An Improved System of Ventilation for Railway Cars and Coaches.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved System of Ventilation for Railway Cars and Coaches.
I, RICHARD MONTGOMERY PANCOAST, of 205 Cooper Street, Camden, in the
County of Camden and State of New Jersey, United States of America, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED SYSTEM
OF VENTILATION FOR RAILWAY CARS AND COACHES, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to provide thorough and clean ventilation in
railway cars and coaches; and particularly in those freight cars.employed in the
conveyance of fruit and other field produce and all kinds of perishable goods which
are subject to deterioration in transit.
A vertical direction is not only the natural one for ventilation generally, but,
particularly in the case of railway cars, it is certainly the best, being the shortest
distance in the car; and in a freight car the vertical is the only practical direction
to supply fresh air to the closest possible contact with every portion of the load to
most thoroughly carry off the noxious exhalations; and to secure a positive, clean,
vertical ventilation through the car, it is essential to preclude lateral ingress, via
any of the usual door, window, or other haphazard openings, in the sides and ends
of the car.
I propose to secure this vertical positive ventilation, automatically
with the motion of the train or wind, by the easiest and cheapest means, with the
simplest appliances possible, and without interfering with the usual construction of
the cars.
My design will also keep out the light and dirt, which are great
drawbacks to the present style of so-called 'ventilated fruit cars'; which latter,
at best, only permit a haphazard ventilation of a portion of the space about the
load and admit the injurious light and dirt to the load without furnishing any
positive change of air through the load.
My system of ventilation, with the contributory devices, is more easily. applicable
to the less positive ventilation needed in passenger cars than to the more difficult
sufficient ventilation of fruit freight cars; therefore I will describe its more
detailed application to freight cars; but it will be understood that passenger cars
also will be ventilated by the same system and appliances constituting this invention.
In the accompanying drawings:
12
Fig. 1, is a vertical cross section of sufficient of a freight car to illustrate my
invention.
Fig. 2, is a view, partly in section, of the intake or inlet cowl.
Fig. 3, is a longitudinal sectional view of the upper portion of the inlet cowl.
Fig. 4, is a cross section of one of the gutter guard-plates 6 in the inlet cowl.
Fig. 5, is a perspective view of the exhaust cowl, as applied to freight.cars, &c.
Fig. 6, is a sectional view of the same.
Fig. 7, is a view showing an illustration of the method of ventilating a car loaded
with fruits, &c. in packages through which air can be passed vertically from the
floor up.
-
Fig. 8, is a view illustrating a method of ventilating a car loaded with grain or
other material in bulk, which it is impracticable to pass air through.
Fig. 9, is a sectional view of sufficient of a passenger car to illustrate the
application of my intake and exhaust cowls thereto.
Fig. 10, is a perspective view of the form of my outlet or exhaust cowl which I
prefer to use on passenger cars.
Fio 11 is a sectional view of the same.

page_text: A. is the body of a freight car, the framework of which is of the ordinary
construction; the outer shell of the car should be made practically air tight, and
the doors made to fit closely, so that the ventilating air shall be supplied solely by
my appliances.
I secure to the inner side of the inner shell of the car, a partition d, forming a
distinct air-passage-way b; although, in some instances, the air space in the .sides
of the car may be used instead, that is, where the cross beams or stays do not
block it off.
As shown in Figs. 1, 7, and 8, I prefer to construct two inlet openings e e¹; one
inlet opening e being near the bottom of the car, while the other opening e¹ is
above the grain line. Each opening may be provided with a hinged door, or
other suitable damper arrangement, to regulate or to shut off the air when it is
not wanted.
When the lower opening e is opened for use in ventilating fruit or vegetables in
baskets, &c., I provide a false floor D, composed of stringers and slats, so as to
allow the air to enter to the load from below the false floor, to pass up through the
openings formed by the slatted work and penetrate the boxes or baskets of fruit or
produce as shown in Fig. 7; but where grain or such other produce in bulk as it is
impracticable to pass air through is carried in the car, the opening e may be closed
by extending the partition d down to the bottom of the car, as shown in dotted
lines in Figs. 1 and 7, the opening e¹ opened, and the false floor D removed; as it
would be impossible to pass air through the body of the grain or small produce in
bulk. Therefore the opening e¹ being on, or slightly above, the line of the grain
or produce, admits the fresh air current directly over such a load for its best
aeration.
