US1909485A - Locomotive draft regulating device - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets Sheet l y 6, 1933. J. G. BROWN LOCOMOTIVE DRAFT REGULATING DEVICE Filed Oct. 4, 1932 May 16, 1933. J. G. BROWN LOCOMOTIVE DRAFT REGULATING DEVICE Filed Oct. 4, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jvwcwton d. 6. BROWN r 50 part of this specification,

Patented May 16, 1933 UNETD STATES JOHN G. BROWN, OF BUTTE, MONTANA LOGOMOTIVE DRAFT REGULATING- DEVICE Application filed October 4, 1932. Serial No. 636,213.

My invention relates to a draft regulating device for the stack of a railway locomotive, or the like.

Many advantages are obtained by the use of the device embodying my invention. There will be eliminated the practice of loading the fire with surplus coal, preparatory to the starting of a heavy train inorder to pre vent full stroke exhausts from pulling the 19 fire. A normal fire will be protected until the train is moving fast, and the violence of exhaust is reduced. This will result in a saving of much coal, and will enable the fireman to start out with an even fire, free from probability of banks, with their resultant loss of heat and fuel. The device permits the fireman to control and regulate the burning of the fire so that waste of popping can be overcome, Without admitting blasts of cold air into the fire box through the open fire door, or unnecessary working of injector. The intermittent adjustment of the device during a trip, as conditions permit, will make a it possible for the fireman to control too fast a burning of the fire, slow up the flow of gases, increase the temperature of superheated steam in the superheater units, and use no more coal than is necessary to generate the required amount of steam. The device may be so adjusted, that when the engine is working, the fireman may shake the grate and clean the fire, without danger of the fire pulling with the resultant loss of fuel. The quick adjustability of the device will render it possible for the fireman to protect his fire against the tearing effects of locomotive exhausts when conditions subject the locomotive drivers to much slipping. The device can be adjusted to regulate the strength of 40 the draft upon the fire without effecting back pressure. The device is adapted at all times to provide a sufiicient draft for keeping the fire active, but this draft is not sufficiently strong to pull cinders.

The device may be adjusted so that no fire will be thrown from the locomotive stack, and also to prevent the discharge of back smoke and cinders.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a and in which like 14, which numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a draft regulating device for a railway locomotive stack, embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 22 of Figure 1, parts omitted.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through the stack on line 33 of Figure 1, showing the adjustable sleeve in the lowermost position,

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the adjustable sleeve in the uppermost position,

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 10 designates the shell of a railway locomotive boil er, having the usual smoke box 11, arranged above the table plate 12. Arranged beneath the table plate is the usual nozzle 13, the upper discharge end of which projects above the table plate for a substantial distance, as shown. The n0zzle 13 is connected with the exhaust outlets of the cylinders of the locomotive, in the usual manner, for receiving exhaust steam therefrom.

The locomotive is equipped with a stack is mounted upon a tubular stack base 15, and this stack base is, in turn, mounted upon a tubular stack sub-base 16.

The numeral 17 designates a tubular stack extension arranged beneath the sub-base 16, and suitably bolted or otherwise rigidly at tached thereto. It is thus seen that the several tubular elements are vertically arranged and constitute, in effect, a stack element, of greater length than the usual stack. The stack extension 17 projects downwardly over the nozzle 13, and is arranged in concentric relation thereto, and terminates at an elevation spaced a relatively short distance from the upper end of the nozzle. Satisfactory results can be obtained by having the stack extension spaced about eighteen inches from the top of the nozzle, while the invention is in no sense restricted to this precise dimension.

The tubular stack extension 17 is provided upon its periphery, and throughout the major portion of its length, with apertures 18, which are preferably tapered and increase in diameter inwardly. These apertures may have a diameter of three thirty-seconds (3 g) of an inch at their small ends and five thirtyseconds of an inch at their large ends, but the invention is in no sense restricted to these dimensions. The extreme upper and lower ends of the stack extensions 17 are imperforate.

