US1101556A - Spark-arrester. - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT KURZ, OF LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS.

SPARK-ARRESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1914.

Application filed July 31, 1913. Serial No. 782,255.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT KURZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leavenworth, in the county of Leavenworth and] has for its object to provide sparlcarresting means that shall not clog or impede the draft through the stack, yet shall effectually perform its spark-arresting functions.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 shows a vertical section, taken longitudinally of the locomotive, of a sparkarrester embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the complete apparatus showing its relation to the boiler, and railway. Fig. et shows a horizontal section, on line IV-IV of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view, on line V of Fig. 2.

1 indicates the smoke stack, which may be of the usual diameter and form, except that its upper end is cut off on a rearward and downward incline, its highest point thus being at the front and its lowest point diametrically opposite. The line of termina-' tion is made concave, in order that the top of the stack may fit, but without contact, the periphery of the smoke-impelled wheel 2. Said wheel is composed of a circular series of radially disposed sheet metal blades 3, rigidly mounted on and between a pair of side plates 2 Each side plate is provided with a stub shaft 4 as shown by Fig 5. Each stub shaft passes rotatably through a bearing 5, said bearings being mounted on a housing 6. Each shaft 4: is provided with a flywheel 7, the function of said wheels being to steady the rotary motion of the arrester wheel 2. Preferably, the blades 3 are imperforate. Each of said blades is curved as at a, in such a way as to present a concave surface to receive the upwardly impinging smoke and exhaust steam. Said blades are spaced apart at suitable distances to permit the passage of smoke diametrically through the wheel, as will be apparent from inspection of Fig. 1.

Housing 6 is only of sufficient breadth to freely contain the wheel, and extends at the rear thereof to a point approximately over the axial line of the wheel. From this point the sides of the housing are cut down on vertical lines to about the level of the wheels axis. Between the housing and the stack, there is thus exposed to the atmosphere, about 90 degrees of the periphery and lateral surface of the wheel, said exposed surfaces being directly above the smoke-stack. Diametrically opposite that portion of the wheel that receives smoke and exhaust steam from the stack, I provide a grating composed of a series of transverse baffles 8, the ends of which are secured to the housing side walls. The rear housing wall 9 is cut away, as shown, to permit the escape of smoke between said baffles. Said battles are, preferably, concaved toward the wheel, and are so arranged as to bar the passage of sparks while offering as little resistance as may be to the escape of smoke. The front lower portion of the housing is concaved to fit the stack, and is secured thereto by angle-irons l0 and rivets (or bolts) 12. At a suitable distance below the wheel, said housing is bifurcated as shown at C, thereby forming two chutes, 14, which are extended downward around the boiler 15; thence downward to points close to and above the rails 16, the bottoms of said chutes being open. The upper portion of the housing is secured to the lower portion by a hinge 17, so that said upper portion may be thrown open to admit the wheel 2.

The operation is as follows: When the engine is standing, so that no steam is being exhausted, the draft through the stack 1 will pass to atmosphere between the blades of the wheel, whether said wheel be in rotation or not. When theengine is in operation, the blasts of smoke and exhaust steam strike the wheel blades 3, thereby setting the wheel in rotation. This motion is made uniform by means of the fly-wheels 7. The concave surfaces at retain sparks and cinders, while some smoke will pass upward through the front opening in the housing. By inertia of rotation, and by centrifugal force, the sparks and cinders will strike the battles 8 and fall therefrom, the descent being accelerated by the downwardly moving blades 3. The particles thus enter the chutes 14:, from which they are discharged upon the rails 16, my object therein being to increase the traction between said rails and the drive-wheels. As aforesaid, a portion of the smoke will escape through the large forward opening of the housing 9, but a portion will also reach the atmosphere by passing through the wheel and between the baffles, 8. The locomotives forward direction is indicated by an arrow on Fig. l.

I am aware that sparlearresteis comprising rotary elements have been devised heretofore; and I do not claim, broadly, such a rotatably mounted smoke impelled element comprising a series of blades, the inner ends of said blades being separated so as to form a passage in the direction of the diameter of the element, each of said blades being bent away from and toward a radial line drawn from the axis of rotation. 1

2. The combination with a smoke stack, of a housing associated with the top of said stack, a, wheel rotatably mounted in said housin and positioned to cover the upper end oi the stack, said wheel comprising blades, the inner ends of which are separated so as to form a passage in the direction of the diameter of the wheel, and baiiie plates carried by said housing and arranged adja cent the periphery of said wheel opposite the mouth of the stack.

3. The combination with a smoke stack, of a housing associated with the top of said stack, a wheel rotatably mounted in said housing and positioned to cover the upper end of the stack, said wheel comprising blades, the inner ends otwhich are separated so as to form a passage in the direction of the diameter of the wheel, baffle plates carried by said housing and arranged adjacent the periphery of said wheel opposite the mouth of the stack, said blades being bent away from and then toward the radius of the wheel whereby the passage through the wheel is made of a tortuous shape.

4. A spark-arrester comprising in combination with a smoke-stack, a housing attached to the rearward upper portion-of said stack, said housing having an open top v portion directly above the stack; a rotatably ciated with said stack, a wheel positioned to cover the upper end of the stack and extending into said housing, said wheel comprising spaced, radially disposed blades; and a series of stationary baflies supported by said housing about the periphery of said wheel, said battles covering a portion of said periphery diametrically opposite the mouth of said stack; the entire top of said housing being open except for said baflles which have spaces therebetween;

6. A spark-arrester comprising in combination with a smoke-stack, an open-topped housing attached to the rearward upper portion of said stack, a wheel rotatably mounted in said housing and covering the mouth of said stack, said wheel having an open periphery and comprising a series of radially disposed spaced blades; and a series of spaced battles arranged to cover a portion of said wheels periphery opposite the mouth of said stack, and said wheel and battles being provided with smoke passages.

7. In combination, a smoke-stack having its mouth cut on a downward and rear-ward incline, a smoke-impelled wheel mounted. in

close proximity to and covering said mouth, and a support for the axis of said wheel.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT KURZ. Witnesses:

F. G. Fisei-me, K. M. IMBoDEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. 0.

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