The exhaust cowls B are mounted on the roof of the car, as shown in Figs. 1, 7,
8, and 9, and are of the construction shown in Figs. 5, 6, 10, and 11, the details of
which will be described hereinafter.
It will be understood that the inlet cowls E, and the exhaust cowls B, are
arranged in any suitable manner on the roof of the car; I preferably arrange the
intakes near the edges of the roof and the exhausts near the centre, and I
preferably stagger the exhausts in order to get an even circulation throughout the
full length of the car.
The number of intakes to put on a car depends upon the dimensions of the car
and somewhat upon the size of the intakes; and likewise the number of exhausts
staggered over the top of the car should depend upon the same circumstances.
The exhausts should balance in capacity the supply of the intakes.
Both intake and exhaust ventilators may be fitted with any of the numerous
styles of dampers, to regulate or cut off the air, when the use of the car does not
require ventilation.
I will now describe in detail the inlet cowl, referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
This cowl E, I prefer to place on the roof of the car, near its edge, as mentioned
above; or it can be attached to the side of the car directly under the eaves of
the roof.
car.
The cowl is made preferably, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, having inlet openings cc,
and between these openings is a pivoted deflector plate c³, for deflecting the air
from one of these openings into the chute c³, which carries the air through the
extension into the air space from which it is directed to the lower inlet
opening e or upper inlet opening el, according to the character of the freight in the
This inlet cowl is so arranged on the roof of the car that the opening c will
be the intake when the car is going in one direction, and the opening c¹ will be the
intake when the car is going in the opposite direction, the deflecting plate closing
the opening that is not in use, at the same time deflecting the air into the chute c³.
In the bottom of the section 6' of the chute, are flanges 63, bordering a space b³
which flanges act as a dust, dirt and water collector; the dirt and water gathered
in this space by the guards or flanges & being guided, by the gutter guard-plates,

page_text: down to their junction with the discharge pipe and through the pipe a to the side of the
car, thus preventing any dirt and water from gaining access to the body of the car.
I preferably flatten the section b', as shown in Fig. 2, so as to change the shape
of the volume of the air, taken in with the least friction, and properly distribute it,
in the desired shape, to feed smoothly and uniformly into the air-passage way b
of a freight car.
The intake openings c c¹ are preferably provided with screens ff, and with
doors, which, when turned down on their hinges, from the position shown in
Fig. 3, to that shown by dotted lines in said figure, will close the inlets. Suitable
catches are provided to hold the doors in either position.
When the inlet cowl E, is used for ventilating passenger cars, I preferably
dispense with the flattening of the section of the chute, and I finely perforate the
upper plate a' of the section b', as shown in Fig. 9, allowing the air to escape
either into the car at this point, or preferably into a flue down the inside of the car
as shown by dotted lines and arrows in Fig. 9, similarly as shown in Fig. 1. The
dirt and water is collected by the section b¹, and carried to the discharge pipe a
which discharges at the side of the car. The cleansed air, screened through the
upper oblique surface a', may be conducted down and delivered into the coach at
any suitable juncture.
The air from the intake is preferably admitted into the car considerably below
the exhaust opening; which latter, as shown in Fig. 9, is in the clear-story space
of the passenger car.
I will now describe the exhaust cowls, reference being had first to Figs. 1, 5,
and 6, which illustrate a cowl mounted upright on the roof of a car.
M is the neck or stack which is secured in any manner to the roof of the car, and
mounted on this neck is the cowl proper B, having top and bottom plates p p';
mounted between these two plates are two sets of plates R and S. The plates S
forming a hood, diamond-shaped in cross section, having vertical_openings
the side, as shown in Fig. 6, to allow the foul air, &c. to escape. The plates RR
are mounted outside of the plates S so as to cover the openings ss, and are also
attached to the top and bottom plates p p¹.
