IMPROVE- MENTS IN SELF-FEEDING SMOKELESS FURNACES." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Vicars, the elder, and Thomas Vicars, the
younger, both of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, and
James Smith, of the same Place, Baker, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SELF-FEEDING SMOKELESS FURNACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Vicars, the elder,.
Thomas, Vicars, the younger, and James Smith at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 4th July 1867.
We, THOMAS VICARS, the elder, and THOMAS VICARS, the younger, both of
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, and JAMES' SMITH, of the
same Place, Baker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-PEEDING SMOKELESS FURNACES," to be as follows:→
that
Our Invention relates to that class of so-called self-feeding smokeless
furnaces, such as Juckes's and Wilson and Smith's, wherein a progressive
movement is given to the fuel, and consists, first, of an improvement on i
furnace fire-grate for which Wilson and Smith obtained Letters Patent,
bearing date the Eighth day of September, A.D. 1863, No. 2206. Between
the fire-bars described in the Specification of that Invention we place 'other
fire-bars; these latter rest on bearers, and are moved backwards and forwards
by slots and studs or other means a shorter distance than the travel of Wilson
and Smith's bars. The most convenient arrangement of parts under this head

page_text: of our Invention with which we are acquainted consists of a furnace fire-grate
composed of compound bars. A compound bar is obtained by making the
moveable bar with two branches like a fork, and resting the bar with the
shorter travel on and between the said branches. The length of the travel of
the mid bar, that is, the one between the said branches, is determined by the
distance between projections on its under surface which come into contact with
a fixed bearer; and, second, of means for supplying fuel to all furnaces in
which a. progressive movement is given to the fuel resting on the grate.
Instead of passing all the fuel from the front or door of the furnace, we supply
part from the top at a greater or lesser distance from the back according to
the size of the grate. We place a hopper over the top of the furnace and lead
tubes or enclosed ways therefrom; these terminat directly over the fire. For
steam boiler furnaces we carry the said tubes or ways, where necessary,
through the boiler. Screws or other suitable contrivances are worked in the
said tubes or ways to propel, measure, and regulate the feed; in some cases
we may supply the whole of the fuel from the top.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Vicars, the elder, Thomas Vicars, the younger, and
James Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th January 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
VICARS, the elder, and THOMAS VICARS, the younger, both of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineers, and JAMES SMITH, of the same Place, Baker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her. Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Thomas Vicars, the elder, Thomas Vicars, the younger; and James Smith,
Her special license that we, the said Thomas. Vicars, the elder, Thomas
Vicars, the younger, and James Smith, our, executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Vicars, the elder, Thomas
Vicars, the younger, and James Smith, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from itime to. time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
•

page_text: tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-FEEDING SMOKELESS FURNACES." upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Vicars; the elder, Thomas Vicars,
the younger, and James Smith, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, or their, or one of our or their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Vicars, the elder, Thomas
Vicars, the younger, and James Smith, do hereby declare the nature of our
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
reference being bad to the accompanying three Sheets of illustrative Drawings,
and to the figures and letters thereon, that is to say;-
Our Invention relates to that class of so-called self-feeding smokeless
furnaces, such as Juckes's and Wilson and Smith's, wherein a progressive
movement is given to the fuel, and consists, first, of an improvement on that
furnace fire-grate for which Messieurs Wilson and Smith obtained Letters
Patent, bearing date the 8th day of September, A.D. 1863, No. 2206.
Between the bars described in the Specification of that "Invention we place
other fire-bars; these latter are.moved backwards and forwards a shorter distance
than the travel of the former from which they receive motion, studs and slots
or other means being employed for that purpose; and, second; of means for
supplying fuel to all those furnaces in which a progressive movement is given
to the fuel resting on the fire-grate. Instead of passing all the fuel from the
front through or under the door of the furnace we supply part or the whole
from the top at a greater or lesser distance from the front or back according
to the size of the fire-grate. We place a hopper over or higher than the top
of the fire-grate and lead tubes or enclosed ways therefrom; these terminate
directly over the fire-grate. For steam boiler furnaces we carry the said tubes
or ways where necessary through the boiler. Screws or other suitable con-
trivances are worked in the said tubes or ways to propel, measure, and regulate
the feed of fuel.
Sheet A of the Drawings contains views shewing the construction and arrange-
ment of parts which we prefer to employ in carrying the first part of our In-
vention into practice; Fig. 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 a longitudinal section
and elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan view all of what we denominate a "compound
bar," that is to say; a Wilson and Smith's bar and a short travel bar in com
bination. A sufficient number of these bars, as will be obvious, are placed side

