US445756A - Motor for street-cars - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

T. ROBERTS. MOTOR POE STREET GARS.

No. 445,756. Patented Feb. 3, 1891.

ff-v @l :uns cc.. mom-umn., wAsmNomN n UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS ROBERTS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

MOTOR FOR STREET-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,756, dated February 3, 1891.

Application led February l5, 1890. Serial No. 340,564. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motors for Street-Cars, the. and I do declare the following to bea 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 letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part ot' this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of locomotives that are noiseless and smokeless, so as to be better adapted for street trafc than those now in use; and the object of my invention is to produce a locomotive, dummy, traction, or portable engine that is noiseless, as the exhauststeam is entirely condensed, and can be used over and over again for feeding the boiler with Water. It is smokeless, as only coke is used as fuel instead of coal; also, to occupy a very small space for the boiler, engines, condensers, and operatingmachinery, and, iinally, to greatly reduce the expenses of building and running the locomotive, thc., and with greater safety to pedestrians and animals than has been the case heretofore.

lVith these objects in View my invention consists in the construction of certain details and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described hereinafter, and specifically pointed out in the claims, reference heilig had to the accompanying drawings andthe let ters of reference marked thereon.

Like letters indicate similar parts inthe different figures of the drawings, in which- Figure l represents a longitudinal section .of a street-locomotive having my improvements attached. Fig. 2 is a vertical crosssection of Fig. l on line Qc.

i `In the accompanying drawings, A represents a suitable body or cab oi' a dummy or street locomotive or motor as used on ordinary tramways or street-railroads, and in said body my improvements are arranged in the manner hereinafter more specifically described. These improvements consist of a vertical. tubular boiler B, preferably placed near one end of the motor and having asnit able grate for burning coke, which, as is well known, produces no perceptible smoke. Said boiler is covered with a non-conducting material or casing to prevent radiation of heat. At the opposite end of the motor are arranged the engines E, which are preferably of the oscillating compound type. They are connected directly to the cranks of one of the axles, which isin turn connected by the usual side rod F with the other axle. The cranks are placed at an angle of ninety degrees, and the high-pressure cylinder. is connected to one crank and the low-pressure cylinder to the other crank. The steam generated in the boiler passes through the steam-pipe s (shown in dot-ted lines in Figsl and 2) and through the hollow trunnions into the high-pressure cylinder c., and att-er exerting its pressure on its piston it passes through the hollow intermediate trunnion connecting the two cylinders into the lowpressure cylinder b, and after cxpendingits force on the piston in said cylinder it passes to the condensers C by means of the exhaust-pipe u.. If desired, a part of the exhaust-steam may be led into the smoke-stack, forming a steam-j et to assist in creating a draft by a branch pipe n. The trunnions are provided with suitable openings and partitions or diaphragms to properly admit and exhaust the steam as required. The condensers C, preferably one on each side, are formed of a rectangular casing provided with tubes c, extending fore .and aft through the casing for the passage ot air. Between said tubes e are arranged the diaphragms f, by which a zigzag course is imparted to the steam. Any uncondensed steam in the condenser passes through the perforation g into the hollow roof G,which is made of galvanized iron or other suit-able material. A non-conducting covering may be placed over said roof to prevent radiation of any heat. The roof is provided with an oblong central opening 7L for the passage of air, and, if necessary, on each side with additional openings 'L' to obtain a very large cooling or condensing surface. At each end of the openings are placed dampers or valves 7.: for regulating the amount of air passing through said openings. .ln one or both ends oi the con- ICO densers C doors may be arranged to gain aeeess to their interiors for repairs, inspection, &c. The water ot condensation in the condensers passes through the pipes e into the tanks D,placed under the tloor of the motor, and any eondense-water in the hollow root descends through the conduits m, placed in the corners ot the cab, and thence into said tanks which form the feed-tanks. It desired, the tank may, however, be divided, and one be placed at each end ot the eab instead of being placed in the middle. v

In some instances a horizontal boiler may be preferred instead of the vertical one, and in this ease the engines may be attached to the boiler by suitable brackets or secu red to the floor, as desired. In other cases it may be desirable to have the motive power-w'. e.,

the boiler and engin es-oontaincd in the same structure with the seats for the passengers instead of having a separate eab for containing the same. In this ease the boiler and engines are placed in a small separate coinpartment, divided by a partition, and arranged at one end ofthe car. The engines -may then also be attached bysuitable brackets to the boiler, if desired, so as to occupy less space. This arrangement can be readily planned by any skilled engineer, and I have therefore not illustrated the same by the usual drawings. In ascending heavy grades the live steam from the boiler may be also admitted into the low-pressure cylinder, it' desired, by which greater power can be ex erted.

The eondensers may be made of anyT suitable material and ol any size desired to obtain the proper amount of cooling-surface, and they may be placed wherever desired to obtain a free passage of air through them.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

l. In motors, the eondensers C, provided with tubes and diaphragms, as described, and placed on each side ot' the cab, in combination with the engines, as specified.

2. In motors, the condensers C, provided with tubes and diaphragms, as described, and placed on each side of the cab, in combination with the hollow root provided with an oblong' central opening h and openings z' and connected to a feed-tank, substantially as shown and set forth. Y

3. In motors, the hollow roof provided with an oblong central opening having dampers 7;., in combination with the condensers C, provided with tubes and diaphragms and connected to feed-tanks placed under the door, all

arranged as and for the purpose specified.

4. In motors, the hollow roof provided with central and side openings having dampers, and the eondensers C, arranged as shown, in combination with a feed-tank and a pair of oscillating compound engines, all as set forth.

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

THOMAS ROBERTS. Witnesses:

. MURRAY HANsoN,

WILLIAM H.

Images