Improvements in Apparatus for Controlling the Supply of Air to Steam Boiler and other Furnaces.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 25th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Controlling the Supply of Air to
Steam Boiler and other Furnaces.
I, SAMUEL OATES of 45 Kearsley Road, Sheffield, in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
66
In Specification No. 5018" for which a Patent was granted to me for
* Improvements in steam boiler and other furnaces" I described an apparatus for
automatically regulating the admission of atmospheric air into the front and rear
of the fire grates for the purpose of supplying the necessary oxygen to the
incombustible gases whilst they are being rapidly evolved from the fuel on the fire
grates, thereby converting them into a combustible compound and subsequent
smokeless flame.
This apparatus consisted of an air valve or damper which was necessarily raised
whenever fresh fuel was fed on to the fire and was closed gradually, the closing
being controlled by well-known cataract arrangements which also controlled the
opening or closing of a tap or valve for allowing steam to pass from the boiler
through steam jets into the ash pit below the fire bars thus creating an increased or
forced draught.
To put this apparatus in motion it first required the air valves to be lifted or
opened by levers &c. actuated by manual force; instead of this manual force I now
propose to effect the raising of the air valves or dampers by means of steam, air,
or water pressure, and for this purpose I employ a cylinder in which a piston-
head is made to traverse by means of the force of any of the above mentioned
mediums acting against it, to this piston head I attach a rod that is connected to
the handing or first motion lever, which in my former apparatus was actuated by
the fireman, this rod is also connected to another piston head that traverses in
another cylinder, commonly called a cataract cylinder," which is filled with oil
or other liquid, the piston rod is in some cases further prolonged into a spring
box, or cylinder in which another piston-head or collar is made to traverse, in
opposition to the resistance of a spiral spring.
"
The admission of the forcing medium, steam by preference, into the first named
cylinder, is controlled by a small slide or piston valve, that can be made to move
over the inlet or outlet ports of the cylinder as desired, but I so arrange it by
means of a small spiral spring which encircles the valve spindle, that the normal
position of the valve is always covering the inlet port except when it is moved
intentionally, consequently the outlet or exhaust port is always open to the
atmosphere except when the valve is purposely moved over it as before mentioned.
Therefore, when I want to open the air valves and steam jets, I move the small
slide valve away from the inlet port of the steam cylinder and make it cover
the outlet port thus allowing the steam from the boiler, or other source, to act
on the underside of the piston head, thereby giving motion to the "handing" and
other levers which actuate the air valves and steam jet valve; at the same time
it causes the piston in the cataract cylinder to rise and force the oil, or other
liquid with which it is charged, to pass from the top side of the piston head to
the underside of the same, through suitable valve passages or openings, it also
causes the collar or piston head to traverse or rise in the spring box and compress
the spring, thus storing up power for forcing back, when desired, the oil and steam
pistons and rod for the purpose of closing the air valves and steam cock after the
small slide valve has been allowed to take its normal position, viz., over the steam
inlet port, consequently exposing the outlet port to the atmosphere and allowing
the steam to escape; the speed at which this exhaust steam is allowed to escape,

page_text: also the passage of the oil, in the cataract cylinder, from the underside of the piston
to the top side can be controlled by partially opening or closing the orifices of taps
or valves fixed in the outlet pipes, the valves in the piston head being self closing
upwards by means of springs &c. thereby regulating the descent of the pistons, and
consequently by reasons of their connections with the levers of the air valves and
steam jet valve; the speed at which they shall be allowed to close.
By controlling the escaping steam from the steam cylinder, the latter also acts as
a cataract cylinder in addition to the oil cylinder.
This arrangement of opening and controlling the closing of air valves and steam
jets can be applied to any class of boiler or other furnaces, but it is especially
suitable for marine boilers, where, in consequence of the rolling of the vessel in
rough weather, the air valves do not descend so readily by the action of gravity
only, as in the case of land or stationary boilers.
In this arrangement the loss of the descending force due to the above mentioned
cause is refunded by the force stored up in the spiral spring in the spring box.
Although I specify and describe a spring in conjunction with the cataract
cylinder it is not always necessary, therefore, I do not propose to use it in all
cases.
It will be easily seen that I can open the air and steam jet valves of boiler or
other furnaces by means of steam or other available power acting through a
cylinder and piston, and that the closing of the same can be controlled by means
of a suitable cataract cylinder and piston.
In place also of the steam cock being operated from the upper or second motion
shaft as described in the Specification of my former Patent I can operate it from
the lower or first motion shaft or direct from the cataract lever if a lever cataract
is employed.
Dated this 26th day of April 1892
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Controlling the Supply of Air to
Steam Boiler and other Furnaces.
I, SAMUEL OATES of 45 Kearsley Road, Sheffield in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the 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 :-
66
In Specification No. 5018" for which a Patent was granted to me for
Improvements in steam boiler and other furnaces" I described an apparatus for
automatically regulating the admission of atmospheric air into the front and rear
of the fire grates for the purpose of supplying the necessary oxygen to the
incombustible gases whilst they are being rapidly evolved from the fuel on the fire
grates, thereby converting them into a combustible compound and subsequent
smokeless flame.
This apparatus consisted of an air valve or damper which was necessarily raised
whenever fresh fuel was fed on to the fire-and was closed gradually-the closing
being controlled by well known cataract arrangements which also controlled the
opening or closing of a tap or valve for allowing steam to pass from the boiler
through steam jets into the ash pit below the fire bars thus creating an increased or
forced draught.
To put this apparatus in motion it first required the air valves to be lifted or
opened by levers &c. actuated by manual force; instead of this manual force I now
propose to effect the raising of the air valves or dampers by means of steam, air or
water pressure, and for this purpose I employ a cylinder in which a piston-head is
made to traverse by means of the force of any of the above mentioned mediums

