US1771799A - Locomotive stoker - Google Patents

Description

July 29, 1930. N, M LOWER ET AL 1,771,799

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed June 6, 1927 4 sheets-shyt 1 July 29, 1930. l N.v M. LOWER ET AL 1,771,799

LocoMoTIvE sToKER f Filed June 6, 1.927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 29, 1930. I N. M. LOWER E+ A; 1,771,799

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed June 6, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 July 29, 930. N. M. LOWER Er AL LocoMoTIvE sToKER Filed June 6, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Bij Crusher, as 25, is mounted on the trough near the forward end on its openv portion. The forward end 18 of the conveyortrough or conduit is connected by means of a ball and socket joint 26 with the casing 27 enclosing the Stoker parts which are carried by tl eY locomotive.

The forward end ofthe' shaft 24 is universally jointed, as shown at 28, to the shaft 29 of a worm wheel 30, enclosed within a casing 3l attached to, or forming a part of the Acasing 27, and Vmeshing with and being driven by a worm 32 formed on a shaft 33 which forms an extension of an engine shaft 34, to which -it is coupled by means of the sleeve 35. The shaft 33 is carried by bearings 36, 37 mounted in the casing which encloses a worm wheel 30. These bearings are of the ball or roller type andftake the thrust of the shaft in either direction. An element 38 of one of the bearings, as 37, is in threaded engagement with the walls of an aperture inthe casing 31, to provide for the necessary bearing adjustment, and a lockV 39 is provided for, holding this element inv adjusted position. Y V Any suitable motor may be employedfor '5 driving the conveyor screw. There is shown for this .purpose at 40a high speed four-cylinder reciprocating engine, of which ,the shaft 34 is the crank shaft, which carries a fly wheel 4l.

Economy of space is conserved by locating the engine 40 on the locomotive, below the deck or floor of its cab and Vat one side of the casing 27, the engine shaft 33 extending through this casing and the worm wheel 30 and its casing being located upon the opposite side thereof.

A plunger elevator 42 reciorocates within the chamber of the casing 27, in ways which are inclined forwardly and upwardly. This elevato-r receives on its face a load of the fuel which has been delivered to the casing by the screw 2l and delivers it into a shovel box 43 mounted on the top of the casing 27 the front end of the box. being Vopen to the firing opening l2. A pair of oscillating shovels or vanes 44, 45 are mounted within the shovel box 43, being carried by vertical shafts located near the open end ofthe box. These shovels or vanos may be of any pre ferred form, being shown as of the type disclosed in Patent Number .1,304,464 to Elvin and Fahnestock. They are actuated alternately, swinging forwardly from the position of rest (as occupied by the shovel 44, Fig. 2), sweeping across an aperture 46 in vvshown for this purpose the well known Dake steam engine, the casing of which is suitably secured tothe casing 27 and at the side thereof opposite to that at which the engine 40 is located. he crank shaft 49 of the engine 48 is coupled by means of a sleeve 50 to awor'm shaft 5l located within the casing 27 and carryinga fly wheel 52. The engine shaft 49 projects through a sleeve 53 carried by the engine frame, a stuffing box 54 being applied tothe end of this sleeve to prevent the escape of oil. A stuiing box 55 is also applied to theaperture through which the shaft 49 enters the casing 27 for the same purpose, it heilig the intention to vpartially fill with oil the portion of the casing 27 within which the operating mechanism is enclosed. The worm shaft 5l is journalled in brackets 56, 57 rising from the bottom of the casing 27, ball or roller bearings being employed which take the thrust of the shaft in either direc-tion, and there being provided suitable means for the adjustment of these bearings, as indicated at 58.

Tt is sometimes necessary to turn the Stoker mechanism by hand, as when relatively adjusting certain of the parts, or in making repairs, work thatiis usually done when the locomotive is not under steam, and to this end the fly wheel 52 is provided with gear teeth 59 for cooperation with a pinion 60 on a shaft 61, the end of which is square for the application of a hand crank. The shaft 6l is journalled in a casing 62 secured to the outer wall of the casing 27, and the outer end of the casing 6l takes the form of a stuliing box to prevent the escape of oil. As the use of the hand crank is only occasional,

the pinion 6() is preferably normally out of engagement with the fly wheel, the shaft 61 being withdrawn by a spring 63 housed within the casing 62.

The wo-rm on the shaft 5l drives a worm gear 64, which is fixed upon a sleeve 65 our nailed upon a Xed shaft 66 secured in the front wallv 6l of the casing 27 and in a partition 68 crossing the chamber of the casing and separating it into twocompartments, to one of which the fuel is delivered by the screw 2l and within the other the driving mechanism for the elevator and projectors is housed. This partition 68 also serves in part as the guide for the elevator 42.

