US2976023A

US2976023A - Radiator housing and guard structure

Info

Publication number: US2976023A
Application number: US712149A
Authority: US
Inventors: Laurance H Gillick; Ronald W Maddocks
Original assignee: Vapor Heating Corp
Current assignee: Vapor Heating Corp
Priority date: 1958-01-30
Filing date: 1958-01-30
Publication date: 1961-03-21
Anticipated expiration: 1978-03-21

Description

March 21, 1961 H. GILLlcK ETAL RADIATOR HOUSING AND GUARD STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS.- LAURANCE H. GILLICK RONALD W. MADDOCKS ATT'Y Filed Jan. 30, 1958 March 21, 1961 L.. H. GlLLlcK ETAL RADTAToR HOUSING AND GUARD STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 30, 1958 INVENTOR, LAURANCE H. GILLICK RONALD W. MADDOCKS av ATT'Y radiator grille.

United States Patent O RADIATOR HOUSING AND GUARD STRUCTURE Laurance H. Gillick, Wilmette, Ill., and Ronald W. Maddocks, Rosemere, Quebec, Canada, assignors to Vapor Heating Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 30, 1958, Ser. No. 712,149

8 Claims. (Cl. 257-295) The present invention relates to a novel Vradiator housing :and guard structure for'railway cars whereby a series of steam or Vhot water'heaters of the radiating type may be supported fromthe sidewall structure of the improved housing in an out-of-the way location beneath the wall trim `or seat sills associated with the car wall structure, while at the'same time the Vcold water pipe conduits Whichconduct service water to the wash basins, toilets and the like Aare caused to extend along the'front wall of the housing in concealed andshielded relationship with respect to the passenger space and passageways of the railway car.

Heretofore it has been customaryto cause the elongated sectional radiator structure of a railway ,car to eX- tend throughout the length of the car in concealed rela- 'tionship behind a suitable' grille which is completely exposed to the car interior along the side wall structure thereof. rfhese grilles frequently become overheated sufficiently to cause discomfort `and possible injury to a passenger in the event of physical contact with the grille structure. Also the cold water piping is ordinarily concealed between main and'sub-floors of the car or otherwise concealed in the car structure. v

The present invention is ydesigned to utilize the cold water piping to prevent discomfort land possible injury to the passengers in the event of their contact with the 'In this connection'the invention contemplates the provision of a supporting structure for steam or hot Water radiator units and yfor the cold water piping of the railway car wherein, bymeans'ofa novel assemblage of paneling, shielding and anchoring means, the radiator units and water piping may be supported in substantially coextensive side-by-side relationship so that they extend longitudinally of the railway car along the side Wall structure near the base thereof whereby .certain advantages are obtained as regards the distribution of heat within the interior of the car, the concealment of the heater units and cold water piping in suchmanner that the heater units function efliciently to deliver heated air into the car and the cold Water piping prevents overheating of the panels of the housing.

The provision of a novel supporting, shielding and concealment arrangement which ,will accomplish the functions briefly outlined above being among the Vprincipal objects of the invention, it is a further object to provide such a structure whereinthe major components of the various parts of the radiator and piping Vsupporting structure Jray be formed of lightsheet metal stampings, thereby contributing to economy of manufacture.

A still further object of the invention, in a structure of this-character, is .to vprovide anasSem-blage of supporting structure which maybe manufactured and assembled in composite, packagetype units `at lthe factory and transported to the scene of installation where the vpre-assembled units may be connectedtogether and operatively installed at the time the heater and Water pipe installation is etected..

ice

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a supporting structure for heater and water pipe installations wherein, after the installation has been made, certain removable concealment panels associated with the assembly of pre-'fabricated units areconveniently available and vaccessible for removal so that access may be had to the radiator units, and to the piping for purposes of inspection, repair, or replacement of parts.

The provision of a heater Vand piping supporting structure which is attractive in its appearance and which, in its design, cooperates with the natural contour of the railway car to produce certain functional effects wherein heated convection currents of air are directed'to the car interior without discomfort to the passengers, are further desirable features which have been borne in mind in the production and development of the present invention.

Gther objectsland advantages of the invention, not at this time enumerated, will become more readily apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood.v

ln the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specicatiom one illustrative embodiment of the invention has been shown.

ln these drawings:

Fig. l is a fragmentary front elevational view of a radiator and water pipe supporting housing constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. v

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in A section, of a portion of the Istructure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially alon theline i-of Fig. l, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

vReferring now to the drawings in detail Aand in particu- `lar to Figs. 3 and 4, the supporting and housing structure of the present invention is shown as being applied to the inner sheathing or panel arrangement of a conventional wall structure associated with a-railwaycare-which mayebe any one of numerous types as ffor example, -a :railway coach,.roomette, dining car orY the like. Althoughiaspecific form ofwall structure has been shown herein for illustrative purposes, it will be vunderstood that thepresent supporting and housing structure is applicabletofother types of railway car wall structures. Irrespective 'however of the particular car side wall structure with which the'invention may be associatedfthe essential features thereof are 5at' all times preserved.

