US2036907A - Locomotive tender - Google Patents

Description

npmll 7 W3@ H. P. ANDERSON mfm? LOCOMOTIVE TENDER Y Filed July 26, ,1932 2 Sheets-Shee'cl l /L/ ATTORNEY.

INVENTOR. M/am/zymz www# AWM 7 WM.. H, P, ANDERSON LOCOMOTIVE TENDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2k Filed July 26, 1952 ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCOMOTIVE TENDER Application July 26, 1932, Serial No. 624,746

7 Claims.

This invention relates to locomotive tenders and is particularly directed to the class equipped with fuel conveying mechanism.

In present day practice of the railways, the general trend is toward an extension of the olistance which the locomotive travels. This has been accomplished, in a degree, by improvements in the locomotive and tender and especially by the provision of means which permits the water supply of the tender to be replenished whiie the locomotive is in motion. While this improvedv means has been provided for replenishing the tender water supply, it has been necessary to stop several times during each trip for the purpose of replenishing the coal supply on the tender inasmuch as the capacity of the coal bin is limited by certain factors, as will presently appear. It will be readily understood that the time consumed in replenishing the coal supply voided some of the advantages which were expected to have been gained by extending the runs of the locomotive.

The capacity of the tender coal bin is limited, largely by the length of the Stoker trough which underlies the coal bin iloor and receives coal through an aperture therein. The length'of this trough is dependent upon the length of the screw conveyor mounted in the trough for urging the coal therethrough. This screw conveyor cannot exceed certain defined limits due to the fact that if it is greatly increased in length, the screw hub assumes prohibitive dimensions, which would necessitate the enlargement of the screw diameter in order that the desired fuel conveying capacity may be maintained. This would increase the size of the stoker parts in proportion, thereby greatly increasing the total weight disposed on the locomotive tender, the disadvantages of which are obvious.

It is, therefore, the main object of this invention to provide a locomotive tender equipped with a Stoker trough of an unusual length which will proportionately increase the capacity of the tender coal bin without substantially increasing the size of the screw `conveyor hub or the diameter of the screw night throughout the length of the screw.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a tender of the class described with a stoker trough of an unusual length which comprises several conveyor portions, each functioning as a separate unit.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a tender equipped with a stoker trough of an unusual length which trough includes a sectional screw conveyor comprising a plurality of sections, the shaft extensions of which are suitably jointed and journalled in bearings at their adjacent ends.

A still further object of this invention is the provision in a tender of a stoker trough comprising a plurality of sections and including a plurality of screw sections connected at their adjacent ends, of a bearing member for journalling the adjacent screw sections in the vicinity of their connections and a Crusher member arch ing over each of said screw sections, the screw sections being arranged whereby each section transmits the thrust developed when conveying and crushing coal only to the bearing member immediately rearward thereof.

Other and novel objects of this invention such as the novel form of the stoker trough will be apparent when the following specification is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal sec tion of the forward portion of a locomotive tender With the invention shown in similar section;

Figure 2 is a plan section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-ll of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the locomotive tender is shown at A and includes a tank l@ mounted upon a base or frame l I which is preferably of the water bottom type. The tender A comprises the fuel compartment F and the Water compartment W, separated by sloping partition plates l2, I3, and i4 which at their lower marginal end portions form a water tight seal with the upper portions of the side walls l5, I6, the front wall Il and the rear wall i8 of the box-like stoker trough structure or cast member B. The cast member B houses and maintains the various parts of the Stoker trough i9 in their proper relations.

The fuel compartment F includes the coal bin or bunker 2li which is disposed above the tender deck 2| having a central aperture 22 covered by slidable plates 23 for controlling the flow of coal from the bin to the trough I9. Coal passed into the trough I9 is urged forwardly by a screw conveyor, generally indicated by the numeral 2li, to the locomotive by a conduit, not shown, which may be flexibly connected to the spherical shell 25 secured to the iront wall Il of the cast member B.

Motion is imparted tothe screw conveyor 24 by gearing mounted within the water tight housing 26 formed with the rear wall I8. A pinion 2l meshes with a gear 28 which is provided with a shaft 29 suitably journalled in bearings 30 and 3|. The shaft 29 has an angular portion 32 which is received by a similar recess 33 of the screw 24. The pinion 2l is mounted on a drive shaft 34 which extends forwardly from said pinion and passes through the front wall I1, being provided with a coupling member 35 for connection to any suitable source of power. The stoker trough I9 is of the form which permits the water to Contact its side and bottom walls, hence the drive shaft 34 is protected from the water by a compartment 36 which extends from the front wall I'I to the rear wall I8, the compartment 36 being formed by the irregular shaped wall 31 which is formed integrally with the trough I9. The drive shaft is carried by the bearings 38, 39 at its extremities and may be provided with additional intermediate bearings such as 40, 4I which are detachably secured to the wall of the compartment 36. Access to these last named bearings may be had by removal of the covers 42 from within the trough I9.

