US572428A - Automatic track-sanding apparatus - Google Patents

Description

.2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(NoModeLj H. L. LEAGH.

AUTOMATIC TRACK-SANDING APPARATUS.

Patented Dec. 1, 1896.

Fig/.1-

a VENTQ P TENT OFFIC HENRY L. LEACH, or oA uBRIDGE, AssAoHUsETT's.

AUTOMATICTRACK-SANDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.572,428, dated December 1, 1896. Application filed March 30, 1896. Serial No. 585,370. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. LEACH, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and l State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Track- Sanding Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. I 7

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a locomotive-engine provided with one form of track-sanding device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a trap which forms part of the particular construc tion of sand-feeding apparatus in which my present invention is shown embodied. Fig. 3 is a central sectional view of a regulatingvalve in the conduit from the compressedfluid-supply to the sand-supply apparatus, this valve containing a warning-port. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 show modifications.

It is of great importance that no more sand than is necessary to prevent slipping of locomotive driving-wheels should be fed to the tracks, because of the wear which sand causes has frequently happened that the feed-valve. has been left open longer than necessary by reason of the forgetfulness of the engineer,

-whose attention has been directed to other duties while the device has been in operation.- aste of air and sand and unnecessary wear and tear of tires and rails have been the result. To overcome this I have combined with the air-supply reservoir and sand-discharge apparatus an automaticallyacting signal which sounds a Warning whenever the feed-valve is open and the engineers hand is removed from it for other duties. The engineer is thereby kept informed that sand is flowing and warned against continuation of the flow when the slipping has ceased. In the drawings I show my invention en1- bodied in the well-known Leach track-sanding apparatus for locomotives, although it ing apparatus of different construction.

A is a locomotive driving-wheel, and a the track-sanding pipe discharging on the rail B. Pipe a, is connectedwith any suitable sandsupply apparatus A of any desired kind that is provided with means for feeding sand to the track therefrom, which means comprise any fluid-motor for the sand (air or steam,

for example) flowing to the sand-supply apparatus and controlled by a feed or regulating valve under the engineers control.

In the present embodiment of my invention the flu id-motor, that is, the agency which forces sand to pipe a, flows to the sanding apparatus A through a pipe or conduit a from any compressed-fluid supply, such as reservoir A which maybe and preferably is the main reservoir of the air-brake system. Pipe a passes, preferably, through cab A and is provided with a feed or regulating valve D, which is under the engineers or other attendants control,being preferably within the cab and under hand control.

WVhen valve D is off its seat d, compressed air flows from reservoir A through pipe a to sand-supply apparatus A and moves sand to pipe a, by means of which sand is fed. There are a considerable number of traclcsanding devices other than the Leach in which my present invention may be embodied; but in this case conduit a leads into a trap or sandchamber supplied from a main sand-box A and pipe a leads from the trap, as more fully set forth in my Letters Patent No. 433,686, dated August 5, 1890, and No. 512,833, dated January 16, 1894. I s l To accomplish the object of my invention, I provide an escape for the compressed fluid which moves the sand in apparatus A, the escape being operative or potentially operative when the valve isfoff its seat and inoperative when the valve is on its seat, the noise of the escaping fluid sounding the warning that sand is flowing.

The preferred mode of applying the pr in ciple of my invention-is to provide valvestem cl with a central passage d that has a solid bottom (1 and an opening (1 on its side within the lower-pressure side d of the valvecasing. Valve stem (1 is provided with a may be embodied, if desired, in track-sandhaving an escape 00 handle d, by which the valve-stem is moved inwardly or outwardly, as desired. Passage (1 has an opening d without the valve-casing, and this opening (Z is preferably formed in a cap 61 attached to the outer end of valvestem d, cap d having a chamber d", in which is mounted a slide-valve (Z kept normally by a spring (Z out of contact with the wall of the chamber around the outlet or opening 61 hen the valve proper (which is the inner end of stem d) is on seat cl, flow from compressed-fluid reservoir A to sand apparatus A is impossible. If sand is needed 011 the track, valve-stem d is turned to carry the valve off its seat, and the compressed fluid from the reservoir A flows through the valvecasin g to actuate the sand. Compressed fluid flowing pastthe valve toward the sanding apparatus enters passage (Z through opening (1 and escapes through d with a whistling noise. So long as the attendant keeps his hand on handle d and then presses valve (Z inwardly to close escape-opening d no sound is heard. If, however, the attendants hand is removed for any reason without closing valve D, the warning sounds at escape d, for the valve (Z is then carried away from opening (1 by the spring d, if one be used, or by the force of the compressed fluid trying to escape through passage d It is not necessary, of course, to provide any valve for escape d but I prefer to use one for the sake of better eeonomizing the escaping fluid that sounds the warning.

In Fig. at, showing a modification, the warning-port or escape (Z is closed by the hand that grasps the handle (1.

In Fig. 5, showing another modification, the warning-port d is an orifice in the lowpressure portion .of the pipe in which the regulating or feed valve is placed.

In Fig. 6, showing another modification, the

warning-port 00 is On the high-pressure side of the feed or regulating valve and in this instance is an opening in an auxiliary casing :0, provided with a piston-valve 3 having larger and smaller piston-heads. Casing at is piped to the conduit a at each side of the regulating-valve D. Casing 0c is enlarged at x to receive the larger piston y of the pistonvalve y, this enlarged section of the casing s on-val e 2/ also h an intermediate smaller piston 1 which is a sliding fit in the smaller chamber 09 of easing m. \Vhen regulating-valve D is on its seat, the compressed fluid in conduit ct exerts its force Wholly on the high-pressure side of the smaller piston g and so keeps piston-valve y over the warning-port, thereby closing it,

When the regulating-valve 'is off its seat, pressure is exerted on the lowpressure side of the larger piston y and the pistonwalve thereby moved off the warning-port, which continues to sound until the regulating-valve is seated.

hat I claim is I 1. In track-sanding apparatus, the combination of a compressed-fluid apparatus; a sand-supply apparatus having a sand-discharge pipe; a conduit from the compressed fluid apparatus to the said supply apparatus; a valve-casin g interiorly divided into two chambers by a valve-seat, and mounted in said 0011- duit with the conduit connected, on one side, with the chamber above the valve-seat, and on the other side with the chamber below the valve-seat; a regulating-valve mounted in said casing and having a handle projecting therefrom; and a sounding device which is between said fluid apparatus and sanding apparatus and is in communication with the conduit from the compressed-fluid apparatus to the sand-supply apparatus, and operative when said valve is off its seat and inoperative when the valve is on its seat; the sand-discharge pipe being in communication through the sand-supply apparatus, with the said conduit.

2. The combination of a valve-casing having a valve-seat with a high-pressure port below the valve-seat and a low-pressure port above the valve-seat with a valve having a chambered stem, the chamber thereof having a constantly-open passage into the lowpressure chamber and an opening outside the casing.

3. The combination of a valve-casing having a valve-seat; a high-pressure port below the valve-seat and a low-pressure port above the valve-seat, with a valve having a chambered stem, the chamber thereof having a constantly-open passage into the low-pressure chamber and an opening outside the easing; and a valve for said opening outside the casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, 011 this 17th day of March, A. D. 1896.

HENRY L. LEACI'I.

\Vitnesses EDWARD S. BEACH, E. A. ALLEN.

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