US2093580A - Stoker mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 21, 1937. .c. J. SURDY swoxnnhscmmsm 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 12, 1934 INVENTOR C/zar/emjfiarqy ATTORNEY Sept. 21, 1937.

c. .I SURDY STOKER MECHANISM Filed Dec. 12, 1954 Z SheetS-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CYzar/az J 621/039 ATTORN EY Patented Sept. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT QFHQE.

STOKER MECHANISM (1922) of Delaware Application December 12, 1934, Serial No. 757,127

1 Claim.

vision of an improved arrangement of such separated conveyors and an improved drive arrangement for imparting motion to the conveyors from a common source of power.

A more specific object of my invention is .to provide a novel drive means for stokers of the type above described wherein the fuel transferring and elevating conveyors are driven by a gear train at the rear of the fuel transferring conveyor, the drive means for the elevating conveyor including a shaft leading forwardly from such gear train and being operatively connected to the elevating conveyor in anovel and highly efficient manner.

Other objects and advantages, such as the particular construction of parts and their relation one a with another will be apparent as the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical medial section through adjacent portions of a locomotive and tender showing the invention in side elevation with portions broken away;

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1 taken on the irregular line 2-2 thereof with parts broken away;

Figures 3 and 4 are sectional views taken on i the lines 3--3 and 44, respectively, of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 2.

On these drawings the numeral l0 designates a locomotive having a firebox II provided with a rear wall l2 in which there is the usual firing opening I3. The tender I4 is at the rear of the locomotive and it is connected thereto by a coupling l5 which permits the two vehicles to round curves or pass switches and turntables. Above the tender deck [6 is a fuel bin I! from which fuel is supplied into the stoker mechanism S through the central aperture l8 in the deck IS, the size of the aperture being regulated by shiftable plates 19.

Beneath the tender deck or floor It is a compartment 20 in which is rigidly mounted upon the frame 2| of the tender a rear or trough conduit 22 of the stoker mechanism S. The forward end of the trough conduit 22 terminates in an extension 23 forming a hollow spherical shell which is received in a spherical portion 24 formed with the rear tubular section 2'5 of the intermediate conduit 2B. The front tubular section 27 of this conduit telescopes with the rear section and carries at its forward end a spherical ball 28.

This spherical ball 28 is received in a seat 29 which is offset laterally to one side of the lower end of the elevator conduit 30. At its upper end, the elevator conduit communicates with the firing opening it and delivers fuel to a distributing means 3! which spreads the fuel over the firebed. Aclamp32 retains the spherical ball 28 and forms, together with the seat '29, a ball and socket joint 33. Connecting the lower end of the elevator conduit 3b with the spherical seat 29 is a curved elbow 3d, forming a short passage between the forward end of the intermediate conduit 26 and the elevator conduit 3t, and through which passage the coal is urged by an intermediate conveyor screw 35 within the conduit onto the flights of the elevator screw 36.

Within the hollow spherical shell or extension 23 the intermediate conveyor screw 35 is connected by a universal joint 3'! to a, rear conveyor screw 28 (Figure 2) which is disposed within the trough conduit 22. p

Fuel which drops into the trough conduit 22 from the bin ll is urged forwardly by the conveyor screw 38 which cooperates with a toothed crusher 39 to reduce over-sized lumps of fuel to a size more suitable for efficient firing. The crushed fuel is then conveyed forwardly through the intermediate conduit by theconveyor screw therein; this latter screw urges the fuel upwardly and laterally through the curved elbow 34 onto the flights of the elevating screw 36 for delivery to the distributing means SH.

Foreign material will occasionally lodge between the rear conveyor screw 38 and the toothed crusher 39, causing the entire stoker mechanism to stall. Suitable provision is made in the stoker conduits and the drive means of the conveyor and elevating screw so that fuel may be delivered to the distributing means by the elevator screw during these emergencies.