The screw conveyor 24 comprises the forward screw section 43 and the rearward screw section 44, in which latter section is contained the angular recess 33 for receiving the angular portion 32 of the gear shaft 29. The forward portion of the screw section 44 is journalled in a bearing member 45 which is disposed about midway of the trough I9. The screw section 44 has an angular extension 45 which is received by the angular recess 41 of the screw section 43 whereby said screw sections are operatively connected to each other. The bearing member 45 is supported from a bracket 48 which extends transversely of the trough I9 and has the upper flat portion 49 and the depending ange 50 which supports a crusher 5I arching over the screw section 44. A crusher 52 is secured to the front wall I 'l' and arches over the forward screw section 43 which engages oversize lumps of coal with the crusher and reduces them to a size suitable for efficient firing.

Due to the fact that the capacity of the screw conveyor has been reduced by the presence of the bearing member 45 and the enlarged portion 53 of the screw hub 54, the diameter of the screw flights at this point has been increased as at 55 in order that the screw section 43 may carry the coal away at least as fast as it is delivered thereto by the screw section 44. The bottom arcuate wall 56 of the trough I9 is enlarged as at 51 in the vicinity of the enlarged portion 53 of the screw 43. The screws 43 and 44 are preferably made slightly larger in diameter and are provided with flights of heavier section at the point in the immediate vicinity of their respective crushers 52 and 5|, since the screws wear more rapidly at such points. The at portion 49 of the support bracket 48 prevents the large lumps of coal from damaging the bearing member 45 and also restricts the amount of coal which falls into the enlarged portion 53 of the screw conveyor when the slide plate at this point is uncovered.

If found desirable, the cast member B and its associate trough I9 may be made of several sections which are securely connected to each other. For this purpose, the cast member B comprises the forward portion 69 and the rearward portion 6 I, each consisting of a trough portion 52 and 63 having the screw conveyors 43 and 44 respectively. The adjacent faces of the portions 60 and 6I are securely connected to each other by any suitable means such as rivets 64 which pass through the flanges 65 and 66 of the portions 6B and 6| respectively. Preferably, this joint or connection between these portions is water tight and is made at or slightly rearward of the bearing 45, thereby forming a plurality of units which are separate from each other in their respective functions but which units are connected to form, in effect, a continuous trough I9.

In the operation of this device, coal from the forward portion of the bin 20 is rst consumed, the coal falling from the bin into the forward portion 52 of the trough I9 to be urged forwardly by the screw section 43 therein. As the larger lumps of coal are engaged by the crusher 52, a rearward thrust is developed, causing the screw section 43 to press tightly against the wear washer 58 of the bearing member 45. It will be observed that this rearward thrust is not transferred to the rearward screw section 44 due to the fact that suflicient clearance has been provided between the end of the angular extension 46 of the screw section 44 and the recess 4l of the screw section 43.

During the course of an extended run of a locomotive, due to the depletion of the coal supply, coal will be fed into the rearward portion 63 of the trough I9 from that portion of the coal bin 29 at or rearward of the crusher 5I. In this instance, the rearward thrust occasioned by the crushing of the coal by the crusher 5I is then transmitted rearwardly only to the thrust washer 59 which abuts the bearing 30 of the gear housing 26. The fuel so crushed is then urged forwardly through the enlarged portion 51 of the trough and is conveyed beneath and beyond the crusher 52 to the locomotive rlrebox. Since the coal has been already reduced by the crusher 5I, further crushing of the coal will not occur and hence, the only rearward thrust developed by the screw portion 43 is that due to the frictional resistance of the coal in conveyance, which may be considered as negligible.

It will be apparent, that a stoker trough of novel form has been provided which is comprised of a sectional trough and sectional screws, suitably connected and supported, thereby permitting the formation of a trough of an unusual length, resulting in a coal bin of increased capacity. By the provision of the novel thrust transferring and absorbing means, each of the screws 43 and 44 operate, together with their respective trough portions 62 and 63, as a separate unit, thereby equalizing the wear on their respective thrust absorbing elements, resulting in a longer life of these parts.

I claim:

1. In a locomotive tender having a fuel bunker, a trough structure mounted on the tender in communication with the fuel bunker and being disposed thereunder, a pair of screw sections mounted in said trough structure in end to end relation, a bearing member for the adjacent ends of the screw sections disposed intermediate the ends of the trough structure, a shaft journaled in said bearing member and having its ends op* eratively connected to said screw sections, drive mechanism for said screw sections operatively connected to the end of one of said sections remote from the bearing member, said bearing member receiving the rearward thrust of the forward screw section, and means disposed at the rear of the rearward screw section for receivingr its rearward thrust, and a fuel crusher mounted in the trough structure adjacent the delivery end portion of each of said screw sections.

