US1745123A - Locomotive-ash-pan structure - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 28, 1930. w, M sHEEHAN 1,745,123

LOCOMOTIVE ASH PAN STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 11. 1926 rQ ToR/VE Y6 Patented Jan. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM M. SHEEIIAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO GENERAL STEEL CASTINGS CORPORATION, OF GRANITE CITY, ILLINOIS, A COR- PORATION OF DELAWARE LOCOMOTIVE-ASH-PAN STRUCTURE Application filed December 11, 1926. Serial No. 154,129.

My invention relates to railway rolling stock and consists in an improved locomotive ash pan structure.

In order to produce effective combustion in locomotive fireboxes, it is essential that there be a constant free passage of air to the underside of grates. Experience has demonstrated that the combined area of inlets for this air should. be in a definite proportion to the area of the grate. These inlets should be so formed as to prevent ashes or live coals being blown laterally from the ashpan.

To take care of this, the usual design of ash-pan includes a horizontal or slightly sloping portion extending beneath and to the outside of the firebox mud ring and flanged upwardly at the outside of the mud ring, but spaced laterally from the mud ring far enough to provide a single air inlet passage between the mud ring and the ash-pan and having an area equivalent to the space between mud ring and horizontal wall. In the effort to increase the capacity of locomotive boilers, the grate areas of fireboxes have been enlarged but increases in width have been limited by the projection of ash-pan beyond the mud ring which increases with the larger grate areas, causing the overall dimensions of ash-pan to approach the clearance limits. This necessitates lengthening the firebox, thereby producing a less desirable stoking condition and an increase in locomotive length. It is therefore highly desirable to reduce the distance beyond the mud rings to which the ash-pan must extend, so that fireboxes may be correspondingly widened, while at the same time maintaining the required area of air inlet passages.

The main object of my invention is to provide an ash pan structure in which a maximum width of firebox may be maintained without extending the ash pan beyond the clearance limits and in which the area of the air passage between the ash pan and mud ring may be maintained and preferably increased beyond that usually provided.

I obtain this object by utilizing an ashpan having a horizontal or slightly sloping portion extending outwardly from the hopper and spaced below the mud ring, the distance required for air inlet area, and having its outer portion formed of two or more spaced sections which overlap each other,

forming deflectors for preventing ashes or live coals being blown laterally from ash-pan,

but at the same time permitting the outer section of the wall to be spaced a greater distance from the mud ring. The sum of the spaces between the wall sections and between the inner section and the mud ring provide increased area of the air inlet.

An additional object of my invention is to produce an ash pan economically and preferably in the form of a cast metal structure.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a selected embodiment of my invention- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved ash pan with the adjacent locomotive wheels and end of the firebox indicated in dot and dash lines.

Figure 2 is in part a transverse vertical section taken on line 22 of Figure l and in part a rear end elevation of the ash pan shown in Figure 1.

The general shape of the ash pan is similar to any well known pan structure and includes slightly inclined portions 1 which extend inwardly from outside of the mud ring beneath the grate bars and over the trailer truck wheels and frame and also includes one or more hopper portions 2 through which the ashes are discharged to the road bed.

Each of the portions 1 of the ash pan terminates in an outwardly and upwardly extending flange 3, the upper edge of which is a substantial distance below the level of the bottom of the mud ring 4. A series of elements 5 project inwardly and u awardly from the inner face of flange 3 an carry a sec-; ondary wall section or flange 6 which extends upwardly and outwardly from a point beneath the level of the bottom of mud ring 4 to a point above such level. I illustrate flanges 3 and 6 as being curved and concentrio with each other but this particular shape and relation is not essential. Preferably, several parts of the ash pan construction including flanges 3, ribs 5 and flanges 6 are formed integrally with each other and in my preferred form these parts are formed by casting.

I have shown the entire structure as composed of two castings 7 and 8 forming, respectively, the from and rear portions of the entire ash pan and overlapped and riveted together at their adjacentends, but Obviously the whole structure could consist of a si 18 structura p ates and shapes.

It is believed that the advantages of the construction illustrated and described by me are apparent, it being clear that a wider firebox within clearance limits can be obtained and that a greater amount of air can pass beneath the mud ring to the firebox than would be the case if the outer portion of the ash-pain terminated with a single air inlet in the usual manner which would be the case were flanges 6 to be omitted and flanges 3 extended upwardly to level of bottom of mud ring as would be necessary to prevent the outward passage of ashes or coals from the firebox beneath the mud ring.

, Various modifications in the details of my ring an ash structure may be made without departing hem-the spirit thereof and I contemplate the exclusive use of such modifications as fall within the scope of my claims.

I claim:

1. In a lommotivemud ring and ash pan assembly, spaced ash pan elementsextending longitudinally of the mud ring and spaced therefrom to provide an air inlet passage between the mud ring and one of said elements and to provide an additional air inlet passage between said elements, the upright portions of said elements overlapping each other to provide an ash deflector beneath the mud ring and extending laterally beyond the same.

2. A locomotive ash pan having a side wall oomplisingspaeed sections forming an air inlet passage between them adapted to extend laterally beyond a mud ring with which the ash pan is assembled and to terminate at its inner end outside of the area bounded by said mud ring.

8. In a locomotivefire box structure, a mud an hopper, a member extending from outside of the mud ring to below the bottom'of the mud ring and providing an air passe between said member and mud ring leading to the interior of the fire box, and an ash pan wall extending from outside of said mud ring and said wall to said hopper and providing an additional air passage below said member terminating abreast of the tennimtion of said first mentioned air paslongitudinally of and adjacent to the mad and spamd therefrom to proil -gala passage between the mud ipiece or could be fabricated of ring and one of said elements and to provide an additional air inlet passage between said elements, both of said passages tern'iinating at their inner ends' outside of the plane of the inner face of the mud ring.

5. In a locomotive fire box mud ring and ash pan assembly, a mud ring approaching the clearance limit for the width of the locomotive at that point, an ash pan main side wall extending laterally a relatively short distance beyond the mud ring and terminating within the prescribed clearance limit and located a substantial distance below said mud ring to provide adequate air passage between them for a maximum grate area, and a supplementary side wall on said ash pan wlthm said main wall and extending from outside of said mud ring to a point below the same to provide an ash seal within said air passage.

6. In a locomotive fire box mud ring and ash pan assembly, a mud ring approaching the clearance limit for the width of the locomotive at that point, an ash pan main side wall extending outwardly beneath said mud ring and terminating in an upwardly curved section having its edge below said mud ring and Within the prescribed clearance limit and a substantial distance from said mud ring to provide an adequate air passage for a maximum grate area, and a supplementary side wall within said main side wall and curving from outside of said mud ring above the level of the bottom thereof to below said level and within the outer edge of said main side wall to provide an ash seal within said air passage.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature this 7th day of December, 1926.

VILLIAM M. SHEEHAN.

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