IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILER-FURNACES AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE- WITH.
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, &
Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILER-FURNACES AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
WITH. A communication from abroad by Thomas Murphy, of Detroit, Michigan,
United States of America.
"
aled the 1st August 1879, and dated the 11th February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th February 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILER-FURNACES AND IN
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH." [A communication from abroad by Thomas
Murphy, of Detroit, Michigan, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of boiler furnaces
wherein provision is made for the supply of heated air to be delivered directly at
the point or points where it will be most effectual in furnishing the necessary oxygen
for the combustion of the gases thrown off as the coal used for fuel becomes incan-
descent, by means of which the formation of smoke is almost entirely avoided and
the amount of fuel required to evaporate a given quantity of water is niaterially
decreased by reason of utilizing the gases more perfectly than has heretofore
generally been done. The said improvements also provide for mechanically feeding
the fuel to the boiler furnaces in such a manner that most of the gases will be
thrown off from the coal before the same is fed into the furnace, and being provided
with the necessary oxygen at the proper points, and at a proper temperature, these
gases will be consumed in the furnace and in a flame chamber in rear thereof.
The said Invention comprises the novel construction of various parts of the
furnace and in combination therewith certain mechanical devices for feeding the
fuel to the furnaces. These mechanical devices may be operated by hand, or they
may be attached to any desired or convenient motor, by means of which at certain
times and in certain quantities the fuel may be fed into the furnace.
The said Invention will be found of great value in furnaces wherein bituminous
Di Cr

page_text: or caking coals (from which in becoming incandescent large quantity of gases are
thrown off) are employed for generating steam; and it will also be found valuable
where anthracite, and semi-bituminous, and cannel coals are used.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a furnace chamber, over
which is thrown a brick arch, the base of which on cach side rests upon a ribbed-or
corrugated plate so that air may pass freely. This arch covers the entire length.
and width of the furnace, and is provided with a central flue extending its entire
-length,-and-with-flue-strips.or_divisions_to_divide_said_central flue from side flues
which open along their outer sides upon the said ribbed or corrugated plates. There
are perforations-through-the-rear-ends-of-said-flues-to-allow-air-to-pass.into a flame
chamber which is situated below the boiler and between the rear of the coal con-
suming chamber proper and the bridge wall. Air is admitted to this central flue
through an opening or openings in the front of the furnace, and a flue or flues in
said front which communicate with said central flue.
In marine boilers it may be found expedient to construct this arch as a water
space or jacket, and this would not depart from the spirit of my Inventien, neither
would it do so if the discharge from the said side flue were at the ends of said flues,
as may be found necessary to do under certain circumstances.
Upon the top of the side walls of the furnace chamber are placed what I
denominate dead plates, which when so placed extend the whole length of said
furnace chambers, and upon these dead plates are placed pushers provided upon
their under surfaces with teeth, which engaging with toothed pinions upon a shaft
which projects through the furnace wall and is provided with a crank enables the
operator to give motion to said pusher. When the boilers are set "in battery" a
triangular plate is secured just above the upper face of the pusher, and upon it a
V-shaped toothed slide has a reciprocating motion given to it by a lever secured to:
the end of said slide projecting through the furnace wall. When not used "in battery"
a scraper plate secured to the side wall is employed, under which the pusher is
withdrawn. Coal places are provided, into which coal may be dumped by means
of barrows running upon boards or ways over the top of the furnace and arch. It
will not depart from the spirit of this Invention if for economy of space or other
purposes it should be desired to feed the fuel into the front or rear if the
mechanical devices herein described are placed at the front or rear with the flues
delivering air to the front or rear instead of to the sides, as herein before described,
nor if the coal instead of being dumped from above is thrown into the ends of the
coal space through doors provided in the furnace walls; and in case this is done a
screw conveyer or other mechanical device should be employed to equally distribute
the coal in the chamber prepared for it in order to secure an equal distribution of
the same into the fire grates. Whether fed from the sides or ends it is better that
the grates incline from both sides, or from both ends, towards the centre of the
furnace proper, although grates of the ordinary construction may be beneficially
employed.
In practice, with a furnace constructed as herein described, the fire being made
upon the grates in the coal chamber, and the fuel chambers being filled with a
supply of coal, and the pusher being withdrawn, an opening is disclosed, through
which. the coal falls upon the said dead plate, where it is subjected to great heat
from the fire in the grates below. Air being admitted to the said central flue in
the arch above the furnace is highly heated and discharged; through the said side
flues and ribs or corrugations of the ribbed or corrugated plates, where mingling
with the gases of the coal which is being coked upon the dead plates and being
brought within the draught force of the furnace such gases with a proper supply of
oxygen for their combustion prevent the formation of smoke to a large extent and
pass into the coal chamber and the flame chamber in its rear, where they are con-
sumed immediately under the boiler, and the products of combustion then pass over
the bridge wall and find an outlet to the smoke stack in the usual manner.... When
it is necessary; to feed coal into the grates the pushers are moved inwardly, toward

