US247028A - Apparatus for heating freight-cars - Google Patents

Description

(NoModeL) W. .E. EASTMAN, G. H. KIMBALL 8v C. H. MURCH.

APPARATUS FOKHEATING FREIGHT CARS.

No. 247,028. Patented Sept. 13,1881.

IQ I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. EASTMAN, o. HENRY KIMBALL, AND CHARLES H. MUEoH, F BOSTON, MASSAOHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR HEATING FREIGHT-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,028, dated September 18, 1881. Application filed June 28, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: sufficient air to sustain combustion and supply Be it known that we, WILLIAM E. EASTMAN, the hot-air flues with air for circulation under O.HENRYKIMBALL,and UHARLESELMUROH, the floor and around the linings a a. citizens of the United States, all residing in The heater h is securely fastened to the box Boston, in the county of Suffolk and Stateof c, with its smoke-stack k extending through Massachusetts, have invented a new and usethe side, with elbow-joints to give it an upward fuImprovement for Heating Freight-Oars, of direction where it is fastened to the outside which the following is a specification. of the car, so that it may always be entirely ur invention relates to an apparatus for out of the way when loading the car.

Io heating freight-cars, which can be applied to In Fig. 1, lshows a small-portion of the outcars as ordinarily constructed without i nterferside of the car, with an opening, in which a thering with theirusefulness for that class of freight mometer is placed for the purpose of indicatwhich does not require heat, access to the heater in g the inside temperature to a person outside being had without entering the car for reguof the car by removing a small covering from lating the heat. We attain these objects by the opening. the arrangement and construction illustrated In Fig. 2, m shows partof the car-floor broken in the accompanying drawings, in whichaway to give a view of the air-chamber and Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section, sills. In Fig.2, a is a trap-door or opening to showing the arrangement as it appears when the fuel-bin. looking at the cars side. Fig. 2 is a bottom Now, it will be seen that as heat is generated plan. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section, from the heater h heated air will pass into the showing the arrangement near the middle of spaces 0 between the sills shown in Fig. 3,

the that part of the sills immediately above the Similar parts are indicated by similar letters box 0 not being covered with ceiling, as shown throughout the several views. in Fig. 1, and form a hot-air chamber under n Fig. 1, a dare linings extending from the the whole car. It will also pass through the car-doors to and across the ends of the car, openingsd to the air-spaces formed on the sides formingaspace between the inner and outward and ends of the car by the lining a, as shown walls of the car about three and'one-half inches 1 in Fig. 1. wide at the bottom and narrower at the top. A current of air may be induced toward the This lining extends up the sides of the car as ends of the car by making small openings in high as potatoes or otherfreight for which it the lining a a at pp, which allows the heated is useful will fill the car, so that when the space air to escape into the open car.

, b is filled with heated air from below thefreigllt In practice it is found that potatoes will, 5 will be surrounded on three sides by hot-air while in a car, generate heat themselves, and 5 chambers. never freeze at the top, thus leat ing it only The under side or bottom of the cars sills is necessary to apply heat at the sides, ends, and sealed up, forming air-spaces between the unbottom of the car. This arrangement reduces der and upper sides of the sills, extending from the amount of space to be heated to about onea j 40 the fire-box c to the ends of the car, with opententh of the amountheated by the old method, 9

5 j ings at suitable intervals through the floor and which is to place a heater inside the car near into the air-space I), as shown at d. the middle, with its smoke-stack through the The ceiling e is made to form a box near the car-top. Freight such as potatoes will occupy middle of the car, which drops considerably each end of the car, filling thesame to a posi- 5 below the sills f for the purpose of forming a tion fairly indicated by the lining a a in- Fig.

support for the heater, a hot-air chamber, and 1, three hundred and fifty bushels being the fuel-bin combined. The box 0 has openings at limit allowed to each car by railroad corporaeach of its ends, as shown in Fig. 2 at g g, to tious. give access to the heater and fuel without open- The old method for heating is objectionable 5o ing the car-doors, and also to give ingress to for the following reasons: I 00 First. Potatoes nearest to the heater will often be spoiled by heat and others be frozen at the ends and sides of the car at the same time.

Second. The cars are rendered almost useless t'or transporting many kinds of merchandise, particularly heavy freight-such asiron, molasses, and the like-when fitted, as is the practice, with an inner flooring of thin boards raised above the true floor of the car, and for this reason are nearly alwaysreturned empty after the delivery of a load of potatoes.

Third. The heating arrangement has to be removed from the cars during the summer months to make th em available for all classes of freight, and by so doing it is usually destroyed, and a new one has to be. substituted each season at considerable cost.

Fourth. The cars cannot be sealed, as is usually done with other classes of freight, as the doors have to be frequently opened to fire up, leaving them specially liable to loss of freight.

Fifth. Oarloors are often frozen in position with ice and snow, and considerable injury is done them by being frequently opened to fire up. It is a common thing to find cars very badly injured by the use of some sharp instrument like an ax to open the doors when frozen in position.

Sixth. A large amount of unnecessary fuel is used for heating.

Seventh. Potatoes are much or too little heat, evenly distributed.

We do not confine ourselves to the particular construction here set forth, but describe it as best in our opinion.

Our principal object is to apply an arrangement to freight-cars as ordinarily constructed so that the bottom and sides maybe heated without entering the car to fire up, with a thermometer placed in the car, so that it may be seen from the outside.

With the arrangement herein shown by the annexed drawings all the above-mentioned difficulties are avoided, and a great saving and convenience is secured 'to both the railroad corporation and shippers alike.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The heater or stove h, inclosed in the box or chamber a, as described, so that it can be supplied with fuel without entering the car, and having its smoke-pipe k passing up outside the car, in combination with the hot-air fines formed by the flooring, the sills, and the ceiling, as described, and the air-spaces b b between the sides and ends of the car, and the linings a at, having the openings 19 p, for the purpose specified.

2. The box 0, having the threefold office of a hot-air chamber, a fuel-bin, and a support for the heater or stove h, in combination with the hot-air flues formed by the flooring, sills, and ceiling, and the openings d d, for the purpose specified.

3. In combination with the heater h, the ceiling 6 and the openings d and p, for the purpose of producing warm air and conducting the currents to the ends and sides of the car from the heater, as shown and described.

4. The smoke-pipe 70, passing up outside the car, in combination with the heater or stove h, box 0, lining a a, and ceiling e, forthe purpose specified.

5. The combination of the openings d and p,for producing an air-current from the heater toward the car ends.

6. The combination of the heater or stove h, ceiling e, and openings 01 and p,for producing air-currents at the ends and sides of the car, in the manner described.

7. The combination of the heater or stove h, ceiling e, linings a a, and openings (1 and p, for the purpose of entirely surrounding the contents of the car with warm air, in the manner described.

8. The combination of the heater or stove h with smoke-pipe carried up on the outside of the car, the fuel-bin in box 0, the ceiling e, and linings a a, for the purpose set forth.

9. The construction herein set forth of a heating apparatus for freight-cars, consisting, substantially, of a heater or stove, h, inclosedin a box, 0, secured beneath the floor of a car, said box being open at its top to the sills and floor of the said car and in direct communication with hot-air flues formed by the sills, the floor and a ceiling covering all the under side of the sills except that part immediately above the box 0, thcl'inings a a at the sides and ends of the car, forming therewith air-spaces b b and the openings at and 1), for producing a circulation of air in and through said flues and air-spaces, all operating substantially as described.

injured by either too the heat not being WILLIAM E. EASTMAN. O. HENRY KIMBALL. CHAS. H. MUROH.

Witnesses H. E. KnMroK, WM. H. MILLER.

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