Upon the end `of the sleeve 65 opposite from that upon which the worm gear 64 is mounted, there is fixed a gear wheel 69 which meshes witha pinion 7 O fixed upon a shaft 7l lll? v of these pipes branch from the steam Ypipe 83 partition 68 and carrying a crank arm 72 which is connected by a pitman 73 to the elevator 42. Ink order to economize space the lower Wallof the casing 27 is open `below the elevator, as indicated at 74, to providey clearance for the crank arm 72. A second partition 75 extends upwardly from the bottom of the casing 27 approximately to the level reached by the face of the elevator plunger 42 on its down stroke, and constitutes one of the Ways within which the elevator travels. A skirt 76 depends from the elevator plunger 42 and engages the inner A face of the wall 75, the length of this skirtbeing such that it does not pass beyond the upper margin of, the wall vwhen theelevator is at the end of its up-stroke. The wall 75 and skirt 7 6 prevent the entryvof fuel below the elevator. y

Av cam wheel 77 is fixed upon the sleeve V65 intermediate of its ends and actua-tes the shovels 44, 45 through connections substan tially as shown in Patent No. 1,267,644 to Elvin, Fahnestock and Clark, issued May 28, 1918, which need not be described in detail. There is mounted on the shaft of each of the shovels a pinion 78 with which meshes a segmental gear 79 carriedby an oscillating armV 80 having connection with the cam groove in the Wheel 77.

Steam is led to the motor 40 through a pipe 81 and to the motor 48 by a pipe 82, Both leading from the steam turretl 84 of theloco'- motive. A hand valve 85 in the pipe 83 cuts oft' the steam from both motors. Each of the pipes 8l, 82 is provided with a hand valve 86, 87, whereby the motors may be independently controlled. It being desirable that the projecting shovels be not entirely Astopped When the transfer conveyor is being Operated, to the end that jamming may not occur, asmall by-pass 88 leads around the valve 87 s insuring some action of the motor 48 whenever the valve 85 is open.

The stoker organized as described is comparatively light, adding but little to the Weight of the locomotive. It is compact and does not encroach upon the fuel bin of the tender or reduce its tank capacity. The transferring means, being driven by an independent motor, is capable of regulation independently of the elevating and distributing mechanism, and furthermore, does not disturb in the slightest degree the action of the latter if clogged or retarded, as by the sudden development of an eXcesive load by the necessity'of crushing a lump of fuel.

The elevating and distributing mechanism, being actuated by an independent motor, may be regulated, as for the trimming of a fire, Without affecting the action of the transfer mechanism, thereby providing for a uniform delivery of fuel to the firebox regardless Y ournalled in suitable boxes secured to the of the pr0p0I0I1 Of the'gate upon which it is to be deposited. f

The parts of themechanism are easily as sembled and are readily accessible for repair.

vWhile a highly eliicient and a preferred` form of construction of the stoker as a whole, and its-various parts has been disclosed, the invention inits broader aspects is capable of different forms of embodiment.

TVe claim as our invention:

l.. A locomotive stoker comprising means for transferring fuel from a' storage bin to the locomotive, and means for delivering the transferred fuel to the fireboX of the locomotive, independent steam motors for driving the transferring means and thevdelivery means, a yvalve controlled steam pipe for both motors, valve controlled branches leading from such pipe to each motor, and a by-pass around the'valve in one of the branches. y

2Q A locomotive stoker comprising means yfor transferring fuel from a storage bin tothe locomotive, and means for delivering the transferredfuel to the fireboX of the locomotive, independent steam motors for driving the transferring means and the delivery means, a valve controlled steam pipe for both motors, valve controlled branches leadingV from such pipe to each motor, and a by-pass around the valve in the branch leading to the delivery means motor.

3. In a locomotive stoker, in combination,

means for transferring fuel from a tender to a locomotive, means for delivering the transferred fuel to the locomotive fireboX, a casing inclosing the delivering means and receiving from the transferring means, separate motors for driving the transferring and the delivering means, such motors being located on opposite sides of the casing, a shaft actuated ay each motor-and projecting into the casing, andgearing within the casing and connected with each shaft and being in driving'connection with the respective fuel moving means.

4. In a. mechanical stolzer, the combination of a fuel bin, having delivery openings, a feed trough located below said openings, a screw conveyor and a fuel Crusher within the trcugh, a .delivery appliance receiving from said feed trough, a casing inclosing such appliance, and independent motors for op- 1 erating theconveyor and the delivery appliance, such motors being attached to and supported by the casing.

5. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, mechanical means for elevating fuel and delivering it to the firebozr` of a locomotive, a Y

casing inclosing such means, and enclosing a worm gear, a motor loated outside of the casing, a shaft within the casing connected with the motor shaft, a Worm on the firstnamed shaft operatively engaging the worin gear, and hand actuated meansv for turning the worm shaft.

6. ln a locomotive stoker, in combination,

CIK

mechanical means for elevating fuel and delivering it to the ireoox of zi locomotive, a casing inclosing such means, and enclosing n Worm geur, a motor located outside of the casing, a shaft within the casing connectec With the motor shaft,V a Worm on the firstnnmed shaft operatively eno'aginr; the Worm gear, e fly Wheel on the WormV shaft having` gear teeth, :i spring retracted longitudinally movable crank shaft journalled in the casing` Wall, and n pinion on the crank shaft adapted to engage the gear teeth of the fly Wheel.

7. ln a locomotive Stoker, in combination, means for transferring iuel from the locomotive tender, a casing on the locomotive receifing,` the transferred fuel, means Within the cz sing for delivering the fuel therefrom to the lirebox of the locomotive, a motor at one side of the casing" and having. a crank shaft projecting' thereinto, a Worm on the shaft, a. Worin Wheel Within the casing driven hy the Worm, and a shaft driven hy the Worm Wheel for actuating the transferring means.

In testimony whereof We allix our signatures.

NATHAN M. LOVER. ALBERT R. CHALKER. RALPH L. MCCURDY.

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