face of frame or lugs thereon. In some instances I construct the
device with a chamber arranged below the chamber formed by the space between
the glass plates and I may either heat a fluid or gas deposit in the lower chamber
and thus communicate the heat to the heavy fluid or transparent liquid in the upper
chamber, or I may heat in any convenient manner the heavy fluid or transparent
liquid in the chamber formed between the glass plates.
Various forms of heating contrivances may be employed, but with an ordinary
locomotive I prefer to arrange a pipe within the main chamber and connect therewith
pipes connecting with the boiler, thus conducting a supply of steam through the
heating tube in or below the main chamber and by this means heat the fluid or
transparent liquid to the requisite degree to cause the rapid melting or evaporation
of any of said accumulations.
In order that the invention may be readily understood I have hereunto annexed
oue sheet of drawings and will refer to the same in the following more particular
description.
Fig. 1 is an elevation and partial section of a locomotive cab having its lookout
window constructed in accordance with my invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the lookout window on an enlarged scale.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the improved window or door illustrating one
method of arranging the heating tube.

page_text: Figure 4 is a horizontal section on an enlarged scale showing one method of
arranging the frame, the glass and the packing.
Figure 5 is a sectional view of a portion of the frame showing the plates of glass
in position therein and showing the inner packing strip arranged between the inner
faces of the glass plate near the edges and the outer face of the frame rib and
showing also the outer packing strips arranged between the packing frames and the
outer faces of the glass plates.
Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of another form of construction wherein the
heating tube projects into the main chamber, suitable steam passage ways being
provided in the frame and a passage or opening being also provided for the purpose
of drawing off the contents of the chamber when desirable.
Figure 7 is a side view op a reduced scale of the. lower portion of a door or
window having my device arranged thereon, the construction being the same as
that illustrated in Figure 6.
In Figure 8 I illustrate one of the simplest forms of construction, it being an
arrangement of pipes in the form of a radiator coil arranged in the chamber
below the main chamber and the steam connection being made therewith by
the employment of flexible rubber or other tubes. It will be seen that by the
employment of flexible connections I am enabled to turn the window or door
upon its hinges without in any manner interfering with the operation of the
device. I prefer, however, in many instances to employ the construction illustrated
in Figure 1. The supply pipe in this instance being of metal and connected with
the boiler and extending to a point in line with the central point of the hinges, and
from this central pivotal connection I extend the supply pipe K to the main chamber
or to the lower chamber, so that if the door or window be turned upon its hinges
the pivotal connection of the steam supply pipe being in the same line will also turn
and all deflection of the pipe be avoided as no strain will be applied excepting to
turn the steam joint in its seat.
I prefer also in some instances that instead of carrying the return back to the
boiler as illustrated in Figure 8 that it should be allowed to escape as shown in
Figure 1, the exhaust or escape pipe L being projected to some convenient point
through the cab floor and thus the steam or products of condensation be allowed to
escape. Suitable valve or stop cocks are arranged adjacent to the boiler and also
at the outlet portion of the chamber, so that the quantity of steam or hot water, or
the quantity escaping therefrom may be regulated so that the temperature of the
heavy fluid or transparent liquid in the chamber may be maintained at a sufficient
degree to cause all accumulation of ice, snow, sleet or moisture on the glass to be
melted or thrown off, while at the same time I am enabled to maintain a sufficiently
low temperature to avoid the gathering of steam in the chamber or any undue
pressure therein.
The construction illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 comprises first a door or window
having an opening therein of sufficient size to admit the metallic frame carrying
the glass. The metallic or other frame for the reception of the glass may be either
rectangular or of any desired shape and consists essentially of a frame having
suitable rabbets or recesses upon each side for the reception of a strip of packing,
then the glass plates are laid in upon each side bearing against the first packing
strips and the second packing strip is arranged upon the outer surfaces of the glass
near the edges and outside of the outer packing I arrange clamping frames c
which frames are forced toward each other either by the screws passing from
one into the other as illustrated in Fig. 4 or by screws passing into said frame
or into suitable lugs arranged thereon.
A chamber is formed at the lower end of the glass holding frame through
which I pass the steam or hot water pipe as illustrated in Fig. 3 and suitable
openings are made from the chamber j into the main chamber formed by the space
between the two glass plates.
At the upper portion of the frame I provide a tapering projection for convenience
in filling the main chamber with water or medium which I may employ. This is

