US1529715A - Ash-pan sprinkler and cleaner for locomotives - Google Patents

Description

March 17, 1925. 1,529,715

C. A. PRATTE ASH PAN SPRINKLER AI ID CLEANER FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed May 4, 1923 Z C/mrie: A. Praffa.

. attozncq Patented Mar. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES CHARLES A. PBATTE, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

ASH-PAN SPRINKLER AND CLEANER FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Application filed May 4,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. PnA'r'rn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, the city and county of Denver, and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ash-Pan Sprinklers and Cleaners for Locomotives; and I do 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the charactors of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to ash pan sprinklers and cleaners for locomotives.

Railroad trains, as we all know, are drawn almost exclusively by steam locomotives which burn coal or wood. A locomotive burns a large amount of coal and as a result a large amount of ashes and cinders is produced. It is, of course, not permissible to scatter these ashes and cinders along the road and therefore each locomotive is provided with an ash pan into which the cinders and ashes are received as they drop from the grates. These ash pans are provided with hinged bottoms which can be opened and closed from the engine cab and which are operated whenever the ashes are dumped as they must be at frequent intervals. Before the ashes and cinders are dumped they mustbe thoroughly drenched so as to prevent them from setting'fire to the ties or to other inflammable material in the vicinity. Locomotives are usually provided with some means for sprinkling the ashes with water but in the majority of cases the pipes are so arranged that the intense heat to which they are subjected causes them to burn and become inoperative.

The larger types of modern locomotives are provided with ash pans of great size some of which are eleven feet long and about nine feet wide. These ash pans usually have a longitudinal central depression flanked by outwardly extending substantially horizontal side plates whose upper surfaces are spaced six or eight inches from the bottom of the mud ring. Ashes and cinders dropping from the grates lodge on theseplates and unless they are; removed 1923. Serial No. 636,779.

therefrom at frequent intervals the cinders will soon fill the space between the grates and the plates and interfere with the draft and sometimes cause the grates to melt.

It is the object of this invention to provide ash pans of the type referred towith sprinklers which will not only drench the ashes with a spray of water but which are so designed and arranged that they will clean the side plates of ashes and wash the same into the central depressed portion.

My invention can be best explained by reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an ash pan equipped with my sprinklers andshows the manner in which the streams of water cover the entire pan surface and'clean the same.

Fig. 2, is a section taken on line v22 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the pan shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 47-4: Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal vertical section of another type of ash pan equipped with a sprinkler.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the corner sprinklers, portions thereof being broken away to better show the construction.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the sprinkler shown in Fig. 6, looking in the direc-' tion of the arrow 7.

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the sprinkler shown in Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrow 8.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the end or central sprinkler with portions thereof broken away and Fig. 10 is an end elevation of the sprinkler shown in Fig. 9 the view being taken looking in the direction of the arrow 10.

The same reference characters will be used to designate the same parts throughout the several views. f v f; r s.

Numeral 1 represents the bottom of a? locomotive fire box underneath which an aslr pan designated as a whole by the numeral 2 is suspended by means of bolts 3. pan shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is typical'of the pans employed in connection with loco: motives of thelarger modern types and co n; prises a central box like compartment hay-i, ing sides l and 5 and ,a bottom G thatispre The ash A erably so constructed that it can be opened for the purpose of dumping the ashes or cinders. The central. compartment extends the the entire length of the pan' and its ends are closed by plates 7 and 8. Secured to the upper edges of the sides are plates 9 which. are of such width that the distance between their outer edgesis slightly .greater than'the width of the grates which are directly above.

It is evident that as the cindersand ashesbytmerely"opening a valve wash all the cin ders-fi'om' the'tops'ofthe plates 9 into the .central longitudinal compartment where they may be thoroughly drenched by means of a' sprinklen, In'each corner of the larger sized ash pans I place a sprinkler l0which is shown in: detail in'Figs. 6, 7 and8. This sprinkler consistsof a hollow cast iron box.

