US2152420A - Locomotive - Google Patents

Description

March 28, 1939. F, P, ROL-:5CH 2,152,420

TIVE

Filed Oct. 4, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet l March 28, 1939.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 LOCOMOTIVE F. P. ROESCH Filed oct. 4, 1937 March 2S, 1939.

Y Je# if F.P.ROESCH LOCOMOTIVE Filed Ooi. 4, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOOOMOTIVE Frank P. Roesch, Chicago, lll.

Application October 4,

15 Claims.

My invention is designed primarily for use 4with a modern type of locomotivev in which both cylinders and valve chambers, as well as the saddle, are preferably cast in one piece.

In carrying out my invention I cast the saddle with a large hollow preferably occupying all the space in the center between the valve chambers, and I conduct the exhaust steam directly therefrom into said space, thereby further expanding the exhaust steam before final emission from the exhaust nozzle, thus effecting a corresponding reduction in the back pressure.

In my invention hereinafter disclosed, I place in a passage between said hollow space and smoke-box a movable valve actuated by exhaust steam pressure against a helical spring in such a manner as will result in a constant predetermined and adjustable back pressure under all conditions of service, thereby creating a fairly 2 constant draft of dennite intensity instead of the variable, intermittent and high and low intensity drafts obtaining at present.

A further purpose of my invention is to provide simple means operating automatically to prevent the drawing of the smoke-box gases back into the cylinders while the locomotive is drifting, thus eliminating the present troubles caused by the carbonization of oil in the cylinders, valve 30 chambers, exhaust and steam passages, and the deposit of carbonized matter therein. By doing this, the use of drifting valves and the so-called drifting throttle can be dispensed with, thus reducing the fuel consumption in ratio to the amount of steam now used while drifting.

A further purpose of my invention is to provide means to maintain a fairly uniform flow and quantity of exhaust steam for use in connection with feed water heaters of any type, exhaust steam injectors, etc.

A further purpose is to provide a common chamber into which all exhaust steam from locomotive auxiliaries, such as, boosters, stokers, air compressors, etc., can be diverted, thereby reducing the back pressure frequently encountered in the operation of such devices, and through such reduction in back pressure reduce the amount of steam required in their operation.

To illustrate my invention I annex hereto three sheets of drawings in which the same reference characters are used to designate identical parts in all gures, of which- Figure l is a vertical section through the smokebox, valve chambers, cylinders and saddle as seen on the line I-I of Figure 2;

1937, Serial No. 167,154

(C1. MI-44) Figure 2 is a horizontal section as seen on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical section as seen onthe line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical section as seen on the line 4-4 of Figure l; and

Figure 5 is a vertical section as seen on the line 5--5 of Figure 2.

The smoke-box III may be of any desired construction and as usual is seated on and supported by the saddle II, which preferably has the cylinders I2 and the associated valve chambers I3 cast integrally therewith with each end of each of the valve chambers having a short passage Il therefrom leading directly into the capacious hollow I5 of the saddle II, which hollow is closed except as hereinafter noted. This hollow will have a capacity of from two to four times that of each of the cylinders I2, as indicated by their respective cross sectional dimensions. The customary live steam pipes IB from the boiler open into the tops and centers of the valve chambers I3 at I1, and each valve chamber has the customary sleeves I8 secured therein towards the ends thereof, which sleeves are provided with the apertures I9 (see Fig. 5) therein which apertures I9 register with the generally annular passages 20 formed in the valve chamber and which are connected by the passages 2l with the ends of the cylinders I2. The customary piston valves 22 in the valve chambers, as well as the pistons 23 in the cylinders, are connected to the customary valve rods 2l and piston rods 25, and the entire mechanism operates during the running of the locomotive in the customary manner, the valves 22 controlling the admission of the live steam to one side of the pistons while it exhausts from the other side in the customary manner. The exhaust steam, it will -be noted, passes directly from the ends of the valve chambers into the hollow I5 through the passages I4 while the engine is running. lWhen it is drifting, in which case the main throttle valve (not shown) is closed, no steam is admitted to the cylinders I2, the pistons 23 simply pumping the air they contain back and forth in the hollow I5. Customary valves 38, in the bottom of the casting, provide means for automatically draining any condensed steam from the hollow.

When the locomotive is rlmning the exhaust steam is forced through the passages Il into the hollow I5 raising the pressure therein until it opens the exhaust valve 2B into the smoke-box I0. structed, I preferably employ the specific mecha- While this valve may be variously connism illustrated, in which a cylindrical chamber 21 is formed as a part of the saddle Il in which it is located, and has a passage 28 opening upwardly therefrom into the smoke-box l0, which passage 2l will be connected to any desired form of nozzle (not shown) that may be employed to direct the exhaust steam into the smoke stack (not shown). The chamber 21 has its inner end closed by a bushing 2s, removable for replacement, which has the orince ll therein to admit the exhaust steam which pushes the sliding valve member Il against the pressure of the helically coiled expanding spring 32 in the other end of the chamber 21, the tension of which is adjusted by the set screw 33 threaded through the disk 3l closing that end of the chamber, and having the disk 35 engaging the spring I2. It will be obvious that the smaller the orifice 30, the greater the resulting cushioning eilect that will be Droduced to prevent slamming of the valve as it will be closed if the pressure of the exhaust steam in the hollow l5 is suddenly reduced. When the engine is at rest, or drifting, and there is no exhaust steam pressure on the valve member 3l,

.the unreduced end thereof closes the passage 2l,

as well as the openings J0 (see Figure 1) in the chamber 21, so that no smoke can get from the smoke-box lll into the hollow I I, and thence back to the cylinders I2 and valve chambers Il, where its presence would be highly objectionable.

