Apparatus for Conveying
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 21st Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 22nd June, 1888
Apparatus for Conveying
We, EDWARD BENNIS, EMILY BENNIS, and ALFRED WILLIAM BENNIS, all of Bolton,
in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical Stoker Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of this Invention to be as follows
This invention consists chiefly in improvements on William Church's Patent
No. 5857 of 1829 A.D. and in Furnaces to be worked with the same, and apparatus
to convey fuel to the Stokers.
In constructing improved apparatus to supply fuel to the hoppers, and save the
labor of lifting, we use a lifting apparatus like that used in dredge boats having a
large hopper at the lower end, with or without crushers, into which the fuel is tipped.
The buckets convey the fuel to another hopper placed over the boilers on a trough or
pipe running along over the front of the boilers in a suitable position, sometimes
singly and sometimes in duplicate, and in this trough or pipe a conveyor works,
consisting either of pug mill blades or an iron or steel rod bent like spiral spring.
The revolution of either of which will move the fuel along or a chain with projections
fixed on it may pass along the trough going one way in one, and returning through
the other trough, and there may be an opening in a suitable place to drop the surplus
fuel back into the large hopper or a stop motion to throw off the strap when the
hoppers are full, and start when needed, or otherwise regulate the action of the
conveyor.
The hopper of the automatic stoker is constructed with the sides thereof cast at
an angle from a certain point to the front so as to enable the hopper to hold a larger
weight of fuel without obstructing the boiler front more than an ordinary hopper.
This hopper is placed over a box which we call the feed box, consisting preferably
of a parallel sided cast iron box, the bottom portion divided into a shovel box
corresponding to the shovel box on Church's machine.
In the upper portion of this feed box is placed a pusher to feed the fuel in regular
quantities as desired to the front of a shovel made preferably of sheet steel, the face
being at an angle so as to more effectually spread the fuel to the sides of the
furnace

page_text: This pusher is operated by a cam in such a manner that more or less fuel is fed as
desirable to each throw of the shovel and the same cam, or a second cam, may operate
the shovel itself. The cam usually being one with 3 or 4 lifts upon it of varying
heights.
The shovel usually slides along the bottom of the shovel box being supported on a
short lever or slide to which it is riveted or attached by other means-which lever or
slide is in turn jointed to a primary lever bung upon the side of the box or hopper,
and operated by a cam with lifts of varying height so as to distribute the fuel to
various zones of the fire.
This primary lever is turned at the end to form a bearing and bent up so as
to enable it to pass up the side of the feed box to a suitable position for hanging it,
and on a suitable part of it round the centre where it is hung is placed a curve-
the segment of a large circle and arranged a lever the face of which is the segment
of a still larger circle and on this second lover the spring presses so that when the
cam presses back the primary lever, it raises the secondary lever and puts the spring
in tension and when released—becomes self buffering as in Bennis Patent No. 3070
of 1878.
We sometimes however carry the shovel on a rod which passes through the shovel
box to the front of the feed box and is there attached to a similar primary lever or to
a short shaft as convenient and operated in a similar way to that already described.
Underneath the shovel box, or on one side of it as desirablo we place a fire door
made in the following manner; The centre portion connected with the hinges is made
in such a manner as to let air in from the top, bottom, or one side, preferably the top
and bottom, just inside w, place a sheet of iron or steel bent over so as to form a
Ushape with the outside perforated, and generally with a hole through the handle
as well.
This sheet iron allows a quantity of air to pass through the holes in it, and the
doubled up part arrests this air, and causes it to go over its top, and a plate hung on
the door inside, next the fire, turns the air down again, and it passes out just on the
top of the front part of the fire assisting combustion, and thereby both increasing the
production of steam, and preventing the production of smoke.
The furnace bars are of the self cleaning description, and are made with a deep
depression at the front usually 3 to 4 inches, then a gradual rise for about 1 foot, the
rise being from 1 to 3 inches, then for about 2 to 4 feet, a fall of from 2 to
and finally a rise at the end of the bar.
inches,
The movement we prefer is that in which all the bars are moved in together by the
action of a cam bar, and are drawn out one by one by the action of washer cams.
