US1537141A - Automatic car-heating system - Google Patents

Description

May 12, 192s. 1,537,141

E. A. RUSSELL AUTOMATIC CAR HEATING SYSTEM Original Filed lay 1. 1922 fnxferdf):

Patented May 12, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE] EIJW'ARD A. RUSSELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO VAPOR CAR HEATING COMPANY, INC, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A GORPORATIQN 913 NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC CAR HEATING SYSTEM.

Application filed May 1, 1922, Serial No. 557,551.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. RUSSELL, I a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Car- I-Ieating Systems, of which the following is a specification.

'My invention relates toa car heating system which is automatically controlled to maintain a normal living temperature inthe car during periods of occupancy, that is, when the car is coupled up with a locomotive or is standing at aterminal station, and to establish and maintain a lower temperature, sufficient to keep water pipes and fixtnres from, freezing, when the car is out off from'the locomotive and is standing in a railroad yard, for example, with its steam train pipe connected with a" stationary source of supply of steam.

The system of control contemplated by this invention is specially adapted for a low pressure or vapor type of, steam heating apparatus employing an automatically governed radiator valve which when closed, that is, when in position to shut off inflow of steam to the radiator, opens a drain port on the radiator side of the valve through which water of condensation may escape from the radiator. A control system of this sort is described in my co-pending application SerialNo. 434,179 filed December 31," 1920, and it contemplates having the steanr train pipe of the car connected with a source of steam supply in the yard or terminal whenever, during cold weather, the car is cut off from the locomotive. I pen, however, that the car when taken to the yard is not connected up with the steam sup ply pipe and when such is the case, if the valve happens to be left open so that its drain pipe is closed (which will depend upon the car temperature at the time the car is cut oil) or if the valve, though closed at the time, is subsequently opened, anto-' matically, through operation of the control mechanism, opportunity will be given for water to trap in the valve and freeze. To avoid this my present invention provides a It may hap- Renewed November 26, 1924.

device which operates automatically, in such contingencies, to move the valve from its open to its closed and draining position.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagramn'iatic view of the heating system as a whole, the radiator valve being shown in the open position.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the radiator valve showing the same in closed position, and l Fig. 3 is a view, on a largerscale, illustrating the thermostatic attachment on the steam train pipe for closing the radiator valve in'the contingencies before mentioned.

Referring to the drawing, A designates the steam train pipe of a railway car provided with a radiator which is shown as consisting of two pipe coils B andC. D is a four-way valve for controlling the flow of steam through the radiator, and Band F are motors for closing and opening the valve. G is a vapor regulator, so-called, for reducing inflow ofsteam to the radiator in accordance with the temperature of the medium outflowing therefrom, this device being of'common construction and requiring no. detailed description. H is a limit switch for breaking the circuits through motors E and F as soon as the valve has been moved from one position to the other. J is a relay, the position of the armature of which determines whether motor E or motor F is energized under certain operating conditions. K is a thermostat located in the car which is put into control of the system, when the ear is disconnected from the locomotive, to maintain the car atmosphere at a relatively low temperature, for example, 50 Fahrenheit. L is a similar thermostat which is put into control of the system when the car is connected with the locomotive to maintain the car atmosphere at a normal living temperature, say 7 0 Fahrenheit. hf isa selector switch whether the heating system shall be controlled by low temperature thermostat K or high temperature thermostat 'L, the switch M being, in effect, an air and spring motor,-the moving part of which is moved in one direction by air pressure derived for determining from the airbralre or signal train line, that is to say, switch M is actuated through air pressure in one of the air train lines when the car is operatively connected with the locomotive to put the high temperature thermostat L in control of the heating system. Vi hen air disappears from the train line, as will happen when the car is cut ott from the locomotive, selector switch M opcrates automatically to put the low temperature thermostat K in control of the system. The selector switch can be manually set to the high temperature position, when there is no air pressure in the air train line, so that the car may be heated to normal temperature when it is standing in a terminal station. N is a master switch for disabling the entire control system. Q- designates the battery or other source oi supply of current, 'and R a circuit breaker arranged on the train pipe K which, through the cooling of the train pipe incident to the disconnection of the car from the locomotive, operates to bring about the closing of the radiator valve or to prevent said valve, it closed, at the time the car is cut oil from the train, from being subsequently opened, it it hapi pens that the steam train pipe of the car, in-

stead of being connected with a stationary yard or terminal steam line, is left unsupplied with steam. Theclosing of the valve involves, as stated above, the opening of a drain port onthe radiator side ot' the valve through which water of condensation in the radiator may outflow instead cl? being trapped in. the valve. 1

