US1213107A - Arch for locomotive-boiler furnaces. - Google Patents

Description

v L. s. KENNEDY. ARCH FOR LOCOMOTIVE BOILER FURNACES. APPLICAHON FILED JULY [1. I916.

1,21 mm Patented Jan.16,1917.

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L. S. KENNEDY. ARCH FOR LOCOMOTIVE BOILER FURNACES. I APPLICATION FILED JULY H, i916. 1 1 3 1W? Patented Jan. 16,1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- WTTEU @TAT 111 PATENT Ufwfgm LOUIS S. KENNEDY, OF SANDY RIDGE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ARCH FOR LOCOMOTIVE-BOILER FURNACES.

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Application filed July 11, 191g. Serial No. 108,639.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS S. KENNEDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sandy Ridge, in the county of Center and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Arches for Locomotive-Boiler Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in arches for locomotive boiler fire boxes, and particularly to front arches, of that type composed of refractory fire bricks or blocks supported in an inclined position adjacent to the flue sheet of the fire box upon arch supporting tubes.

One object of the present invention is to provide anarch wherein bricks are supported and held against either lateral or longitudinal displacement, either under the vibrations incident to the travel of the locomotive or liability of disconnection if struck by a rabble or rake in the hands of the fireman, when the fire is being raked or the fire box cleaned out.

A further object of the invention is to provide' an arch composed of fire bricks which are supported wholly by the supporting tubes and maintained out of contact with the side walls of the fire box, thus preventing wear upon such walls by contact with the arch bricks.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an arch in which the bricks are locked not only against lateral and longitudinal displacement, but also against verti cal displacement, and in which bottom or forward retaining bricks are employed which give greater security in holding the bricks of the body of the arch against any tendency to displacement.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an arch which includes bricks of novel construction and which embodies means for permitting freertravel of the smoke and gases in passing from the fire box to the fire tubes. 7

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of con struction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which 2-- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a locomotive fire box provided with a front archembodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional or plan view on the line 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a horizontal transverse section through the fire box on the line 33 of Fig. 1,.looking upward, Fig. 4; is a vertical transverse section .on the line 44 of F g. 2, Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are perspective views of one of the side or end bricks, one of the lntermediate bricks, and one ofthe bottom reta ning bricks, respectively, Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section similar to Fig. 4 3nd showing a slightly modified construcion.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, of the drawings, 1 designates a locomotive fire box of conventional construction and including the rear or fire door wall 2, front or flue sheet wall 3, side walls 4 and top or crown wall 5, with which front or flue sheet wall 3 connects the rear ends of the fire tubes 7 which extend forward to the smoke box through the water containing and-steam generating spaces of the boiler. Arranged within the fire boX is an inclined front arch 8 constructed in accordance with my invention, and which is supported by the front downwardly and for wardly inclined ends of the arch supporting tubes 9.

The arch 8 comprises a body of refractory material, which, in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, is of the four-tube type, that is, of a character supported upon four equally spaced supporting tubes 9, the said arch consisting of rows of side or end bricks or slabs 10, which are similar in construction, and rows of intermediate or central bricks or slabs 11. These rows of bricks or slabs, which are made of fire .clay or other suitable material, form a baffle or arch extending on an inclined plane at the front of the fire box to cause the products of combustion from the bed of fuel upon the grate to have a determined course of flow before entering the fire tubes, in the manner and for the purpose understood by those skilled in the art. The bricks or slabs 10 are each of substantially .oblong rectangular form and have straight longitudinal abutment. faces 12 to squarely engage the corresponding surfaces of adjacent side bricks and cooperating surfaces of retaining bricks 13, hereinafter fully described. The inner ends of the bricks 1 0 .are formed with substantially V- shaped locking recesses 14, and such ends of each side row of bricks 10 rest upon the inner supporting tube 9 at that side of the longitudinal center of the fire box. The

