US755539A - Pneumatic sander for car-trucks. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED MAR. 22, 1904.

0. A. PRATTE. PNEUMATIC SANDER FOR GAR TRUCKS.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.30, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- N0 MODEL.

PATENTBD MAR. 22, 1904.

C. A PRATTB; PNEUMATIC SANDER FOR GAR TRUCKS.

APPLICATION FILED OOT..30, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

W/mr a rrnn Srarns Patented March 22, 1904.

PATENT Option.

CHARLES A. PRATTE, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF TlVO-THIRDS TO E. TYLER SMITH AND GEORGE A. GREEN, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

PNEUMATlC SANDER FOR GAR TPiUCl (S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Le ters Patent No. 755,539, dated lflareh 22, 1904.

Application filed October 30, 1903. Seria1 No. 179,247. (No model.)

To all ZIJ7'LO77L it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. PRAr'rn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Sanders for Oar-Trucks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled IO in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a pneumatic sander attachment for car-trucks, and is especially intended for trucks of street-cars. The invention, however, is broad enough to cover a sander on any truck which is pivoted with reference to the body of the vehicle mounted thereon.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, a sander or device for sanding car-tracks has not been mounted on the truck, but on the body of the car, in which event it is evident that in making turns where sand is most needed on the track it is practically impossible to arrange the sand-discharge in such a way as to accurately direct the sand to the curved portions of the 3 rails. It is well known that car-trucks are pivoted to the body of the car and that these trucks follow the curves by virtue of this pivoted relation. Hence by mounting the sanding device on the truck the sand may be accurately discharged upon the rails at all times, whether on curves or straight portions of the track. Further, by virtue of the pneumatic feature of the sander it becomes practicable to mount it upon the car-truck, whereas an 4 ordinary sanding device which is controlled by a lever and valve under the control of the motorman or other person on the car could not be placed upon the car, by reason of the movable relation between the truck and the body of the car. Hence it is believed that there is novelty in, mounting a sander of this kind upon a car-truck as distinguished from mounting it upon the body of the car.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, as well as the function it is intended to perform, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of one end of a car, showing one of the trucks equipped with my improvements. Fig. 2 is an end view of a truck similarly equipped. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the ejectors employed in connection with a sand-box.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let A designate the body of the car, and B one of the trucks upon which the car is mounted, the truck being pivoted with reference to the body of the car in order to make short turns, as is common in this class of constructions. Upon the truck-frame B is mounted a sand-box O in any suitable manner. This box, as shown in the drawings, is mounted on the end of the truck-frame and is provided at its lower extremity with two sand-outlets O, below and connected with which and extending transversely of the truck is a pair of ejectors D. The air for operating these ejectors is taken from a service-pipe E, mounted on the car and extending upwardly in front of the platform upon which the motorman stands, where it is provided with a valve F, so located as to be conveniently accessible to the motorman or other person in charge of the car. The air service pipe extends thence downwardly, and the hose-pipe G leads therefrom to a central coupling part H between the two ejectors, whereby the air delivered to the part H passes to both ejectors. The nozzles D of each ejector project into an enlargement D, with which the sand-outlet 0 communicates, and therefore delivers a current of air across or below the bottom opening of the sand-box, whereby the sand is drawn by suction or by virtue of the partial vacuum created in the chamber D. The sand is drawn from the sand-box and carried to a pipe I, which leads outwardly to the plane of the wheels and with the outer extremity of which is connected a downwardly-inclined pipe J, whose lower extremity is open and located close to the car-track in the plane of-the wheels and j ustin front of their treads. Hence it is evident that by virtue of this construction, the hose-pipe G being flexible, that the discharge-pipes J are always in position to deliver the sand upon the track in front of the wheels of the truck, since the hose-pipe G- has suflicient slack to compensate or allow for any movement of the truck upon its vertical pivot.

When it is desired to deliver sand to the track-rails, it is only necessary for the motorman or other person in charge of the car to open the valve F, when air under suitable pressure will be delivered to the ejectors and sand drawn from the two outlets of the box C and discharged upon both track-rails. Each discharge-pipe J is supported by a suitable depending bracket K, connected with the truck-frame.

Attention is called to the fact that the modern street-cars are provided with air-brake equipment. Hence in order to use my construction upon ears of this class it is only necessary to tap the air-service pipe, as illustrated. in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. The combination with a vehicle-truck pivoted with reference to the body of the vehicle, of a sand -receptacle mounted on the truck, an ejector connected in operative relation with the sand -receptacle, and means mounted on the body of the car and connected with the ejector for supplying the latter with air.

2. The combination with a vehicle -truck pivoted with reference to the body of the vehicle, of a sand-receptacle mounted on the truck, an ejector also mounted on the truck and connected in operative relation with the said receptacle, and means mounted on the body of the car for supplying the ejector with the necessary fluid for operating purposes.

3. The combination with a vehicle-truck, pivoted with reference to the body of the vehicle, of a sand-box mounted on the truck, means connected with the box for conducting sand therefrom to the rails of the, track, and an ejector mounted on the truck and connected in operative relation with the sand-box, and means mounted on the car-body for supplying the ejector with operating fluid.

L. The combination with a vehicle-truck, the latter being pivoted with reference to the bodv of the vehicle. of a sand-box mounted on the truck-frame, an air-service pipe mounted on the body of the car, anejector connected in operative relation with thesand-box, and a flexible conduit leading from the airservice pipe to the ejector for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination with a vehicle-truck, mounted to swing on a vertical axis with reference to the body of the car, of a sand-box mounted on the truck, two outlets at the bottom of the sand-box, an ejector connected in operative relation with each outlet, an airservice pipe mounted on the body of the car, and a flexible device leading from the air-service pipe to the ejectors.

6. The combination with a car provided with a truck movable with reference to the body of the car in the usual manner for the purpose of rounding curves, an air-service pipe mounted on the body of the car and extending upwardly through the platform, a valve connected with the upwardly-extending portion of the air-service pipe, the said valve being accessible to the person in charge of the car for controlling the passage of air, a flexible conduit leading from the air-service pipe, a

sand-box mounted on the truck, two outlets leading downwardly from openings in the sand-box, said outlets having enlarged lower extremities, a pipe extending transversely of the truck, an ejector connected with each end of said pipe and projecting into the enlarged sand-box outlets, the flexible air-pipe being connected with the pipe between the two ejectors, and suitable means for conducting the sand from the sand-box enlargements to the traclerails, substantially as described.

7. A sander comprising a sand-receptacle mounted on the truck, and an ejector also mounted on the truck and connected in operative relation with the receptacle, and means mounted on the body of the car for supplying the necessary fluid for operating purposes.

8. In a pneumatic sander, the combination with a sand-receptacle mounted on a truck pivotally connected with the body of the car, and means mounted on the car-body and connected with the sand-receptacle for supplying the necessary air for operating purposes.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. PRATTE.

T/Vitnesses:

DENA NELSON, MARY C. LAMB.

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