page_text: provided with a lid i and if it happened at any time that the temperature in the
main chamber is raised to a degree in excess of that required the pressure caused
by the expansion of the material therein will force the lid i thus relieving
open,
the main chamber from pressure and avoiding all danger of breaking of glass.
In Fig. 4 the glass plates F are shown upon a larger scale resting with their
edges in recesses formed between the clamping plates c and the inner ribb of the
frame E and in this figure I also illustrate the employment of tin foil arranged
between the packing and glass, thus avoiding all danger of the packing adhering to.
the glass.
This feature of construction may be employed in some cases where soft rubber
packing used. In Fig. 4 I also show an arrangement of the clamping plates c
bearing with their outer edges against the material forming the door or window
frame and by this construction the clamping plates serve to hold the device in
position in the door or window and as all tilting of the clamping plates is avoided
a lighter construction may be employed.
In some cases I prefer that the device be constructed without the employment of
the lower chamber j as shown in Figs. 1, 2 & 3 and prefer that in place of said
chamber, the main frame be provided with suitable openings for the passage of
steam or hot water into and out of the same and also that suitable opening be made
whereby the contents may be turned from the main chamber when desired. I
arrange an inner heating tuber connected at each end with said inlet openings in
the frame, so that instead of the material in the main chamber being heated by
means of the material in the lower chamber it becomes heated directly in the main
chamber or from heating tube r
A different construction as before stated is shown in Fig. 8 wherein the lower
chamber is made of much greater area than shown in Fige. 1, 2 & 3 and the
heating coils as shown in dotted lines are arranged therein.
It will be seen that the material within the chamber may be heated by the
employment of an electric current, a lamp, by chemical or other means without
departing from my invention and also that hot water or other heating medium may
be caused to flow through the main chamber and by this means maintain the
temperature at the desired degree to accomplish the result herein set forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1st. A window or door composed of two panes of glass set apart and having the
intermediate space filled with a heavy transparent fluid, suitable means for
confining the fluid within the chamber, and suitable means for heating the fluid,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
2nd. The combination of the sash frame, two panes of glass, elastic packing
applied upon the seats of the sash frame, clamping portions, a body of heavy
transparent fluid confined between the panes or plates of glass and suitable means
for heating said body of fluid, substantially as and for the purpose described.
3rd. A window or door for a locomotive cab and other purposes comprising
separated panes or plates of glass with a fluid tight space between them, and a
body of heavy transparent fluid between the glass panes or plates, means for
heating said fluid and a hinged pipe connection, substantially as described.
4th. A hinged window or door for a locomotive cab or other purpose, comprising
separated panes or plates of glass with a fluid tight space between them, and a
body of heavy transparent fluid between the panes of glass, means for heating the
fluid, hinged pipe connection and a quadrant latching arm and support, substantially
as described.
5th. A locomotive cab or other analogous structure having windows or doors
provided with glass panes in duplicate and set apart, an upper and lower
hermetically sealed chamber, a heating coil in one of the chambers and circulating

page_text: pipes connecting the coil with a boiler or other structure which supplies the heating
agent to the coil, substantially as described.
6th. The combination of the double glazed window or door, the fluid or vapour
tight heating chamber j, circulation space G, heating coil having pipes whose ends
are connected with the boiler substantially as described.
7th. The combination of the glazed window or door C, heating chamber j,
space G, passage between the same, draw off water cock M, and means for heating
water within the chamber substantially as described.
8th. The combination with the window or door frame of the spaced panes of
glass applied so as to prevent the escape of fluid or other analogous agent and the
heating space or chamber j, connected with the main chamber, substantially as
described.
9th. A locomotive cab having its windows or doors provided with glass panes in
duplicate and set apart with a space between the panes for a circulating heating
medium and a coil for heating said medium, substantially as described.
10th. The combination of the double window or door having a fluid tight
chamber or space between and below the glass panes for containing a fluid or other
analogous agent to be heated, means for heating said fluid or vapour in the chamber
or spacej, a passage between the same, and a draw off cock M, substantially as
described.
11th. The combination with a cab door or window of a chamber having glass
walls with a transparent liquid in said chamber and suitable means for heating the
liquid, substantially as shown.
Dated this 15th day of March 1894.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.