IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO LETTERS PAT
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Julius Boult, of the firm, of W. P. Thompson
& Boult, Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 323, High Holborn, London,
in the County of Middlesex and 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO
LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Julius Boult, of the firm, of W. P. Thompson
& Boult, Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 323, High Holborn, London,
in the County of Middlesex and 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster. for an invention of 6 IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO
FURNACES, CHIEFLY FOR BURNING CANE-THRASH, PEAT OR SIMILAR FUEL."―
A. communication from abroad by Marius Gros-Desormeaux, of Vauclin,
Martinique, one of the West Indies.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Julius Boult at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th March 1882.
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of the firm of W. P. Thompson & Boult Agents for
Foreign Patent Solicitors of 323 High Holborn London in the County of
Middlesex and G Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OR RELATING TO FURNACES, CHIEFLY FOR BURNING CANE-THRASH,
PEAT OR SIMILAR FUEL" [a communication froin abroad by Marius Gros-Desorineaux,
of Vauclin, Martinique, one of the West Indies.]
The object of this invention is so to construct a steam boiler or other furnace
that the waste heat from the furnace may be utilized for drying the fuel before its
introduction into the furnace, that the fuel so dried may be fed into the furnace in
proportion as it becomes dry and as fresh fuel is introduced into the drying chamber
and that the arrangements or devices for these purposes be so placed as to allow the
furnace to be fed with coal in the usual manner if desired.
This invention is designed more especially for use in cane-sugar factories where
the cane-thrash or waste cane will form a cheap and handy fuel and I will therefore
describe the said.invention as applied to a steam boiler in such a factory and such
modifications thereof as will be requisite to enable the saine to be applied to other
purposes will be obvious without further description.
In front of the furnace and above the same there is provided a vertical chamber
or shoot the lower mouth whereof is fitted with a perforated trap working on a
hinge and provided with a counterweight which keeps the trap up so as to close

page_text: the mouth of the chamber, unless such weight is placed on the trap as will more
than balance the counter-weight. From the mouth of this chamber which may be
called the drying chamber, a trunk leads into the furnace and serves to discharge
the fuel into the fire space as will hereinafter appear. The top of the drying
chamber is accessible from a floor above the furnace. Dampers for cutting off*
communication between the drying chamber and the furnace are also provided
and when these are closed the furnace may be heated by coal in the usual
manner.
The flue from the smokebox leads along the boiler and rises in front thereof
surrounding the drying chamber. A suitable trunk leads from the flue to 'the
smokestack or factory chimney. The flue is separated from the drying chamber
and the mouth of the latter (on the floor above the furnace) may be beside the
trunk that leads from the fine to the smoke stack. The flue is provided with
dampers in the usual way and has a manhole to allow of its being swept when
necessary.
The doors of the furnace have small wickets to admit a rake whereby frequent
opening of said doors is rendered unnecessary. The fire bars may either be fixed
or movable. If movable firebars are used they will be operated by a handle from
outside the furnace and the fuel will be dispersed by shaking the bars and thus the
rake may be dispensed with. For cleaning, these bars may be rigidly held in a
horizontal position.
The cane-thrash is introduced into the drying chamber from the top and the
gases of combustion passing through the flue which surrounds it and the heat
rising through the perforated trap above mentioned, heat the chamber thereby
drying the fuel. When the weight of the charge of fuel more than equals that of
the counterweight connected with the perforated trap the latter opens and allows
dry fuel to pass till the equilibrium is restored. By suitably regualating the feed
sufficient time will be allowed for the fuel to dry.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred Julius Boult in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th September 1882.
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of the firm of W P Thompson & Boult Agents for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 323 High Holborn London, in the County of
Middlesex and 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster. ."IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OR RELATING TO FURNACES CHIEFLY FOR BURNING CANE-THIRASB,
PEAT, OR SIMILAR FUEL a communication from abroad by Marius.Gros-Desormeaux
of Vauclin, Martinique one of the West-Indies.
"
The object of this invention is so to construct a steam-boiler or other furnace
that the waste heat from the furnace may be utilized for drying the fuel before its
introduction into the furnace that the fuel so dried may be fed into the furnace iu