Operation: The parts ot the apparatus,

shown in l ig. l, are in the positions which they assume when the car is cut oil from the locomotive but supplied with steam from the yard or terminal steam line and with the car temperature below that at which low temperature thermostat K, now incontrol oi the system. set to function. that is to say, the car temperature is below 50 l alu'euheit. The steam tram line A is hot and thermostat- R- associated therewith is expanded to break the circuit which it con-o trols. The relay J is energized to raise its armature by a circuit as follows:

Circuit No. 1. \Vire 11 fronrbattery Q, arm l of switch l wire 13, resistance 14-, relay (l, wire 15, arm 16 ot switch N, and wire ii to battery Q.

Valve l) is open and steam flows through I the radiator and its connections as tollows:

t team train line A, pipe 18, pressure reducing valve '19 of the vapor regulator G, pipe 20, chamber 21 ot radiator valve D, duct 22 ot the rotatable valve member of valve 11 chamber 2d of the valve, inlet pipe 25 of primary coil B, return pipe 26 of coil B, inlet-pipe 2T otcoil 0, return pipe 28 of coil C, chamber 29, duct 30 and chamber 31 of valve 1), and pipe 32 to the thermostat post 48,

valve chamber 3 1 and through a water seal duct 35 to chamber 81 and through pipe 32 to the thermostat chamber 33 of the vapor regulator.

lVhen the temperature of the car reaches the temperature for which low temperature thermostat K is set, that is to say, when the mercury column 36 of thermostat K touches contact 37, acircuit is closed through thermostat K which diverts enough current from the circuitcontaining relay .l and resistance 14 (circuit No. 1) so that the relay J drops its armature lO thereby closing a circuit through motor F to cause the motor to close valve D. The circuit through the low temperature thermostat K is as follows:

Circuit No. 2. Circuit No. 1 to binding post 38, wire- 39, mercury column 36 of thermostat K, contact 8T,-wire 4L0, spring contact 4-1 of the selector switch M, contact plate 42 onthe movable member 44-3 01" selector switch M, spring contact 44, wire to wire 15 and thence, asin circuit No. 1, to the battery.

Armature 10 of relay J falls on the contacts 4C6, 47. closing the aforementioned circuit through motor F, as follows:

, Circuit No. Circuit .No. 1 to binding wire ll), wire 50, solenoid coil 51. of motor l wire 52, spring contact 5?; of the limit switch H, contact: plate 5% ot the limit switch member 55, contact spring 56. wire 57, contact 4L6, armature 10 of: relay J, contact l", wire 58 to wire 15, and thence by circuit No. 1 to the battery.

, Motor F actuated to close valve l), the

.core 59 of the motor being engaged at ()0 with a lever (ll on the rotatable valve member 23 of valve 1). Fig. 2 shows-the closed position of valve 1). Steam from pipe 20 passes directly *l rom valve chamber 9,], to valve chamber 31 and to thecthermoslat chamber 33 ot the vapor regulator (i lhrouglrpipe 32, short circuitiug the radi ator coils P) and (l. The radiator pipes 525, E26 and 28 of the coils drainihrmrgh valve chambers lei, 3i and-29, all of which are in communication.with *alvc chamber (as from which leads a drain pipe (39 tbvilch member otithe limit switch ll is engaged by .an arm 64: on the valve member 23 so that shown in Fig. 1.

consequence of this relay-T will be energized to'attract its armature 10 (circuit No. 1) so as to bring the armature 10 against contacts 66, 67, closing a circuit throughthe motor E as follows: I

Circuit No. 4. Circuit No. 3 to binding post 68 (between wires 49 and 50), wire 69, coil 70 or" motor E, wire 71, spring contact 72, of limit switch H, contact plate 73 ot' the limit switch member 55, spring contact 74-, wire 75, contact66, armature 1.0 of the relay J, contact 67, wire 58 to wire 15, and thence by circuit No. 1 to the battery.