8 8, at
The plates R R terminate at a point xx, back of the line of the point y y, of the
plates S, thus forming a space tt, between the plates R and S for the exit of
foul air arising from below.
It will be seen on reference to Figs. 5 and 6 that the plates R R completely
protect the openings ss, and as the outside air strikes the cowl, as indicated by the
arrow in Fig. 6, it will pass around the end of the cowl as shown, and tend to suck
air from the interior of the car through the passages's and t.
In no matter what direction the outside air comes it will so strike the cowl as
to form a suction draft, and in no matter what direction rain is coming, it cannot
enter the cowl owing to the peculiar arrangements of parts. Ribbed lips s¹¹ on
each side of the openings, prevent the drops of rain lapping around the inner edges
of the plates S, and carry the drops down to the outside of the raised ledge
Figs. 5 and 6, and away from entering the neck M.
When the exhaust cowl is mounted on the roof of a car, it is preferably mounted
with the points rr, on the longitudinal line of the car, so that the outside air from
the motion of the train will strike the cowl as shown in Fig. 6, thus positively
preventing any ingress of rain-water, cinders, &c., to the interior of the cowl; but
in whatever direction the air strikes it, it will exhaust the air from the interior of
the cowl, which is therefore absolutely stormproof.
When the exhaust cowl is used on the side of a car, as to the clear-story of
passenger coach, as shown in Fig. 9, I prefer to construct it as shown in Figs. 10
and 11, the points y y being on a vertical line.
The ends of the diamond-shaped cowl body formed by the plates S S, are open,
and deflecting plates (one or more) u u are placed below the upper opening and
are sloped downward towards the outer end of the cowl to prevent the ingress of

page_text: cinders or rain through said opening into the neck M of the cowl. This would
only occur in the event of rain coming sideways at an angle. If water or dust
should gain access to this upper opening of the cowl, the plates will break the
force, and the particles of dirt as well as the water will pass through the opening
in the lower portion of the cowl and out at the bottom opening y Fig. 11.
It will be noticed that the upper opening is somewhat narrower than the lower
opening, and the space between the deflecting plates is somewhat wider than the
upper opening, so that if large cinders should pass through the upper opening, they
would not clog the other openings but would readily pass through the cowl.
In some instances the top and bottom openings in the cowl body y y may be
closed and only a small opening in the bottom for the escape of water may be
made.
The only openings to the inside of this car, when loaded for shipment, are
through the ventilators. The intake ventilators are located where they scoop
in the best air the train passes through, considering the smoke-stack emissions
above and the surface heat and dust below. This screened entering air is deflected
down; and any heavy material, rainsplash or dirt, that may enter, naturally
strikes the sides of the intake and the sloping bottom of the chute b¹. The
gutter guard-plates 6. (Fig. 2), catch the rain and dirt, guide it down to the
junction of the discharge nozzle a, whence it is carried outside the car and
discharged; the impact drives the heaviest material along the bottom of the chute
and out at the discharge nozzle a; the lighter, cleaner air floats over the gutter
guard-plates, and is pressed down, producing a constant downward current, which
issues under or over the load as the case may require. In the case of fruits,
berries, &c., in packages, when the ventilating air is desired to penetrate the
⚫ ventilated fruit packages,' the upper inlet-openings, in the inner shell of the air
passage-way, are closed, so that all the incoming air is then forced down to, and
under the perforated floor, and thence up through the perforations and through the
load, and thence out the exhausts overhead. But when impracticable, or
unnecessary to pass the air through the goods, as with bulk shipments of grain,
vegetables, &c., then the perforated floor may be removed, and the current of
air passed into the car proper through upper inlet-openings, and issued directly
over the load. The exhaust ventilators are mounted on the car roof, where they
strike the strongest current of air, which makes them effective exhausts of the air,
from over the load below.
带
The motion of the car, in either direction, forces air in (via the intakes,') at the
upper edges, and passes it down the ventilating passage-way, and thence under and
through or over the load; and, simultaneously, the motion of the car acts on the
exhausts' which draw the air up, from the load, and discharge it from the car;
thus keeping up a continuously downward current of fresh air which is made to
pass under and through or immediately over the load, or both through and over it,
to continuously and effectually remove the produce heat, sweat, &c., as fast as it is
exhaled from the goods.