The-inner Vcar structure includes a lower floor platform l `and project upwardly in the usualmanner.

The heater Yunitswhich' aresuppo'rfted by the 'structure of the present invention yare of conventional`V design, `the units being prefabricated, transported to the scene'oflinrstallationand then conneoted'together in series as Vshown i in Fig. 2 wherein several `ofthe units, each'designated' at 16, are shown. The units 16 vmay be'of the concentric tube type having' inner and outer I'cylindrical tubes '1-'7'and jacent ends of .the 'units 16. The outer tubular'in'em-- ber '1.8 of veach unit 16 vis providedwith the lusualfs'eries of vheatdissipating and radiatin'g ns '23. .fAs will'lbeisetV forth in more detail subsequently, the heater assembly just described which ordinarily is supported from the wall panel is, according to the present invention, operatively supported in its longitudinally extending relation- Ship to the railway car on a housing including a series of aligned supporting leg members 24, a bottom spacer panel 27, a front side wall 34, hereinafter called an attachment plate, and an upper trim member 60. The said leg members are arranged in a longitudinal row and are themselves supported from the oor and side wall panel 12 of the railway car in a manner that will be described presently. The leg members 24 also serve to support a series of water pipes or conduits 25, three such pipes being shown `at 26, the pipes extending longitudinally of the railway car and being arranged in superimposed relationship so that their transverse width within the car structure is maintained at a minimum.

As best seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the various leg members 24 are in the form of relatively narrow strips of formed sheet metal, each strip including a vertical leg proper 30, a horizontal shelf portion 31, and a vertical attachment ange 32. The lower end of each leg proper 30 is supported on the floor 10 while the attachment yflange 32 is bolted as `at 33 to the trim piece 14 and side wall panel 12. A series of inclined plates 27 extend between the lower ends of the legs 30 and the wall panel 12 and are secured thereto by

bolt assemblies

28 and 29.

Mounted on the various leg members v24 and supported thereon a short distance above floor level are a series of elongated attachment plates 34 (see also Figs. l and 2), the plates being disposed in end-to-end relationship and being maintained in alignment at their front and rear ends by means of removable splice plates 35 which constitute closures for access openings into the interior of the housing and are bolted as at 37 to offset edges of succeeding attachment plates 34. The junction plates 35 are thus disposed at the seams between adjacent attachment plates 34. Each attachment plate 34 thus extends from a region adjacent one of the leg members 24 to a region adjacent the next leg member in the series `and the connection between the plates 34 and leg members 24 is made by through-bolt assemblies 40 which, in addition to maintaining the

parts

34 and 24 connected, additionally serve to clamp a series of heater-supporting bracket assemblies 41 and a series of saddle clamps 42 in position on the water pipes 25 in such a manner as to rmly clamp the sides of the pipes against the outer faces of the leg members 24.

The various heater-supporting bracket assemblies 41 are best seen in Figs. 2 and 4. They are conventional in design and no claim is made herein to any novelty associated with the same except insofar as they cooperate with the present heater and water pipe supporting structure of the present invention. Each assembly 41 involves in its general organization a shallow U-shaped bracket 43 connected to the `front attachment plate 34 and provided with side legs, across which there extends a face plate 44, the face plate being welded to the outer edges of the side legs. Bolted as at 45 to the `face plate 44 are a pair of supporting plates 46 and 47 which are L-shaped in vertical cross section and which `are arranged in back-to-back relationship. The outer edges of the two plates 46 and 47 are recessed as at 48 and the edge regions of the recess are turned laterally as at 49 in opposite directions .to provide a composite semi-cylindrical cradle or seat 50 for reception therein of the sides of the outer cylindrical tube 18 associated with one of the heater units 116. The tube 18 is maintained seated within the cradle 50 by means of a spring clip or strut 51, the ends of which are bifurcated as at 52 and stradle the bifurcations 53 afforded in the ybrackets 46 and 47 by virtue of the recess 48 and bear against laterally turned portions 54 on the brackets, with the medial region of the spring clip 51 being bowed outwardly and bearing tangentially as at 55 against the outer face of the tube 18. The clips 51 aord a convenient means for detachably clamping the heater structure in position against the various brackets 46 and 47 of the heater supporting assemblies 41. lIt will be seen therefore that the heater assembly including the various units 16 are supported by the bracket assemblies 41 in operative alignment so that they extend along the car structure in the side regions of the lloor 10 slightly elevated above the latter and slightly removed from the vertical wall panel 12 and within the generally rectangular space or enclosure afforded by the oor 10, wall panel 12 and the series of longitudinally extending attachment plates 34.

