US451456A - corning - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. G, GORNING. SAND BOX.

No. 451,456. Patented May 5, 1891.

ATTOR N EY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

.(No Model.)

F1 G. GORNING.

SAND BOX.

Patented May 5,1891.

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UNITED STAT S I PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK G. CORNING, OF NEXY YORK, N. Y.

SAN D-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. t5l,456, dated May 5, 1891- Application filed February 4, 1891.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK G. CORNING, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and'useful Improvements in Sand-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for distributing sand upon street-railways or other tracks or surfaces automatically for the purpose of promoting traction. The invention applies either to motor-driven street cars or motors, or horse-cars requiring a sanded track to render the brakes effectual.

The object of my invention is to secure a positive deliveryof the sand in a measured quantity, whether in a dry condition or in aslightly damp or partially frozen condition, as frequently incident to its use upon street-cars. Heretofore mechanical delivery has been effected by means of devices acting in 'a common direction with the descent of the sand, having converging surfaces engaging with the sand, that move in the direction in which they converge. The objectionable feature thus arises that any solid objects or caked por-' tions of the sand will become jammed between the movable parts and render the machine inoperative.

My invention consists in a sand-box pro.- vided with a bladed Wheel beneath the body of sand, rotating in a plane substantially at right angles to the line .of force exerted by gravity and controlling the delivery; The wheel is not essentially horizontal, but in instances where the sand may be fed at an angle to the verticle the plane of the wheel may vary correspondingly to preserve a perpendicular relation to the line of pressure. The blades of the wheel are radial and between them pockets are formed extending through the wheel to the bottom of the box. The bottom of the box is perforated to permit the passage of the sand through the wheel to the chute. A plowing or cutting surface is constituted by the radial blades of the wheel, including the entire, or nearly the entire, cross sectional area of the sand, whereby the weight of the latter, or the major portion thereof, rests upon the said plowing-surface, and is fed thereto by gravity.

My invention also embodies certain vari- Serial No. 380,218. (No model.)

ous novel features of improvement contributing to the operation of the device, such as willv be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevat on taken on the line mcof Fig. 2,showinga portion of a street-car provided with my improved sand-box. Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1, showing the bed-frame of the car, the floor thereof being removed. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of Fig. 2, taken on theline-y 3 Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line .2 2, Fig. 5, certain modifications of the form of box. shown in the first three figures being therein illustrated; Fig. 5, a horizontal section of Fig. 4, taken on the line 00' cc, the wheel being removed; and Fig. 6, a plan view of the wheel adapted to thebox shown in Figs. 4 ando. Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section of the box, illustrating further modifications; Flg. 8, a plan view of Fig. 7, the wheel being removed; Fig. 9, a plan view of the wheel separated from the box; and Fig. 10, a vertical cross-section on the line 3 y of Fig. 7. Flg. 11 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line z z of Fig. 12, showing a further modification; Fig. 12, a horizontal section of Fig. 11, taken on the line 00 00 and Fig. 13, a plan view of the wheel in Fig. 11 shown separately.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, A represents the floor of the car; B, the platform; 0 (l, the bed-sills; and D, Fig. 3,the longitudinal seats within the car. E represents the track and F the truck-wheels, to which either motive power or brakes or both are applied. II is the sand-box 4 attached to and extending through the floor of the car, being open at the top. The sand-box II is preferably of cyl ndric form, whereby the circular wheel coincidin g therewith occupies the entire cross-see tional area of the body of sand resting thereon. A similar-box ll is placed upon either side of the car, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, and these boxes may be filled by lifting the seats D or sections thereof hinged at (l. J J are chutes through which the loose sand gravitates in small quantities after being delivered from the box. K is the rotary-bladed wheel, represented throughout the views as occupying a horizontal plane of rotation,or that substantially perpendicular to the pressure of the sand. The wheel K is pivoted upon the vertical shaft 7., having supports at the top and bottom of the box, or in bearings othen wise suitably arranged. The wheel may be rotated by means of this shaft, or by means of a circular flange upon the wheel extending through the sides of the box provided with suitable gear-teeth.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 I illustrate a circular rack 0, having gear-tceth on its lower surface with which a pinion l) engages to drive the same. The box proper or cylinder II. is secured to the floor of the car, while the lower portion or funnel J of the chute J is supported in brackets j, attached beneath the floor, so that the upper and lower portions of the device, although separated by the peripheral projection of the wheel, remain rigid with reference to one another.

