US927459A - Track-sanding apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

L A. GIBBS. TRACK SANDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION TILED OUT. 24, 1908.

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APPLICATION nun 001'. :4, 1902.

927,459. Patented July 6,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

snow don UNITED STATES rATENT onn on.

ISAAC A. GIBBS, OF ROANOKE, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN ROSE, OF ROANOKE, VIRGINIA.

TRACK-SAN DIN G APPARATUS;

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented July 6, 1909;

Application fil ed. October 24, 1901;. Serial No. 459,404.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC A. Games, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track-Sanding Apparatus and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in track sanding de vices for locomotives, and has for its object to provide means under the control of the engineer by which sand can be delivered from the sand dome to the tracks both in front, and in the rear of the driving wheels of the locomotive.

My invention also has for its object to readily overcome the disadvantages resulting from the caking or cohesion of the sand grains in the sand dome and sand trap, which occurs from moisture and atmospheric conditions.

With these ends in view my invention consists in the features of construction and arrangement, and the operation thereof as will be hereinafter and more fully set forth.

In order that those skilled in the art to which myinvention appertains may know how to construct and use my improved devices and fully appreciate the advantages thereof, I will proceed to describe the same referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing in which Figure l, is a side elevation of a locomotive with my improvements attached there to. Fig. 2, is a detail plan view illustrating the sand distributing devices on both sides, and the connections by means of which they are controlled by the engineer. Fig. 3, is a central, longitudinal vertical section on enlarged scale, of the sand distributing devices arranged beneath the sand trap; Fig. 4, is a transverse section on line a-l) of Fig. 3.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

1, is the ordinary sand dome of the locomotive communicating with the sand trap 2, through which the sand within the dome is delivered to the ordinary distributing pipes on each side of the locomotive, there being one of such distributing pipes on each side and leading down in front of the forward driving Wheels. The sand in devices of this kind and of the most modern construction,- is forced from the sand dome, and said trap, by blasts of air under the control of the engineer, and constitute no part of my present invention which I will now describe.

Instead of leading the ordinary single distributing pipes directly from the sand trap 2, I securely attach to the trap by suitable bolts 3, a hollow sand box or conduit 4, having in its upper end a single sand channel 5, and at its lower extremity two sand exits 6, 6 separated by a vibratory wing or deflector 7, journaled in a suitable bearing in the bottom of the sand box as clearly shown. The journal 8 at the lower extremity of the wing or deflector extends outwardly a short distance and has secured to it a crank lever 9, to the upper extremity of which is pivoted the stem 10, of a piston head 11, in an air cylinder l1 connected by a pipe 12 with a source of compressed air controlled by suitable valves under the control of the engineer. The valve stem 10, is surrounded by a spring 13, which tends to hold the wing or deflector 7, in its rearward position shown in broken lines in Fig. 3, and so that the sand delivered from the dome and sand trap will be deflected and led to the forward exit 6, at the bottom of the sand box 4, and when air is admitted against the valve or head 11, the wing or deflector 7, will be forced to the position indicated in solid lines, in which event the sand will be deflected and led through the rear exit 6 at the bottom of the box.

The exits 6, 6 communicate with delivery sand pipes, one 14, of which leads forward and down in front of a driving wheel and the other down and in rear of a driving wheel, so that when the wing or deflector is in its normal position under the action of the spring 13, and sand is delivered to the sand box 4, it will be conveyed to the track in rear of the driving wheel, and when it is desired to deliver the sand in rear of a driving wheel the engineer admits air through the pipe 12, against the piston head 11, forcing it against the action of the spring, and through the crank connection 9, and the stem 10, with the journal 8, the Wing or deflector will be vibrated to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, so that the sand will be delivered through the exit 6.

One of the serious defects in all sanding devices with which I am familiar lies in the circumstances that the sand both within the sand dome and the sand trap, (due to moisture and atmospheric conditions), frequently cakes or becomes crusted so that the air blast employed to convey it to and through the trap to the distributing pipes fails to produce the desired result. By the use of my improved devices I am enabled to overcome this defect, and in the following manner namely; by admitting compressed air intermittently behind the valves 11., the wing or deflector 7, is vibrated under the sand conduit 5, so as to close the conduit to such an extent as will cause the air which passes through the dome and sand trap to contact with the upper end of the wing or deflector and to reverberate through the body of sand in the dome and trap, and thus tumble the same and break any crust or adhesions of the grains. As an additional means for effecting this result and also serving to facilitate the ejection of the sand from the box 4, to the distributing pipes and clearing the latter, I provide a pipe 16, which enters the conduit 5, at an acute angle as shown, and connect said pipe with a suitable valve under the control of the engineer, so that the air when admitted to this pipe may be used cooperatively with the air through the dome, and sand trap, or independently thereof, for contacting with the u per end of the wing or deflector and rever crating as described through the sand. The wing deflector at its upper extremity is so proportioned with reference to the diameter of the lower extremity of the conduit 5, that when itis in a perfectly vertical position the conduit will not be entirely closed, thus giving a slight relief to the compressed air and preventing such damage as might otherwise occur. This feature of my invention relating to the overcoming of the incrusted or cohesed condition of the sand both in the sand dome and the sand trap, I consider of great importance and desire to call especial attention thereto.

I have not shown or particularly described any arrangement of valves by which the supply of compressed air led to the various air pipes may be readily under the control of the engineer as that forms no particular part of my invention and may obviously be varied according to circumstances.

Having described the particular features of my invention and the advantages thereof, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a track sanding apparatus such as described, in combination with the sand trap, a sand box connected therewith and. formed with a single sand duct at the upper and two sand exits at its lower extremity; a vibratory partition. centrally pivoted at its lower extremity between the sand exits; means for vibrating said partition; sand pipes leading from the sand exits, one of said pipes terminating in front of the driving wheel, and the other in the rear thereof, and means under the control of the engineer for vibrating the partition in the sand box, whereby a supply of sand may be delivered in front or in rear of the driving wheel.

2. In a track sanding apparatus such as described, and having a sand box communi eating at its upper end with the sand trap, and with two delivery pipes at its lower cxtremity; a vibratory partition or wing pivotally connected at its lower end between the sand exits; a crank arm rigidly connected with the pivot or shaft of the vibratory wing and pivotally connected at its upper end with the stem of a piston located within a compressedair cylinder; means for supplying compressed air to the cylinder against the piston head and spiral spring surrounding the piston stem and located between the piston head and the end of the cylinder substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

3. In a tracl; sanding apparatus such as described and embodying a sand box communicating with the sand trap and exits or delivery pipes; and provided with a vibratory wing or partition; a compressed. air pipe leading from a source of supply and entering the sand box at an acute angle above the upper end of the vibratory wing or partition, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a track s nding apparatus, in combination with a source of supply and delivery pipes adapted to convey the sand in front and in the rear of the driving wheels of a locomotive, an intermediate sand distributer provided with a vibratory wing or deflector having an operating crank arm or lever pivotally connected with the stem of a compressed air piston, under the control of the engineer substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISAAC A. GIBBS.

Witnesses LAWRENCE S. DAVIS, R. C. Revue.

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