GB2251192A

GB2251192A - Improvements in or relating to steam driven vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2251192A
Application number: GB9127438A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Grenville Hallam
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-12-27
Filing date: 1991-12-27
Publication date: 1992-07-01
Anticipated expiration: 2011-12-27
Also published as: GB9127438D0; GB2251192B; GB9028109D0

Abstract

A live steam driven model railway locomotive is connectable through rails on which it runs to an electric power source which is used to raise steam. The model may be remotely controlled by adjustment of the power supply. A displacement lubricator 51 is associated with the model's piston/cylinder arrangement 50 such that steam driven piston movement causes lubricant to be transferred from a reservoir 42 to the cylinder 50. The electric power supply generates superheated steam by means of two heating elements 10, 11 located within boiler 12 and superheater 13 respectively. The boiler is suitably housed within the tender and connected via a flexible steam pipe to the locomotive. <IMAGE>

Description

Improvements in or relating to Steam Driven Vehicles This invention concerns improvements in steam driven vehicles and relates particularly but not exclusively to the operation and control of live steam 00 gauge model railway locomotives.

According to the invention there is provided a steam driven wheeled vehicle connectable to an electric power source wherein the steam is raised by means of at least one electric heating element.

Preferably the operation of the vehicle is remotely controlled by adjustment of the electric power supply to the vehicle.

Preferably the electric power is supplied to the vehicle through two parallel rails along which it is intended to travel.

The vehicle may have a steam driven piston/ cylinder arrangement wherein the steam is supplied to the or each cylinder through a rotating slide valve.

According a further aspect of the invention there is provided a lubricator for use with a steam driven piston/cylinder arrangement, the lubricator including a container for lubricant having an outlet communicating with the piston/cylinder arrangement and an inlet to which is transferred condensed steam from a condenser connected to the steam supply of the piston/cylinder arrangement, such that steam driven movement of the or each piston within the respective cylinder causes lubricant to be transferred from the container to the respective cylinder.

An example of the invention will now be described for the purposes of illustration only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the power supply and control system of a vehicle according to the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the control actuating mechanism of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic sectional view on line A-A of Fig. 1 showing the rotating slide valve; Fig. 4 shows on an enlarged scale an alternative arrangement of current reducer and contact breaker; and Fig.5 shows on an enlarged scale a modified control arrangement.

Referring to Fig. 1, an electric power supply is fed to a model locomotive through two para]lel rails on which the model runs. The power supply is used to generate superheated steam by means of two heating elements 10 and 11, located within a boiler 12 and a superheater 13 respectively. The boiler 12 is housed in a tender (not shown) and the steam pipe connects with the locomotive via two flexible joints 18.

Once the boiler has been filled initially subsequent fillings may be easily achieved by connecting a water container via a vertical tube to a boiler filler 19, releasing a non-return valve 20 by means of pressure on a rod within the tube whilst steam pressure remains in the boiler. Steam pressure will cease followed by vacuum pressure which will suck in the water.

The superheated steam produced in the heater 13 is directed through a regulator valve 14 to a single rotating slide valve 15 (Fig. 3) driven by a 4:1 reduction gear 16 from a driving axle 17. The steam is distributed by valve 15 to two double acting cylinders 50 as hereinafter described. Steam "cut off" to the cylinders is fixed.

The second function of the electric power supply is to operate the model's remote control mechanism. The electric current can be modulated by means of a voltage reducer 2 1 and current reverser 2 2 to bring into play a control mechanism on the locomotive which in this example opens and shuts the regulator valve 14, reverses the direction of travel of the locomotive and blows a whistle 23 while the locomotive is stationary.

The control mechanism is powered by an electric motor 24 using reduction gearing 25. Normally current is supplied at 12 volts and the gearing 25 is isolated by a relay 26. When voltage is reduced to 9 volts by operating a contact breaker 27 the relay no longer activates and a circuit is made to the control motor 24 which can operate in either direction of rotation simply by reversing the current by means of the current reverser 22.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modified contact breaker arrangement 27' which causes a momentary break in current immediately prior to application of the reduced current. This ensures that the relay 26 disengages when required and that its operation is not adversely affected by normal current fluctuations.

A control rod 28 connects a regulator lever 29 to a peg near the circumference of a final control gear 30 and the latter can be rotated through 1800 or more.

The regulator valve 14 is a simple rotalir,g slide valve having a port 14A which communicates on its seating firstly with a port 31A to the main valve steam chest 31 and secondly with a port 23a connecting to the whistle 23.

When steam is generated with the components in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the steam passes through the regulator valve 14 and the port 31A to the steam chest 31. From the latter the steam passes through port 15A to one side of the piston in one of the cylinders 50, the other side of the piston in the same cylinder being simultaneously connected through port 15F to exhaust 37. Consequent movement of the piston effects rotation of the driving axle 17 and also drive from the latter is transmitted through the reduction gear 16 to a main valve shaft 34 causing rotation of the slide valve 15. Rotation of the valve 15 through a first 22220 angle closes communication between each side of the piston in the said cylinder 50 with the steam chest 31 and exhaust 37 respectively.Simultaneously steam inlet port 15C is brought into communication with one side of the piston in the other cylinder 50 and the outlet port 1SF communicates with the other side of the piston in the latter cylinder.

A further 2210 rotation of the valve 15 through the main valve shaft 34 transmitted from the driving axle 17 brings the inlet port 15A into communication with the other side of the piston in the first mentioned cylinder 50 and the outlet port 15H into communication with said one side of the piston of the first mentioned cylinder 50, whereby the latter connects with the exhaust 37 and movement of the piston in the opposite direction can be effected by the steam. A further 22 rotation of the slide valve 15 then effects reverse movement of the piston in the second mentioned cylinder 50 in a similar way.