Dated this 21st day of March 1887.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: drawings are shown sufficient of a steam boiler to clearly illustrato
Apparatus for Conveying or Feeding Fuel thereto.
We, EDWARD BENNIS, EMILY BENNIS, and ALFRED WILLIAM BENNIS, all of Bolton,
in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical Stoker Manufacturers, do hereby declare tho
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The invention relates chiefly to improvements in the apparatus for supplying fuel
to steam boiler furnaces described in the specification of Church's Patent No. 5857 of
1829, to apparatus to convey the fuel to such apparatus, and to the fire bars used in
furnaces worked therewith.
In the annexed drawings are shown sufficient of a steam boiler to clearly illustrate
the improvements.
the
Fig. 1. is a front elevation of two boilers fitted with mechanical stokers showing
arrangement of apparatus for raising and conveying fuel to the hoppers.
Fig. 2. is a side elevation of fig. 1.
Fig. 3. plan of another arrangement of conveyor.
Fig. 4. side elevation of apparatus for distributing the coal on the furnace.
Fig. 5. front elevation of fig. 4.
Fig. 6. elevation of improved fire bar.
Fig. 7 enlarged plan view of shovel L.
Fig. 8. Sectional elevation of feed box K.
Fig. 9 Plan of feed box.
Referring particularly to Figs. 1. 2 and 3. The apparatus to raise and supply the
fuel to the hoppers and save the labour of lifting or shovelling by hand is constructed
as shown. A hopper or receptacle A is provided to receive the fuel into which it is
tipped. This may be of any suitable form or construction and of a size to hold the
desired quantity of fuel. Working in connection with the hopper or receptacle A
are a series of chain buckets B similar to what are used in dredge boats or other
elevators. The buckets B convey or elevate the fuel from the hopper A to another
hopper C placed on a level with the top of the boilers and in connection with a trough
or pipe D which runs along the front of the boilers in a suitable position over the
hoppers E of the stokers. In the trough D works a conveyor F, formed of pugmill
blades, of an iron rod bent into the form of a spring or screw, an archimedean screw
or other form of conveyor. A shoot or opening G is placed at intervals in the
trough D through which the fuel passes to the stoker hoppers E as it is carried along
from the hopper D by the conveyor F. At the end of the trough D is placed a stop
motion to throw off or regulate the speed of the driving strap when the hoppers are
full or coal begins to accumulate at the end. Over the opening G furthest from the
hopper Cis hinged or pivoted a plate H pivoted at having connected to it a
lever I which when the plate H is moved also moves about the centre k. The lever I

page_text: is attached or connected to the rod or strap fork i by means of which the driving belt
is moved as the plate H rises either thrown onto a loose pulley or along a cone drum
by which means the supply of fuel to the hoppers is regulated or stopped.
An arrangement of chain conveyor is shown in Fig. 3 it is operated in a manner
similar to the ordinary chain pump any surplus fuel will simply be carried round the
endless trough so that it cannot over feed.
If desired the coal may be delivered direct from the shoots G of the trough D to the
feed mechanism of the stoker without the intervention of a hopper E but at prosent
we prefer to use the arrangements shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
It will be evident that a number of boilers in a line or near together can thus be
kept supplied with fuel for a length of time without attention from an attendant.
In Figs. 4 and 5 are shown the stoker or apparatus for feeding the fuel to the
furnace of the boiler the hopper E is constructed with the sides thereof from a certain
point è inclined towards the front, so as to enable the hopper to hold a larger weight
of fuel without obstructing the boiler front more than an ordinary hopper or interfere
with its fittings.
The hopper E is placed or fitted upon the feed box K which consists preferably of
a rectangular cast iron box the bottom portion being divided off into a shovel box K¹
corresponding to the shovel box of the machine described and shown in the specifica-
tion of Church's Patent No. 5857 of 1829.
In the upper portion of this feed box is placed a pusher (as described in the
specification of Bennis's Patent No. 6091 of 1882 and illustrated by Fig. 3 of the
drawing) to feed the fuel in regular quantities as desired to the front of the shovel.
Also shown in Figs. 8 & 9 annexed hereto.
This pusher is operated by the lever k¹ and the cam O' on shaft o. The cam 0,
can be moved or adjusted to regulate the feed so that more or less fuel is fed as
desirable to each throw of the shovel, and projections on the same cam may operate
the shovel itself. The cam is usually one with 3 or 4 lifts upon it of varying
heights.
