US1950743A - Locomotive - Google Patents

Description

March 13, 1934.

J. H. PARKlN ET AL TIVE . LOCOMO Filed Dec. 1, 1932 \NVENTORS: JOHN H. PARKlN AND JOHN GREEN ATTORNEY.

atented ar. 13, 1934 LUEOMOTIVE john Hamilton Parlrin and John Joseph Green,

Uttawa, Ontario, Canada Application December 1, 1932, Serial No. 645,1'10

7 Claims.

This invention relates to locomotives and particularly to features of their construction which are provided for the control of the direction of the flow of smoke, steam and cinders issuing from the stack of the locomotive and for the reduction of air resistance.

In locomotives of usual construction the smoke, steam and cinders issuing from the stack descend in the region of the cab of the locomotive and seriously impair visibility from the windows, with the result that it is frequently impossible for the locomotive driver to obtain a clear vision of the road or of approaching danger. This is the cause of railway accidents, which might be otherwise avoided. In many cases it interferes with the safe speed of the locomotive. This condition of poor visibility is particularly acute when, in approaching a station, the steam is cut off and the benefit of the emaust steam jet in the stack is thereby lost. Furthermore, the comfort of the occupants of the cab is seriously affected by the smoke and cinders.

Attempts have been made heretofore to correct this condition by the use of deflectors at the front of the locomotive or attached to the stack but these have been inadequate owing to the intermingling of the deflected air and the smoke and also owing to the irregular structure of the locomotive causing turbulence in the airflow about the locomotive, thereby inducing lateral flow of the air and increased diffusion of the smoke.

Tire object of this invention is to provide a structure which will so direct the fiow of smoke, steam and cinders from the locomotive stack as to, at all times, maintain an unimpaired visibility from the cab.

Further objects are to reduce to a minimum the external irregularities of construction of the top and side portions of the locomotive, and to provide a construction which will have greatly reduced air resistance, which can be conveniently applied toall existing types of locomotives without interference with the functioning of any part of the locomotive, or with statutory requirements, and without substantial or any change in the arrangement of the working parts or their accessibility for inspection or repair, and which may be conveniently incorporated in the design of new locomotives.

The invention thus contemplates a structure which will induce a layer of pure air to enter under the smoke layer in such a way that a substantial space enveloping the boiler is fed con tinuously with air uncontaminated with smoke, and which will maintain this layer of air without substantial or any intermingling with the smoke, at least until the smoke has been can'ied beyond the cab. It further contemplates a structure which will direct smoke-free air along the sides of the boiler and introduce it between the more or less expanded smoke layer and the locomotive in the zone above the cab, thus causing a current of smoke-free air to pass upwardly in front of the cab windows. The invention also contemplates the arrangement of the structure thus required in such a way that the flow of air along the locomotive will meet with a minimum of resistance.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a locomotive embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation;

Figure 3 is a partial section on line 3-3 of FigureZ; and I Figure 4 is a partial section on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

The locomotive is provided with a cowling 1 extending along the top of the boiler 2 and in line with the central portion of the roof of the cab 3. It is secured to the locomotive by any suitable means, illustrated in the drawing by the bracket or frame member 4 adapted to space the cowling from the boiler to accommodate domes, valves or the like on the top of the boiler, the cowling being riveted or otherwise secured to the bracket and to the boiler as illustrated in Figure 3. The sides of the cowling project forwardly in vertical portions 5 and 6 and the top is curved downwardly at the point 7 in the rear of the stack 8, the depressed curved portion 9 being secured to the boiler and forming with the vertical portions a wide, scoop-like member surrounding the stack, for a purpose to be later described.

The stack 8 is given a stream-line contour by any suitable means, such as the plate lo supported on and about the stack and having its ends converging to a point of meeting at the rear ofthe stack, as indicated in Figure 1. The rearwardly projecting portion of this stream-line contour element may be gradually reduced in height, as shown in Figure 2.

The forward end of the locomotive is provided with a curved contour, by means of the plates 11 and 12. The member 11 is formed by a semisurface of revolution whose axis coincides with the longitudinal axis of the boiler and may be in the form of a semi-hemisphere or part of an ellipsoid. The member 12'is formed of a portion of a cylinder whose axis is vertical. These members are riveted or otherwise secured together and to the boiler, as shown in Figure 2.

An inclined plate 13, surrounding the lower end of the cylindrical portion 12, projects downwardly to as near the ground as possible, replacing the cow-catcher or pilot commonly used, and rearwardly to meet the runningboards 14 in a smooth curve, indicated at 15. The forward portion of the plate 13 is secured to and supported by the forward end of the locomotive frame as illustrated at 25. Side plates or curtains 16 are attached to the running boards 14 and to the plate 13, as by rivets 1'7 or the like, and extend longitudinally to the cab to which they are secured as by rivets 18. The lower edge of the plates 16 may be reinforced/as by a bar 22 and braces 23, the latter engaging the curtains and the boiler. These plates may also be secured to the frame, as illustrated at 26.

