US2317849A - Locomotive - Google Patents

Description

' April 27, 1943. 'M ESSL- 2,317,849

LOCOMOTIVE Filed Jan. 30, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORN EY April 27, 1943.

M. Essl.

LOCOMOTIVE Filed Jan. 30, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 27, 1943. M. Essl. 2,317,849

LQcoMoTIvE Filed Jan. so, 1941 5 sheets-sheet s Y @Essl A oRNEY April 27, 1943. M.' EssL LocoMoTIvE Filed Jan. :50, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet NVENTOR NwEss A oRNgY Patented Apr. 27, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCOMOTIVE Max Essl, Lansdowne, Pa., assignor to The Baldwin Locomotive Works, a corporation of Penn- Sylvania l2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to locomotives and more particularly to Diesel-electric locomotives for producing large horsepower in a single locomotive unit.

Locomotives of the engine-generator type disclosed herein are capable of producing large horsepower in a single locomotive unit such, for example, as 4000 to 6000 horsepower but there are many problems arising from the concentration of the necessary quantity of machinery in a single unit such as the large weight and compact space requirements of the machinery as well as the necessity for rendering the machinery conveniently accessible. These factors are in many respects fundamentally opposed to each other thereby causing the problems to be most serious and difcult in their solution. Many other problems and dillculties are also present in the particular type of locomotive herein disclosed and these will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art especially when it is considered that the width and height of a locomotive is denitely limited by existing clearances for tunnels, bridges, train platforms, etc. thereby requiring the machinery to be disposed within highly restricted vertical and lateral dimensions, there being the additional limitation that a single locomotive unit is restricted in its length in order to be able to pass around existing curves and to be turned on normal size turntables.

It is one object of my invention to provide an improved combination of elements whereby the weight of the engine-generator units and auxiliary equipment may be effectively supported by a bed type cab underframe While maintaining the loading and operating stresses therein within desired safe limits. A further object is to provide an improved combination of power units and accessory equipment whereby they are not only readily accessible but also Conjointly operable in producing a desirable longitudinal stress distribution in the underframe whereby its delection under loading and operating forces is within safe limits.

A further object is to provide an improved combination of engine-generator units and accessories therefor whereby the center of gravity of the engine-generator units may be laterally oilset from the longitudinal centerline of the bed 4frame while still maintaining a symmetrical weight distribution in the locomotive about its longitudinal centerline. Another object is to provide an improved combination of power units and vaccessories whereby a passageway is effectively produced lengthwise of the locomotive.

A still further object is to provide an improved air distribution system ior circulating air from suitable blowers to the main electric driving motors. Another object is to accomplish this improved air distribution system in combination with my improved engine-generator arrangement for keeping the loading and operating stresses of the underframe within safe limits.

A further object is to provide an improved engine radiator and cooling system therefor and it is especially an object to accomplish this in a manner that is highly compact and simple and is elicient in its air ilow and blower operation While at the same time being readily removable with their respective power units.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved means for supporting the cooling radiators and blower equipment over the power units and at the same time permitting this means to be easily and effectively employed to bodily lift the power unit and cooling system out of the locomotive in the event that it is desired to replace any given power unit with an interchangeable substantially identical unit such as may be f necessary for purposes of repair.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a locomotive embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating in a magnified manner the mode of deilection and the desirable qualities thereof resulting from my improved combination of power units;

Figs. 3 and 3a are partial longitudinal sectional views respectively through the rear and front halves of the locomotive taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section which may be considered as taken on any one of the power units substantially on a line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Figs. 5 and 6 are longitudinal vertical sections taken respectively substantially on the lines 5 5 and 6 6 of Fig. 4 with the exciter and supercharger omitted for the sake of simplicity.

Fig. '7 is a vertical section on line l-l of 4 and Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the compresser and blower compartment taken substantially on the line 3-8 of Fig. 3.

In the spe-cie embodiment of the invention shown herein for purposes of illustration, I have disclosed in Fig. 1 a locomotive having a cab underframe l provided with an operators cab 2 and heating boiler compartment 3 between which is a series of power units l and a centrally located blower compartment 5. The bed frame is mounted upon a pair of articulated power truck units and 'l whose outer ends are supported on four leading and trailing wheel trucks 8 and 9 in such a manner that the trucks 8 and 9 may suitably pivot and move laterally relative to theV main power trucks al1 in a manner well understood in the art. Center pins generally located at l and il are interposed between the underframe and power trucks, these center pins being of any usual construction for pivotally supporting the bed frame. The power units are pivotally connected to each other at l2. As is usual the draw bar gear i3 is connected to the rear power truck frame 6 whereby the draw load is pulled through the power truck frames. As shown in Figs. 3, 3a and 4, each set of wheels of the power trucks, which are specifically shown as of the eight wheel type although any other suitable number of wheels may be used depending upon the size and weight of the locomotive, is provided with electric motors generally indicated at lli suitably supported in any usual manner by the axles and truck frame and connected by gears or otherwise to the axles for driving the same.