As one suitable means of producing and controlling the delivery of the sand, I have illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 a hand-crank c, mounted upon the shaft 0 located upon the dash-board of the car in a position accessible to the driver or other attendant. Rotation is transmitted thence to the shafts c 0, bearing the respective pinions b. The shaft 0 rotates the shaft 0 through bevel-gears (Z, and the shaft 0" rotates the shaft c: through bevel-gears c.

As seen in plan view in Fig. 2 I have indicated spiral blades upon the wheel or those disposed at an angle to the radii, whereby when the said wheel is rotated in the direction indicated by arrows a tendency to move the sand from the center of the wheel toward its circumference or the position having the greater range of motion is created. The same effect is also produced by raising the center of the wheel orgiving its upper surface a cone shape or conoidal form, as indicated in Figs. 1, 4, 7, and 11.

Further details pertaining to the character of wheel illustrated in Fig. 1 are more fully shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 0. It will be here observed that I employ two outlets f in the bottom of box ll of sectoral form correspondwith the sectoral shape of the pockets 7' in the wheel between the blades .5 thereof. A single opening f, however, may be employed, or any plurality thereof, without regard to shape or position, provided they are located ecccntrically to the wheel.

In order to close the outlets to prevent the escape of sand when the wheelis at rest, I p rovide one or more covers g on the wheel or a bridge L on the box, to be brought or located vertically coincident with the outlet or outlets f. In order to confine the sand the stoppage of the wheel K in the construction of device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, is invariably etfected at the point of rotation at which the covers or webs g are coincident with the outlets f. Such point of rotation occurring simultaneously with the wheels on both sides of the car is indicated by a suitaljilc dial and index i, Fig. 1, upon the crank e or shaft there of visible to the operator. In order to prevent the rotation of the sand bodily within the cylindricbox when the wheel K is turnedIprovide vertical parallel ridges jadj accnt thereto above the same, having any suitable length, depth, or position whereby to permit the vertical motion of the sand but oppose its 11011 zontal rotation. In reference tothis function the radial walls L in Fig. 12 are to be regarded as the equivalent of the blades 7.

In Fig. 4 I illustrate a further feature of my invention, consisting in diverging the walls of the box from the top thereof toward the bottom, whereby a tendency is created to release the sand as it descends, especially when damp or congealed in a united mass. The pressure of the entire weight of the sand upon the wheel is thus insured.

In Figs. 7, 8, and 10 I illustrate a single openingf and a sector-shaped bridge overhanging a portion of the wheel above the said opening. The bridge L prevents the escape of the sand from the box when the wheel K is at rest irrespective of its position of stoppage, and to this end the circumferential breadth of the bridge is made sufliciently in excess of that of the openingf to close the pockets 1' when above the outlet, as indicated in Fig. 1.0. In this instance the webs g in Fig. 6 may obviously be omitted. The upper face of the bridge L is provided with inclined surfaces Z, as clearly seen in Fig. 10, designed to lift and partially free the sand from the blades 3 as they pass under the bridge, contributing thereby to freedom of rotation. I also illustrate in Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive, a modification in the construction of the box and wheel, whereby a convenient means of driving the latter is attained. To this end I provide a ring M, having an interior annular groove or recess into which the rim 777 of the wheel projects, revolving freely therein, but forming a joint sufficiently tight to prevent the escape of sand. The rim m is toothed throughout its circumference, as 111- dicatcd bybroken lines in Fig. 9, and an opening a is provided at a suitable portion of said ring, within which a driving-pimon o engages with the said toothed rim to propel the wheel.