outer ends of the bricks 10 are provided with transversely curved or arcuate surfaces 15 which terminate at their tips in close proX- imity to the adjacent side wall 4, and adjacent to their said outer ends the bricks 10 rest upon the adjacent outer supporting tube 9 and are provided on their under sides with lugs or stop shoulders 16 engaging said tube and holding the bricks from outward shifting motion or displacement. As illustrated in the present instance, the shoulders 16 are arranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of each brick, and from a point beyond the portion of the brick 10, which rests upon the outer or side tube 9, the bottom surface of the outer end of the brick is beveled off upwardly and outwardly toward the edge 15 for the double purpose of reducing the weight of the laterally projecting and unsupported end of the brick and to also form a guiding or deflecting surface, as hereinafter described.

The intermediate or central bricks 11 are provided to fill the spaces between the side or end rows of bricks 10, and to form with said side or end rows of bricks an arch or baflie extending entirely across the fire box and filling the spaces between the supporta ing tubes and also the spaces between the outer supporting tubes and the side walls 4. These bricks 11 are provided with straight longitudinal sides or abutment surfaces 18 and with V-shaped end portions or edges 19, which latter project into and interlock with the grooves or recesses 14 in the ends of the bricks 10, thus forming lock joints by which the bricks of the respective rows are held against casual vertical displacement. It will be observed that the joints embodied by the interlocking portions 14 and 19 lie above the intermediate supporting tubes 9, while the stop shoulders 16 engage the inner sides of the outer supporting tubes and hold the end bricks from moving or spreading laterally, by which lateral separation or dis placement of the bricks cannot possibly occur, while any vertical displacement can ocour only as a result of the bricks composing the arch being lifted as a mass. It will accordingly be apparent that the bricks cannot become displaced by the jars or vibrations of the locomotive and fall down into the fire box, nor can they be displaced accidentally on being struck by a rabble or rake in the hands of the fireman while raking the bed of fuel on the grate, thus overcoming material objections to the construction of bricks in common use in other boilers of the same general character.

It will be evident that in applying cooperating bricks 10 and 11 forming a transverse row, it is necessary to dispose the side or end bricks 10 in an inclined or inverted V-shaped position, to admit the central brick 11 between them, and then permit the bricks to move downwardly to ahorizontal position as a unit, whereby they may interlock securely against upward or lateral displacement. In disconnecting bricks for repairs or renewal, a reverse or upward movement of the side and central bricks is necessary as will be readily understood. As all the bricks composing the arch are also supported ontirely by the tubes and do not rest against the side walls 4, it is evident that wear upon the side walls due to frictional contact with the bricks from the ars or vibrations of the locomotive when in transit will be entirely avoided.

All of the bricks 10 and 11 are provided in their undersides with longitudinally extending centrally disposed grooves or recesses 20, which not only relieve the bricks of excess weight or amount of material but form channels for the flow of the gases and products of combustion from side to side of the furnace beneath the arch, thus at all times maintaining the arch at a desired high temperature. The curved or arcuate surfaces 15 of the side bricks also provide intervening passages 21 between the same and the side walls which permit the smoke and gases to flow upward toward the fire tubes and provide for the oxygenation of the smoke and gases in a more effective manner. For the purpose of properly forming the lower portion of the arch and retaining the aforesaid bricks in position, a lower, forward transverse row of retaining bricks 22 is provided. These bricks are similar in general construction to the bricks 10 and 11, but are arranged in spaced relation to provide intervening fines or passages for the upflow of the products of combustion and are provided in their lower sides with grooves 23 to receive and rest upon the tubes 9, have their forward edges 24 beveled at a suitable angle to fit against the flue sheet 3, and are provided at their rear edges with projections or flanges 25 which overlap the upper surfaces of the lower transverse row of bricks of the Jody of the arch proper. These bricks 22 thus serve as retaining bricks which prevent the body of the arch formed by the bricks 10 and 11. from having any sliding forward movement, and as a result of the constructi n set forth the bricks are also firmly held in position so that the cannot possibly be displaced and fall down into the fire box in the event that they should be struck by a rabble 0r rake inserted through the usual lower drop grate in the operation of cleanin g out the fire box. In addition to the various advantages of the construction above set forth, it will also be apparent that the various bricks may be applied and removed with ease and facility, thus insuring economy of time and labor in constructing or dismantling the arch making repairs, etc.