The rotating slide valve 15 rotates on its seating at the rate of one revolution per four revolutions of the driving axle 17 by means of 2:1 bevel gears and 2:1 spur gears 16. The arrangement of ports connecting with the cylinders on the steam chest face may be adapted to suit the steam passages. Also, any convenient number of cylinders can be fed off a single valve, each with different steam admission and exhaust events if required.

Rotating the final control gear 30 produces events in the regulator valve 14 as follows: On rotating from full throttle progressively to closed throttle there is a small movement before the whistle 23 blows, the whistle then closes, there is a small movement before the throttle opens thus returning to full throttle.

During the middle portion of the whistle blowing event a small pawl 32 under the final gear 30 (best shown in rig. 2) connects with a grooved wheel 33 which is connected rigidly to the main valve shaft 34. This advances the grooved wheel 33 approximately 45 which is the rotation necessary to change the main steam valve 15 from forward to reverse mode or vice versa. It is able to do this without disturbing the main valve drive gears 16 because a final drive gear 35 is connected in a driving relation with the main valve shaft 34 through engagement between a respective end of an arcuate slot 368 and a peg 36A locating through the latter and connecting at one end to the shaft 34 and at the other end to the wheel 33.When the pawl 32 engages the wheel 33, the peg 36A is advanced within the slot 368 without disturbing the main gearing, causing the valve to rotate through 45fl, thereby reversing the distribution of steam to the cylinders. The length of the slot governs the amount by which the valve may be advanced.

In the arrangement of Fig. 5 a contact breaker 60 is added to the earthing of the relay 26. The contact breaker is activated by control rod 28 so that on the point that the reversing mechanism is about to engage, the relay 26 ss isolated such that the full 12 volts may be utilised for the reversing operation. Reversing is thus achieved more posit i vely and without current drop to the heating elements. When reversing is completed the contact breaker 60 restores current to the relay 26 which in turn isolates the motor 24, just before the whistle stops blowing.

Lubrication is provided to the cylinders 50 and steam chest 31 by means of a displacement lubricator 51.

This comprises an oil container 42 having adjustable outlets at the top connecting with the gland end 39 of each cylinder 50 and an inlet 53 at the bottom connected via a condenser 40 to the steam chest 31.

When the throttle is open steam pressure (and ultimately water pressure) is applied to the oil.

However, as each exhaust event on the gland side of the cylinder occurs there is a differential in pressure causing a minute droplet of oil to be squeezed through to the end 39 of the cylinder, regulated by a screw down valve 38 in the outlet. As the load increases so the oil delivery increases. When the regulator 14 is closed pressure is equalised at atmospheric. Steam pressure is controlled by a safety valve 41.

The locomotive thus uses a single electric power source both to raise steam and to permit remote control of its operation.

It will be appreciated that modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example, the steam generating system and the control mechanism may be adapted to fulfil any suitable operational requirements. Also, as previously mentioned, the rotating valve to the steam chest may have any desired port arrangement.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing Specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. A steam driven wheeled vehicle connectable to an electric power source wherein the steam is raised by means of at least one electric heating element.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein steam is generated within a boiler by a first heating element, the steam subsequently being superheated by a second heating element.

3. A vehicle according to either of the preceding claims which is remotely controlled by adjustment of the electric power supply to the vehicle.

4. A vehicle according to any of the preceding claims in which the electric power is supplied to the vehicle through rails along which it is intended to travel.

5. A vehicle according to any of the preceding claimsand having a steam driven piston/cylinder arrangement wherein the steam is supplied to the or each cylinder through a rotating slide valve.

6. A vehicle according to Claim 5, wherein the slide valve has a plurality of inlet ports for communication sequentially with respective sides of the pistons in the piston/cylinder arrangement, and a plurality of outlet ports for communication sequentially with respective other sides of the pistons in the piston/cylinder arrangement, the inlet ports being adapted to introduce the steam and the outlet ports being connected to an exhaust.

7. A vehicle according to Claim 5 or 6, wherein the piston/cylinder arrangement comprises a pair of cylinders each having a double acting piston.

8. A vehicle according to any of Claims 5 to 7, wherein pistons of the piston/cylinder arrangement are connected to a driving axle of the vehicle to transmit reciprocal movement of the pistons into rotation of the driving axle.

9. A vehicle according to Claim 8, wherein rotation of the slide valve is effected from the driving axle through a drive arrangement.

10. A vehicle according to Claim 9, wherein regulating means is provided to alter the position of the slide valve relative to the piston/cylinder arrangement, whereby to provide for rotation of the drive axle in an opposite direction.

11. A vehicle according to Claim 10, wherein the regulating means comprises a rotatable member connected to a drive shaft of the drive arrangement and thereby to the slide valve, the connection providing for a lost motion relationship between the drive shaft and other components of the drive arrangement.

12. A vehicle according to Claim 11, wherein rotation of the rotatable member is controlled by selective connection to the electric power source.

13. A vehicle according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the rotatable member is connected to a regulator valve to control transmission of steam to a steam activated whistle.

14. A lubricator for use with a steam driven piston/cylinder arrangement, the lubricator including a container for lubricant having an outlet communicating with the piston/cylinder arrangement and an inlet to which is transferred condensed steam from a condenser connected to the steam supply of the piston/cylinder arrangement, such that steam driven movement of the or each piston within the respective cylinder causes lubricant to be transferred from the container to the respective cylinder.

15. A vehicle according to any of claims 1 to 13 having a lubricator according to claim 14.

16. A vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. A lubricator substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

18. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.