IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILER. FURNACES MAINLY APPLICABLE FOR AGRICULTURAL AND PORTABLE ENGINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Ruston, of the Sheaf Iron Works, in the
City of Lincoln, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILER.
FURNACES MAINLY APPLICABLE FOR AGRICULTURAL AND PORTABLE ENGINES.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Ruston at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th March 1873.
I, JOSEPH RUSTON, of the Sheaf Ironworks, in the City of Lincoln,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM BOILER FURNACES, MAINLY APPLICABLE FOR AGRICULTURAL AND PORTABLE
ENGINES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is mainly to construct and adapt the
steam boiler furnaces of agricultural and portable engines for burning
straw, grasses, and such like matters as fuel.
For the purpose of introducing straw or such like matters into the
fire-place or furnace of an agricultural or portable steam engine I provide
a curved hopper one end of which is open to the lower part of the fire-

page_text: place or furnace, whilst the opposite end is exterior of the furnace, and
is open for straw or such like matters to be introduced into it, and this
end of the hopper is made bell-mouthed to allow of the straw being
readily inserted. The inner end which opens into the bottom of the fire-
place is also made bell-mouthed so that the straw projecting up from it
into the fire-place may open out and burn somewhat in the manner of a
torch, and as it burns away the straw is from time to time pushed
forward through the hopper, so that there may always be a supply of
straw or such matters projecting up from the hopper into the fire-place
ready to be burnt. This end of the hopper may be protected from the
action of the fire by fire-brick or other refractory material. Air may be
allowed to enter the furnace for supporting combustion through openings
at the upper part of the fire-box, and provision may also be made if
desired for supplying air into and amongst the straw just where it
projects up from the hopper into the fire-place. Between the sides and
ends of the inner end of the hopper and the interior of the fire-box spaces
may be left for ashes to drop down into the ash pan below. The hopper
is arranged to enter the ash pan through the ordinary ash pan door at
the front, and its inner end is curved upwards and made bell-mouthed so
as to occupy the greater part of the bottom of the fire-place.
When coal, wood, or such like fuel is to be burnt in the boiler furnace
the curved hopper is removed, the ash pan having been first taken away
to allow of its removal; the ordinary fire-bars are then placed across the
bottom of the fire-place and the ash pan having been replaced the fire
is lighted and fed with fuel through the fire-door in the ordinary
manner
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Ruston in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,, I, JOSEPH
RUSTON, of the Sheaf Iron Works, in the City of Lincoln, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Ruston, Her special license,

page_text: that I, the said Joseph Ruston, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Ruston, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM BOILER FURNACES, MAINLY APPLICABLE FOR AGRICULTURAL AND PORTABLE
ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Ruston, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of 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
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Ruston, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The object of this Invention is mainly to construct and adapt the
steam boiler furnaces of agricultural and portable engines for burning
straw, grasses, and such like matters as fuel.
For the purpose of introducing straw or such like matters into the
fire-place or furnace of an agricultural or portable steam engine, I
provide a curved hopper, one end of which is open to the lower part
of the fire-place or furnace, whilst the opposite end is exterior of the
furnace, and is open for straw or such like matters to be introduced
into it, and this end of the hopper is made bell-mouthed to allow of the
straw being readily inserted; the inner end which opens into the bottom
of the fire-place is also made bell-mouthed, so that the straw projecting
up from it into the fire-place may open out and burn somewhat in the
manner of a torch and as it burns away the straw is from time to
time pushed forward through the hopper, so that there may always be
a supply of straw or such matters projecting up from the hopper into
the fire-place ready to be burnt. This end of the hopper may be pro-
tected from the action of the fire by fire-brick or other refractory
material. Air may be allowed to enter the furnace for supporting com-
bustion through openings at the upper part of the fire-box, and provision
may also be made, if desired, for supplying air into and amongst the straw

page_text: just where it projects up from the hopper into the fire-place. Between
the sides and ends of the inner end of the hopper and the interior of
the fire-box spaces may be left for ashes to drop down into the ash-pan
below. The hopper is arranged to enter the ash-pan through the ordinary
ash-pan door at the front, and its inner end is curved upwards, and
made bell-mouthed so as to occupy the greater part of the bottom of
the fire-place.
When coal, wood, or such like fuel is to be burnt in the boiler furnace
the curved hopper is removed, the ash-pan having been first taken away
to allow of its removal; the ordinary fire-bars are then placed across the
bottom of the fire-place, and the ash-pan having been replaced the fire
is lighted and fed with fuel through the fire-door in the ordinary manner.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the fire-box or furnace of a
portable steam engine; Figure 2 is partly an end view and partly a
transverse section through the same.
a is the fire-box or furnace; b, the shell of boiler; c, the fire tubes;
d, the ash-pan; e is the hopper or straw burner which is shewn bell-
mouthed in this Drawing, both inside and outside the fire-box, outside
for convenience of feeding the straw into the hopper, and inside to a
allow the straw, grasses, or other material to spread like a torch so as to
burn more freely. f, f, are fire-bricks placed upon the sides of the
hopper to protect the same from the action of the fire; g, g, are spaces
for ashes to drop into the ash-pan which is cleared out through the
small doors h, h. The doors h, h, may be used for the admission of air 2
to the burning straw. The holes i, i, in the hopper are for the circula-
tion of air amongst the burning material as it enters the fire-box from
the hopper.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section; Figure 4, an end view ; and
Figure 5 a plan of the fire-box or furnace of a portable steam engine g
shewing the hopper or straw burner of a different form.
a is the fire-box or furnace; b, the shell of boiler; c, the fire tubes;
d, the ash pan; e is the hopper or straw burner, which is bell-mouthed
outside the fire-box for convenience of feeding the straw into the same.
It is also bell-mouthed inside the fire-box, but in a different manner.
The hopper enters the fire-box on the side next the front plate with-
out any space for ashes, while the plate forming the bottom of the
hopper is extended nearer the tube plate, leaving only a narrow space
3

page_text: for the escape of ashes to the ash pan. This form gives a better delivery
of the straw, grass, or other material into the fire-box.
Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9 shew an application of air pipes and air and
steam pipes for the delivery of the same into the fire-box to assist com-
bustion and economise the fuel, straw, grass, &c. The same letters are
employed for reference in these views as in the others, the construction
of the hopper, &c. being the same as in Figures 3, 4, and 5.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the firc-box or furnace of a
portable steam engine. j, j, are bent pipes entering the hopper, as
shewn. At one end two steam jets k, k, enter it, causing a blast or
current of air to enter the pipes j, j, (which passes upwards through the
perforated pipes 1, 1, which are in a highly heated condition), and
together with the air drawn in issues through the perforations in the
pipes 1, 1, to assist combustion. Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of a
fire-box shewing an application of the bent pipes j, j, alone. The pipes
enter the fire-box a little above the bottom. The ordinary draught of
the chimney draws a current of air through the pipes into the centre of
the burning mass of fuel, thus supplying it with air where it is most
required.
In a similar manner straw and such like material may be burnt in
furnaces of stationary or other engines.
I do not confine myself to the exact details described as the forms of
the parts may be varied without departing from my Invention; but
what I claim is the construction of steam boiler furnaces with a curved
hopper or trunk opening into the furnace at the lower part, and arranged
substantially as herein described.
I also claim the combination of machinery, substantially as shewn in
the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Ruston, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
CHA. WILLIAMS,
Salisbury.
JOSEPH RUSTON. (L.S.)