Where the arch is of the three-tube type,

that is, supported by three supporting tubes 9 instead of four the central or intermediate bricks 11 may be dispensed with, and in such event, as clearly shown in Fig. 8, the side or end bricks will be made in rights and lefts, the side bricks 10 being of the construction previously described while the companion side bricks 10 will be provided at their inner ends with V-shaped projections 19 to engage and interlock with the V-shaped re cesses 14, whereby an interlocking connection of the bricks is secured, the bricks 10 and 1O being employed in conjunction with the retaining bricks 22 as and in the manner previously described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A locomotive fire box arch comprising spaced supporting elements, and transverse rows of bricks of refractory material resting upon and supported by said elements entirely free and clear of the fire box at the sides of the arch, the bricks of each row having lateral abutment surfaces with interlocking elements, arranged wholly within the plane thereof so that the bricks of each row are held from relative independent vertical displacement and means for retaining the side bricks in spaced relation from the side walls of the fire box.

2. A locomotive fire box arch comprising spaced supporting members, bricks of refractory material resting upon and supported by said members, said bricks having outer edge portions spaced clear from the sides of the fire box and formed to provide vertical passages between the edge portions of adjacent bricks and also between the same and the sides of the fire box, and having grooves in their undersides extending uninterruptedly across the fire box between said passages, and means for retaining the side bricks in spaced relation from the side walls of the fire box.

3. A locomotive fire box arch comprising supporting elements, and bricks of refractory material resting on and supported by said elements, the bricks adjacent to the sides of the fire box having their edges formed to provide vertical flues and their undersides beveled to form sloping surfaces leading to said fines, and said bricks having grooves in their undersides extending across the fire box between the flues.

4. A locomotive fire box arch comprising side and intermediate supports, and a re fractory body of bricks resting on said supports, said bricks consisting of outer or side bricks resting upon the outer supports at a point between their outer and inner edges and provided with projections engaging said supports to hold them from relative lateral movement, and intermediate bricks disposed above the intermediate supports, the adjacent faces of the side and intermediate bricks being provided with interlocking connections, said connections serving to hold the bricks against upward movement under pressure.

5. A locomotive fire box arch comprising spaced supporting elements, and rows of fire bricks supported upon said elements, entirely free and clear of the fire box at the sides of the arch, said bricks being pro vided with means to engage the supporting elements to hold the arch from sidewise displacement and having interlocking connections within the plane thereof for holding said bricks against upward displacement.

6. A locomotive fire box arch comprising spaced supporting elements, bricks of re fractory material resting upon and supported by said elements free and clear of the fire box at the sides of the arch, said bricks being provided with means to engage the supporting elements to hold the arch from sidewise displacement and having interlocking connections to hold them from upward. displacement under pressure, the marginal edges of the bricks adjacent to the sides of the arch being formed to provide vertical passages and having their lower surfaces sloping to their extremities and provided with grooves in their under sides extending across the fire box and intersecting said sloping surfaces.

7. A locomotive fire box arch comprising supporting elements arranged within the fire box, and a body of refractory material supported by said elements, said body of refractory material comprising bricks havingv outer edges spaced from the sides of the fire box and forming vertical passages and having their inner edges united by interlocking connections located within the'plane thereof and holding said bricks against vertical displacement, said bricks being further provided with grooves in their undersides extending across the fire box and intersecting said passages, and bottom retaining bricks having beveled faces resting against the tube sheet of the fire box and flanges lapping the adjacent edges of the first-named bricks.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS S. KENNEDY. Witnesses C. C. HINns, BENNETT S. JONES.

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