IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Dillwyn Smith, Thomas Hen-
derson, and William Phillips Thompson at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 14th February
1874.
We, DILLWYN SMITH and THOMAS HENDERSON, both of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, and WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of
Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO
STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES," to be as follows:-
Our said Invention relates to improvements in the apparatus for
automatically supplying fuel to steam boiler and other furnaces
described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to the said
Dillwyn Smith, May 16th A.D. 1870, No. 1406, and to the said Thomas
Henderson, the 23rd August A.D. 1872, No. 2509.
The distinguishing peculiarity of this apparatus is the combination of
fans or series of rotating beaters which drive the fuel into the furnace,
with feeding and crushing apparatus which delivers the fuel in the
proper condition to the said fans or beaters.

page_text: According to our present Invention we combine with the said fans or
beaters an apparatus resembling that known as the "American mill,"
which has a vertical spindle provided with a cylindrical or conical cutter
or crusher, with straight or spiral blades or edges fitted within a hopper
with an inverted conical bottom, the said crusher being of such a
diameter as to close the aperture in the bottom of the hopper when
down. This hopper is arranged above the said fans and is supplied by
hand or otherwise with the coal to be fed into the furnace, the coal
being crushed or broken by the crusher into pieces of such a size as will
pass by the lower edge of the crusher into the fan boxes when the
crusher is raised. We provide the said vertical shaft with bearings
at the top and base of the hopper. The said vertical shaft is geared by a
worm and worm wheel with a horizontal shaft whereby it is rotated. We
make this shaft capable of ready disconnection with the worm wheel
by providing the said shaft with keys or pins which project from the
shaft and fit grooves or key ways formed in the boss of the said
wheel. By lowering the shaft the same and the keys or pins are
brought below the boss of the wheel, and the latter then revolves with-
out turning the shaft, the aperture in the hopper then being closed. To
allow the said shaft and crusher to be raised or lowered as required,
we combine with the same a lever and screw rod. The said lever has
one end forked to take into a circular groove or neck on the top of the
shaft. The screw rod is connected to the other end of the said lever. This
rod is passed through a screw nut fixed on the outside of the hopper,
and has a hand wheel or handle by turning which the rod is screwed up
or down in the said nut. Or we may use an eccentric or other suitable
means for adjusting the said shaft.
If desired we may drive the fan spindles by belts from a vertical shaft
arranged at the side of the hopper and parallel with its axis. The said
hopper may be arranged to supply the crushed fuel to two or more flues,
according to the number of the same.
In marine boilers, where some of the flues are below the others, we
drive the upper fans by friction wheels, and the lower fans by bevil
gearing from the same horizontal shaft.
In some cases where any projections in front of the boiler (for instance
the smoke box of a marine boiler), might prevent the fan box being
placed at its proper height, we may make the said fan box with an arched
top to cover or meet the top of the flue.

page_text: In some instances we extend the fan spindles up through the top of
the fan boxes into bearings fixed outside the hopper. We provide for
oiling the steps of the vertical shaft of the crusher by forming a hole
through the bottom of the hopper extending down to the step.
'
According to another part of our Invention we employ a crusher
placed inside a box and upon a vertical shaft which extends down below
the fan boxes and is driven by gearing from a horizontal shaft supported
in suitable bearings under the said boxes. This horizontal shaft carries
a cone pulley from which a belt extends to a cone on the horizontal
shaft at the top of the aforesaid hopper; by adjusting the belt on these
cone pulleys the speed of the lower shaft is varied to regulate the speed
of the crusher. The upper cone is provided with a loose pulley whereon
the belt is thrown to stop the crusher. This crusher may be either
cylindrical or conical, its large end being the lowest. It has teeth or
cutting edges which work close to the sides of the box and prevent the
descent of the coal except at the part directly over the aperture which
leads to the fans. One side of the crusher box is made adjustable so
that the quantity of coal passed through the said box may be regulated.
The said vertical shaft may be extended through the hopper and made to

page_text: Instead of driving the said fans by frictional gearing, we may extend
the said fan shafts above or below the fan boxes, and connect them by
toothed gear wheels with the horizontal shaft.
We construct the fan blades or beaters with feathers or brackets
extending from near the top of each blade to the bottom plate of the 5
same for the purpose of strengthening the said blades.