Fouling of the Atmosphere in Railway Tunnels from Locomotive Engines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 26th July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 31st Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 5th Oct., 1888
Fouling of the Atmosphere in Railway Tunnels from Locomotive
Engines.
I ALICE ANDERSON of 158 Stanstead Road Forest Hill, in the County of Surrey,
Gentlewoman do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
The object of the Invention is the prevention of the pollution or fouling of the
atmosphere of railway tunnels by the products of Combustion and exhaust steam from
locomotive engines.
In carrying out the object of the Invention I provide on the engines a suitable
means of closing the ordinary chimneys to the atmosphere and a suitable duct, pipe,
flue, trunk or otherwise for the conveyance of products aforesaid, to a long box
or trunk or slide valve, placed generally under the engine and having an open
bottom which slides in contact with a plane surface placed generally between the
rails of the road in such a manner that the products of combustion named which are
conducted by the arrangements into the said slide valve, may be drawn from the same
by suction through suitable openings placed at intervals of sufficient length in the
plane surface aforesaid. The said openings communicate with pipes in which valves
are placed for making or breaking communication with a main trunk or tube out of
which the gases and steam aforesaid are drawn by means of suitable exhausting
apparatus of the nature of fans, exhausters, cylinders, and pistons as may be most
particularly suitable. The valves named in the pipe connections to the exhaust
openings in the plane surface aforesaid are actuated by suitable tappets, inclined
planes or levers which are placed on the engine for the purpose in such a manner
that as the slide valve or box aforesaid is advanced or moved on the plane or exhaust
surface by the motion of the engine in performing its functions of moving itself or a
train, that only such exhaust openings as are actually under the slide valve or box,
shall be in communication with the main exhaust tube or trunk, and the said valves
are closed automatically by springs or equivalents before the openings communicating
with the same are exposed to the atmosphere.

page_text: For the convenient execution of repairs to valves etc., in some cases I prefer to
make use of a service pipe in connection with the said exhaust openings which pipe is
placed in communication with the main exhaust trunk by means of branch pipos
placed at considerable intervals and in each of which branch pipes there is a stop valve,
thus making it practicable to shut off the exhaust openings in lengths without
interfering with the general working of the system.
GEO.
DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Appliances for Preventing the Pollution or
Fouling of the Atmosphere in Railway Tunnels from Locomotive
Engines.
ALICE ANDERSON, of 158 Stanstead Road, Forest Hill, in the County of Surrey,
Gentlewoman, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention relates to underground railways, and railway tunnels generally, in
which locomotive steam engines are used for the purpose of traction; and the object.
of my invention is to prevent the mixing of the products of combustion and waste
steam from the condenser tanks with the atmosphere.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and ascertained,
reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section, Fig. 2 a cross section, and Fig. 3 a plan,
showing the method of applying my invention to a railway. Fig. 4 is an enlarged
cross-section of the valve and service pipe shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged
longitudinal section of the same, and Fig. 6 is a plan of the valve and service
pipe g.
a a are the sleepers, c c are the rails. 9 is the service pipe, the upper surface of
which is made flat. At suitable intervals a series of inlet valves v are fitted in this
service pipe, the valves opening inwards when actuated by pressure upon their
spindles s. Springs d are fitted to the inlet valves v, to raise them to their seats, when
not depressed by the trunk valve t.

page_text: At suitable intervals pipe connections 6 are made, leading from the service pipe g
to the main air trunk m. Stop valves (not shown in the drawings) are fitted to the
branch pipes b for shutting off any section of the service pipe 9 from the main
trunk m, without causing stoppage to the system, in cases where repairs are
necessary.
I fit the funnel of the locomotive engine with a convenient valve, practically gas
tight, which may be fitted with a lever, connecting rod, sector plate or screw, and
opened and closed by the engine driver, as required.
Under the locomotive engine or tender, or under any other convenient part of the
train, and so as to be carried along therewith I fit the trunk valve t. This trunk valve
is open below from end to end, and is provided with a central rib r, having its flange
widened at the lower edge.
The two ends are provided with inclined planes p, and the trunk valve t is also
provided with a junction pipe j, leading to the smoke box of the locomotive
engine.
The inclined planes p gradually depress the spindles of the valves and the rib r
retains them open, until the trunk valves t has passed the valve-spindless, after which
the valves are gradually closed by their springs d d.
One or more of the valves vis or are thus constantly kept open, so as to establish a
communication between the trunk valve t and the service pipe g.
By means of suitable pumping engines, or by any other suitable means, a partial
vacuum is produced in the main trunk m, and the products of combustion and waste
steam are carried through the pipe j to the trunk-valve t, and from the trunk-valve t
through the valves to the service pipe g, and thence through the junctions 6 to the
main trunk m.
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 :-
1. The method of establishing a connection between the smoke box of a locomotive
engine, having a temporarily closed funnel, by means of a travelling trunk valve t,
permanent service pipe g fitted with inwardly opening valves v, in which a partial
vacuum is produced by any suitable means, substantially as herein before described
and illustrated by the drawings.
2. The general construction combination and arrangement of the several and
respective parts, together forming my invention of improved means and appliances for
preventing the pollution or fouling of the atmosphere in railway tunnels from
focomotive engines, substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the
drawings.