Each power unit comprises, Fig. 4, an internal combustion engine l1 preferably a Diesel engine of the generally vertical type which broadly may be considered to be a simple vertical engine or of the V form as specifically shown herein and in either of which the pistons and cylinders are arranged in line with each other to drive a crankshaft diagrammatically indicated at i8. The engine drives a generator in which the engine power is converted to a suitable power medium for driving the power trucks, the specic form of generator shown herein being of the electric type generally indicated at I9. This electric generator has its usual armature mounted on the crankshaft while its stator and housing preferably form a self-contained part of the engine by being secured thereto such, for example, as at the end of the engine frame 2i). The plurality of power generating units are disposed in relatively close side by side relation to each other and extend transversely of the cab underframe l. The transverse position has reference to the direction in which the crankshaft axis extends. Preferably the space occupied by the engine-generator units in a direction lengthwise of the locomotive is less than the combined length of the individual units if they should be placed in end to end relation thereby providing maximum power for a given unit length of locomotive as compared to prior art arrangements in which the engines are placed with their axes lengthwise of the locomotive.

To removably support the individual power generating units for the purpose of making repairs or to allow another unit to be quickly inserted to replace a removed unit, I provide four supports generally indicated at 2l, two being located on each side of the unit preferably in line with the center of gravity of the engine and generator respectively.v The details of construction of these removable supports per se do not constitute a part of my present invention and hence it will suflice to state that stationary vertical pins 22 are secured to the top of the cab underframe I while brackets 23 are secured by bolts 24 to the engine and generator, the brackets having suitable bores to receive pins 22 when the engine and generator areV lowered into position. A. suitable wedge key 25 extends through aligned slots in the brackets and pins to firmly hold the enginegenerator unit in position. It will be understood that all of the engine-generator units and their accessories forming a part thereof are identical and therefore interchangeable and the description of one will suffice for all, The power generating units as shown in Fig. Ll are disposed with their corresponding engine ends adjacent one side of the locomotive and spaced from the other side thereof, thereby providing a walkway 26 along said other side of the locomotive for substantially the full length thereof. The foregoing offset position of the power generating unit combined with the fact that all engines face the same way and are/similarly located produces an eccentric loading on the underfrarne. To compensate for this so as to obtain an overall balanced loading of the frame while still maintaining an unobstructed passageway 26, I provide certain engine-generator accessories on the generator end of the engine unit specifically by forming an upward housing 28 on the engine frame and then supporting on said housing an exciter 29 and a rotary type supercharger 3o, these being driven from crankshaft I8 by suitable gear trains diagrammatically indicated at 3| located within housing 28. r)These accessories are suflicient in number and weight to compensate substantially for the eccentric loading previously referred to. To further utilize the balancing and space arrangement of the above elements, while still maintaining maximum compactness and a clear passageway, I provide the free outer end of the exciter shaft with a blower driving sheave 32 which is connected by a series of V-belts 33 with a sheave Sli secured to a blower shaft 35. The foregoing arrangement provides a very effective and compact means whereby the laterallyl offset structure provides a side passageway while still maintaining a substantially symmetrical or balanced weight distribution.

Cooperating with the foregoing offset power generator unit is my improved engine radiator cooling system, this system comprising a pair of water cooling radiators 38 and 39 spacedV transversely apart in opposed relation to each other. The radiators include usual upper and lower headers 50, 4|, 42 and 43 and these are connected to circular air flow passage walls Bft and 45 in which stationary radial stay vanes 46 are disposed and rigidly connected for supporting a bearing housing 4l. The two radiators and their passages are connected together as a unit by a tubular member 128 secured to bearing housings l' and 48 and by an arched frame d8'. Shaft 35 extends through tube 48 to drive a pair of blower impellers 49 and Eil, the engine being connected to said shaft through the belt and sheave connection 32, 33 and Sii. The blower passages communicate with lateral openings 5I and 5l' preferably for discharging air and specifically located in the roof 52 of the hood which extends over each power generating unit. A vcentral opening 53, preferably serving as an air inlet communicates with the space between the two radiators. The lower side of the blower passages is curved upwardly as at 54 and 55 thereby completing the passage connection with the open- Y ings 5| Vand 5i and also providing a complete roof closure for the locomotive to prevent rain, snow or wind from entering the interior of the locomotive proper. The belt drive 32 and 33 is suitably encased withina housing 5E to insure 3 adequate protection ofthe operating parts from atmospheric conditions. The radiators are, of