The arrangement of the momentary circuit ust described through motor E restores the parts of the apparatus to the positions Valve D is opened, the limit switch H thereupon breaking the circuit through motor E by interposing be tween spring contacts 72, 74 the insulating block 76 on limit switchmen iber 55. v

It will now be assumed that the car is operatively coupled with a locomotive so that air under pressure is conducted from,

the air train line of the train (the signal line or air brake train line) through pipe 77 to the cylinder 78 of the selector switch M. The movable member 43 of the selector switch is moved to the left (Fig. 1) so that spring contacts 41, 44: are separated by the insulating block 79. This puts the low temperature thermostat out of control by breaking its circuit (circuit No. 2) at the selector switch. Assuming that the car temperature is below that to which the high temperature thermostat L is set, 70 Fahrenheit, for example, the parts of the control apparatus, except for the selector switch, will remain as shown in Fig. 1, that is to say, relay J- will be energized and valve D open. The car temperature will be raised to the normal temperi-iture of occupancy, 70 F ahrcnheit, whereupon the mercury column 80 of high temperature thermostat L will reach contact 81, closing a circuit through the high tem- 'ierature thermostatL and deenergizing relay J. The circuit through the high temperature thermostat L is as follows:

Circuit No. 5. Circuit No. 2 through wire 39 to mercury column 80 of thermostat L, contact 81, wire 82, wire L to wire 15, and thence as in circuits N0. 1 and No. 2 to the battery.

Relay J is deenergized, dropping its armature to contacts 46, "i7 and. a momentary circuit is thereby established through motor F (circuit No. 3) to close the valve 1). If the ten'iperature thereafter falls below 70 Fahrenheit the circuit through thermostat L (circuit No. '5) is broken at the thermostat, relay J is energized, and a momentary circuit established through the motor E (circuit No. 4) to re-open the valve.

lVhe-n the car m cut off from the locomotive and isstanding, for example, at a tercuit No. at this point.

minal with the steam train. line connected with. a steam supply pipe, the high tempera-- ture thermostat may be put in control of the system by manual ope *ation of the selector switch M. This enables the car to be heated to the temperature of occupancy before the locomotive is attached to the train. The movable members?) of the ,elector switch for the low temperature control is held against a spring stop 88 by a spring 8% backed up against a stationary abutment 85. By releasing the spring stop 83 the switch member will move to the right against the head of cylinder 78 inserting an insulating block 80 between the spring contacts 17., 4:41. The low temperature thermostat. K is thus disabled by the breaking of its circuit (cir- T he spring stop 83 bears upon the top of the outer. end of the selector switch member so that as soon as air is introduced into cylinder 78 incident to the coupling of the train with the locomotive, the switch men'iber will be moved to its extreme left hand position with spring contacts 4-1, 44; on the insulating block 79, the spring stop 83 dropping back to its normal position in readiness to reestablish the low ten'iperature thermostat circuit as soon as air pressuredisappears from the cylinder 78; l

I shall next describe the device for insuring the closing of valve D, with the opening of the radiator drain incident thereto, in case the car is cut ofi from the locomotive steam supply without being connected with a yard or terminal steam supply. In such case, it may be said, the water in the radiator, even if valve D were open, could find an exit, to a certain extent at least, through pipes and (note the sealing duct connecting valve chamber fitivith valve chamber 31) but practical experience has shown that the drainage of the reuliator cannot be satisfactorily established, at least in severe weather, with the valve standing in its open position because of the danger of the water freezing in valve D.

It will be observed that even it the valve D be closed at the time the car is cut olt from the locomotive, the valve will be opened again by the encrgization oi relay J soon as the car temperature falls low enough to break the circuit through the low temperature thermostat (circuit No. 2). Before this the high temperature thermostat circuit (circuit No. will, of course, have been broken. It the car is put out of service with its temperature between and Fahrenheit, the low temperature thermostat circuit will be closed to deenergize the relay J and. bring about a closing of the radiator valve D, but this condition will last only until the car temperature falls below 50 Fahrenheit whereupon valve D will again be opened. In any case, valve I) will eventually be opened and, quite possibly, this may happen before the radiating coils have completely drained.

To meet this condition the thermostat It is arranged on or adjacent the steam train pipe A. I have shown the thermostat R as consisting of an arc member 87 and a chord member 88 of greater expansibility than the arc member. The thermostat is attached to the pipe in any suitable manner. For example, it may be mounted on a metal block 89, insulation 90 being interposed between the chord member 88 and the block and the block clamped to the pipe A by U bolts 91.