The rectangular space just defined is substantially closed at its upper end by a series of elongated members 60 which, although they are furnished as a part of the novel heater and water pipe supporting structure of the present invention, may be regarded as constituting trim panel members for the railway car side wall 11. Each member 60 is in the form of an elongated channel-shaped sheet metal element having a relatively long transverse side 61 which overlies and is supported upon the various horizontal portions 31 of the leg members 24. The side 61 extends horizontally and is turned laterally to provide a relatively narrow hat vertical inwardly presented edge region 62 which is itself turned laterally to provide a short horizontal reentrant portion 63 which underlies the horizontal portion 61 and the distal edge of which is welded as at 64 to the outer face of the vertical legs proper 30 of the leg portions 24. Interposed between each adjacent pair of legs 24 and immediately underlying the horizontal portion 61 of the various trim members 60, with its outer edge regions nested between the

horizontal portions

61 and 63, is a curved insulating member 65 in the form of a sheet of insulating material, the concave side of which faces upwardly. The medial portion of each sheet 65 is supported on a trough-like pan or support 66 the outer edge of which is provided with struck out ears 67 secured by bolt assembly 68 to the legs proper 30 of the leg assembly 24 and the inner edge region of which is provided with similar struck out ears 69 secured by bolt assemblies 70 to the horizontal portion 31 of the leg assemblies.

The various trim members 60 are thus arranged longitudinally in end-to-end relationship with their adjacent ends providing seams which are concealed by means of seam straps 71 (Fig. 5). The inner edge region of the upper horizontal side 61 of each trim member 60 is flared upwardly as at 72 and the seam strap 71, which follows the contour of the trim member 60 has its inner edge -hooked as at 73 (Fig. 5) around the edge 72. A

The other edge of the seam strap 71 frictionally bears against the lower short horizontal leg 63 of the trim member 60.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the previously mentioned saddle clamps 42 are provided with cradle portions 74 for receiving the various pipes 25 and interconnecting portions 75 between the cradle portions. Bolt assemblies 76 pass through the connecting portions 75 and plate 34 and draw the saddle clamps 42 against the pipes 25 to in turn clamp the latter against the leg members 24. Secured to each leg member 24 in vertically spaced relationship are upper and

lower retaining clips

77 and 78 respectively, the various clips serving to retain in position over the pipes 25 a series of aligned trim members 80 serving as an outer cover to conceal the pipes 25 and serving also as a shield to prevent direct contact with the side wall 34. Each shield member 80 is generally U-shape in vertical transverse cross section and each has a vertically extending outer plate 82 and top' and

bottom walls

83 and 84 respectively. The free edge of the top wall 83 is turned downwardly as at 85 so that it may be hooked, so to speak, behind adjacent brackets 77 on the legs 24 while the free edge of the bottorn wall 84 is adaptedto frictionally engage adjacent brackets 78 so as to securely but removably retain the cover'or shield 80 in position over the pipes 2S and on the legs 24 on the outer side of the latter and immediately outwardly ofthe attachment plates 34. The meeting edges adjacent shields'tl are covered by trim plates 80a.

In an installation of the character set forth above, when the heater .assembly .is in operation with steam flowing through the

passages

20 and 21, heat is radiated forwardly from these elements and that portion of the radiated heat which strikes the attachment plates 34 passes through the plates by conduction but the cold water pipes prevent overheating of the cover and shield structure 80 which enclose the water pipes and constitute fthe outer face panel of the radiator housing. The manner in which the heater assembly is supported in elevated relationship from the floor and in spaced relationship from the wall panel 12 within the car structure by means of the leg members 24 permits free circulation of air around the heater assembly. Air which enters the elongated and generally rectangular space defined by the attachment plates 34, wall panel 12, spacer plates 27 and upper trim members 60 4by flowing through the passage provided for it between the floor 10 and shield member S0 may pass upwardly around both sides of the heater assembly as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4 and the major portion of the air which passes in front of the heater yassembly will flow outwardly again into the compartment or car space through the passage provided for it between the shield plate 84 and the upper trim rnernber 60. The air which flows upwardly behind the heater assembly and between this assembly and wall panel 12 will, in general, ilow upwardly through the space existing between the inner edges of the trim members 60 and the wall panel 12 and will be directed outwardly -by the trim panels 14 and 1S into the car compartment. The arrangement is such that the heater assembly is entirely concealed within the space provided for it while at the same time the water pipes are not exposed to view nor are they exposed to contact with passersby in the car passageways or compartments of the railway car.

