PATENTS; SUMMARIZED
Page 22
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Improved Details of Clarkson's Coke-fired Lorry.
Two specifications to be published this week concern T. Clarkson's coke-fired steam wagon. Of these, one, No. 121,997, refers to the condenser, which coraesponda to the radiator on the better known internalcombustion alighted chassis. The condenser of a steam wagon has to endure wider variations in temperature than has a radiator. It has not only to reduce steam to water, but it will also regularly receive that steam
at temperatures very-. much higher than that of the boiling point of water under 'atmospheric pressure, which is, of course, normally, the maximum upper limit of temperature which is reached in a radiator. Certain disabilities of the commercial-vehicle radiator consecine»t Upon the natural vibration of a vehicle on aolid rubber tyres are, of -course, felt by the steam vehicle, but they are accentuated in the latter -by the greateramount of variation in length of the cooliug unit owing to the expansion consequent upon the difference in temperatures to which the unit is subjected. Mr. Clarkson obviates any unnecessary straining of the tubular-part of the con,. denser or radiator in • a ,simple yet ingenious planner, and this is the
subject of the patent specifica tion with which we are at present concerned.
The usual radiator has top and tI)ottom header's connected by tubes, and the whole is combined by means of rigid, side members securely bolted to both headers in the form of a rectangular unit, which is carried upon the frame of the vehicle. It will be realized that, owingto the fact that greater variations in temperature are sustained, by the tubes than by the Side members, they tend to expand to a greater degree, in.volving stresses of considerable magnitude. This, too, is quito apart from variation in coefficient of expansion consequent upon tubes and side membera being farmed of different metals. In Mr. Clarkson's design, however, this ;• rigid rectangular frame is entirely dispensed with. The upper header of the radiator only is supported direct upon the frame, the lower one being dependent from the _upper, the tubes themselves serving to carry it. There, is thus complete freedom from expansion and G59, contraction. This more .flexible construelion appears to enable the -radiator to withstandvibration much better. The bottom header is guided between downwardly hung flanges on the brackets which carry the radiator, and it is spring held so as to put a check on the amount of movement _and obviate any rattling or noise.
The other specification by the same patentee, No. 122,011, concerns the firebars and asiman.
The firebars are peculiar in design. As viewed in plan, their sides are in a
degree serrated, the serrations being of such dimensions that there are about ten to a dozen in the -full length of. a bar. Adjacent bars have the teeth and hollows of the serrations in engagement, so that the space between the bars is undulating. A particular feature of the design, however, is that in a set af bars the air space in the centre of the fire is less per unit of area of grate than that which is provided near the outer edges., This is in conformity -With the general and by now well-known design of Mr. Clarkson's boiler, in which the heating surface is mainly round the circumference, and the intention is to create better combustion of the fuel near the outer circumference than in the
middle, where it can conveniently beallowed to burn more slowly.
The firebars are farther provided in the centre of their length each with a downwardly projecting tog, a hole in the .bottom _of which engages with a pin on a transverse bar, which bar is arrangad. to be -reciprocated, either by hand or power. The effect of such reciprocation is to impart a lateral rocking motion to the bus, and the formation of clinker or other harmful matter which would tend to constrict the air passage through the bars is thereby prevented.
Another portion of the same specification deals also with the ashpan, which uerves also as a damper.
Detail Improvements
Mr. W. L. Bodman's patent spuds or strakes for tractor wheels form an_interesting variatioxi.to the ma,ny ideas whiqh have been put forward for rendering an agrimotor capable of being used with equal facility either on the roads ar in the fields. He provides rubber studs of which alternative designs are illustrated in the specification. TheSe studs are held in place on the rim of the tractor wheel bv means of flexible plates which are bolted to, the rim of the wheel itself.
No. 122,379, by J. L. Norton, describes a. laminated spring used to return an engine valve to its seat, and it also serves the purpose of relieving side strain in the event of cams being arranged to act directly upon the end of the valve stem.
No. 122,004 is the specification of Flugel's gas carburetter, which is already generally known to our readers.
No 122,042 is an interesting patent by F. R. Sims, ronsifiting of a thermostat in oonneetion with an electric water
heater. It is devised for uSe within the radiator of a motor vehicle, so that when the vehicle is at rest the temperature of the cooling water will be maintained within certain limits.
No. 122,046 is a special design of radiator cap, the object being to prevent waste of the coolinlg water as a resuf-b of priming. The patentee is W. Lumsten.
Splashguards for vehicle wheels is the subject nf NO. 122,056 by C. Guise.' Annular brushea are securely clipped to the spokes of the wheel, and project to the same extent as do the tyre.s. • . .