IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES OR FIRE PLACES FOR THE BETTER CON- SUMING OF FUEL
Year: 1839

page_text: OM THESE
PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1. JOHN
TO ALL TO
JUCKES. of Shropshire, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most
Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain. bearing date at
Westminster; the Ninth day of December, in the third year of Her reign.
did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Juckes. Her especial license. full power, sole privilege and authority, that
1. the said John Juckes, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I
the said John Juckes. my exors, admors, or assigns. should at any time agree
with and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England. Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Inven-
tion of IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES OR FIRE PLACES FOR THE BETTER CON-
SUMING OF FUEL;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I,
the said John Juckes, shall cause a particular description of the nature of
my said Invention. and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Juckes. do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascertained
[Price 8d.]

page_text: in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:
My Invention relates to a mode of feeding or supplying furnaces or fire-
places with fuel, and consists of a mode of obtaining or producing what may be
technically called a hollow fire or a fire hollow or vacant, at the under surface
of the burning fuel, and fresh fuel being fed or forced from beneath through
the hollow or vacancy into the fire. The fresh fuel thus comes in contact with
the burning fuel above it, when it ignites and evolves its gases, vapours and
smoke, which pass through the previously ignited fuel which is above. By
this means fuel is more effectually consumed than by other fire-places or
furnaces heretofore employed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The Drawings shew the Invention applied to the furnace of a steam engine
boiler, but it will be evident that the Invention may be applied to other
furnaces.
Figure is a longitudinal section of the furnace. Figure 2 is a plan of the
fire-bars and apparatus for feeding the fire with fuel. Figure 3 is a front
view of the furnace and apparatus for feeding connected therewith; and Figure
4 is a transverse section of the furnace. In each of these Figures the same
letters indicate similar parts; a, a, being the fire-bars, and b is a platform
placed between the fire-bars; this platform moves on a hinge or axis at c; on
the fore part of the platform is affixed a curved surface d, which closes the
opening to the chamber e, into which the coal or fuel falls from the hopper l,
before being forced upon the platform b, and by means of the platform into the
fire. At the sides of the platform b there are two side plates fallixed under the
fire-bars, and the platform b moves up and down between the side plates f.
On the under side of the platform & there is a lever affixed on the axis g¹.
carried by the side plates . ; one end of the lever g at all times rests under
the platform b: another lever g is affixed on one end of the axis g' the lever
being connected to a connecting rod h, which is connected to the crank lever
, one end of such lever i being a handle to work the platform b up and down. The
weight j. as shewn by the dotted lines. Figure 1, attached to the axis' g', is
intended to counterbalance the platform and apparatus connected therewith; k is
a hopper into which the coal or fuel is thrown; and is a piston moving in the
trank m, which opens into the hopper, all which is clearly shewn in the Drawings.
I will now describe the mode of working: and in so doing will suppose that a
fire has been lighted in the ordinary way, that the furnace is at work, that the
piston has been drawn back by means of the handle n, and that the chamber
e is full of fuel. When the fireman is desirous of supplying fuel to the furnace or

page_text: fire-place, the first thing he does is to lower the platform by means of the
handle i to the position shown in Figure 1: he will then, by means of the
handle n, force the piston towards the platform, by which means the coal or
fuel in the chamber e will be forced on to the platform b; the platform bis
then to be raised by means of the handle i into the position shewn by the dotted
lines at, Figure 1. The fresh coal or fuel upon the platform will be carried
up and forced under the burning fuel into the fire. It may here be observed
that the platform in descending does not carry down the well ignited fuel,
but for the most part leaves the surface of ignited fuel above the plat-
form in an unbroken state standing across the opening left by the descent
of the platform from fire-bar to fire-bar: hence the space between
the platform b and the ignited fuel above will be hollow or vacant to receive
the fresh supply of fuel. The fuel upon being thus forced into the fire quickly
becomes heated and evolves smoke and other gascons matters which pass
through the ignited fuel above and is consumed, and no black smoke will escape
or pass to the chimney, but on the contrary almost every combustible part of
the fuel will be well and advantageously consumed and its heat evolved. I
would remark, that although I have been particular in thus describing the
apparatus and machinery applied to furnaces or fire-places as above-mentioned,
I do not confine myself to that particular modification of my Invention: for it
is evident that many modifications or variations may be made in such apparatus
and machinery, and in the mode of applying and using it; and in order to shew
that modifications or variations may be made in the Invention. I have introduced
other modifications or variations into the Drawings. Figure 5 shows a front
view of another modification in the apparatus and machinery: Figure 6, a
longitudinal sectional view; Figure 7 is a transverse section: Figure 8 is a plan
of the grate, and Figure 9 a side view of the grate. In these Figures the
same letters are employed for indicating parts similar to those of the former
Figures. In this case, in place of the hand levers for working the parts, an
axis p is employed. turning in suitable bearings, as shewn. On this axis the
wheel is affixed, by means of which the axis p is turned; and on the axis p
are also affixed two pinions r and s. the pinion r working in the rack . which
moves the piston or ram 1. and the pinions works the racket on the con-
necting rod of the crank of the platform b; in other respects the mode of work-
ing the platform is similar to the arrangement before described; r., are
two friction rollers on the axis, which prevent the racks moving from their
places when acted on by their respective pinions; a is a catch which moves on
the axis r, and is for holding the axis p correctly, to work the piston or the
platform, there being a collar y allixed on the axis p,and according as the catch is

page_text: on the left or right hand side of such collar, so will be the pinion or s brought
into work with its rack. The Drawing at Figure 5 shows the catch on the left.
hand side of the collar, and that the pinion is in contact with its rack for
working the piston; and as the axis p can move cadwise in its bearings, on
raising the catch the pinion s may be brought into its rack, and the pinion r
removed from its rack; by this arrangement, therefore, the simple act of causing
the axis p to revolve will be the means of working either the piston or the
platform as may be required. The mode of working this variation of the
Invention will be easily understood by reference to the description of using the
first modification of any Invention herein-before contained. Figure 10 shows
a front view of another modification: Figure 11. a transverse section, which
shews the application of my Invention to the fire-place of an ordinary stove;
and Figure 12 is a plan of the fire-bars and platform. Below the fire-place
there is a box or rectangular frame in which the platform b works, as will be
readily understood on examining the Drawing: and there is a spring catch
which acts upon a rack at the underside of the platform b. and there is a handle
outside of the box or case J. by which catch can be removed out of the rack. in
order to allow of the descent of the platform to have fuel placed thereon by
removing the cover z of the box f. and the platform may then be raised to its
Umost elevation by means of a poker or other such instrument, carrying up
with it the fresh fuel and forcing it into the fire, and the platform will be
retained in its position by the spring catch.
Thus it will be seen that according to my Invention the instrument or
apparatus which supplies or carries up the fuel to the fire is at one time the
means of supporting the burning fuel, and at other times the means of bringing
up a fresh supply of fuel. And I would have it understood. that I do not
claim any of the parts herein-before mentioned or described which are well
known or now in use; nor do I confine myself to the precise arrangements or
modifications herein-before described, provided the general principles of my
Invention be retained; and so long as the apparatus or machinery employed is
such as to produce a vacant space below the burning fuel, and to supply or
feed the fire with fresh fuel by the movement of a platform or part of the fire-
grate, in the manner herein-before described. And do declare that what
I claim as the Invention is, the mode of supplying fuel to furnaces or fire-places
by means of a platform or such like instrument acting as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Juckes, have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Ninth day of June, in the year
of our Lord 1840, the aforesaid John Juckes, Esquire, came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and everything therein contained and specified. in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Ninth day of June. in the year of our Lord One thousand