US2638369A - Sand trap cleanout - Google Patents

Description

May 12, 1953 F. E. SAARI ETAL SAND TRAP CLEANOUT Filed Nov. 18. 1949 8. S Wrm Q i? w m WE a 1 fklnw g M r 2 1. m 1 I w w w w 7 2 Mull sand 9 will terminate in an Patented May 12, 1953 UNITED, -sTA Es PATENT I OFF-ICE" SAND TRAP CLEANOUT I Frank E. 'Saari, Chicago,

Evanston, Ill., assignors 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application November 18, 1949, Serial No. 128,152 H v The invention relates to a sander, of the compressed air type, for railway track use, and has for one purpose to provide a sander with an improved clean-out.

Another purpose is to provide a. sander with a clean-out of maximum structural simplicity.

Another purpose is' to provide a clean-out which, when it is operated, prevents leakage or supply of sand from the sand source.

Another purpose is to provide an improved jclean-out method for railway sanding.

Another purpose is to provide a method for converting existing sanding devices to the employment of the improved clean-out principle.

Other purposes will. appear from time to time in the course of the'specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical axial section;

Figure 2 is a plan view, on a reduced scale..of a modification of the structure shown in Figure 1; I

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the'structure of Figure 2, with parts in axial section;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the fitting shown in Figure5; I,

Figure 5 is a section on the. line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

Figure fi is a partial vertical axialsection illustrating a method of converting a simplified including a single casting 3 connected "by the externally threaded duct 4 to the sand container I. The sand initially flows into a pocketforf'trap 5, having a relatively restricted neck 6 between I a lower lip or dam I and an upper constri' ion 8. Thus a supply of sand 9 may at all times'be kept in the pocket or trap 5, being supplied through the duct 4 from the main sand body2. When sand is not being supplied, the body of inclined face'j betweenthe portion? 1 and. 8' i0 is a portion of and-Grant V. W. Roth, to Monarch Equipment 2 Claims. (Cl. 291-'11) thejsanding structure shown in theform; of a tube. Whereas we show in the drawings a downwardly inclined tube or tubular chamber, it will be understood that this is a matter of illustration, not of restriction.

A sand delivery pipe ll may be threaded into or secured to the portion ID in any satisfactory manner, and may constitute means for moving sand toward the point of ultimate use.

20 is an air supply .duct which delivers air to an inlet passage 2| shown as formed in any suitable lug or projection 22 of the general unit. 23 is any suitable restriction valve shown as having a portion 24 threaded into any suitable aperture 25 in the projection 22. It is shown as having an external head 21. 28 is a lock nut abutting against the surface 29 of the casting, whereby the valve 23 may be locked at any desired setting'in relation to the inner air passage 30 for controlling the air now to, and thus through, the ducts 3| and 32. The passage 30 has one branch 3| shown as axially aligned with and extending to the interior of the casting portion Ill. The duct 30 also delivers air to a duct 32 through which air may pass into the trap 5. 33 is any suitable threaded plug to provide'access to the duct 32.

Itwill be understood that when air is supplied through the air supply duct 20 some airis admitted into the sand in the trap 9, and the rest of the air is delivered axially along the interior tubular chamber Illa of the passage portion 10. Thus sand is pneumatically agitated in and expelled from the trap 5, the expelled sand being carried along the tubular chamber or passage -l0a to and through'the sand delivery pipe or conduit ll. This takes place only when suitable valve means are employed; for example, when the operator of a "locomotive wishesto deliver sand to the rails. The means for controlling the air flow to the trap do not, of themselves, form "part of the present invention, and are not herein shown. It will beunderstood that compressed air is normally used, that being the practice of the railroads.

It is desirable, before a sanding operation, to clean out the sand supplying pipe system from the'trap to the point of use, to eliminateany foreign-material that may be present, such as moisture, ice, etc. It is also desirable to clean any sand thatmay be left in the pipe after the sanding. This is done with a larger volume of of the unit 80.

the axis of the chamber Illa, and, preferably, as v intersecting the axis of the chamber Illa. Air is supplied through any suitable air supply pipe 4|,

shown as threaded as at 42., and screwed into.

the internally threaded projection 43. lt wil-l be understood that when air has been delivered through the pipe 20 to deliver sand, and after the termination of air delivery through the pipe '29, air is then delivered through the pipe *1! and through the relatively restricted orifice 40. The result is to maintain pressure against the sand face 6a, while delivering adequate clean-out air along the pipe I I. I

In Figure 1 there is shown a unitary structure including the sand trap and theclean-out. In Figures 2 and 3 the clean-out is employed or a plied as a separate element.