page_text: by side to form fire-grates of any desired breadth. Like letters denote the
same parts. A, the bearers; B, the Wilson and Smith bar, here shewn resting
on rollers or balls b¹ which serve when the fire-grate is at work to reduce friction;
the said bar is forked, and is provided with bridge pieces b². C, the short travel
bar with recess c¹ wherein 6 moves; c² is a recess between the projecting
pieces which serve to.arrest the travel of C by coming into contact with the
check piece a¹ attached to A. The back bearer A is formed with an inclined
surface so that C which is formed with an angular or bellied piece at c* is
caused to rise and fall above and below the top surface of B each stroke.or
backwards and forwards movement. When during the travel of the bars B
from the door towards the bridge the adhesion caused by the fuel and the
friction where the parts meet between B and C is insufficient to carry C
backwards and cause it to slide upwards on the back bearer A, and this
would usually be the case, 62 comes into contact with the end of the recess c¹
and gives the required motion.
Figs. 4, 5; and 6 are views similar to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of a like compound.
bar. The same parts are marked with the same letters, as in Figs. 1, 2,
and 3. Here however there is.only one projection on the bar C.
Sheet A also contains a longitudinal section, Fig. 7, of a mode of supplying
fuel, according to the second part of our Invention. d is the boiler; e, frame
work supporting, the fuel hopper f, enclosed ways.g, and feeding mechanism.
The said feed mechanism consists of the reciprocating connecting rod h, to
which motion is given in any convenient way, the lever i carrying an impulse
pallet which propels the ratchet wheel K placed on the shaft l. The lever
with curved head m is employed to regulate the length which will propel K
each movement; this is effected by a pin s¹ secured in the impulse pallet j,
which being held up for a longer or shorter period each movement by m
prevents from coming into contact with K for a corresponding length of time.
On the shaft the pinion n is fixed; this gears with the wheel p secured ou
the shaft q; r, endless chain for giving a continuous feel; r passes over 9 and
s, and is driven by the former; it may either be continuous for the full width
of the opening in the bottom of the hopper, or, which is preferable, cross bars
or scrapers may be attached to it, that is to say, between two chains at the
sides so as to draw off the fuel from the platform t and discharge it into the
descending enclosed way g, thence to the fire-grate. A deflecting plate such
as is shewn in and described in connection with Figs. 9 and 11 is used to
distribute the fuel equally over the surface.
Sheet B of the Drawings contains views, Fig. 8 front elevation, and Fig. 9
longitudinal section, of a modification of parts under the second head of our

page_text: Invention, suitable for a double flued boiler. Like letters denote the same
parts in both views. a', boiler, fitted with the compound bars b¹ described
above; these bars are operated by the mechanism described in Wilson and
Smith's said Patent of 1863. c, pillars and frame supporting the fuel
hopper d', enclosed ways e¹, and fuel supply operating mechanism. The con-
necting rods f¹ couple the mechanism which operates the fire-bars, and that
which operates the fuel supply, so that on applying power the whole of the
operating parts work at the same time. The reciprocating motion of f¹
(hereafter in this paragraph we will speak of one furnace) is communicated
to the lever g', which carrys the impulse pallet h'; g¹ is free to move on the
shaft of the ratchet wheel 73. The pinion K₁ is fixed on j, and gears with
the wheel fixed on the shaft m¹. To connecting rods n¹ are coupled;
these at their outer ends are connected to the pistons or pushers o¹, which.
move to and fro in the enclosed ways e¹, and at each stroke cause a supply of
fuel to be discharged into the descending part e', thence on to the fire-grate
near the front thereof, the deflecting plate p² serving to distribute the fuel in
a thin broad stream. To regulate the speed of o³, and thereby to send as may
be required more or less fuel on to the fire-grate we employ the lever with
curved end p¹ (best seen in Fig. 7, aud there marked m), and adjust its
position by fixing the perforated plate q¹ formed on the end of the rod r² on a
stationary pin, so that should the pin s¹ be held up for a longer or shorter
period the impulse pallet h¹ into which it is affixed will take into the ratchet
wheel later or sooner, and so cause such ratchet wheel and the mechanisın
onwards to the pistons or pushers o' to move slower or faster, and thereby
give less or more feed. The passage t¹ serves to convey air into the furnace
when this is required.
Sheet C of the Drawings contains views, Figs. 10 and 11 respectively
inside elevation and longitudinal section, of an arrangement suitable for a
single flued boiler. Here the operating mechanism is the same as that
shewn by Figs. 8 and 9 on Sheet B, a fuel supply piston or pusher a² being
operated in an enclosed way 62 underneath or at the bottom of the hopper.
The said enclosed way be has two descending branches therefrom marked
respectively 63 and 6, the one passes in frout of and the other through the
boiler, the fuel is thereby conducted and supplied at the front and partly at a
distance from the front of the tire-grate; the piston or pusher a² receives fuel
it will be obvious from the hopper and supplies it each half stroke alternately
to 63 and 6. A deflecting plate c² of a similar kind to that shewn in b³ could
be placed in 6.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and particularized

page_text: the same, we would have it 'understood that we do not confine ourselves to the
exact details and modifications shewn on the Drawings and herein described.
In illustration of this we mention (a) that instead of a compound bar we can
employ an ordinary Wilson and Smith's bar placed alternately with a short
travel bar (6) that motion can be given to the fuel feeding chains and
pistons and pushers described by other mechanism tban that 'shéwn; and (e),'
that screws and other means can be "employed to propel and regulate the
feed. What we claim' is,
...
i
First, constructing furnace fire-grates of a combination of the so-called'
Wilson and Smith's and short travel' fire-bars; substantially in the manner and
for the purpose set forth.
Second, supplying fuel to furnaces of the kind described from a 'position'
above the fire-grate' wben mechanism to measure, regulate, and propel the
said fuel is employed, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set
forth..
And, third, the particular arrangements and combinations of' mechanism
berein described for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Vicars, the elder, Thomas
Vicars, the younger, and James Smith, have hereunto set our hands
`and seals, this First day of January. in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
THOMAS VICARS TO ELDER
In the presence of
THOMAS VICARS, TH
(L.S.)
THOMAS VICARS, THE YOUNGER. (L.S.)
JAMES SMITH.
(L.S.)
JOHN T. KING,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.