The shovel L is preferably made of steel and of the shape shown in Fig. 7 with an
angular face so as to more effectually spread the fuel to the sides of the furnace, it fits
in the shovel box and slides to and fro along the bottom.
The shovel L which is attached to the link or arm M is supported by the primary
lever N which is pivoted to the side of the shovel box on a pin or stud n. The primary
lever N is at its lower end or that to which the shovel is connected bent at right
angles to form a connecting piece m by means of which it connects to the link or
arm M. The primary lever is operated by the cam O with lifts of varying heights
so as to distribute the fuel over various zones of the fire. The primary lever N being
pivoted as shown has an angular movement and its lower end m moves to and fro
in the arc of a circle. Were the shovel attached directly to the end of the lever N
or the link or arm M rigidly attached to it, the shovel L would also move in a circular
path. This is not desired but it is required that the shovel should have a rectilinear
movement guided in direction by the bottom of the shovel box. It is for this purpose
that we use the link or arm M. It is formed with a hole or slot at the end furthest
from the shovel which fits loosely over the bent end m of primary lever N. The
movement of the lever N does not raise or lift the shovel L.
The primary lever N is preferably of the shape shown to avoid contact with the
cam shaft.
At or around the centre n on which it is pivoted it is formed in a curve
the segment of a large circle. A secondary lever P the inside face of which is the
segment of a larger circle presses on the primary lever N. The lever P is pivoted
at p and upon it the spring R presses. When the cam O presses back the primary
lever N it raises the secondary lever P compressing the spring R and when released
becomes self-buffering as described in the Specification of Bennis's Patent No. 3070
of 1878 and further illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing in Specification of Bennis's
Patent No. 6091 of 1882.
We sometimes however carry the shovel on a rod, which passes through the shovel
box to the front of the feed box and is there attached to a similar primary lever,

page_text: or to a short shaft as convenient, and operated in a similar way to that already
described.
Underneath the shovel box, or on one side of it, as desirable, we place a fire door
made in the following manner. The centre portion connected with the hinges is made
in such a manner as to let air in from the top, bottom or one side, preferably the top
and bottom, just inside we place a sheet of iron or steel bent over so as to form a
U shape with the outside perforated and generally with a hole through the handle as
well. This sheet iron allows a quantity of air to pass through the holes in it and
the doubled up part arrests this air and causes it to go over its top and a plate hung
on the door inside next the fire turns the air down again and it passes out just on
the top of the front part of the fire assisting combustion and thereby both increasing
the production of steam and preventing the production of smoke.
The furnace bars which we prefer to use are movable or self cleaning. In Fig. 6
is shown an elevation of our improved bar S. It is made with a deep depressions at
the front extending 3 to 4 inches, then a gradual rise for about one foot to s¹, the rise
being from 1 to 3 inches, then for about 2 to 4 feet to s", a fall of from 2 to 6 inches,
and finally a rise at the end of the bar.
The deep depression at frout gives a double surface and self acting deadplate-the
rise prevents the fuel leaving the front before it is ignited-the subsequent fall assists
the fuel to travel-and the rise at the back prevents the back of the fire becoming
uncovered.
The movement we prefer is that in which all the bars are moved in together
by the action of a cam bar, and are drawn out one by one by the action of
washer cams.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. Apparatus for conveying fuel to the hoppers or feed boxes of mechanical stokers,
attached to boiler or other furnaces, having a screw or its equivalent working in a
trough to convey the fuel, and a lever-plate or similar mechanism to control or stop
the mechanism when the feed is excessive with or without a bucket elevator to raiso
the fuel to the top of the boilers, substantially as described.
2. The combination with mechanical stoking apparatus of a chain conveyer to feed
the fuel to the hoppers, with or without an elevator to raise it, substantially as and for
the purposes described.
3. In mechanical stokers or apparatus for feeding fuel to furnaces, the combination
of the primary lever N, the secondary lever P. the spring R. the arm or link M. and
the shovel L substantially as and for the purposes described.
4. An improved furnace bar of the form substantially as shown and described.
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester,
Patent Agents.