Improvements in Means for Automatically Preventing the Accumu- lation of Cinders and Ashes in the Smoke Boxes of Locomotives
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 18th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 4th Dec.,
1897
"Improvements in Means for Automatically Preventing the Accumu-
lation of Cinders and Ashes in the Smoke Boxes of Locomotives."
I JOIN BUTLER, Locomotive Inspector to the Sorocaba Railway Company of
Rua de Sorocaba, Sao Paulo, in the Republic of the United States of Brazil, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
My said invention relates to improved means for automatically preventing the
accumulation of cinder and ashes in the smoke boxes of locomotives and for
reducing the tendency to emit sparks. It is well known to those accustomed to
the working of locomotives that cinders and ashes are drawn from the furnaco
through the tubes and rapidly accumulate in the smoke box so as sometimes th
cover the lower rows of tubes. These accumulations require to be removed at
frequent intervals and militate seriously against the economical working of the
locomotive while in some instances they are the direct cause of the destruction of
the tubes.
According to my invention I cut a hole in the floor plate of the smoke box to-
wards the front, and communicating with this hole I bolt underneath a curved or
other suitably shaped pipe projecting to the front.
The front of the pipe is open
and is formed with a flange lying in the vertical plane when the pipe is in position.
To this flange I hinge or pivot a flap or valve so balanced that when applied
to the vertical mouth of the pipe it hangs slightly open the mouth of the pipe
constituting the seat of the valve when closed.
The partial vacuum existing in the smoke box from the effects of the exhaust
steam escaping through the blast pipe, closes the balanced valve on the front of
the pipe by suction. The cinders and ash collecting on the floor of the smoke box
gravitate towards the opening to the pipe, and to assist this, the floor of the
smoke box might be made curved or inclined so as to direct the cinders and ashes
towards the said opening. The pipe thus collects and becomes filled with cinders
until by gravity or by the cessation of the vacuum in the smoke box
or of the stoppage of the locomotive the resistance of the outer
valve is overcome and the contents of the pipe are discharged. In order to prevent
the discharge of cinders and ashes in stations or in other situations where such
discharge would be objectionable, the driver might preserve the vacuum in the
smoke box and thus keep the valve closed by admitting a jet of steam to the blast
pipe. Under my invention the incandescent cinders are trapped and collected
as soon as they appear in the smoke box and are not so liable to be taken by the
blast through the funnel. This non-liability to the emission of incandescent
cinder from the funnel, forms an additional advantage of my invention, and the
spark arrestor when such is used is not so liable to become choked and inopera-
tive.

page_text: 66 Improvements in Means for Automatically Preventing the Accumu-
lation of Cinders and Ashes in the Smoke Boxes of Locomotives."
I JOHN BUTLER, Locomotive Inspector to the Sorocaba Railway Company of
Rua de Sorocaba, Sao Paulo, in the Republic of the United States of Brazil, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly describer and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying drawings.
My said invention relates to improved means for automatically preventing the
accumulation of cinder and ashes in the smoke, boxes of locomotives and for
reducing the tendency to emit sparks. It is well known to those accustomed to the
working of locomotives that cinders and ashes are drawn from the furnace through
the tubes and rapidly accumulate in the smoke box so as sometimes to cover the
lower row of tubes. These accumulations require to be removed at frequent in-
tervals and militate seriously against the economical working of the locomotive
while in some instances they are the direct cause of the destruction of the tubes.
According to my invention I cut a hole in the floor plate of the smoke box
preferably towards the front, and communicating with this hole I bolt under-
neath a curved or other suitably shaped pipe projecting from the smoke box bottom
preferably to the front. The end of the pipe is open and is formed with a flango
lying in a vertical plane when the pipe is in position.
To this flange I hinge or pivot a flap or valve so balanced that when applied
to the vertical mouth of the pipe it hangs slightly open, the mouth of the pipo
constag the seat of the valve when closed.
e partial vacuum existing in the smoke box from the effects of the exhaust
steam escaping through the blast pipe, closes the balanced valve on the front of
the pipe by suction. The cinders and ash collecting on the floor of the smoke
box gravitate towards the opening to the pipe, and to assist this, the floor of the
smoke box might be made curved or inclined so as to direct the cinders and ashes to-
wards the said opening. The pipe thus collects and becomes filled with cinders
until by gravity or by the cessation of the vacuum in the smoke box or by the
stoppage of the locomotive the resistance of the outer valve is overcome and the
contents of the pipe are discharged.
And in order that my said invention may be more fully understood I will now
refer to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which.
Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of the smoke box of a locomotive with my
invention shown applied.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1 partly in section.
Upon the floor plate a of the smoke box A I cut a hole in the floor preferably
towards the front of the smoke box. Beneath this hole I bolt or otherwise
secure a curved or other suitably shaped pipe projecting from the smoke box
preferably towards the front of the engine. The end of the pipe b is formed
with a flange b' as shown in the drawings, and to this flange I secure a pivotted
flap or valve c the mouth of the pipe b constituting the seat of the valve. The
valve c is so mounted or balanced that when the locomotive is not at work it
hangs slightly open as shown. When the locomotive is at work the partial
vacuum existing in the smoke box caused by the exhaust steam from the blast
pipe & closes the valve e on the pipe b by suction. The cinders and ash collecting
on the floor a of the smoke box A gravitate towards the opening to the pipe b.
In order to facilitate this if desired the floor a of the smoke box may be formed
curved or inclined 'as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and by this

page_text: means direct the cinders and ashes towards the opening in the floor a. The
dimensions of the pipe b may vary according to the formation of the smoke box or
size of locomotive.
In the case of locomotives having short smoke boxes the box may be lengthened
if necessary to provide room for the pipe b. The pipe 6 thus collects and becomes
filled with ashes and cinders until by gravity, or by the cessation of the vacuum in
the smoke box or by the stoppage of the locomotive, the resistance of the valve c
is overcome and the contents of the pipe 6 are discharged.
In order to prevent the discharge of cinders and ashes in stations or in other
situations where such discharges would be objectionable, the valve e might be
kept closed by admitting a slight jet of steam into the smoke box by means of
the blower and thus preserve a partial vacuum in the smoke box.
In order to prevent the emission of sparks or incandescent cinder from the funnel
of the locomotive I may use a wire or gauze netting e disposed immediately above
the tubes as shown.
The tubes being thus always kept perfectly clean, the improved draught permits
of the use of a large exhaust nozzle thus doing away with the back pressure caused
by small nozzles, and reducing the consumption of fuel.
As my improved appliance provides for the frequent and automatic discharge
of cinders and ashes from the smoke box the tubes and smoke box are kept clean
much longer and require attention only at long intervals.
.
Owing to the 'ce of the usual accumulated mass of hot cinders and ashes
the burning of steam pipes, tube ends and smoke box plates is entirely obviated.
The consumption of fuel is greatly lessened, whilst the locomotive is capable
of taking a greater load than would be the case if not fitted with my improved
appliance..
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
I claim is:-
The improved appliance for application to the floors of the smoke boxes of
locomotives, consisting of the pipe b provided with a valve c, by means of which
cinders and ash are automatically removed from the smoke box in the manner
and substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 16th day of October 1897.