92 is the terminal on the chord member and 93 a contact against which the are member is adapted to hear when the chord member contracts, that is to say, when train pipe A is not under steam and cold. The circuit 29 controlled by thermostat It is, therefore,

open whenever the car is receiving steam either from the locomotive or from the yard or terminal steam pipe. It is closed only when the car is not being heated. Assuming that the car is in this condition with valve binding post 92, wire 96 to binding post 97, wire 45, wire 15 and thence tollowing circuit No. l to the battery.

The closing of the circuit just described a will have the same etlect as the closing of the circuit through the low temperature thermostat (circuit No. 2) namely, relay J will be deenergized dropping its armature on contacts 46. 47. This will energize motor I (circuit No. 3) to close valve D. Valve D will remain closed so long as current flows over circuit No. (3, that is to say,

so long as pipe A remains cold. As soon as pipe A is heated by introduction of steam thereto circuit N0. 6 is broken at 93 and thermostat It is made in-ei'l'ective and the parts of the controlling apparatus restored either to the positions which they assume with thermostat K in control or the posi tions which they assume with thermostat L in control, dependent upon the operation of selector switch M.

As it is realized that my invention might be practiced by apparatus di'fi'erently constructed than that shown and described, I wish it to be understood that the invention includes all modifications of such apparatus within the scope of the appended claims. The term train pipe is used to denote any suitable conduit to supply the car heating means with steam.

I claim:

mama-1 1. In a. steam heating system for a railway car provided with a steam train pipe, heating means connected with the train pipe to receive steam therefrom, and mechanism comprising a heat sensitive element influenced by the temperature of the train pipe for opening a drainage outlet for water of condensation from the heating means on cessation of steam supply to the train pipe.

2. In a steam heating system for a railway car provide-d with a steam train pipe, heating means connected with the train pipe to receive steam therefrom, and provided with a drainage outlet for water of condensation, and mechanism actuated when the train pipe is supplied with steam to close said outlet and when steam is cut oil from the train pipe to open said outlet, which mechanism comprises a heat sensitive element influenced by the temperature of the train pipe.

3. In a steam heating system tor a railway car provided with a steam train pipe, heating means connected with the train pipe to receive steam therefrom, a valve to close comn'iunication between the train pipe and heating means provided with a drainage outlet in communication with the heating means which is open when the valve is closed, and control mechanism for operating said valve comprising a thcrn'iostat associated with the train pipe which actuates such controlling mechanism to close saidvalve and open the drain outlet when steam supply to the train pipe ceases.

4t. In a steam heating system for a railway car provided with a steam train pipe, heating means connected with the train pipe to receive steam therefrom, a valve to close communication between the train pipe and heating means provided with a drainage outlet in conmmnication with the heating means which is open when the valve is closed, a thermostat in the car, and mechanism actuated thereby for opening and closing said valve, and a thermostat associated with the train pipe which on cessation of steam supply to the train pipe eliects the closing ot said valve.

In a steam heating system for a railway car provided with a steam train pipe, heating means connected with the train pipe to receive steam therefrom, a valve to close communication between the train pipe and heating means provided with a drainage outlet in connnunicalion with the heating means which is open when the valve is closed, and

iechanism for opening and closing said valve comprising a thermostat in the car which opens the valve at a determined low temperature therein, and a thermostat associated with the train'pipe which closes the valve on cessation of steam supply to the train pipe.

6. In a steam heating system for a railway which breaks a circuit to etl fect the opening,

of the valve at a determined low temperature therein, and a circuit making and breaking thermostat associated with the train pipe which makes a circuit and thereby etiects the closin of said valve on cessation of steam supply to the train pipe.

7. In a steam heating system for a railway car provided with a steam train pipe, heating means connected with the train pipe to receive steam therefrom, a valve to close communication between the train pipe and heating means provided with a drainage outlet in communication with the heating means which is open when the valve is closed, and eleetriailly operated mechanism for opening and closing said valve comprising a relay which is energized and deenergized to open and close the valve, a circuit making and breaking thermostat in the car which controls a circuit that when made diverts current from the relay circuit to dcenergize the relay, and a circuit making and breaking thermostat associated with the train pipe which controls a circuit that when made, diverts current from the relay to deenergize the same.