Referring to Figures 2 and '3, a sand trap body, or a casting 3a, not employing a clean-out, may be employed, which is identical with the casting 3 of Figure 1, except that the chamber portion It) is somewhat shorter, and the clean-out, inlet duct 40 is omitted. Instead, there is provided a connecting duct or pipe Ila, which may be of any suitable length, and there is employed a separate clean-out fitting, generally indicated as 58. It is in the form of a T, having opposite parallel ends 5! and 52, with a restricted'cleanout inlet 53 located perpendicularly to the axis of the chamber Him, the pipe Na, and the T-portions 5| and 52. H1; is any suitable pipe extending to or toward the point of delivery or the sand. The system of supplying the conveying and the clean-out air is the same in the form of Figures 2 and 3 as in Figure l. The separate clean-out fitting or unit is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. While we do not wish to be limited to any specific means for securing the clean-out unit, we find it convenient to thread the branches 5| and 52 internally, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and to 4 ted line in Figure 6, we obtain a satisfactory clean-out delivery of air, while avoiding any entrapment or entrainment of air from the sand face 62.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

In the form of Figure 1 we illustrate a unitary sand trap and clean-out structure to which compressed air must .be delivered by the passage 29 for sanding purposes. The dam 1 serves as a limit for the sand, when the clean-out operation is not going on, and the sand face 60: inclines upwardly and to the right therefrom, referring to the position of .theparts a shown in Figure l.

provide an internally threaded lateral projection which includes a different form of clean-out, but I which may be converted to employ the principle of the present invention. The trap or Sanding body will be understood to have within it a body of sand 6| which, when sand is not being delivered, has a front face 52. In the fitting as originally supplied a clean-out duct 63 is employed in communication with the threaded interior 64 of the projection 65 which receives the air pipe 66'. Any suitable sand delivery pipe 6-! is threaded into or otherwise secured to the end .iorm a perpendicular passage 63a, shown in 'dot- The result is .65 When the unit, as originally Aiter; the sanding operation, clean-out air is delivered through the pipe 4| and the restricted inlet duct Ml. The fact that the axis of delivery of the air is at right angles to the axis of the chamber 10a, the pipe H permits or causes ade quate delivery of clean-out air along the pipe H but, at the same time, maintains air under pressure against "the sand face be, and causes no pick-u or wastage of sand from the sand face.

The forms of Figures 2 and 3 operate in the same way, it being a matter of convenience whether Or not a separate fitting 50 is employed, with its clean-out air inlet or duct 53. An advantage of the employment of a separate unit 56, such as is shown in Figures 2 to 5, is that it may belocated at a variety of distances from the sand face 6. Also, it may be applied to convert existing sand trap structures to the employment of our invention. Under some circumstances, it may be an advantage to do as shown in Figure 6, in converting old equipment. That is to say, any suitable means may be employed for blocking any inclined passage, suchas the passage 63, while a substitute perpendicular passage 53a is drilled.

We find that the angle or axis of delivery of the clean-out air, in relation to the line of flow of the sand, is critical. That is to say, in a structure identical with that shown in Figures 1, or 2 and 3, if the axis of the restricted passage til or 53 is inclined either toward or against the direction ofliow of the sand, the result is sand wastage and undesired carrying of send by the clean-out blast of air. Even a slight inclination of the passage Ml may destroy the advantages of the structure described and shown herein.

It willbe're'aliz'ed that, whereas we have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in the. size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of our invention, We therefore wish our description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting us to our precise showing.

For example, whereas we have illustrated units with a single clean-out air inlet, it will be understood that it is within the scope of our invention to employ a plurality of such inlets.

We claim:

1. In combination with a sand delivery conduit, a clean-out assembly including a normally open connection between a supply of sand and the said sand delivery conduit, said connection comprising a tubular chamber having, intermediate its ends, a compressed air supply duct with its delivery axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said tubular chamber, said air supply duct having a restricted delivery opening of a cross-sectional area substantially less than that of the said tubular chamber.

2. The method of converting a clean-out assembly for a sand delivery passage which includes rendering inoperative any already existing cleanout air supply passage and providing a substitute clean-out air supply passage with its axis of compressed air delivery substantially perpendicular to the axis of the said sand delivery passage, said air supply passage having a restricted delivery opening of a cross-sectional area substantially less than that of the sand delivery passage.

FRANK E. SAARI. GRANT v. W. ROTH.

6 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name a Date Collin Feb. 20, 1883 Light et a1 June 26, 1923 Buckingham June 3, 1924 McGarigal Oct. 14, 1930 Light et al. Apr. 14, 1931 Light at al. Apr. 19, 1932 Saari et al. Feb. 28, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Oct. 1, 1920

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