US2128490A - Locomotive - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 230, 1938. R. G. F. LOEWY ET AL LOCOMOTIVE Filed July 1'7, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet L INVENTORS:

3 we E fifi W Aug. 30, 1938. R. G. F. LOEWY ET AL 2,128,490

LOCOMOTIVE Filed July 17, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES: M6U%EVTOR$I &

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Patented 30, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE LOCOMOTIVE Application July 17, 1936, Serial No. 91,152

8 Claims. (01. 105 2) This invention relates to steam locomotives and more particularly to the exterior surface configuration of the front end, andthe general conformation of the exposed surfaces of the boiler,

5 cab and tender.

One object of the invention is to minimize the resistance occasioned by the passage of the comotive through the atmosphere and especially to lessen the resistance offered when the loco- 10 motive is traveling at high speeds.

Another object of the invention is to improve the vision of the engineman by preventing smoke and cinders issuing from the stack from descending and occupying areas along the sides of the boilerin advance of the forward cab windows.

Another object of the invention is to provide a front end construction substantially free of sharp angles and projecting fittings, and adapted to deflect objects struck by the locomotive in such manner that they are cast clear of the track, avoiding the difliculties which arise when objects are impaled or carried for some distance along the track.

Another object of the invention is to provide 5 an exterior casing which may be readily applied to a conventional type of steam locomotive to convert the same to a locomotive embodying the present invention.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent from the description hereinafter set forth of one embodiment or example of the invention, having reference to the accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings: Fig. I represents a side elevation of a steam locomotive embodying the invention. Fig. It represents a perspective view of the same;

Fig. III represents a front view of the same; and Fig. IV is a. partial plan view according to the scale of Fig. I, showing the top of the casing surrounding the smoke stack with associated vanes. The features of construction characteristic of the present invention may be applied to old 10- comotives by covering the structure with anexterior casing, or in the case of the building of a new locomotive the parts may be originally constructed with the exterior surface characteristics shown and described herein. With reference to the particular embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the boiler is comprehensively designated at i, the cab at 2, and the tender at 3. It will be noted that the general contour lines of the locomotive are continued 55 throughout the cab and tender, and that the top surface is unobstructed by projecting parts or the like and extends continuously in a substantially horizontal plane from one end of the locomotive to the other. Moreover, at the sides the exterior surfaces are likewise smooth and substantially continuous throughout the entire locomotive. At its front end the boiler I is provided with a nose 4 which is substantially hemispherical in exterior contour; Desirably a headlight 5 is housed interiorly at the center of the round nose 4. Be- 10 neath the round nose 4 there is provided a rela' tively wide sweeping skirt 6 smoothly rounded and merging with side panels I. The skirt 6 preferably extends rearwardly at each side a sufficient distance tocover the cylinders, and is so formed 15 that it presents a smooth surface which is adapted to deflect any object struck by the locomotive to one side of the track, and thus eliminate the possibility of the object being impaled and carried along the track. In accordance with safety 20v thus tending to separate the currents of air im- 30 pinging on the skirt and to guide such currents in their travel rearwardly along the sides of the locomotive. 1

At each side of the boiler l, beneath the level of the forward cab windows ill, a running board 35 II is provided. The running boards H extend horizontally from the forward end of the cab and terminate near the front end of the boiler i where they merge with inclined surfaces I 2 which lead downwardly toward the skirt 6. The 40 side panels I extend invertical planes from positions outside and near the top of .the running gear to the running boards II, and they form smooth flat sides merging with the rounded surfaces of the skirt 6 and the side walls of the cab 45 2. The running boards ll have'a Widthcorresponding to that of the wings of the cab, and the engineman and fireman have a clear view of the track through the cab windows l0 and along the v sides of the boiler I.