page_text: acting against it, to this piston head I attach a rod that is connected to the handing
or first motion lever, which in my former apparatus was actuated by the fireman,
this rod is also connected to another piston head that traverses in another cylinder,
commonly called a "cataract cylinder," which is filled with oil or other liquid, the
piston rod is in some cases further prolonged into a spring box or cylinder in which
another piston-head or collar is made to traverse, in opposition to the resistance of
a spiral spring.
The admission of the forcing medium, steam by preference, into the first named
cylinder, is controlled by a small slide or piston valve, that can be made to move
over the inlet or outlet ports of the cylinder as desired, but I so arrange it by
means of a small spiral spring which encircles the valve spindle, that the normal
position of the valve is always covering the inlet port except when it is moved
intentionally, consequently the outlet or exhaust port is always open to the
atmosphere except when the valve is purposely moved over it as before mentioned.
Therefore, when I want to open the air valves and steam jets, I move the small
slide valve away from the inlet port of the steam cylinder and make it cover the
outlet port thus allowing the steam from the boiler, or other source to act on the
underside of the piston head, thereby giving motion to the "handing" and other
levers which actuate the air valves and steam jet valve; at the same time it causes
the piston in the cataract cylinder to rise and force the oil, or other liquid with
which it is charged, to pass from the top side of the piston head to the underside
of the same, through suitable valve passages or openings, it also causes the collar
or piston head to traverse or rise in the spring box and compress the spring, thus
storing up power for forcing back, when desired, the oil and steam pistons and rod
for the purpose of closing the air valves and steam cock after the small slide valve
has been allowed to take its normal position viz., over the steam inlet port, con-
sequently exposing the outlet port to the atmosphere and allowing the steam to
escape; the speed at which this exhaust steam is allowed to escape, also the
passage of the oil in the cataract cylinder, from the underside of the piston to the
top side can be controlled by partially opening or closing the orifices of taps or
valves fixed in the outlet pipes the valves in the piston head being self closing,
upwards by means of springs &c. thereby regulating the descent of the pistons,
and consequently by reason of their connections with the levers of the air valves
and steam jet valves, the speed at which they shall be allowed to close.
By controlling the escaping steam from the steam cylinder, the latter also acts as
a cataract cylinder in addition to the oil cylinder; this applies with greater force
when water is used as a forcing medium.
This arrangement of opening and controlling the closing of air valves and steam
jets can be applied to any class of boiler or other furnaces, but it is especially
suitable for marine boilers, where, in consequence of the rolling of the vessel in
rough weather, the air valves do not descend so readily by the action of gravity
only, as in the case of land or stationary boilers.
In this arrangement the loss of the descending force due to the above mentioned
cause is refunded by the force stored up in the spiral spring in the spring box.
Although I specify and describe a spring in conjunction with the cataract
cylinder it is not always necessary, therefore I do not propose to use it in all
cases.
It will be easily seen that I can open the air and steam jet valves of boiler or
other furnaces by means of steam or other available power acting through a
cylinder and piston and that the closing of the same can be controlled by means of
a suitable cataract cylinder and piston.
In place also of the steam cock being operated from the upper or second
motion shaft as described in the Specification of my former Patent I can operate
it from the lower or first motion shaft or direct from the cataract lever if a lever
cataract is employed.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I illustrate the same by

page_text: opportunity of combining with the oxygen which has been induced through the
perforated supplementary air pipes G₁ and through the openings in the fire hole
door F¹.
I is a spiral spring which encircles the prolonged piston rod and when compressed
assists to force down the steam and water pistons and close the air and steam valves
when necessary.
The method of working the apparatus is previously described. By a movement
of the handle B' the valves are opened and the fire becomes accessible; the closing
of the valves then takes place automatically in a prearranged time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Apparatus substantially as described in which valves giving access to the fire
and admitting air to steam boiler and other furnaces are opened by means of a
piston traversing in a cylinder, such piston being impelled either by steam, air or
water under pressure, and in which the closing of the valves is governed by a
cataract or its equivalent.
2. Apparatus substantially as described in which valves giving access to the fire
and valves or taps admitting steam to jets which serve to propel air to the furnace
are opened by means of a piston traversing in a cylinder, such piston being impelled
either by steam, air or water under pressure, and in which the closing of the valves
is governed by a cataract or its equivalent.
3. Apparatus substantially as described for opening and closing the valves in
connection with the air supply to steam boiler and other furnaces such apparatus
consisting of a steam or fluid pressure cylinder and a cataract cylinder controlling
pistons on the same rod and with or without a spring acting in opposition to the
fluid pressure cylinder.
4. Apparatus substantially as described and illustrated by the annexed drawings
for controlling the supply of air to steam boiler and other furnaces.
Dated this 10th day of January 1893.
SAML. OATES.