US2380745A - Track sander - Google Patents

Description

v. L. FRANTZ TRACK SANDER Julylsl, 1945.

Filed Dec. 6, 1943 PatentedA July 31, 1945 UNITED sm'ias 6 Claims.

My invention relates to track Sanders and more particularly to valves for operating the sander.

Sanding systems generally employed on all rail- 'roads and manystreet railways include a sand trap which receives air of other fluid under pressure for discharging the sand therefrom on to the track. To prevent the sand from becoming clogged in the trap a momentary blast of air commonly referred to as cleaning air is generally delivered' to the sand tiap at the beginning and close of the sanding operation. l 'I'he principal object of the invention is to pro-- vide a simple and reliable valve under the manual control of the operator for supplying air to the sand trap for causing sand to discharge therefrom and for also supplying a cleaning blast of air to the sand trap at the beginning and at the end ofthe sanding operation.v

A primary feature of the invention consists in providing the sander valve with a main valve member for controlling the flow of sanding air to the sand trap and in associating therewith an auxiliary valve member which automatically functions during the intervals the main valve member moves to open and closed positions to permit cleaning air to pass to the sand trap.

Another-feature ofthe invention consists in vproviding the sander valve with a rotatable member for simultaneously moving the main and auxiliaryvalves in opposite directions.

Other and-more specific features of the invention, residing in vadvantageous forms, combinations and relations of parts, will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, illustrating a prefered embodiment ot the invention, I I

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the connections between the sander valve and the sand trap andair reservoir.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the sander valve.Y

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I indicates the body of the sander valve which has two laterally spaced chambers 2 and l respec tively. Chamber 2, which may be designated as themainchambertodistinguishitfromthe chamber l which may be designated as the auxiliary chamber, is provided Vin its upper portion with an outlet port 4 to which is connected a pipe s for nipplvlns sending air to a sand trap .t which may be of any desired or preferred construction. The main and auxiliary'chambers of the valve bodyare connected by a passageway 1 and the upper portion of the auxiliary chamber 3 is formed with anoutlet port l which is connected to a pipe 9 for supplying cleaning air to the sand trap.

Intermediate the two chambers the valve body may be advantageously provided in its lower portion` with an inlet port I0 which is connected by a pipe I I to a reservoir or other suitable source I2 of compressed air or other huid pressure. The inlet port communicates with the lower end of the main chamber 2 by a passageway I3.

Mounted in the main chamber 2 and operatively interposed between the inlet I3 and the outlet port 4 for sanding air is a main reciprocating valve I4. This valve is preferably a so-called "wing" valve and is provided'with a conical portion I5 for cooperating with a conical valve seat I6 formed in the chamber 2 below the outlet port 4 and theiadjacent end of the passageway l. Interposed between the lower end of the valve and a removableplug -I l which closes the lower end of chamber 2 is a coil spring I8 whichvtogether withthe uid pressure in the lower portion of the chamber normally serves to maintain the valve in closed position.

Extending upwardly from the conical portion the stem may be moved downwardly to move the valve from closed to open position.

A valve 20. similar to valve i4, is reciprocably mounted within chamber/3. This valve has a conical portion 2i for cooperating 'with a correspondingly shaped valve seat 22 formed in chamber 2 intermediate the outlet port 8 and the adjacent end of the transverse passageway l. spring 23 is interposed between the lower end of valve and a removable plug 24 which closes the lower end of the auxiliary chamber 3. Ex-

tending upwardly from the conical portion 2i of the valve is a stem 25 which projects through an opening in the top wall of the valve body.

-Pivotally mounted on the valve body is an operating member 26 having a handle portion 2l and apair of oppositely proJecting arms 28 and 29 respectively. The outer ends of these arms are adapted to cooperate with the upper ends of the valve stems I9 and 25 for actuating the respective valves and the armngement of the arms is such that whenthe operating member 26 'assumes a.

position enabling one of the valves to close the y other valve will be held in an open position. Thus when one valve is closed the other valve will be open. As valve vI4 is urged to closed position by the combined action of spring I8 and of the iiuld pressure, as heretofore explained, and valve 20 is only subjected to the force of spring 23, valve Il normally occupies closed position while valve 20 normally occupies open position, being held in that position against action of its spring by the operating member 26. Thus the fluid pressure from the reservoir is normally prevented from passing through both of the outlet ports 4 and 8 to the sand trap with which it is connected.

When the operator starts to move the handle of the operating member to the left, as viewed in Figure 2, valve I4 is forced from its seat I6 thus allowing the reservoir pressure to iiow through the sanding outlet 'port 4 and through passageway l into chamber 3. As valve 20 must move a substantial distance before it assumes fully closed position the fluid pressure which flows into chamber 3 through the passageway 1 flows out of the cleaning port 8 during the interval the valve is moving from open to closed position. As soon as valve 20 closes, however, the cleaning al1` will be cut off but the sanding air will continue to flow through outlet port 4.