page_text: proportion as it becomes dry and as fresh fuel is introduced into the drying
chamber, and that the arrangements or devices for these purposes be so placed as
to allow the furnace to be fed with coal in the usual manner, if desired.
This invention is designed more especially for use in cane sugar factories, where
the cane thrash or waste cane will form a cheap and handy fuel, and I will
therefore describe the said invention as applied to a steam boiler in such a factory
and such modifications thereof as will be requisite to enable the same to be applied
to other purposes will be obvious without further description.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a boiler and furnace
with these improvements attached thereto.-Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a front view of same. Figure 4 is a side view of the upper portion of
the chute showing the position of the damper and trap in dotted lines. Figure 5
is a similar view of the chute taken lower down the open position of the trap and
damper being indicated in dotted lines. Figure 6 is a cross section of the saine,
the damper and trap being shown as closed the open position of the trap being
indicated in dotted lines. Figure 7 is a plan of the damper. Figure 8 is a side
view of the same. Figure 9 is a plan of the lower portion of the chute.
Figure 10 is a plan of the trap: Figure 11 is a side view of the same.
In the said drawings C is a slide or chute, Figure 1 fitted to the floor P and
penetrating into the furnace F by an opening, O, Figure 3 above the fire doors,
Figure 3 and provided with a damper R and with a trap S, Figures 1 and 2.
The damper R Figures 7 and 8 is formed in two parts moving on a spindle g, h
which allows the parts when opened to be laid back against the slide or chute.
Fig. 2. When closed in the position ef Figure 4 it intercepts all communication
of the furnace with the interior of the chute and allows the heating by coal as if
the chute were non-existant. When open in the position e, s Figure 4 it allows
the cane thrash (which is placed in the chute from the floor P through the
opening V) to pass and freely fall through into the furnace F Figure 1.
The trap S Figure 1 is provided with a counterweight D which constantly keeps
it closed to arrest the cane thrash in its passage from the floor P to the furnace F,
so that it accumulates in the chute till the charge as regulated by the counter-
weight D is attained. As soon as this charge is attained the equilibrium is
disturbed and the trap opens into the position m. n Figures 5 and 6 to allow free
passage to the excess charge of cane thrash which falls into the furnace F and is
burned The excess of weight being removed the trap resumes its first position
so that while firing by cane thrash is going on a certain quantity of the fuel will
always remain in the chute C and maintain equilibrium with the weight D. By
regulating the charge of cane-thrash in the chute C, so as to be four baskets, for
instance then each time that a fifth is poured in, the trap will open to allow the
first of the four which is in contact with the trap to pass. This trap S Figure 10
is made like a sieve and thus allows the heat of the furnace which enters the chute
successively to dry the first layers of cane thrash which touch the trap, so that the
thrash falls into the furnace being dried in proportion to the length of time it
remained in the chute. The cane-thrash in falling into the furnace F, forms heaps
and to spread them without requiring the doors of the furnace to be opened and
to avoid the draft of cold air I make two sinal doors a a¹ Figure 3 at about the
center of the fire doors so as to admit a rake of round iron of fifteen to eighteen
millimeters as used in factories. The stoker provided with this rake can easily
spread the thrash in the furnace F. He will open the furnace-doors only at long
intervals for cleaning the fire-bars G, Figure 1 or for putting a few pieces of coal
on so as to keep the fire in. The fixed grate.G or the movable grate G¹, Figure 1,
may be used at the will of the constructor.
The grate G¹ may be inclined at will by a lever with which it is fitted, which
allows the cane thrash to be spread even without the use of a rake. It may be
placed horizontally for cleaning, and also protects the sides of the furnace against
very bot blasts of fire which generally are produced only at the height of the layer
of fuel.

page_text: The furnace can at once be transformed into one for coal firing by closing the
damper R. This alteration will frequently be required when the mills stop.
For the purpose of better drying the cane thrash I cause the flue H of the
boiler, Figure 1 to lead from the fire box'all along the boiler to the front where it
joins the bottom of a flue H' surrounding the chute C up to the floor P, to which
it is connected by a large plate of sheet iron, rs which has two openings-one V,
for the chute C and the other X for the flue H". The opening V communicates
with a similar opening in the floor which allows the cane thrash to descend into
the chute. The opening X is outside said floor, and the flue H" is mounted upon
it so as to communicate with the surrounding flue H'. and H. as indicated by the
arrow. The flue H" communicates with the open air and rises to the usual height.
The surrounding flue H is heremetically closed at the bottom by a collar bolted to
the stays of the chute C and at the top by a sheet-iron plate which connects it
with the floor P. It communicates only with the smoke box E by the horizontal
flue H and with the open air by the vertical flue H". It has no connection with
the chute C which it surrounds throughout its vertical part. A man hole A
Figure 3 admits to the surrounding flue H¹ to sweep it.
I is a damper for regulating the draft of the flue.
Having now described the nature of the said invention and how the same is to
be performed as communicated to me by my foreign Correspondent I wish it
understood that what I claim and desire to protect under the bereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is
First In combination with a boiler and its furnace the flue external to said
parts for conveying away the products of combustion and a feeding chute within
said flue and communicating with said furnace for the purpose of supplying dried
cane thrash or other fuel thereto, substantially as set forth and shown.
Second The perforated balance trap S substantially as and for the purposes
set forth and shown.
Third In combination with the chute C the movable grate G₁ actuated by
suitable means from outside the furnace whereby the fuel may be spread over
said grate instead of blocking the mouth of the chute substantially as specified.
Fourth-In combination with the chute C the damper R by closing which the
furnace is adapted to burn coal or by opening which it is adapted to burn cane
thrash or similar fuel substantially as set forth and illustrated.
In witness whereof I the said Alfred Julius Boult have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty seventh day of September in the Year of Our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eightytwo.
ALFRED J. BOULT. (L.S.)