page_text: the furnace chamber, forcing the coked coal upon the dead plates over their edges
on to the grates. This being done the pushers are returned to their original
position, the triangular plate or the scraper plate preventing such pushers from
carrying back any of the superincumbent coal, and the said openings are again
disclosed, allowing a fresh supply of coal to fall upon the dead plate, and this
operation is repeated as often as a fresh supply of fuel is required. It may happen
that when certain descriptions of bituminous coals are used the great heat from the
'coal burning chamber may cause the coal above. the pusher to become slightly
coked, sufficient to make it stick together. In this case a reciprocation of the
aforesaid toothed slide will break the coal up sufficiently to make it feed down
freely.

page_text: -August-1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILER FURNACES, AND IN
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH." A communication from abroad_by_Thomas
Murphy, of Detroit, Michigan, United States of America.
This Invention-relates-to-improvements-in-the-construction-of-boiler-furnaces
wherein provision is made for a supply of heated air to be delivered directly at the
point or points where it will be most effectual in furnishing the necessary oxygen
for the combustion of the gases thrown off as the coal used for fuel becomes incan-
descent. By these improvements the formation of smoke is almost entirely avoided,
and the amount of fuel required to evaporate a given quantity of water is materially
decreased, for the reason that the gases are more perfectly utilized than has hereto-
fore generally been practicable. The said improvements also provide for mechani-
cally feeding the fuel to the boiler furnaces in such a manner that most of the gases
will be thrown off from the coal before the same is fed into the furnace, and being
provided with the necessary oxygen at the proper points, and at a proper tem-
perature, these gases will be consumed in the furnace and in a flame chamber at
the rear thereof.
The said Invention comprises the novel construction of various parts of the
furnaces, and in combination therewith certain mechanical devices for feeding the
fuel to the furnaces. These mechanical devices may be operated by hand, or they
may be attached to any desired or convenient motor, by means of which at certain
times and in proper quantities the fuel may be fed into the furnace.
The said Invention will be found of great value in furnaces wherein are employed
bituminous or caking coals, which in becoming incandescent throw off large
quantities of gas. It will also be found valuable where anthracite, semi-bituminous,
and cannel coals are used.
In the accompanying Drawing,―
Figure 1 is a perspective view taken from the front of my improved boiler
furnace with the front wall removed. This view shews only a section of one of a
battery or series of such furnaces with a portion of the side wall broken out; and
it shews the front end of a tubular boiler with the breeching removed.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same, partly in section, and shewing the
furnace chamber as provided with a system of inclined grates.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of my improved feeding mechanism detached.
A represents a furnace chamber, over which is thrown a brick arch B, the base of
which on each side rests upon a ribbed or corrugated plate C so that air may pass
freely. This arch covers the entire length and width of the furnace, and is provided
-with-a-flue-D-extending-its-entire-length, aud_with_flue-strips-or-divisions-E-to
divide the central flue D from the side flues F which open along their outer sides
upon the ribbed or corrugated plates C. There are perforations G through the rear
ends of said flues to allow air to pass into the flame chamber I, which is situated
below the boiler J and between the rear of the coal consuming chamber proper and
the bridge wall K. Air is admitted to this central flue D through an opening
or openings L in the front of the furnace, and a flue or flues M (shewn in dotted
lines in Figure 1) in said front, and which communicate with said central flue D.
In marine boilers it may be found expedient to construct the arch as a water
space or jacket, and the discharge from the side flue F may be at the ends of the
said flues as may be found necessary under certain circumstances.
Upon the top of the side walls of the furnace chamber A are placed what I
denominate dead plates N, which when so placed extend the whole length of said