2. A locomotive tender having a fuel bunker, a Stoker trough structure in communication with the bunker, said trough structure comprising two separate sections mounted in end to end relation and Secured together at their adjacent ends,

a screw in each trough section, a bearing member for the adjacent ends of the screw sections disposed in the forward trough section at the rearward end thereof, the rear screw section having a shaft extending from its forward end forwardly through and beyond said bearing member, the rearward end of the forward screw section being provided with a seat for receiving the portion of said shaft extending forwardly beyond the bearing member, the shaft and the seat being arranged to form a driving connection between the two screw sections, said bearing member receiving the rearward thrust of the forward screw section and means at the rearward end of the rear screw section for receiving its rearward thrust, said forward screw section having a portion at its rearward end of a greater fuel carrying capacity than the forward end portion of said rearward screw section, a fuel crusher mounted in the forward end portion of each of said trough sections, and drive mechanism for said screw sections operatively connected to the end of one of said screw sections remote from said bearing member.

3. In a locomotive tender having a fuel bunker, a stoker trough structure in communication with the bunker, said trough structure comprising two separate sections mounted in end to end relation and secured together at their adjacent ends, a screw in each trough section, a transverse wall extending across the rearward end of the forward trough section and being spaced above the bottom thereo-f, a bearing member depending from said wall, the rearward screw section having a shaft extending from its forward end forwardly through and beyond said bearing member, the rearward end of the forward screw section being provided with a seat for receiving the portion of said shaft extending forwardly beyond said bearing member, the shaft and the seat being arranged to form a driving connection between the two screw sections, said bearing member receiving the rearward thrust of the forward screw section and means disposed at the rearward end of the rear screw section for receiving its rearward thrust, a fuel crusher mounted on said transverse wall and extending rearwardly in the rearward trough section over the front end portion of the screw therein, a fuel crusher mounted in the forward end portion of said forward trough section, and drive mechanism for said screw sections operatively connected to the end of one of said screw sections remote from said bearing member.

4. In a locomotive tender having a fuel bunker, a Stoker trough structure in communication with the bunker, said trough structure comprising two separate sections mounted in end to end relation and secured together at their adjacent ends, a screw in each trough section, a bearing member for the adjacent ends of the screw sections disposed at the juncture of the trough sections, the end of one of said screw sections adjacent said bearing member having a shaft extending through and beyond said bearing member, the adjacent end of the other screw section being provided with a seat for receiving that portion of the shaft extending beyond the bearing member, the shaft and the seat being arranged to form a driving connection between the two screw sections, the bearing member receiving the rearward thrust of the forward screw section and means at the rearward end of the rear screw section for receiving its rearward thrust, said forward screw section having a portion at its rearward end of greater fuel carrying capacity than the forward end portion of said rearward screw section, a fuel crusher mounted in the forward end portion of each of said trough sections, and drive mechanism for said screw sections operatively connected to the end of one of said screw sections remote from said bearing member.

5. In a locomotive tender having a fuel bunker, a trough structure mounted on the tender in communication with the fuel bunker and being disposed thereunder, said trough structure comprising two separate sections arranged in end to end relation and securely connected together at their adjacent ends, a screw section in each trough section, a bearing member for the adn jacent ends of the screw sections disposed in said trough structure at the juncture of the two trough sections, one of said screw sections having a shaft extending through and beyond said bearing member, the adjacent end of the other screw section being provided with a seat for receiving that portion of the shaft extending beyond the bearing, the shaft and the seat being arranged to form a driving connection between the two screw sections, drive mechanism for said screw sections operatively connected to the end of one of said screw sections remote from said bearing member, a crusher mounted in the forward end portion of the rear trough section rearward of said bearing member, and a crusher mounted in the forward end portion of the forward trough section.

6. In a locomotive tender having a fuel bunker, a trough structure mounted on the tender in communication with the fuel bunker and being disposed thereunder, said trough structure comprising two separate sections arranged in end to end relation and securely connected together at their adjacent ends, a screw section in each trough section, a bearing member disposed intermediate the adjacent ends of the screw sections and being disposed in said trough structure adjacent the juncture of the two trough sections, a shaft journalled in said bearing member and having its ends operatively connected to said screw sections, drive mechanism for said screw sections operatively connected to the end of one of said sections remote from the bearing member, said bearing member receiving the rearward thrust of the forward screw section and means disposed at the rear of the rearward screw section for receiving its rearward thrust.

'7. In a locomotive tender having a fuel bunker, a trough structure mounted on the tender in communication with the fuel bunker and being disposed thereunder, said trough structure comprising two separate sections arranged in end to end relation and securely connected together at their adjacent ends, a screw section in each trough section, a bearing member disposed intermediate the adjacent ends of the screw sections and being disposed in said trough structure adjacent the juncture of the two trough sections, a shaft journalled in said bearing member and having its ends operatively connected to said screw sections, drive mechanism for said screw sections operatively connected to the end of one of said sections remote from the bearing member, said bearing member receiving the rearward thrust of the forward screw section and means disposed at the rear of the rearward screw section for receiving its rearward thrust, and a fuel crusher mounted in the delivery end portion of each of said trough sections.

HOWARD P. ANDERSON.

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