S. In a steam heating system for a railway car provided with a steam. train pipe, heatmg means connected with the train pipe to receive steam therefrom, a valve to close comn'iunieation between the train pipe and heating means provided with adrainage outlet in communication with the heating means which is open when the valve is closed, electrically operated mechanism for opening and closing said valve comprising a relay which is energizer to open said valve and on deenergization closes the same, a circuit making and breaking thermostat in shunt with the relay which n'iakes its circuit on rise oi car temperature, diverting current from the relay, and deeuergizing the same, and a circuit making and breaking theri'nostat associated with the train pipe arranged in shunt with the relay and other thermostatwhich, in the absence of steam in the train pipe, closes its circuit to deenergize the relay and thereby bring abouta closing of the valve.

9. In a. steam heating system for a railway car provided with a steam train pipe, a radiator in the car, a valve to open and close communication between the train pipe and radiator, which valve provides a drainage outlet for the radiator that is open when the valve is in closing position, motors to open ate the valve in opposite directions, a relay utocontrol current supply to said motors alternatively, a circuit making and breaking thermostat in the car which controls a circuit that when made diverts current from the relay and deenergizes the same, and a circuit making and breaking thermostat associated with the train pipe controlling circuit that, when made, diverts current from said relay to deenergize the same.

10. In a steam heating system for a railway car provided with a steam train pipe, a radiator in the car, a valve to open and close communication between the train pipe and radiator, which valve provides a drainage outlet for the radiator that is open (when the valve is in closing position, motors to operate the valve in opposite directions, a relay which when energized operates one of said motors to open said valve and when deenergized operates the other, motor to close said valve, a circuit making and breaking thermostat in the car in shunt with said relay and controlling a circuit which, when made, deenergizes said relay, and a circuit making and breaking thermostat associated with the train pipe in shunt with the relay and the other thermostat which on cessation of steam supply to the train pipe closes a circuit that deenenergizes the relay.

11. In a steam heating system for a rail way car, provided with a steam train pipe, a radiator in the car, a valve to open and close communication between the train pipe and radiator, which valve provides a drainage outlet for the radiator that is open when the valve is in closing position,,motors to operate. the valve in opposite directions, a

relay which whenenergized operates one oi said motors to open said valve and when deenergized operates the other motor to close said valve, a low temperature circuit making and breaking thermostat which on rise of car temperature 'deenergizes the relay, a high temperature circuit makingjaud breaking thermostat functioning at a higher ,temperature than the first named thermostat, to

deenergize said relay, a selector switch by means of which one or the other of said thermostats is put in control of the system, and a circuit making and breaking thermostat associated with said train pipe for deenergizing the relay on cessation of steam supply to the train pipe.

'12. In a steam heating system for a railway car provided with a steam train pipe, heating means connected with the train pipe to receive steam therefrom, a valve to control the flow of steam to the heating means which when in closing position provides an outlet for water of condensation from the heating means,and controlling mechanism for said valve comprising a thermostat in whereby one or to a relatively loiv point-to close the valve, a thermostat functionlngat a higher-car tempeature to close said valve, means the other of said ther mostats'may be put in control of the system, and means; actuated on cessation of steam supply to the train pipe for effecting the closing of said valve.

13. In a steam heating system for a railway car provided with a steam train pipe,'

heating means, a valve to control the flow of steam to said heating; means which in closing position provides an outlet for water of condensation from the heating'means, andcontrolling means for operating said valve comprising two thermostats for effecting the closing of the valve, one of which is located inthe car and functions on rise of the car temperature and the other of which is associated with the steam train pipe and functions on cessation of steam" supply to said'train pipe. 1

14;. In a steam heating system for a'rail- Way car, the combination of a steam train pipe, a radiator in the car, a valve to control communication between the train pipe and radiator having a drainage outlet which is open When=the valve is in position to close communication between the radiator and train pipe, an electric circuit breaking thermostat to govern the movements of said valve, and an electric circuit breaking thermostat influenced by the temperature of the train pipe and arrangedto close its circuit when the train pipe is cold to short circuit the first named thermostat and to break its circuit when the train pipe is under steam.

EDlVARD- A. RUSSELL.

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