In the areas above the running boards II, the boiler I is of substantially cylindrical shape with.- out projections or exterior fittings which would obstruct the view. At a level above the forward cab windows III the boiler l'is provided at the sides thereof with shoulders it, the side surfaces of which merge with smooth curves with the sides of the boiler. Superimposed upon the boiler I is a casing 15 which envelopes the stack and other fittings normally provided at the top of a steam locomotive. It may be assumed that the stack and other.fittings are disposed in the usual position at the top of the boiler i and are constructed in the customary manner, and that the casing l5'envelopes all of said fittings, except for the top of the stack which terminates at the level of the top of the casing-The top of the smoke stack is flush with the upper surface of the casing l5 through which the smoke stack projects. The casing i5 is rounded at the front as indicated at l6, and has a flat top surface at approximately the level of the cab roof. From the top of the casing l5 vanes II in the form of a fiat plate project horizontally at each side. The vanes l1, together with the shoulders I 4 and casing l5, form ducts or recesses Ila at each side of the stack which serve to conduct currents of air rearwardly over the top of the locomotive. De-

sirably the plane of the vanes ll forms a slight angle with the plane of the top surface of the shoulders I5, thereby causing the ducts to converge rearwardly toward the roof I 9 of the cab. Moreover, the shoulders I4 are inclined upwardly and rearwardly in such manner thattheir top surfaces merge with the top surface III of the boiler at a point near the forward end of the cab roof IS. The forward wing walls 2| of the cab 2 are inclined outwardly and rearwardly, whereby currents of air traveling rearwardly along the sides of the boiler l are displaced outwardly at the cab without sharp .defiection. I esirably the side walls of the cab 2 are each provided with a toe board 22 and step 23 formed by grooves or recesses, thus eliminating projecting ledges.

, A diaphragm M, which may be of resilient material, connects the forward end of the tender 3 with the cab 2. As most clearly illustrated in Fig. II, the side walls of the tender 3 are curved 45 to conform generally to the cross-sectional shape of the cab 2 and are of such height that the top surfaces of the tender are continuous and at a common level with the top surfaces l8 of the boiler and the roof IQ of the cab. Marker lights 25 and numeral lights 26 are conveniently housed within the forward ends of the shoulders H at the top of the boiler l.

As shown by the arrows in the drawings, the

front end construction of the locomotive is such that the air currents impinging thereon are not sharply deflected, but are caused to adhere to the exterior surfaces and to follow closely along the sides of the boiler l and along the side panels I in their passage rearwardly along the locomotive. In this manner, irrespective of the direction of the wind, streams of air wash out the areas at each side of the boiler I above the running boards H in advance of the cab window I. Moreover, additional columns of air are caused to be conducted through the ducts formed abovethe shoulders I, and such currents have a tendency to billow and to travel with relatively high veloc-' ity towards the cab roof l9. By reason of the' angular convergence of the plane of the vanes l'l encies for the smoke to descend and obscure the with the top surfaces of the shoulders M, such' areasao front cab windows it. The running boards ll obviate downward drafts of air at the boiler sides which might deflect downward the air currents from the recesses Ha. Under the front nose 4, which overhangs the rearward sloping upper portion. of the skirt 5, the upward air flow over the skirt divides, passing upward and rearward over and along the running boards H to the sloping front cab walls or wing walls 2|. These air currents along the running boards H definitely obviate any tendencies toward reduced pressure at the sides of the boiler,-which might otherwise result in the downward deflection of the rearward air currents from the recesses Ha. Moreover, it

is found that when cross winds are encountered the construction of the front end and the provision of the vanes ll cause the air currents to follow around the front end of the lee side 'of the locomotive, rather than to be sharply deflected away from the front end. This has the particular advantage that under cross winds the low pressures ordinarily encountered at the lee side of the locomotive are avoided, and hence the stream of smoke issuing from the stack does not tend to descend towards these areas. Further advantage is gained by the provision of the casing 55 which envelopes all of the conventional fittings, at the top of the locomotive, including the smoke stack. Such projections at the top of a locomotive cause eddying of air currents impinging thereon, and in addition to offering resistance to high speeds, render it impossible to obtain uniform pressures at the top of the locomotive, so as to prevent the smoke from descending in the surrounding regions.