course, suitably connected to the engine cylinder water jackets by usual rubber hoses or pipes (not shown) and the whole cooling system above described is symmetrically located with respect to the centerline of the locomotive. This symmetrically located cooling system is supported as a self-contained part of the unsymmetrically located power generating unit by a series of stanchions specifically four in number, two of these stanchions 59 and 60, Fig. 5, being connected by suitable brackets 6| to the generator housing and extending upwardly to the hood roof 52 terminating adjacent openings 62 therein. The other two stanchions 63 and 64, Fig. 6, are connected to the engine specifically through brackets 65 which are preferably bolted at 65 to the cylinder block. The usual bolts 6l for the cylinder heads S6 may, where necessary, extend through the brackets so as to be bolted to the cylinder block. The stanchions 63 and 64 also extend upwardly to hood roof 52 adjacent openings therein. The two pairs of stanchions are respectively connected to the upper and lower headers 49, 4! and 42, 43 through suitable rackets S8. By reason of these brackets connecting the upper and lower headers directly to each stanchion the latter 'are firmly vertically heid so that their lower connections t the brackets 6| and 65 are sufficient to support the cooling system structure in superimposed relation to the engine and at the same time permit this cooling system and the power generating unit and their accessories to be bodily lifted for removal from the locomotive or for lowering a new unit on to the locomotive. To raise or lower the units eye bolts such as diagrammatically indicated at 10, Fig. 6, are inserted in the upper threaded ends in each of the four stanchions whereby a crane or other suitable lifting device may be attached to the eye bolts for the lifting or lowering function above referred to. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 each engine is provided with an exhaust pipe 1| connected into a transversely extending muliler 12.

rlhe side walls 14, Fig. 4, of the individual power unit hoods may be formed as an integral i part of the power generating units in the manner shown in my copending application Serial No. 304,417, led November 14, 1939, or, if desired, the side walls 'f4 may be formed as a Arelatively permanent part of the cab underframe I and arranged to terminate at their upper edges 15 in a bead over which the roof sections 52 of the various units extend, there being suitable longitudinal packing strips '16 interposed between the roof and side walls to provide a weatherproof joint.

Located substantially midway of the locomotive is an auxiliary equipment compartment 19, Fig. 3, for housing relatively light weight apparatus. This compartment contains a pair of large blowers 6) and 8| laterally offset but longitudinally overlapping each other as shown in Fig. 8 and respectively driven by electric motors 82 and 83. These blowers and motors taken as a unit are offset to one side of the longitudinal centerline while a pair of compressors 84 and 85 balance the foregoing offset arrangement by being located adjacent the other side of the locomotive. This serves the dual function of not only balancing the weight of the blowers 810 and 8|, but of also allowing the compressors to be disposed closely to the side wall whereby they may be driven from the engines adjacent this central compartment, the driving connection being by sheaves 86 on the free end of the engine crankshaft and `sheaves '81. yon the lcompressors com` nected by a suitable belt 88. Each engine is provided with a sheave 86 so that the power generating units may be interchanged and still have available a driving connection for the compressors.

The blowers and 8| discharge downwardly as at 90 and 9|, Fig. 3, int-o longitudinal central passages 92 and 93 formed within the cab underframe. These passages are preferably separated at their center by a partition $4 and terminate at end walls 95 and 96, Fig. 3a, which are spaced inwardly from the center pins l0 and As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the air ducts 92 and S3 communicate through a series of bellows 91 with the respective motors I4 thereby allowing cooling air to be circulated through the motors. The combination of the centrally located blowers and the ducts 9| and 92 extending in opposite directions from this central position allows an extremely simple and effective air circulating system to be provided without necessitating a complicated frame structure such as have been heretofore required where the ducts extend in close relation to or around the center pin structure.