These curtains cover as much of the running gear, cylinders, etc. as inspection and maintenance requirements will permit and may be partially cut away or provided with inspection doors or windows to afford access to various parts of the locomotive requiring service attention.

The frontwall of the cab is connected at its lower portion to the running boards in a smooth curve 19, is inclined backwardly and terminated in a curved portion 20 where it joins the roof. A plate 21 is secured at each side of the cab and projects forwardly of the front wall, forming therewith and with the running board and side of the boiler a scoop-like portion which directs the air current as hereinafter described.

The bell 24, Figure 1, is shown mounted in front of the stack with its frame edgewise to the wind or parallel to the length of the locomotive. This arrangement of the bell or other similarly shaped device with respect to the stream-line stack has the effect of shielding the top of the stack and of causing the smoke to rise somewhat before being carried backwards over the locomotive.

The effect of this structure in meeting the objects of the invention is as follows: As the locomotive travels forward air enters the scoop on each side of the stream-lined stack, the two streams of air uniting at the back of the stack, without the formation of eddies, and uniting are directed upwardly to flow smoothly along the surface of the cowling without interruption until the unitary stream passes the cab. The stream of smoke,-steam, cinders and the like emitted from the stack flows backwardly and is prevented from descending by the layer of air. The cowling insures smooth flow conditions with aminimum of turbulence for the smoke-free layer ofair and thus avoids substantial intermingling of the smoke with the air layer. The curved front of the boiler provides for the smooth even entry of the air to the scoop while the hell or other device located directly in front of the stack has the tendency to cause the smoke to rise more than it would otherwise do.

Airis directed along the sides of the boiler with a minimum of turbulence by the cylindrical front portion of the boiler'and the lower upwardly in!- clined portion which merges'with the running boards and the side curtains assist in maintaining the general smooth flow of air. The current of air flowing along each side of the boiler is directed upwardly at the cab and passing over the front cab windows joins the main layer of air, at the same time lifting the main layer of air with the layer of smoke above in order to further minimize the effect of the smoke in the cab, tender and succeedingcoaches. The forwardly extending plates attached to the sides of the cab confine and direct the flow of air and the curve in the front of the cab roof permits the air to smoothly merge with the main layer of air.

This structure substantially reduces the air resistance of the locomotive. Actual tests, with the side curtains 16, as illustrated in the drawings,

showed a reduction in air resistance of 25% and this figure was increased to 40% when the side curtains were arranged to cover completely the running gear, valves, cylinders, etc.

It will be apparent that light metal plate may 30 be used to form the cowling, front portions of the locomotive, curtains, etc. and that these may be attached to the locomotive in any desired way. These contour surfaces may be made removable or hinged in whole or in part and may be provided with suitable openings, doors or windows to provide access to various parts of the locomotive. They may be attached to existing locomotives or incorporated in new ones in any desired way. The stairways at the'front of the locomotive, leading from the pilot to the running boards, may be provided by individual rungs which offer a minimum of interference with air flow, or the normal stairway may be used and covered with a plate flap when the locomotive is rurming. Furthermore, to avoid, obstructing the smooth flow of air, the headlamp, number lights, etc. are

. stack.

2. A locomotive comprising in combination a 1 boiler, running gear, and a cab, a stack on the boiler, a cowling extending along the top of the boiler in line with the roof of the cab and having a forward portio forming a scoop about the stack, a rearwar ly and upwardly curved front on the boiler and means for directing air in a smoothly flowing stream along the sides of the boiler to the cab.

3. A locomotive as defined in claim 2, wherein the boiler front consists of a vertically cylindrical portion and a top curved section secured to the boiler.

4. A locomotive as defined in claim 2, wherein said air directing means includes the running boards of the locomotive and a plate connected thereto and extending downwardly about the front of the boiler.

5. A locomotive as-deflned in claim 2, having means for directing said stream of air upwardly in front of said cab.

6. In a locomotive and associated with the stack thereof, a cowling extending along the top of the boiler in substantially the same plane as the top of the stack adapted to form and maintain under the streamof smoke from thestack a 5 layer of air the forward end of said cowling being shaped to form a scoop, the mouth and top of which are completely open, the back wall of which is rearwardly inclined, and the side walls being vertical.

7. In combination with a locomotive, means for forming and maintaining a layer of air between the top of the locomotive and the smoke from the stack, means for directing a current of air along each side of the boiler and means for directing said current of air upwardly in front of the cab to unite with said layer of air.

JOHN HAMILTON PARKIN. JOHN JOSEPH GREEN.

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