Slidably mounted upon the stack extension 17 is a vertically adjustable draft regulating imperforate sleeve 19, having a free sliding fit thereon. This sleeve is provided at its lower end with a marginal flange 20, projecting outwardly beyond the sleeve and preferably disposed at an angle of 45 with respect to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve. The inner engaging face of this flange is preferably ground smooth for effecting a tight fit with its companion stationary flange 21, the contacting face of which is also preferably ground smooth. The flange 21 is carried by a plate 22, which is horizontally arranged and the flange is disposed at an angle of 45 with respect to this plate. The exterior diameter of the flange 21 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the flange 20, so that theseflanges will properly engage to form substantially a gas tight joint. The plate 22 is supported by brackets 23, or the like. The plate 22 is provided centrally thereof with an opening 24, for receiving the upper end of the nozzle 13, the nozzle having a gas tight fit within this opening. The adjustable sleeve 19, Figure 5, is provided at its top with an internal groove 25, receiving a sealing ring 26, which-is preferably formed of metal. This sealing ring is circular in cross-section and is held within the groove by clips 27, attached to the adjustable sleeve 19. It might be stated, at this point, that when the sleeve 19 is in the lowermost position, the apertures 18 are completely uncovered, and when the sleeve is in the uppermost position, these apertures are completely covered, and the sleeve may 4 be adjusted to intermediate positions, for covering portions of the apertures.

Means are provided to raise and lower the adjustable sleeve 19 including a horizontal rock shaft 28, having cylindrical extensions which are journaled in bearings 29. This rock shaft extends transversely through the smoke box in front of the sleeve 19. Lever arms 30 are rigidly mounted upon this rock shaft upon opposite sides of the sleeve 19 and these lever arms carry, at their forward ends,

counterweights 31. Links 32 are pivotally connected with the rear ends of the lever arms 30 and are pivotally connected with the sleeve 19 at diametrically opposite points by trunnions 33, or

other pivotal elements. Arranged exterior of the shell 10 is a crank 34;, for pivotal connection with a reach rod 35, pivotally connected with a shifting lever 36, pivoted at 37, to operate in proximity to a toothed quadrant 38, and having a latch mechanism for coaction therewith. It is thus seen that means have been provided to shift the sleeve 19 vertically, and to lock the same in a selected adjusted position. The lever 36 may be arranged within the locomotive cab for a convenient reach of the fireman.

lVhile I have shown manually operated means for adjusting the sleeve 19, the invention is in no sense restricted to such means, as power operated means may be employed, if desired.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When it is desired to provide a light draft upon the fire, but sufficient to keep the same burning, the sleeve 19 is adjusted to the lowermost position, whereby its flange 20 will seat upon the companion flange 22. This will completely close the lower end of the stack element. However, the gases and products of combustion, to a considerable extent, will be drawn into the stack element through the apertures 18, due to the action cf the exhaust steam passing from the nozzle 13. When it is desired to increase the action of the exhaust upon the fire, the lever 36 is shifted rearwardly, moving connecting rod 35 rearwardly and swinging the rear ends of the lever arms 30 upwardly. Theselever arms raise the sleeve 19, thus providing an opening or space between the flanges 20 and 21. The extent of this opening will depend upon the distance that the lever 36 is moved rearwardly. The sleeve may be elevated to intermediate positions or to the uppermost position, as shown in Figure 4. In the uppermost position, the sleeve completely covers the apertures 18, and the draft opening at the bottom of the stack element is then at the maximum.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A stack element leading into the smoke box of a railway locomotive boiler and provided within such smoke box with apertures in its periphery, an exhaust nozzle projecting into the smoke box with the intake end of the stack element vertically spaced a sub stantial distance from the exhaust nozzle, a plate mounted upon the nozzle and extending laterally therebeyond and provided at its periphery with a tapered flange increasing in diameter spaced from the intake end of the stack element, an adjustable imperforate sleeve mounted upon the stack element to cover certain of the apertures and provided at its lower end with a tapered flange increasing in diameter downwardly, the flange of the sleeve being adapted to receive the flange of the plate, and means to shift the sleeve longitudinally.

2. The combination with the shell of a railway locomotive boiler having a smoke box, of a stack element leading into the smoke box, said stack element being provided within the smoke box and upon its periphery with apertures, an exhaust nozzle projecting into the smoke box beneath the intake end of the stack element and vertically spaced from such intake end, a plate arranged adjacent to the outlet end of the nozzle, an imperforate sleeve slidably engaging the stack element within the smoke box, said imperforate sleeve being of such a length that when it is in the uppermost position its upper end terminates at an elevation near the apertures, and means to move the imperforate sleeve downwardly so that it uncovers the apertures upon its downward movement and may be brought into engagement with the contact plate.

In testimony whereof, I affiX my signature.

JOHN G. BROWN.

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