An additional function served by my improved combination of the central blower' compartment and the engine units positioned so as to overlie or be adjacent to the center pins of the power truck frames 6 and I is that the weight of the various elements is distributed over the frame to produce a minimum deflection thereof and accordingly cause the stresses in the frame to be maintained within safe limits thereby avoiding the need of truss-type frames or other complicated frame structures such as have been heretoforeused. For instance, the central portion oi' the frame herein has the greatest moment arm with respect to the center pins but the bending stress in the frame incident to this moment arm is minimized by the relative light weight of the blowers. As is seen in Fig. 3, the two engine units at the left end are located substantially over or on each side of the center pin Hl and hence the stresses in the frame caused by the moment of these two engines with respect to the center pin I0 is negligible because the deflection caused by one engine tends to balance the deflection of the other engine. The next two engine units adjacent the blower compartment 'I9 have the greatest moment arm with respect to center pin l0 but here again I utilize a counterbalancing effect by placing a heating boiler 99 near the rear end of the underframe remote from the center pin IG. A water tank |00 may also be located in this rear compartment 3. This compensating effect is further carried out by forming liquid tanks 0| within the cab underframe at the rear thereof and similar tanks |02 may be formed in the forward end of the frame as shown in Fig, 3a. Additional compensating weight is provided by locating additional fuel or water tanks |03 at the forward end of the frame beyond the center pin I0, these tanks being located preferably beneath the floor of cab 2. The cooperative effect of the above arrangement of blowers, engine, heating boiler and liquid tanks is shown in the deflection diagram of Fig. 2 wherein the curve |05 represents deflections at given points along the cab underframe when the whereas the curve |06 represents deilections when the tanks are filled, this diagram being magnified for purposes of illustration.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 3a, my engine arrangement allows a highly cooperative relationship to be provided between the engines vand auxiliary liquid tanks are emptyv generators H and Hl, these generators beingA permanently supported on the floor of the cab underframe between two pairs of adjacent power units and vdriven by belts l I2 and I i3 from either one of the adjacent engines. The auxiliary generators are preferably placed between two of the units beyond the engines which drive the compressors,` i the auxiliary generators being specifically shown as located between the second and third engine units on each side of the central compartment. As a result of the improved arrangement of placing the auxiliary generator between the second and third units the generator may be driven by either one of the adjacent engines. Hence in case of failure of one engine the belt may be shifted to the other engine. This arrangement insures a reserve power supply for driving the auxiliary generator but without involving any additional equipment or complications.

From the disclosure herein it is seen that I have provided a single unit high powered Dieselelectric locomotive in which the power units and accessories are arranged in a highly cooperative relationship to insure that the underframe will have longitudinal loading and operating stresses kept within safe working limits. My improved combination also provides a high degree of accessibility to the power units and while this has been accomplished by unsymmetrical positioning of the power units, yet diiculties incident theretorhave been overcome by having certain access ories supported in a cooperating relation to the power units so as to obtain symmetrical weight distribution transversely of the locomotive, this all being accomplished while still preserving a substantially unobstructed passageway along one side of the locomotive.' In addition, I have provided an extremely compact and rugged arrangement for supporting the individual engine cooling systems in superimposed relation to their respective engines and at the same time this construe tion has been arranged to provide a very sturdy and rigid means for bodily lifting the entire selfcontained power generating unit and cooling systemr so that any given unit may be removed or replaced in case it is desired to repair the same. The arrangement for obtaining proper weight distribution longitudinally of the frame is extremely effective in permitting not only proper weight distribution but also a very direct, simple and efficient means for distributing cooling air to the main electric driving motors of the power truck. While I have referred herein to engines of the Diesel type, yet this broadly includes other suitable internal combustion engines.

It will of course be understood that various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A locomotive comprising, in combination, a frame mounted upon driving wheels, a plurality of individual power units each having an internal combustion engine provided with a crankshaft for driving a power converter disposed at oneend thereof, said power units being supported on said frame parallel to each other with the engine crankshaft axes extending transversely of the frame and the engines of each unit being disposed on the same side of the centerline of the frame, all of the power vunits being disposedIY so that their transverse centerlines are laterally offsetl Ywith respect to the longitudinal centerline of the frame thereby leaving one side of the upper portion of said frame unoccupied to provide a walkway along one side of the frame but producingan unsymrnetrical loading of the frame transversely thereof, and means positioned with respect to said power units in a manner to effect a substantially symmetrical loading of the frame while still retaining said passageway.

2. A locomotive comprising, in combination, a frame mounted upon driving wheels, a plurality of individual power units each having an internal combustion engine provided with a crankshaft for driving a power converter disposed at one end thereof, said power units being supported on said frame parallel to each other with the engine crankshaft axes extending transversely of the frame and the engines of each unit being disposed on the same side of the centerline of the frame, all of the power units being disposed so that their transverse centerlines are laterally offset with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the frame thereby leaving one side of the upper portion of said frame unoccupied to provide a walkway along one side of the frame but producing an unsymmetrical loading of the frame transversely thereof, and accessories forming a selfcontained part of said power uni-ts and mounted thereon adjacent the passageway end of the unit whereby said accessories eect a substantially symmetrical loading of the frame while still retaining said passageway.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 further characterized in that said accessories are positioned laterally inwardly of said passageway.