We claim:

1. A prefabricated housing and guard structure for a railway car radiator comprising, in combination, a housing structure extending lengthwise of the car at a side thereof in the region of the oor and provided with a front side wall and air inlet and discharge openings,V

means located within the housing for supporting a radiator therein, whereby heated air is delivered into the interior of the car, a channel-shaped trim member having lateral anges removably secured to the outer face of said front wall of the housing to provide a closed but readily opened conduit extending lengthwise of the housing along the outer face thereof and in the region of said radiator enclosed within the housing, andcold Water piping enclosed and concealed in said conduit and serving to prevent overheating of the outer face of said channel-shaped trim member.

2. A housing and guard structure for a railway car radiator according to claim 1, wherein said housing includes a plurality of legs and an attachment plate iixed to said legs and dening the upper edge of an air inlet opening and a lower edge of one of said air outlet openings, .and wherein the radiator supporting means comprises brackets secured to the inner face of said attachment plate.

3. A housing and guard structure for a railway car radiator according to claim 2, wherein means are provided for removably clamping said cold water piping to the outer face of said attachment plate.

4. A radiator housing and guard structure for a railway car radiator as defined in claim l provided with a horizontal trim plate which at least in part overlies said radiator and has its inneredge spaced from the side wall of the car, thus dening with said car side Wall one of said discharge passages for atmospheric air passing upwardly along said side wall behind said radiator and defining with the upper edges of said attachment plates another of said discharge vpassages for `air flowing upwardly through the housing.

5. A radiator housing and guard structure for a railway car radiator as dened in claim l wherein each attachment plate has secured thereto along one vertical edge thereof a removable splice plate which overlaps the opposed vertical edge region of the next adjacent attachment plate.

6. In combination with the side wall and oor structure of a railway passenger car, an elongated sectional radiator-type heater assembly extending longitudinally in the compartment in the oor region thereof adjacent said side wall, and a plurality of water-conducting pipes arranged in super-imposed spaced relationship and likewise extending longitudinally `in the car in close proximity to said heater assembly at the level thereof and on the side remote from said side wall, of a supporting structure for said heater assembly and water pipes; said supporting structure comprising a plurality of leg members in the form of narrow strips of sheet metal each having a. vertical leg and a horizontal shelf portion, means for securing each leg member to the floor and side wall of the car with the horizontal pontion thereof normal to the side wall and the leg normal to the lioor with said leg portions in longitudinal alignment in the car, attachment plates bridging the distance between adjacent legs interposed between the heater assembly and water pipes and spaced from the floor and horizontal portions of the leg members, said` attachment plates being arranged in endto-end alignment, means removably securing each attachment plate to the next adjacent attachment plate on either side thereof, clamping means for securing said water pipes to each leg, means for supporting said heater assembly from the various attachment plates `at spaced regions along the heater assembly, and a horizontal trim plate bridging the distance between each pair of adjacent leg members and supported on the horizontal portions thereof.

7. In combination with the floor and vertical side wall of a railway passenger car, a side (trim member presenting an inwardly directed ledge portion spaced above the level of said oor, an elongated sectional radiator-type heater assembly extending longitudinally in the compartment in the floor region thereof adjacent said side Wall and beneath saidfledge portion of rthe trim member, and `a plurality of water pipes extending longitudinally in the compartment in close proximity to said heater assembly at the level thereof and on the side thereof remote from said side wall, of a supponting structure for said heater assembly and pipes, said supporting struc-ture comprising a plurality of leg members in the form of narrow strips of metal each having a vertical leg and a horizontal shelf portion, means for securing each leg `member to the floor and side wall with the horizontal portion thereof normal to lthe side wall and the leg portion normal to the oor `and all of said leg portions being in longitudinal alignment, attachmentplates bridging the distance between the adjacent legs and spaced from the oor and said horizontal portions of the leg members, said attachment plates being disposed in a common vertical plane, clamping means for securing the water pipes to said attachment plates on the outside thereof, means for supporting the heater assembly on the inner face of said plates and a horizontal trim plate bridging the distance between each pair of adjacent leg members and supported on the horizontal portion thereof, the inner edge of each trim plate being spaced from the wall, thus defining with the side wall a vertical passage for `atmospheric air passing upwardly along the side wall of the car behind the heater assembly, said trim plates being disposed below the level of said ledge portion of the trim member and defining therewith a horizontal passage in communication with the vertical passage for the flow of air issuing from the latter, a horizontal trim plate overlying said heater assembly and defining with the upper edge of said attachment plates a horizontal passage `for passage of air flowing upwardly in front of the heater assembly and outwardly into the interior of the car.

8. In a railway car, the combination set forth in claim 7 including, additionally, an insulating sheet underlying each trim plate and'coextensive with the latter, and a 8 supporting plate for each insulating sheet underlying the same and having its opposite edges secured to the supporting leg member and horizontal portion respectively of the adjacent leg member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,937,774 Naylor Dec. 5, 1933 1,976,564 Jourdan Oct. 9, 1934 2,212,201 Paly et al Aug. 20, 1940 2,405,839 Ledwinka et al. Aug. 13, 1946