page_text: b
furnace chambers, and upon these dead plates are placed the pushers O made sub-
stantially in the form shewn in Figure 2, and provided upon their under surfaces with
teeth a, which engaging with the toothed pinions 6 upon the shaft P which projects
through the furnace wall and is provided with a crank c enables the operator to
give motion to said pusher. When the boilers are set in battery, as shewn in
Figuro 2, a triangular plate R is secured just above the upper face of the pusher,
and upon it a V shaped toothed slide S has a reciprocating motion given to it by
the lever T secured to the end of said slide projecting through the furnace wall.
When not used in battery a scraper plate U, as shewn in Figure 2, secured to the:
side wall is employed, under which the pusher O is withdrawn. V, V, are coal
spaces, into which coal may be dumped by means of barrows running upon the
boards or ways. W over the top of the furnace and arch. I should not depart from
the spirit of my Invention if for economy of space or other purposes it should be
desired to feed the fuel into the front or rear. The mechanical devices herein
described are placed at the front or rear with the flues F, delivering air to the front
or rear instead of to the sides, as herein before described; nor if the coal, instead of
being dumped from above, is thrown into the ends of the coal space through doors
provided in the furnace walls, and in case this is done a screw conveyor or other.
mechanical device should be employed to equally distribute the coal in the chamber
prepared for it in order to secure an equal distribution of the same into the fire
grates. Whether fed from the sides or ends it is better that the grates incline from
both sides, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, or from both ends towards the centre of
the furnace proper, although grates of the ordinary construction may be beneficially
employed.
In practice with a furnace constructed as herein described, and as shewn in the
Drawing, the fire being made upon the grates in the coal chamber, and the fuel-
chambers being filled with a supply of coal, the pusher is withdrawn, as shewn in
Figure 2, and discloses an opening X through which the coal falls upon the dead
plate, where it is subjected to great heat from the fire on the grates below. Air
being admitted to the flue D in the arch above the furnace is highly heated, and
discharged through the flues F and ribs or corrugations of the plates C, where
mingling with the gases of the coal which is being coked upon the dead plates, and
being brought within the draft force of the furnace, such gases with a proper supply
of oxygen for their combustion prevent the formation of smoke to a large extent
and pass into the coal chamber and the flame chamber in its rear, where they are
consumed immediately under the boiler, and the products of combustion then pass
over the bridge wall and find an outlet to the smoke stack in the usual manner.
When it is necessary to feed coal on to the grates the pushers are moved inwardly
toward the furnace chamber, forcing the coked coal upon the dead plates over their
edges on to the grates. This being done the pushers are returned to their original
position, the triangular plate R or the scraper plate U preventing such pushers from
carrying back any of the superincumbent coal, and the openings X are again
disclosed, allowing a fresh supply of coal to fall upon the dead plate, and this,
operation is repeated as often as a fresh supply of fuel is required. It may happen
that when certain descriptions of bituminous coal are used the great heat from the
coal burning chamber may cause the coal above the pusher to become slightly coked,
sufficient to make it stick together. In this case a reciprocation of the toothed
slide S will break the coal up sufficiently to made it feed down freely.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by iny
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. In a furnace the arch provided with flues D, F, communicating with the
outer air through the opening L and flue M for the purpose of heating and dis-
charging air upon the fuel, substantially as set forth.
Second. In combination with the said arch, constructed with flues as described,
the ribbed or corrugated base plate placed above the fuel discharge openings in a
furnace, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

page_text: Third. The coal chamber, the flame chamber, and the arch provided with flues,
constructed, combined, and operating substantially as and for the purposes described.
Fourth. In a furnace provided with the arch constructed with flues and resting
upon the ribbed or corrugated base plates, the dead plate, upon which the base of the
-fuel-in-the-chambers-Vis.coked preparatory to being fed to the grates, substantially
as set forth.
Fifth. In combination with the dead plates and the fuel openings the pushers,
operated by the shaft, substantially-as described, for the purpose of discharging the
coked coal into the coal-burning-chamber-A-
Sixth..In.combination with the said dead plate and pusher the scraper, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes described.
Seventh. In combination with the said dead plate, pusher, and scraper,
-reciprocating breaker bar, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
the
Eighth. The combination in a boiler furnace of the devices, substantially as
described, for feeding coal upon a dead or caking plate with the devices, substantially
as described, for discharging heated air upon the fuel on the said plate for the
purpose of coking the fuel preparatory to its being discharged or fed into the coal
burning chamber.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
117M PORT TA
(ra)
WYM PORT LAKE
MAR
(E.S.)