IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STORING FUEL, AND FOR SUPPLYING THE SAME TO RAILWAY TENDERS AND LOCOMOTIVE STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wormald, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster,
Dentist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STORING
FUEL, AND FOR SUPPLYING THE SAME TO RAILWAY TENDERS AND LOCOMOTIVE
STEAM ENGINES." A communication from abroad by Edwin R. Kerr, of
Kewanee, Henry County, State of Illinois, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 11th May 1877, and dated the 20th November 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Wormald at the Office
"IMPROVEMENTS
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th November 1876.
JOHN WORMALD, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Dentist.
IN APPARATUS FOR STORING FUEL, AND FOR SUPPLYING THE SAME TO RAILWAY
TENDERS AND LOCOMOTIVE STEAM ENGINES." A communication from abroad by
Edwin R. Kerr, of Kewanee, Henry County, State of Illinois, in the United States
of America.
This improved apparatus consists of a series of bunkers containing the coal or
other fuel. These bunkers are made of various depths to contain different quantities
of fuel, according to the size of the engine or tender to be supplied; and these
bunkers are filled from trucks or waggons which are run up inclines to the required
level above the level of the rails on which the engine or tender runs.
The bunkers are made with an inclined floor, and the front is closed by two
doors;
the outer door is hinged to the lower edge of the inclined floor and is
counterbalanced by weights, and the inner door is hinged above and locked by shot
bolts connected to a lever by links.
The tender or locomotive to be supplied with fuel is run along the rails until it
is opposite the bunker containing the required quantity of fuel, the attendant then
draws down the outer door of the bunker until the door forms a continuation of
the inclined floor, the inner door is then released by the attendant acting on the
lever to which the shot bolts are connected, and the pressure of the fuel then forces
open the inner door, the fuel is then at liberty to run down the "shoot" formed by
the inclined floor of the bunker and the outside door into the tender-or-into the
receptacles forming part of the locomotive when no separate tender is used.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Wormald in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th May
1877.
JOHN WORMALD, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Dentist.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR STORING FUEL, AND FOR SUPPLYING THE SAME TO RAILWAY
TENDERS AND LOCOMOTIVE STEAM ENGINES." A communication from abroad by
Edwin R. Kerr, of Kewanee, Henry County, State of Illinois, in the United States
of America.
This improved apparatus consists of a series of bunkers containing the coal or
other fuel. These bunkers are made of various depths, to contain different quantities
of fuel, according to the size of the engine or tender to be supplied; and these
bunkers are filled from trucks or waggons which are run up inclines to the required
level above the level of the rails on which the engine or tender runs.
The bunkers are made with an inclined floor, and the front is closed by two
doors; the outer door is hinged to the lower edge of the inclined floor and is
counterbalanced by weights, and the inner door is hinged above and locked by bolts
connected to a lever by links.
The tender or locomotive to be supplied with fuel is run along the rails until it
is opposite the bunker containing the required quantity of fuel, the attendant then
draws down the outer door of the bunker until the door forms a continuation of
the inclined floor, the inner door is then released by the attendant acting on the
lever to which the bolts are connected, and the pressure of the fuel then forces open
the inner door, the fuel is then at liberty to run down the "shoot" formed by
the inclined floor of the bunker and the outside door into the tender or into the
receptacles forming part of the locomotive when no separate tender is used.
And in order that this Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in
which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 2 a front view of this improved
apparatus for storing fuel, and for supplying the same to railway tenders or
locomotive steam engines.
a is a scaffold supporting a series of bunkers, which are composed of the inclined
floor b, the sides c, c, the inner door d, and the outer door c. Any convenient
number of these bunkers are placed in a row; and in order to vary their capacity
according to the size of the tender or engine to be supplied they are made of various
depths. The bunkers are filled with fuel from trucks or waggons which are run up
inclines and on rails placed at the required level above the bunkers, and the tender
or locomotive engine to be supplied with fuel runs upon rails placed below the
bunkers, one of which is shewn at f. The outer door e is hinged to the lower edge
of the inclined floor b, and it is counterbalanced by the weights e¹ suspended to the
cords or chains e², which are guided over the pulleys e³ and et, and the inner door d
is hinged to the upper part of the sides c, c; this door when closed is locked by the
bolts d' which are connected by the links to the lever d, and the bolts & take into
catch plates d³ secured to the insides of the sides c. The door d is prevented
opening too far by the hooks d².
The Drawing represents the parts in the positions they occupy when the coal is
in the bunker and when both the doors d and e are closed. As soon as the tender
or engine to be supplied with fuel has been brought on the rails f under the bunker
the attendant pulls the cord es, to draw down the outer door e until it assumes
the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, the door e then forms a con-
tinuation of the inclined floor b, the attendant then pulls the cord d³, shewn in
Fig. 2, to release the bolts d¹ from their retaining catch plates d³; the pressure of
the coal in the bunker then opens the door d, as shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 1,
and the coal runs down the "shoot" into the tender or into receptacles forming part
of the locomotive engine when no separate tender is used.
By means of this improved apparatus the largest tender can be supplied with

page_text: fuel in two or three minutes, as the tender has only to be brought opposite the
bunker containing the requisite quantity of coal, and then the attendant by pulling
two cords, as above described, allows the fuel to fall into its proper place.
When the bunker is empty the doors are closed by the attendant, and the bunker
is then ready to be again filled.
Having thus stated the nature and particulars of the Invention communicated
to me by the within-named Edwin R. Kerr, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the details given, and that I claim, the improved apparatus for
storing and supplying fuel to the tenders of locomotive engines or to the engines
themselves, as shewn and described, and particularly the doors d and e and the mode
of opening and closing them.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wormald, have hereto set my hand and
seal, this Sixteenth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
seven
JOHN WORMALD. (L.S.)