Improvements in or relating to Locomotive and Marine Engines.
Year: 1898

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Locomotive and Marine Engines.
I, CHARLES HUMPHREY, Lumberman, of Almond, in the County of Allegany, and
State of New York, one of the United States of America, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, 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 an attachment to locomotive engines, or for other
purposes, and consists essentially of a combined spark arrester, smoke conveyer
and cinder retainer of a specific form.
The invention further consists of the details of construction and arrangement of
the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.
It is a common practice to contract the exhaust nozzles of all locomotive engines
for the purpose of creating sufficient draught through the boiler to maintain the
steam to supply the engine. This has had the effect of creating a heavy back
pressure on the engine, especially at high speed. One object of the present
invention is to create the necessary draught by means of an exhaust fan
which will institute a partial vacuum in the smoke box, and also to lead the
exhaust pipe at full size or bell mouthed to the eye of said fan and prevent back
pressure on the piston and also create a slight vacuum in favor of the engine. A
further object of the invention is to increase the power and efficiency of the engine
with less, or at least to increase in the consumption of fuel.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a locomotive engine showing the
invention applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a section on the line x-x of Figure 1.
Referring to the drawings, which illustrate one mode of applying the invention,
and wherein similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding
parts in the several views, the numeral 1 designates a locomotive boiler which is
supplied with the usual appurtenances incidental thereto. In the front part of the
smoke box 2 a fan 3 is mounted on a shaft 4, the latter being driven to actuate the
fan by any suitable form of steam or other motor not shown. The said fan is
enclosed in a compartment 5, and the rear wall of said compartment is provided
with an opening 6 directly in line with the eye of the fan. The compartment 5 is
in the form of a casing, preferably oval in shape, and has a small crack or slot 7
in the center thereof opening into a small enclosed space or pipe 8 outside of the
fan case proper and leading back by suitable conveying pipe or other analogous
device 9 to the front of the fire box or the ash pan. Extending upwardly through
the smoke box 2 and in rear of the fan casing is an exhaust steam pipe 10 which
has connection with the cylinders of the engine to take the exhaust steam therefrom
and convey it by means of a bell mouth 11 through the opening 6 in the fan casing
directly to the eye of the fan. The said fan comprises a series of arms 12, on the
outer ends of which are fixed blades 13, and also leading from said casing is a hot
air and exhaust steam pipe 14 running to the smoke stack or exteriorly of the
engine in any other manner desired.
The smoke and particles of combustion coming through the flues enter the rear
portion of the smoke box and are directed by the suction set up by the exhaust

page_text: steam and also the fan, into the fan casing, and forced back through the pipe or
analogous device 9 to the front of the fire box or ash pan. The cinders are forced
through the crack or slot in the fan casing into the surrounding space exterior of
said casing by the air and centrifugal force and are blown along the pipe to the
point set forth, where a reconsumption will take place and materially reduce the
amount of fuel necessary in firing an engine under ordinary circumstances.
The advantages of the use of a device of the character set forth are manifold, and
among others may be mentioned, preventing smoke from settling over the top of
the boiler and obscuring the view of the engineer, especially in rounding curves.
Also, cinders, dust and dirt are prevented from entering the cars in the rear of the
locomotive, and in this connection, instead of passing through the pipe or other
analogous device 9 they might be conveyed by a series of pipes to the rear of the
train, and these pipes could also be used as conduits to contain the pipes that are
usually employed in steam heating of cars. This would prevent freezing of the
said steam heating pipes in cold weather and also obviate condensation.
The invention might equally well be applied to fast steam ships or vessels
employed in naval warfare, instead of the iminense smoke stacks now in use, which
consume a large amount of power to drive through the air at the usual rate of
speed, and which is increased by the wind in case of head winds. In this
application of the invention the necessary draught would be produced by exhaust
fans similar to those heretofore set forth and the particles of combustion and
gases would be discharged in a similar manner at a convenient place about the
vessel. The advantage in this application to be gained in naval vessels would be
not only increase of speed but less liability to be seen by the enemy as there
would be less smoke, and what did exist would be discharged near the water and
could not be seen at a great distance.
Other applications might also be made of the invention, and it is obviously
apparent that many minor changes in the details of construction and arrangements
of the several parts might be made and substituted for those shown and described
without in the least departing from the nature or spirit of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The combination with an engine having a smoke box, of a fan mounted therein
and surrounded by a casing, an exterior passage-way communicating with said
casing, an exhaust steam pipe leading to the eye of the fan, and means for
conveying the smoke, particles of combustion and gases away from the said fan,
substantailly as described.
2. The combination with a locomotive engine having a smoke box, of a fan
located in the front part of said smoke box and surrounded by a casing, a passage-
way exterior. of said casing having communication therewith, an exhaust steam
pipe leading to the eye of said fan, a pipe or analogous device for conveying the
smoke and particles of combustion back to the fire box or ash pan, and an exhaust
pipe for hot air and exhaust steam, substantially as described.
1000
day
1000
1030
ROBERT H. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M.Inst.C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Chartered Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Associate Agent.