Patent GB-388881-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in ash disposal systems
IPC: F23J1/00
Filed: 1931-12-02
Abstract: 388,881. Furnace ashpits. AMERICAN ENGINEERING CO., Aramingo Avenue Philadelphia, U.S.A. Dec. 2, 1931, No. 33405. Convention date, July 18. [Class 51 (i).] In ash disposal means for furnaces comprising an ash pit, a hopper 12, Fig. 1, below the ash pit and a sluice 13 located below the hopper, with crushing means 4 and 81 in both the ash pit and the hopper, sealing means is provided for preventing the passage of water, gas, or dust between the sluice and the hopper, the said sealing means being adjustable to permit the passage of ashes. The hopper is formed with vertical end walls, one vertical side wall and one side wall vertical at the bottom and inclined outwardly at the top, the inclined portion being provided with a manhole 96, Fig. 5, and a hinged cover 97. The side walls are built up of flat plates, Fig. 7, with side flanges 26, those on two opposite sides of the plate having bifurcated lugs 27. Two adjoining edges of each plate are recessed as at 24, the other two edges being provided with flanges 23. The plates are assembled as shown in Fig. 9 by means of bolts 29 passing through the lugs 27 and through an angle bar 28 extending vertically along the hopper wall. The lower part of the hopper having four vertical walls is assembled independently of the upper part, the two sections then being bolted together in such manner as to be readily detachable. Bolted to the upper edges of the lower hopper section are two series of inwardly and downwardly extending plates 52, Fig. 5, providing a sloping floor with a central discharge opening. The opening may be closed by gates 56 and 57 sliding on brackets 55 beneath the plates 52 and each operated by means of a shaft 63 carrying two sets of sheaves 64, one set being connected by chains to one end of the gate and the other set to the other end. Rotation of the shaft acts to raise or lower the gate. The hopper crusher rolls 81 are carried on shafts 74 mounted in journals in the end walls and supported at intermediate points by saddles 75 extending transversely across the hopper. At one end the shafts project through the hopper wall to receive ratchet wheels 85 and 86, Fig. 2, and interconnected levers 83 and 84 carrying pawls 87, the pawls and ratchet wheels being so arranged that the rolls rotate in opposite directions. The effective stroke of the pawls may be adjusted by means of cams. Lever 83 is of the crank type and is actuated by means of a piston operating in a cylinder 93. Similarly the crusher rolls 4 in the ashpit are actuated through a rod 10 from a piston operating in a cylinder 11. Pipes leading into the ends of pistons 11 and 93 are connected through a main valve 112, Fig. 1, with a steam supply pipe 113 and an exhaust pipe 114, the automatic reversal of supply and exhaust being obtained by means of stops 121 on the rod 10 actuating the valve 112 through a lever system 118. The valve 112 may also be operatively connected with the piston operating in the cylinder 93 in order to allow the crusher rolls 4 and 81 to be actuated independently. The discharge opening of the hopper communicates directly with a longitudinal sluice 13 which communicates intermediate its ends with a transversely extending sluice 101 controlled by a gate valve 102 which, when closed forms an additional sealing means. In a modification, Fig. 15, an inverted V-shaped hood 126 secured to the end walls of the hopper is positioned above the discharge opening and is provided at its lower ends with pivotally mounted depending aprons 127, pressed outwardly to the position shown by means of a spring 132. Gates 134 are slidably mounted beneath the sides of the hood and are provided with racks in operative engagement with pinions 136. The upper portions of the inclined floor of the hopper are provided with slots 137 for the depending arms 138 of slidably mounted members 139 having lower extensions 141 provided with pusher arms 142 and also upper members 145 with pusher arms 148, there being interposed between the slide members 139 and the upper pusher members 145 fixed plates 146 supported through elements 147 secured to the side walls of the hopper. The pusher arms preferably have a dished front edge forming an acute angle with the plane of the slide and a rearward surface forming an obtuse angle with said plane. The pusher members are adapted to be reciprocated by means of pistons operating in cylinders 151.