When the operating member 26 is moved back to its normally inoperative position valve 20 is immediately moved from its seat and iluid pressure will again pass through the cleaning port 8 until the valve I4 is fully closed, at Which time fluid pressure is cut oil from both outlet ports. It is thus to be seen that a cleaning blast is automatically delivered to the sand trap at the beginning and at the close of the sanding operation.

Various modifications in structural details of the particular embodiment of the invention herein illustrated and described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A track sander valve for controlling the operation of a fluid pressure operated sand trap of the character adapted to receive a blast of fluid pressure for cleaning the trap, said valve comprising a valve body having an inlet port adapted to be connected to a source of fluid pressure and having two outlet ports respectively adapted to be connected to the sand trap, valve means normally disposed in closed position preventing the flow of uid pressure from the inlet port to both of said outlet ports, additional valve means normally disposed in open position for controlling the ilow of fluid pressureto one of said outlet ports, spring means normally urging both of said valve means toward closed position, means for moving said normally closed valve means to open position and for simultaneously permitting the normally open valve means to assume closed position whereby fluid pressure is permitted to flow through both of said outlet ports during the interval said normally open valve moves from open to closed position.

2. A track sander valve for controlling the opy eration of a fluid pressure operated sand trap of the character adapted to receive a blast of fluid pressure for cleaning the trap, said valve comprising a valve body having an inlet port adapted to be connected to a source of fluid pressure and having two outlet ports respectively adapted to be connected to the sand trap, valve means normally disposed in closed position preventing the flow of fluid pressure to both of said outlet ports, additional valve means normally disposed in open position for controlling the flow of uid pressure to only one of said ports, a plurality of lspring means respectively adapted to normally urge said valve means toward closed position, means for normally holding said additional valve means in open position, and operating means for moving said normally closed valve means to open position and for simultaneously actuating said holding means to permit the normally open valve means to move to closed position whereby fluid under pressure may flow through both of said outlet ports during the interval said normally open valve moves from open to closed position.

3. .A track sander valve for controlling the operation of a fluid pressure operated sand trap of the character adapted to receive a blast of fluid pressure for cleaning the trap, said valve comprising a valve body having an inlet port adapted to be connected to a source of fluid pressure and having two laterally spaced chambers respectively having outlet ports adapted to be connected to the sand trap, normally open valve means operatively interposed between said outlet ports, normally closed valve means operatively interposed between the inlet port and both of said outlet ports, and means for simultaneously moving both of said valve means in opposite directions to cause the normally open valve means to assume closed position as the normally closed valve means assumes open position whereby during movement of said valve means both of said outlet ports are in open communication with said inlet port.

4, A track sander valve for controlling the operation of a fluid pressure operated sand trap of the character adapted to receive a blast of fluid pressure for cleaning the trap at the beginning and at the end of the sanding operation, said valve comprising a valve body having an inlet port adapted to be connected to a source of uid pressure and having two outlet ports respectively adapted to be connected to the sand trap, normally open valve means operatively interposed between said outlet ports, normally closed valve means operatively interposed between the' inlet port and both of said outlet ports, and means including a member rotatably mounted on said valve body for simultaneously moving said valve means in opposite directions whereby when one valve moves to closed position the other valve moves to open position and both outlet ports are in open communication with the inlet port during the interval the valve means are moving from one position to the other.

5. A track sander valve for use with a sand trap adapted to receive air for sanding and a blast of air for cleaning at the beginning and at the close of each sanding operation, said valve comprising a valve body having an inlet port adapted to receive air under pressure and having an outlet port for the sanding air and an outlet port for the cleaning air, said sanding and cleaning ports being serially arranged with the sanding port lovcated between the cleaning port and the inlet port, normally open valve means operatively interposed between the sanding and cleaning ports, normally closed valve means operatively interposed between the inlet port and the sanding air port, and means cooperable with said valve means for simultaneously moving them in opposite directions to close the open valve means as the closed valve means is being opened whereby both of said valve means are open during the intervals they are being moved to and from their normal positions.

6. A track sander valve for use with a sand trap adapted to receive air for sanding and a blast of air for cleaning at the beginning and at the close of each sanding operation, said valve comprising a valve body having an inletport adapted to receive air under pressure, a pair of laterally spaced chambers in the valve body, one of said chambers having an outlet port for the sanding air and the other of said chambers having an outlet port for cleaning air, a valve in each of said chambers, the valve in the chamber havlng the sanding port being normally closed and the valve in` the chamber having the cleaning port being normally open, spring means normally urging each of said valve means toward 10 closed position, and means rotatably mounted upon said valve casing for simultaneously cooperating with saidvalve means to cause the closed Valve to open as the open valve closes whereby air will ovv through both the sanding and the cleaning ports during the intervals said valves are being moved to and from their normal positions.

VIRGIL L. FRANTZ.

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