It will be particularly observed that the locomotive of this invention is so designed that the air currents impinging upon the front end travel rearwardly and in substantially parallel horizontal strata along smooth uninterrupted surfaces, adhering closely to the sides and top of the locomotive, including the cab and tender, and washing out the spaces in advance of the cab windows III, as well as the spaces above the shoulders I4, and such conditions are obtained irrespective of the direction of the wind.

Inasmuch as the movement of the locomotive through the atmosphere does not of itself create wind, but merely displaces the existing air currents of the atmosphere through which the train passes, the avoidance of low pressure areas with eensequentdescent of the smoke stream is best accomplished by a surface configuration which causes a minimum disturbance of the displaced air, or a mereparting of the wind without sharp deflection or the formation of eddy currents. The structure of the present invention differs radically from many'previous attempts, at improving locomotive design in that it'serves to displace the atmosphere gradually and smoothly, without appreciable turbulence, and with a minimum of disturbance of the normal uniformity of pressure of the atmosphere. While we have described the invention with reference tov one specific embodiment thereof in a steam locomotive. it will .be readily apparent that various departures may be had from the specific proportions and shapes described and illustrated herein, and that certain features of the invention maybe used to advantage without a corresponding use of other'features, all without departing from the spirit-of the invention as defined in the'annexed claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a locomotive, a cab, a boiler ex tegding ll said recesses being open at both ends thereof and forwardly of said cab and formed at its front end with laterally extending shoulders at each side thereof, said shoulders extending longitudinally toward the upper part of said cab, a smoke stack on. the forward end of said boiler, a casing of substantial longitudinal extent superimposed on the front end of said boiler above said shoulders and surrounding the sides ofsaid smoke stack, said casing being narrower in width than the width between said shoulders, and vanes projecting horizontally from the top of said casing, said vanes extending laterally over said shoulders and being of a substantial longitudinal extent, the

- ducts formed by the combination of said vanes,

said casing and said shoulders extending rearwardly to conduct over said cab air currents formed in said ducts by the forward motion of said locomotive.

2. The invention of claim. 1 wherein said casing has a substantially'flat top surface merging with the top of the boiler and the roof of the cab adjacent to the forward portion thereof 'to form a substantially continuous and flat top surface along the top of the locomotive.

3. The invention of claim 1 characterized by the fact that said boiler has a substantially hemispherical nose, and said casing has a rounded front end and substantially parallel sides.

4. The invention of claim 1 characterized further by the fact that said vanes and said shoulders converge rearwardly toward the roof of said cab.

5. In a locomotive, a boiler, a cab with'front windows beside said boiler, a smoke stack on the front end of said boiler, longitudinally extending recesses formed on each side in the upper portion of said boiler below the top of said smoke stack.-

and having upper and lower defining surfaces,

formed to receive air at their forward ends below the top of said stack and the smoke issuing therefrom, and being directed rearward toward but above the front cab windows, whereby air currents through said recesses resulting from the forward motion of the locomotive are directed above said windows.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said recesses taper rearwardly in vertical width, so as to operate as nozzles in discharging the air currentsrearward at high velocities.

7. The invention of claim 5 wherein the recesses are directed rearward above the top of the boiler and the cab roof.

8. The invention of claim 5 wherein running boards are provided along the sides of the boiler below the level of the front cab windows, with downward sloping ends at the front of the boiler, and the front cab walls at each side of the boiler containing said windows are inclined rearward, while the boiler has an overhanging hemispherical nose at its front end, with a subjacent rounded skirt whose surface slopes upward and rearward at either side of said nose substantially to the downward sloping forward ends of said running boards, whereby, owingto forward motion of the locomotive, there is an air flow upward over said skirt, dividing under said overhanging nose, passing upward and rearward over said running boards, and gently deflected by said front cab walls, whereby any tendencies toward reduced pressure at the sides of the boiler and consequent downward deflection of the rearward air currents from the aforesaid recesses are obviated.

RAYMOND G. F. LOEWY. HAROLD A. NONEMAKER.

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