US1939662A - Locomotive boiler - Google Patents

Description

1933- G. J. CHRISTENSON 1,939,662

LOCOMOTIVE BOILER Filed May 14, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1933- G. J. CHRISTENSON 1,939,652

LOCOMOTIVE BOILER Filed May 14, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 11 fi/erzzar:

621st] all-Henson,

Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED STA LOCOMOTIVE nomm Gust J. Christenson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Locomotive Firebox Company, Chicago, 111., a

corporation of Delaware Application May 14, 1932. Serial No. 611,356

2 Claims. ((71. 122-68) This invention relates to improvements in 10- comotive boilers, and it consistsof the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The primary object of the invention is to improve the water circulating and steaming characteristics of a siphon equipped locomotive boiler wherein theinlet neck of the siphon is connected to the boiler barrel at a'point in advance of the neck by means including flexible conduit whereby the siphon may move in accordance with expansion and contraction due to temperature changes and this without the'necessity of slip joints and ball and socket joint fittings.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction for this purpose whereby the flexible conduit employed, may be readily removed and replaced and when in place, eliminates the possibility of leakage under the action of normal boiler pressures.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as well as others, together with the many advantages thereof, will more fully appear as I proceed with my specification.

In the drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the firebox end of a locomotive boiler embodying the preferred form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale through parts shown in the bottom right hand corner of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale as taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view through a part of the boiler as taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing a different kind of flexible conduit which may be advantageously employed in connection with my invention. 1

In general, my improved boiler includes the conventional shell and firebox of a locomotive boiler and in part of the firebox is located a flat, hollow, water steaming and circulating element now "known in the railroad industry as a Nicholson thermic siphon. Such a siphon includes a flat hollow body disposed longitudinally of the firebox and fixed but opening at one end through the crownsheet. The other end of said siphon terminates in a tubular neck which opens through a part of the boiler shell and has connections with another part thereof whereby water from said shell may pass into said neck. It is apparent that because of temperature changes, the siphon body and neck expand and contract to come and go and some provisions must be made for such movements.

Heretoforathe siphon neck has been connected to said other part of the boiler shell by a slip joint fitting in connection with a ball and socket joint fitting to accommodate such movements but such fittings require constant attention to keep them tight because of the packing necessary therein.

Again, the initial cost of such fittings must be considered and they require considerable labor when it becomes necessary to renew the-same.

Inthe present instance, instead of employing slip joint and ball and socket joint fittings to provide the flexibility required, I employ flexible conduit having tight end connections with associated flanges and such conduit with the flanges there,- on, can be inserted in place and removed with but small expense. Such conduit eliminates slip joint and ball and socket joint fittings with attending troubles and costs a great deal less and at the same time permits the siphons to come and go in their movements without chance of leaking under boiler pressures. l

Flexible conduit for this purpose may be either of two types, both of which may be purchased in open market. One type is made from a metallic strip so helically wound into a tube form that its edges overlap and interlock together, with the tube thereafter enclosed in a braided jacket. The

other type is formed by chasing a deep conof flexible metal hose and in the first type, the

flexibility is obtained by-the sliding or play of the locked overlapped joints, while the second type is not only extremely flexible but is somewhat extensible in length. Such flexible metal hose is available with many kinds of pressure proof flange fittings and the selection 01' such fittings is a matter of choice.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and especially in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 there of: 1 indicates the back sheet of the firebox and 2 indicates the flue sheet thereof. The sides of the firebox are formed by the side sheets 3-3 and the top is formed by the transversely curved or arched crown sheet 4 which merges into said side sheets. Said side sheets together with the crown sheet extend between and are connected at their ends to the back sheet and flue sheet respectively, in the manner well known.

The wrapper of the boiler includes a roof sheet 5, a back head 6, the usual outer firebox sheets bottom wall of the body of and front throat plate '7, together with a boiler shell 8, all in the manner well known.

The front and rear water legs 9 and 10 respec tively, and the side water legs of the boiler are all closed at the bottom by a mud ring 11. In the back head and back sheet respectively, is formed the fuel door opening 12 and extending forwardly from the flue sheet 2 are the fines and tubes 13 through which the products of combustion are drawn to the smoke box at the front end of the boiler (not shown) in the manner well known. 7

The various associated sheets are suitably staybolted as is the practice in locomotive boiler work. In the bottom of theflue sheet and in the front throat plate respectively, are fixed the ends of a tube or sleeve 14, which provides a pressure-tight opening or passageway through the front water leg of the boiler, the purpose of which will later appear.