In Figs. 11, 12, and 13 I illustrate a sectoral bridge Ii, having a-siniilar function to that shown in Fig. 7, and moreover provided with vertical walls L extending from the margins of the bridge upward to the top of the box, whereby the mass of sand gravitates unobstructed between perfectly-parallel walls or walls diverging from the top toward the bottom of the box, as described with reference to Fig. 4. I also extend the vertical walls above the bridge to cover the space vertically above the hub of the wheel, as indicated at. I. in Figs. 11 and 12, causing the sand to rest entirely upon the effective plowing-surface of the wheel. The vertical walls L also serve to prevent the sand rotating bodily with'the wheel. As seen in Fig. 13, the rim of the wheel is omitted, leaving the pockets r thereof open at the circumference, and the chute J extends to a point opposite the circumference of the wheel, as indicated at 1), Fig. 1.1. Thus it will be seen that the sand may be delivered through an opening or openings in the box located at any suitable position in the lower portion thereof other than the bottom, provided such openin gs are below the level of the impinging surface of the wheel, whereby the sand shall'pass through the pockets between the blades to find its exit.

The wheels illustrated in Figs. 4. and 11 are designed to be driven by means of their shafts 7s by application of suitable gearing or rotating mechanism. The upper edges of the wheel-blades are preferably knife-shaped, so as to.plow or cut the body of sand impinging thereon when damp or caked by partial freezing and granulate it or grind it off preparatory to delivery through the opening or openings f.

In operation the wheel K may be rotated in either direction with like effect, and, having the full area of its upper face or the major portion thereof exposed to the body of sand impinging thereon, the ridges of the blades plow through the material, filling the pockets of the wheel, which are discharged successively as they pass over the opening or openings f.

In the absence of the bridge L the weight of the column of sand above the opening or openings f, when the same are exposed, assists in effecting the discharge by direct pressure.

When a bridge constructed as shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 10 is employed, its upper surface or ridge tends to oppose the rotation of the body of sand, or while permitting it to rotate to a certain extent up and over the inclined sides Z will constantly agitate and aid to break up the mass when moved by the wheel.

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

1. The combination of a cylindric sand-box, a discharge-opening at or near the bottom thereof, and a radially-bladed wheel equal in diameter to that of the box occupying a plane of rotation substantially at rightangles to the line of force exerted by the pressure of the sand intermediate between the same and the outlet.

2. The combination, with a sand-box provided with a perforated bottom, of a perforated wheel interposed between the bottom of the box and the body of sand.

3. The combination, with a sand-box provided with a perforated bottom, of a perforated wheel occupying a plane of rotation substantially perpendicular to the direction of pressure of the sand and plowing-ridges upon the wheel impinging upon the sand.

4-. The combination of a sand -box provided with a perforated bottom and a perforated wheel occupying a plane of rotation substantially parallel to the bottom, provided with radiating cutting-ridges impinging upon the sand.

5. The combination of a sand-box, a gravityoutlet, a wheel interposed between'the body of sand and the outlet, having sectoral perforations, and a sectoral bridge above the outlet, for the purposes described.

6. The combinatioinwith a cylindric sandbox, of outlets at or near one end thereof, aperforated wheel occupying a plane of rotation substantially perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder, said wheel provided with radial blades, and stationary blades or walls upon the cylinder parallel with the axis thereof, adjacent the wheel, for the purposes described.

7. A sand-box of sectoral shape in crosssection provided with a substantially horizontal bladed wheel fitting the arc of the sector and exposed to the pressure of the sand at the bottom of the box, and an outlet beneath the portion of the wheel not included beneath the body of sand, but divided therefrom between the Vertical planes of the radial walls of the sectoral box, for the purposes described.

FREDERICK e. CORNING.

Witnesses;

M. J. SPENCER, WILLIs VAN VALKENBURGH.

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