This car, with the ventilators dampered off, or their openings capped over,
becomes an air-tight winter car'; its construction, being necessarily double-shelled,
then enhances its winter serviceableness, by the increased protection the double
shells offer against the cold.
:
Although I have described my system of ventilation particularly as applied to
freight cars, it will be understood that it is equally applicable to passenger coaches,
as the air from the chute may be made to enter the body of the vehicle at any
convenient point between the roof and the floor.
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. An improved system of ventilation for closed railway cars comprising an intake

page_text: device having screened openings at its sides for admitting the air, and an air passage
way down the sides of the car for the passage of the air which enters the intake through
a suitable chute, in combination with.a false car bottom forming an air chamber and
having openings through which the air may pass into the car, and exhaust devices
provided on the car roof for carrying off the foul air, all substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore set forth, described and illustrated.
2. In an improved intake device for admitting air into closed railway cars, the com-
bination with a hood of oblong shape at the top having downwardly inclined
screened openings at each side, and a valve suspended inside said hood adapted to
close either one of the screened openings and to deflect downwardly the wind
entering the other screened opening, of hinged doors for closing the screened
openings and means for fastening said doors, all substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore set forth, described and illustrated.
3. In an improved system of ventilation for closed railway cars, the combination
with an intake device of an inclined chute placed directly under the intake to
convey the air admitted by the intake into air passage way down the sides of the
car together with raised side strips or flanges serving as gutter guards on said chute
for collecting any rain and dirt that enters with the air and for guiding such rain
and dirt outside the car, also a suitable discharge nozzle for facilitating that
operation, all substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth, described
and illustrated.
4. In an improved system of ventilation for closed railway cars, the combination
with an intake device of an inclined air chute, an air passage way down the sides of
the car for the passage of air, together with means for admitting the air into the
interior of the car, consisting of suitable inlet opening or openings in the air passage
way down the sides of the car, all substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before set forth, described and illustrated.
5. An improved exhaust device for drawing off the foul air from closed railway
cars, also provided with means for preventing the entrance of rain, dirt, &c. into the
car, all substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth, described and
illustrated.
6. The combination in an exhaust cowl of the diamond shaped cowl body, having
exits in the front and rear sides, with outer deflecting casing comprising front and
rear plates, shielding said exits and extending only to a point back of the line of
the points of the diamond shaped cowl body, and inclined so as to form with the
diamond shaped cowl body, opposite inclined discharge passages, whereby a current
of air directed either against the front or rear plates of the cowl is deflected at an
angle across both the discharge ends of the cowl, by the deflecting plates, the ends
of the cowl body thus assisting the deflecting plates in inducing an outward draught,
substantially as described.
7. The combination of the neck M, plates p p', plates S, forming a diamond
shaped cowl body having openings s s, deflecting plates R, and outwardly curved
flanges s projecting inward from the plates S at the openings ss and raised ledges
projecting slightly inward so as to receive the bottom ends of the flanges s',
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
8. The combination in an exhaust cowl, of the diamond shaped cowl body, having
the long axis of said cowl body in a vertical plane, and having exits at the sides of
the body, with plates shielding said exits, said cowl body having at the bottom an
opening for the discharge of water and air, substantially as set forth.
9. The combination in an exhaust cowl, of the diamond shaped cowl' body
having its long axis in a vertical plane, and having openings at the sides of the
body, with plates shielding said openings, said cowl body having openings at the
upper and lower sharp ends, and a deflecting plate or plates situated directly
below the upper opening, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
10. The combination in an exhaust cowl of the vertical plates S forming a hood,
diamond shaped in cross section, and having exits in the front and rear sides, with

page_text: the outer vertical plates R shielding said exits and extending only to a point back
of the points of the diamond shaped cowl body, and inclined, so as to form with
the plates comprising said cowl body, opposite inclined discharge passages,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 16th February 1891.
F. W. BAKKEK,
Applicant's Agent.