Patent GB-286626-A (GB)
Title: Fuel charging apparatus
IPC: F27D99/00
Filed: 1928-03-05
Abstract: 286,626. Ruetz, K.. March 5, 1927, [Convention date]. No Patent granted (Sealing fee not paid). Charging; indicators and alarms.- In fuel-charging apparatus for brick kilns and the. like, the hopper 2 disposed above the charging hole B is shut off from the kiln and encloses mechanism for cutting off the fuel in layers from the top downwardly and delivering the cut-off layers into the charging pipe 4. The latter is vertically movable within the hopper 2, being supported by the engagement in teeth 4<b> of the end 36<b> of a spring bolt 36 which is carried by the hopper cover 3, this cover being mounted to rotate by means of rollers 6 running on a ring 55 secured to the upper end of the hopper. A vertical square shaft 18 is journaled in lugs 16, 17 on the pipe 4 and is guided in the cover 3 by a cylindrical sleeve above which is loosely mounted on the shaft 18 a handle 33. Below the cover 3, the shaft 18 passes through a boss 31 to which is pivoted an arm 32 adapted to engage in a notch in a member 15 secured to a ring 13 which is mounted on a flange 5<a> of the ring 5. Closely encircling the ring 13 is a steel frictiondrive band 7, the ends of which are joined by a spring 14 and which is adapted to be oscillated from a driven crank 10 through ball-jointed levers 11, 12. On the lower end of the shaft 18 is secured an arm 22 the outer end of which is connected by a link 30 to the short arm 28 of a cranked lever pivoted at 27 on an arm 26 and having its long arm 29 shaped to form at its end a shovel or pusher 29<a>. The arm 26 is carried bv a hub 24 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 18 to engage over the lug 17 and carries symmetrical projections 25<a>, 25b adapted to bear in turn, as the shaft 18 is oscillated, against the tube 4. The latter is formed with an opening 4a normally clused by an internal hanging flap 35 and has, secured on its outer surface, a knife 34 which is shaped to correspond to the path traversed by the pusher 29<a> and has an upturned outer end 34<a>. In operation, when the hopper 2 has been filled with fuel and the cover 3 and tube 4 replaced with the. knife 34 resting on top of the fuel, the handle 33 is turned to connect the parts 32, 15 and thus engage the driving gear. On the forward stroke of the crank 10 the shaft 18, with its associated mechanism, rotates, the projections 25b coming into contact with the pipe 4 and the pusher 29<a> moving inwardly over the knife 34, as shown in Fig. 5; the mechanism is now locked and further forward movement of the crank 10 produces rotation of the whole system including the pipe 4, the knife 34 being thus advanced into the fuel. Reversal of crank 10 withdraws the pusher 29<a> and moves it, during the rotation of. the shaft 18, to its outermost position, backward movement of pipe 4 being prevented by a spring brake-bolt 37 which engages the cover 3 and causes the band 7 to loosen on the ring 13. On the next forward stroke of the crank 10 the layer of fuel cut off by the knife 34 is pushed by the shovel 29<a> through the opening 4<a> into the feed pipe, this action being constantly repeated. When the knife 34 has made a. complete revolution of the hopper, the bolt 36 is momentarily withdrawn by the engagement of inclined surfaces 5<b>, 36<a>, Fig. 2, and the pipe 4 moves downwardly the distance of one tooth 4<b>. The quantity of fuel charged at each stroke is regulated by adjusting the distance between a pin 18a projecting from the shaft 18 and an abutment 19<a> on an arm 19 loosely mounted on the upper end of the shaft. The end of the arm 19 is formed with a member 19<b> adapted to bear against a cam ring 21<a>, Fig. 8, carried by the cap 21 which is rotatable on the pipe 4 to obtain the desired adjustment of the abutment 19<a> with respect to the pin 18<a>. The hopper 2 is filled with fuel to a height equal to that of the teeth 4<b>. so that the tube 4, on reaching its lowermost position, serves to indicate that the hopper is empty; in addition, a signal device may be provided.