Kyösti Kylälä
Encyclopedia
Kyösti Kylälä was a Finnish
Railroad engineer
and self taught inventor, from Helsinki
. In 1919 he patented in the UK an 'Improved means for increasing the draught in steam boilers, especially on locomotives.'
Kylälä's invention, sometimes known as the 'Kylala spreader' involved the insertion of four nozzles in the blastpipe
of steam locomotives. The system was originally devised to reduce spark-throwing and later it was claimed that there was a more even draught over the tubeplate and that the need for tube-cleaning was reduced. It was tried out in 1922 by Lawson Billinton on a LB&SCR K class
locomotive, but with only limited success.
Later the French
engineer André Chapelon
, developed and improved the invention by using a second-stage nozzle and adopted the name Kylchap
for this design. Kylchap exhausts are found on many French and British locomotives notably the Flying Scotsman
and the world record holding Mallard
.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
Railroad engineer
Railroad engineer
A railroad engineer, locomotive engineer, train operator, train driver or engine driver is a person who drives a train on a railroad...
and self taught inventor, from Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. In 1919 he patented in the UK an 'Improved means for increasing the draught in steam boilers, especially on locomotives.'
Kylälä's invention, sometimes known as the 'Kylala spreader' involved the insertion of four nozzles in the blastpipe
Blastpipe
The blastpipe is part of the exhaust system of a steam locomotive that discharges exhaust steam from the cylinders into the smokebox beneath the chimney in order to increase the draught through the fire.- History :...
of steam locomotives. The system was originally devised to reduce spark-throwing and later it was claimed that there was a more even draught over the tubeplate and that the need for tube-cleaning was reduced. It was tried out in 1922 by Lawson Billinton on a LB&SCR K class
LB&SCR K class
London Brighton and South Coast Railway Class K were powerful 2-6-0 mixed traffic locomotives designed by L. B. Billinton for the London Brighton and South Coast Railway in 1913. They appeared shortly before the First World War and the first ten examples of the class did prodigious work during...
locomotive, but with only limited success.
Later the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
engineer André Chapelon
André Chapelon
André Chapelon was a noted French mechanical engineer and designer of advanced steam locomotives. Engineer of Ecole Centrale Paris, he was one of very few locomotive designers who brought a rigorous scientific method to their design, and he sought to apply up-to-date knowledge and theories in...
, developed and improved the invention by using a second-stage nozzle and adopted the name Kylchap
Kylchap
The Kylchap steam locomotive steam locomotive exhaust system was designed and patented by the famous French steam engineer André Chapelon, using a second-stage nozzle designed by the Finnish engineer Kyösti Kylälä and known as the Kylälä spreader; thus the name KylChap for this design.The Kylchap...
for this design. Kylchap exhausts are found on many French and British locomotives notably the Flying Scotsman
LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman
The LNER Class A3 Pacific locomotive No. 4472 Flying Scotsman was built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway at Doncaster Works to a design of H.N. Gresley...
and the world record holding Mallard
LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard
Number 4468 Mallard is a London and North Eastern Railway Class A4 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive built at Doncaster, England in 1938. While in other respects a relatively typical member of its class, it is historically significant for being the holder of the official world speed record for steam...
.