Rail′way-car Heat′er.
A device intended to obviate the dangers attending the use of the common stove in railway-cars. Among other propositions for this purpose is one designed to utilize the heat of the boiler and fire-box of a railroad locomotive to warm a train of cars in cold weather, and to ventilate the cars with pure air free from dust or cinders in summer. The front of the locomotive is provided with a funnel-shaped mouth, from which a pipe leads down under the boiler and in close contact therewith. At the forward end of the fire-box it divides into two branches, one passing along each side and through the tender, at the rear of which they again unite. Each car is furnished with similar pipes passing along under the seats, and fitted with registers that may be opened and closed at will. The union between the pipes of the different cars is by means of a bell-mouth containing a packing for the end of the pipe, but sufficiently yielding to allow of lateral motion in rounding curves, etc. The front end of the pipe has a hood inside the funnel mouth, to prevent rain or snow from entering. Beal's heater is supported beneath the car by flanges h h resting in cavities having spiral springs I, which ease the jar caused by the motion of the train. In case of collision or running off the track, the concussion releases the flanges from their supports and detaches the apparatus from the car. F is the airsupply pipe, and G the chimney; C′, a covered aperture in the floor, through which fuel is introduced. See also car-heater. |
| Car-heater. |