When the throttle is closed and the engine is drifting, as soon as the pressure in the hollow II falls below that for which the valve is set, it is closed by the spring 32, leaving the cylinders and the hollow filled with low pressure exhaust steam containing the customary lubricant in suspension, which serves to keep the cylinders oiled as the exhaust steam is pumped back and forth therein as the engine is drifting, obviating the necessity of furnishing the cylinders with live steam, not needed for propulsion, to keep them lubricated,v thus enabling me to do away with the customary drifting valve. When the engine is running and the exhaust steam in the hollow Il reaches the pressure for which the spring 32 is adjusted, the valve member 3l is'moved to the dotted line position and an outlet for the exhaust steam is opened through the openings 36, the reduced portion 31 of the valve member 3|, and the passage 28 to the smoke-box Il, where the exhaust steam is discharged in the Acustomary manner through the nozzle (not shown) into the smoke stack (not shown) thus getting the desired forced draft customarily employed.

As the exhaust steam has expanded in the hollow I5 and flows through the opened passage 28 at a comparatively low, but steady pressure, it does away with the annoying short puffs that occur with the ordinary engine when it is working at high pressure, and when there is no opportunity for any expansion of the exhaust steam until it reaches the smoke box, where its sudden expansion produces the aforesaid puil, the loudness of which depends in that case upon the pressure of the exhaust steam. By my invention the forced draft is materially reduced, even when the engine is working under its heaviest load, and as a heavy forced draft is wasteful of fuel, there is also a pronounced saving of fuel by the use of my invention when the engine normally works under a heavy load.

While I have shown and described my invention as embodied in the form which at present I consider best adapted to carry out its purposes,

it will be understood that it is capable of modisaddle upon which the smoke-box is supported having 'a large hollow therein, valve chambers and associated cylinders supported from the saddle, short passages from the ends of the valve chambers to the hollow in the saddle into which the steam from the cylinders is exhausted and Y expanded, an exhaust steam passage from the hollow of the saddle to the smoke-box, a valve in said exhaust steam passage, and means for holding said valve closed until the exhaust steam from the cylinders raises the pressure in the hollow of the saddle to a desired degree.

.2. A locomotive engine as described in claim 1, in which there are means for adjusting the pressure'required to open said valve.

3. A locomotive engine as described in claim l, in which the means for holding said valve closed is a spring acting against the same.

4. A locomotive engine as described in claim 1 y in which the means for holding the valve closed consists of a spring acting against it, together with means for adjusting the tension of said spring.

. 5. In a locomotive engine, the combination with a smoke-box, oi' a saddle upon which the smokebox isl supported having a large hollow therein into which exhaust steam from the cylinders is discharged vand expanded, a valve chamber in said hollow supported by the saddle, a passage leading from said valve chamber to the smokebox, a valve in said chamber movable by the pressure of the exhaust steam in said hollow from a position closing said passage to an open position, an oriilce in said valve chamber so that the steam from the hollow can press on the valve, and

.means for holding said valve closed against said pressure until said pressure reaches a predetermined amount.

6. A locomotive engine as described in claim 5, in which the means for holding said valve closed consists of a spring acting against said valve.

7. A locomotive engine as described in claim 5, in which the means for holding said valve closed consists of a spring provided with meaqs'for regulating its tension..

8. A locomotive engine as described in claim 5. in which the orifice in said chamber admitting exhaust steam thereto is reduced to eliminate shock due to slamming as the valve closes.

9. A locomotive engine as described in claim 5, in which the orifice in said chamber admitting exhaust steam thereto is reduced to eliminate shock due to slamming as the valve closes, and in which said orifice is located in a removable bushing. l

l0. In a locomotive engine, the comhin... with a fire-box and a boiler having a smokebox connected therewith, of driving cylinders and valve chambers associated therewith, supporting connections between said smoke-box and the driving cylinders and valve chambers, a larg `hollow space in said supporting connections behollow space to said smoke-box, a valve in said hollow space closing said passage but capable of being opened by exhaust steam pressure in the hollow space, and means for holding said valve closed in the absence of a certain degree of exhaust steam pressure in said hollow space.

11. A locomotive engine as described in claim l0, in which there are means for regulating the pressure at which said valve opens.

12. In an engine, the combination with a fire box and boiler having a smoke box, of a hollow casting supporting the smoke box and having the bodies o! the valve chambers and associated cylindex-s forming a part thereof, the hollow central portion oi the casting having a cubical content capacity greater than that of the cylinders and exhaust channels combined, passages from the ends oi the valve chambers through which the exhaust steam passes directly to the hollow where it is expanded, an exhaust steam passage from the hollow central portion to the smoke box. l valve controlling said passage and means for holding said valve closed until the exhaust steam from the cylinders raises the pressure in the hollow of the casting to a desired degree.

13. A locomotive engine as described in claim l2 in which there are means for adjusting the pressure required to open said valve.

14. A locomotive engine as described in claim 12 in which the means for holding the said valve closed is a spring acting against the same.

15. A locomotive engine as described in claim 12 in which the means for holding the valve closed consists of a spring acting against it, together L.)

with means for adjusting the tension of said spring.

FRANK P. ROESCH.

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