The drive means for the conveyor and elevator screw includes a prime mover 49, which through suitable shafting H transmits power to a gear train 42 housed within a casing 43 at the rear of the trough conduit 22. The gear train 42 comprises a pinion 45 (Figure 2) which is driven by the shafting M and meshes with a gear 46 loosely mounted upon a shaft 41 which is operatively connected with the rear conveyor screw 38. To the hub 48 of the gear 45 is keyed a gear 49 which meshes with another gear 50 for rotating a stub shaft 5| journalled in the gear casing 43. Clutch teeth 52 are formed at one side of the gear 36 and they are arranged to be engaged by teeth 53 of a clutch member 54. The clutch member 54 is mounted on the polygonal portion 41a of the shaft 47 and is slidable therealong by a yoke 55 which is mounted on an operating rod 56.

Underneath the trough conduit 22 and substantially central thereof is a shaft 5'! having a universal connection 58 at its rearward end with the stub shaft 5!. At its forward end the shaft 51 is journalled in a bearing 59 and is connected by a universal joint 60 to an extensible and con tractible shaft 6!. The shaft El comprises the rearward section 62 which is telescopic within the forward portion 63, the latter being connected to the elevator screw 36 by a universal joint 64.

During the normal operation of the stoker mechanism, the clutch member 54 is in a position so that its teeth 53 engage the teeth 52 of the gear 46, whereby this gear may be connected in driving relation with the shaft 4'! for operating the rear conveyor screw 38 and its connected intermediate conveyor screw 35. The elevator screw 38 is operated by the shaft 51 and the extensible and contractible shaft 6|. Should foreign material in the trough conduit 22 stall the en tire stoker mechanism, the fireman moves the clutch member 54 to the position as shown in Figure 6 whereby the rear conveyor screw 38 and its connected intermediate screw 35 become disconnected from operative relation with the gear train 42. 'The gear train 42 continues to operate the gears 49, 50 and the shafts 51, 6| continueoperation of the elevator screw 36.

Fuel may be supplied manually into the elevator conduit 30 by raising the hinged cover 65 which is over the hopper 66 at the lower end of the elevator conduit. By offsetting lamrally the adjacent ends of the intermediate and elevator conduits, only the elevator screw 36 need be operated during such emergencies, and this will consume less power without unnecessarily wearing other stoker parts.

It will be observed from the drawings that the universal joints 60, 64 of the extensible and contractible shaft 6| are approximately in coincidence with the centers or axes of articulation of the telescopic intermediate conduit 26, and also that the length of the shaft 6| is approximately equal to the length of the intermediate conduit. By this association of parts, a compact relation may be attained between this shaft and conduit, and this relation is such that there is very little if any relative movement between the conduit and shaft; this permits the parts to be maintained in a close relation, which will not interfere with other locomotive and tender aceessories.

I claim:

In combination with a locomotive having a firebox and a tender provided with a, fuel bin, stoker mechanism for transferring fuel from said bin to the locomotive comprising a conveyor rigidly mounted on the tender and disposed along the vertical medial plane thereof to receive fuel from said bin, a conveyor on the locomotive disposed along the vertical medial plane thereof and communicating with said firebox, an intermediate conveyor between said named conveyors at its rearward end flexibly connected to the forward end of said first named conveyor, said intermediate conveyor at its forward end being laterally offset from the rearward end of said second named conveyor and flexibly related therewith,

such laterally offset end of said intermediate-- conveyor being disposed at one side of the vertical medial plane of the locomotive and tender, and drive means for said conveyors including a gear train at the rear of said first named conveyor and arranged to be operatively connected thereto and the connected intermediate conveyor, shafting leading forwardly from said gear train for driving the second named conveyer, said shafting being flexibly connected in axial relation with said second named conveyor at one side of a portion of the intermediate conveyor and below the axis thereof, and a drive motor operatively connected with said gearing and being disposed at the side of the vertical medial plane of the locomotive and tender opposite the laterally offset end of said intermediate conveyor.

CHARLES J. SURDY.

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