v having its endll and side12 placed. at right partinen't;

angles to each otherand an arcuate portion 13 connecting the side and end in the manner shown in Fig. 6. The arcuate portion has two rows of holes 14 extending radially therethrough. The top 15' extends beyond the-arcuate side portion-13 so as'to form an overhanging downwardly in'clinedfiange l6; The-side 12 is provided with; a lug 17 having a hole 18 for the reception of a bolt 19 by means of-Whiclr the sprink-ler'is securedv to the plate" 9. The" end ll'ofeach sprinkler isprovided with a threaded opening 60" which is firmly secured a pipe 20 in the mannershown inFigs. 1v and-3. The pipes 20 extendinto the cab where they are provided with valves and are connected to the boiler or to the injector-line so that when the valves are opened water under full boiler pressure is supplied to the interior ofthe sprinklers. The water will flow out through the radial holes-145- with great force the streams covering the entireupper surfaced the-plates 9 in the=mannen indicated in Fig. 1. ,Any

ashes-or=cinders that. may be on top ofthe P plates9 will be washed into the central com- Thesprinklers 1'0 are located near the-outer edge oftheash pan and will not burn-out'because they are not subjected to anintense heat and are moreover always c-oole'd'by the air which rushes in tosustain,

th'e'combustion. When the ash pan is shorter than theone shown twosprinklers one in each rearcorner -is enough :but for the largest-pans four areneeded. At the rear end of the central compartment I provide a11- other and difierent type of sprinkler which I have shown in detail in Figs.'9.:.and- .1O and which is designated by the numeral 21 in j Figs.-1,- 2, 4; and 5. This sprinkler has an upper fiat side;22 and. a vertical flat end 23 Which are connected by means of an arcuate side 24. Thesprinkler has two spaced sides 25 and 26. Secured to the end 23 are lugs27 each of which is provided with a. hole 28. The upper side 22 projects forwardly and,

forms a flange 29.- The arcuate side 24 has a series of spaced flanges 30 andbelowea-ch flange there are two or more holes 31.

These holes are so located "with respect'to;

the lower edges of the flanges 30 that the upper edges of the holes are in line with the flanges so that the water when itissues through the holes will strike the lower surface of the flanges and be converted into a spray. A pipe 32 eonnects'the sprinkler-21 with the boiler or theinjectorline andv this pipe is also provided with a-valve that can be-operated from the cab so -that thev engineer or fireman can turn the water on or ofil. at Wlll. When the valve 1s open'the water which is under full boiler pressure Wlll.

emerge through holes 31 and will spray the entire central compartment-and thoroughly quench any live coals that maybe among the cin'ders. When the doors in thebottom of the; compartment are opened the wetashes drop down on the track and the compartment is thoroughly cleaned by the action oft-he spray. In case of burning ties In Fig. 5- I have shown another type of ash pan in which .the side plates 9' are omitted. This ash pan is box-like and-has a space for the accommodation ofthe axle 32. The bottom 33 is hinged in the same mannerv as; in theother pan and the sprinkler 21. is. secured to one end in: such a manner-that it will spray the entire contents of the ash It hasbeencustomary to wetthe ashes before they were dumped, at least, most engines. have been provided with. means intendedto accomplish this but the parts have been so located that they would burnout. and render: the device inoperative.

I consider that I amthefirst and original inventor'ofa combination bymeansof whichthe fireman-by opening one .or more valves can' clear the a sh pan and thoroughly sp'rim kle the ashes. I also consider that I am the first inventor of the type of spray nozzles used in the combination.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In combination, an ash pan having a central longitudinal compartment adapted to receive ashes and cinders, a flat plate secured toeach side of said compartment, and separate sprinklers secured to said plates near the outer corners thereof said sprinklers being adapted to direct inwardly inclined streams of water along the upper surface of the plates whereby cinders which may be lodged thereon will be washed into the central compartment.

2. In combination, an ash pan having a central longitudinal compartment provided with outwardly extending, slightly upwardly inclined plates along its upper edges; sprinklers connected to said plates at the outer corners thereof, each of said sprinklers having one side curved and provided with a plurality of holes angularly inclined With respect to each other, said holes opening inwardly towards said compartment, and pipes connected to said sprinklers for supplying water under pressure.

3. I11 combination, an ash pan having a central longitudinal compartment provided with outwardly extending, slightly upwardly inclined plates along its upper edges, a sprinkler secured to each outer corner of said plates, each of said sprinklers having two straight sides making a right angle with each other and a curved side connecting the ends of the straight sides, the straight sides being substantially parallel with the sides and ends of said plates; the curved side having a plurality of holes inclined with respect to each other, means for clamping the sprinklers to the plates, and means comprising pipes for conducting water under pressure to said pipe.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES A. PRATTE.

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