In connection with the firebox structure-of the boiler just described, there is provided therein, a flat tubular water circulating and steaming element indicated asa whole by thenumeral 15 and which has now become well-known as the Nicholson thermic siphon. The number of such siphons used in a firebox is of course, dependent upon the width of the firebox and in this instance, the flrebox contains twoof such siphons, spaced equally one upon each side of the longitudinal line of the firebox as a whole.

This element .is substantially triangular when viewed in side elevation and has a laterally flanged top end 16 which is fixed in a longitudinally elongated opening in the crown sheet to provide the discharge mouth or end of the siphon that opens into the water and steam space of the boiler above the crown sheet. The front end of each siphon is substantially vertical while its bottomend is inclined downwardly and forwardly to terminate in a tubular neck 17. The forward end portion of each-neck is formed to extend downwardly through an associated sleeve '14 to terminate a short distance in advance of the front water leg.

The extremity of said end of each neck extends into and is welded to one end of the tubular body of a header fitting 13 which includes a pair of branches 19 and 20, one of which is longer than the other and each branch is provided at its extremity with a radial flange 21. In the this header is located a clean-out plug 18a.

Depending from the bottom of the boiler shell at a point spaced longitudinally forward of the header fitting 18 is a well 22 of an L-shaped cross section. This well includes a transversely extending perpendicular tubular body 23 flanged .at its, top end for attachment to the boiler shell and laterally spaced pairs of longitudinally offset, rearwardly facing flanges 24, one flange of each pair being connected to the body by a neck 25. The offset of said flanges24 in each paircorresponds to the offset of the flanges of the asso- 9 dated header fitting 18 so that the distance between one flangeon a header fitting and its associated flange on the well is substantially the sameas the distance between the other flange of said header fitting and its associated flange on the well. This offsetting of the flanges of both the header fittings and well makes it easier to employ flanges of larger diameter without unduly increasing the distances between the centers thereof so that room is conserved where room or space-is constricted. Therefore, the various parts do not interfere with other parts of the locomotive of which the boiler forms a part.

Each header is connected to the well by a pair of flexible conduits 26 and upon each end of each tube is secured a flange 27 which is formed for a seated engagement with the like flanges of the header and well respectively. Said tube flanges, header and well flanges may be connected together in any suitable manner. Preferably said flanges have a bolted on connection so as to permit of easy assembly and disassembly Whereby they may be removed and replaced when it becomes so necessary.

} The conduit illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 includes a flexible tubular core 26a made of a strip of metal so helically wound that its edges overlap and interlock and this core is enclosed in a braided wire jacket 26b and is classified as one of the types of flexible metal hose and which is available in the open market. Such a hose readily withstandsv the steam pressures used in locomotive boilers.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated a slightly modified form of construction embodying'therem a different kind of conduit also classified as a flexible metal hose. Such a conduit is here shown as a thin walled annularly corrugated tube 29 formed by chasing a continuous groove in a seamless tube. Such a conduit or flexible metal hose is provided at each end with a flange 28 for detachable engagement with the flanges of both the header fittings and well asbefore described. As is apparent, such a conduit not only has flexibility but is also capable of some extensibility.

When the siphon within the firebox is exposed to the products of combustion, it will of course, expand to some extent and as the top or outlet end of the siphon in anchored. in the crown sheet, such movement as is produced not only in such expansion but also in the contraction thereof takes place at the inlet end thereof. Thus any elongated movement of the siphon neck as well as any lateral movement thereof is accommodated by the flexible conduit connections provided between such necks and'the well.

The parts are so disposed as to clear all locomotive frame and springs and rigging parts and may be easily removed for replacement or other purposes. As all of the connections described are located outside the boiler shell, they are easily accessible.

While in describing the invention, I have referred in detail to the form, arrangement and construction of the various parts thereof, the same is to be considered as illustrative only, so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specificaliy pointed out in the appended claims. p

I claim as my invention:-

1. A locomotive firebox including a shell and a firebox, a water circulating and steaming elet arranged in a part of said firebox and ina ck extending through and beyond the water leg of the boiler, means providing a connected to and depending from the shell a point in advance of the water leg and means p-rising a plurality of flexible conduits having .nged coupling connections with said inlet neck snd well respectively, the ends of one conduit 'eing off-set longitudinally with respect to the ends of the 0th conduit and which conduits e distance less than the comined radii two adjacent coupling flanges.

2. A locomotive firebox including a shell and a firebox, a water steaming and circulating ele- IUO ment arranged in a part of said firebox and including a neck extending through and beyond the front water leg of the boiler, a fitting connected at one end to said neck outside the shell and having longitudinally offset coupling flanges at the other'end, a well secured to and depending from the shell in advance of the front water leg and including longitudinally offset coupling

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