4. The combination set forth in claim 2f further characterized in that the power converters are disposed adjacent said passageway and said accessories are supported in superimposed relation to said converters.

5. A locomotive comprising, in combination, a frame mounted upon driving wheels, a plurality of individual power units each having an internal combustion engine provided with a crankshaft for driving a power converter disposed at one end thereof, said power units being supported on said frame parallel to each other with the engine crankshaft axes extending transversely of the frame and the engines of each unit being disposed on the same side of the centerline of the frame, all of the power units being disposed so that their transverse centerlines are laterally oiset with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the frame thereby leaving one side of the upper portion of said frame unoccupied to provide a walkway along one side of the frame but producing an unsymmetrical loading of the frame transversely thereof, engine cooling systems one for each power unit formed as a self-contained part thereof and in superimposed relation thereto, each cooling system having a blower for circulating cooling air therethrough, and means for driving the blower by power supplied from its respective power unit.

6.v A locomotive comprising, in combination, a frame mounted upon driving wheels, a plurality of individual power units each having an internal combustion engine provided with a crankshaft for driving a power converter disposed at one end thereof, said power units being supported on said frame with the engine crankshaft axes extending transversely of the frame and the power units being disposed so that their transverse centerlines are laterally offset with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the frame thereby leaving one side of the upper portion of said frame unoccupied to provide a walkway along one side of the frame but producing an unsymmetrical loading of the frame transversely thereof, engine cooling systems one for each power unit formed as a self-contained part thereof and in superimposed relation thereto; each cooling system having a blower for circulating cooling air through the cooling system, an electric generator disposed beneath said cooling system and supported by said power unit as a self-contained part thereof to be driven thereby, and a belt connection between said electric generator and blower to drive the latter.

7. A locomotive comprising, in combination, a frame mounted upon driving wheels, a plurality of individual power units supported upon said frame and each having an internal combustion engine and a power converter disposed at one end thereof, engine cooling systems one for each power unit, means for supporting said cooling systems in superimposed relation to their respective power units as a self-contained unitary part thereof, a plurality of stanchions respectively connected to the engine and its converter of a given power unit, said stanchions extending substantially to the uppermost portion of the cooling system so as to be accessible from the top thereof for lifting said unit, and means for securing the cooling system to said stanchions.

8. A locomotive comprising, in combination, a frame mounted upon driving wheels, a plurality of individual power units each having an internal combustion engine provided with a crankshaft for driving a power converter disposed at one end thereof, said power units being supported on said frame with the engine crankshaft axes extending transversely thereof, each power unit having as a self-contained part thereof a pair of transversely spaced radiators superimposed over the unit, means forming substantially coaxial an flow passages extending laterally outwardly from said radiators and terminating in lateral air openings, means forming a vertical air opening communicating with the space between said radiators, and blower means for circulating air between said vertical opening and said lateral openings.

9. A locomotive comprising, in combination, a

frame mounted upon driving wheels, a plurality of individual power units each having an internal combustion engine provided with a crankshaft for driving a power converter disposed at one end thereof, said power units being supported on said frame with the engine crankshaft axes extending transversely thereof and the power units being disposed so that their transverse centerlines are laterally offset with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the frame thereby leaving one side of the upper portion of said frame unoccupied to provide a walkway along one side of the frame, and each unit being provided with a superimposed engine cooling System having an air flow passage provided with vertical and lateral air circulating openings and at least a portion of said passage extending over the top of said walkway.

10. A locomotive comprising, in combination, a cab underframe, a plurality of individual power units each having an internal combustion engine provided with a crankshaft for driving a power converter disposed at one end thereof, said power units being supported on said frame with the engine crankshaft axes extending transversely thereof, a rotatable accessory supported on said frame between two of said power units and adjacent one end thereof, and a exible drive operable to connect either of the adjacent engines of said last mentioned power units to said acces sory whereby upon failure of one of said adjacent engines the other may be used to maintain operation of the accessory.

11. The combination set forth in claim 8 further characterized in that said blower means comprises a plurality of blower rotors disposed coaxially of said air flow passages, and means for driving said rotors by the engine power of the particular unit with which said air flow passages are associated.

12. The combination set forth in claim 8 further characterized in that said means for forming the air flow passages and said central and lateral air openings constitutes the entire roof structure for a given unit whereby when the successive units are in position on the locomotive frame said individual roof sections collectively form a composite roof for the locomotive.

MAX ESSL.

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