Improvements in Mechanical Stokers.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 29th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
Improvements in Mechanical Stokers.
We JOHN VICARS the elder, THOMAS VICARS and JOHN VICARS the younger,
all of 56 Seel Street Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to self stoking furnaces and as regards the second part
especially to our well known mechanical stokers more particularly as described and
illustrated in the Specification to our British Letters Patent No. 10945 of the
year 1889, and the main objects are to provide means for enabling finely divided
waste coal or coal dust or like fuel which binds together when damp to be used in
mechanical stokers and to simplify apparatus for giving reciprocating motion to
grate bars, and to so construct such apparatus that positive and certain to and fro
motion is given to the said grate bars.
Our invention consists,
First. In fitting the feed hoppers of mechanical stokers with rotating arms
above for breaking up and feeding the fuel to short lengths of alternately right
and left handed worms beneath. The said worms rotate, carry forward the
fuel and force it into plunger boxes or other chambers whence it is propelled onto
the bars by means of plungers fans shovels or other appliances in any usual or
suitable way.
Second. In fitting the grate bar-driving shaft with two dogs and a cam so disposed
in combination with two reciprocating keys each coupled to an alternating half of
the grate bars by means of cross bearers.
As the driving shaft rotates, one of the dogs acts against a tooth on one of the
keys, so as to push forward the said key together with its attached fire bars..
The cross bearer of the said key comes in contact with shoulders on the other set
of fire bars so as to move them forward at the same time. The revolution of the
driving shaft carries forward the dog until it comes in contact with a tooth on one.
of the keys and causes it to move back together with its attached fire bars.
The other key and bars being prevented from moving by means of the cam.
As the driving shaft moves still further round, the cam is carried away and the
second dog acts on a tooth on the other key and carries it and its fire bars back.
A second rotation of the shaft repeats the above operation.
Dated this 28th day of November 1895.
We JOHN VICARS the elder, THOMAS VICARS, and JOHN VICARS the younger,
all of 56 Seel Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, 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 :-
The invention relates to self stoking furnaces, and, as regards the second part,

page_text: especially to our well known mechanical stokers, more particularly as described and
illustrated in the Specification to our British Letters Patent No. 10945 of the
year 1889, and the main objects are to provide means for enabling finely divided
waste coal, or coal-dust, or like fuel, which binds together when damp, to be used
in mechanical stokers and to simplify apparatus for giving reciprocating motion to
grate bars, and to so construct such apparatus that positive and certain to and fro
motion is given to the said grate bars.
Our invention consists,
First. In fitting the feed hoppers of mechanical stokers with rotating arms
above for breaking up and feeding the fuel to short lengths of alternately right
and left handed worms beneath. The said worms rotate, carry forward the fuel,
and force it into the plunger boxes or other chambers whence it is propelled on to
the bars by means of plungers, fans, shovels, or other appliances in any usual or
suitable way..
Second. In fitting the grate-bar driving-shaft with two dogs and a cam so
disposed in combination with two reciprocating keys each coupled to an alternating
half of the grate bars by means of cross bearers.
As the driving shaft rotates, one of the dogs acts against a tooth on one of the
keys, so as to push forward the said key together with its attached fire bars.
The cross hearer of the said key comes in contact with shoulders on the other set
of fire bars so as to move them forward at the same time. The revolution of the
driving shaft carries forward the dog until it comes in contact with another tooth
on the same key and causes it to move back together with its attached fire bars.
The other key and bars being prevented from moving by means of the cam.
As the driving shaft moves still further round, the cam is carried away and the
second dog acts on a tooth on the other key and carries it and its fire bars back.
A second rotation of the shaft repeats the above operation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figs. 1 and 2 are sections at right angles to each other of apparatus illustrative
of the first part of our invention. a is the feed hopper of a mechanical stoking
apparatus for use with furnaces in any desired way. b are arms fixed to and
rotating with the shaft c carried in bearings on the hopper a. The rotation of the
arms & stirs up, loosens, and feeds the coal in the hopper to the worms d alternately
right and left handed. The worms d are fixed to and rotate with the shaft e
carried in bearings on the hopper and force the coal into chambers or boxes f from
whence the said coal is propelled on to the fire bars by means of plungers g; or
fans or other suitable appliances may be used for removing the coal from the
chambers fon to the fire bars. h is ratchet and pawl gearing for giving motion to
the worms d; and h¹ spur gearing for giving motion to the arms b. Any other
suitable driving gear may be used as will be obvious.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation and Fig. 4 is a plan of part of fire-bar-moving
mechanism illustrative of the second part of our invention. a, a', are fire bars
resting alternately on cross bearers bb'. cd are reciprocating keys or yokes
attached at one of their ends to the cross bearers 6 6 respectively and at their other
ends surrounding the driving shaft g. A pair of these keys are used at each end
of the cross bearers. f is a tooth on the key e against which, as the shaft g rotates,
a dog or projection h acts so as to push forward the said key with cross bearer b
and attached fire bars a. The cross bearer b in its forward motion comes against
shoulders a² on the fire bars a¹ and carries them forward with it and also the cross
bearer b¹ and key d. As the shaft g continues to rotate, the dog h comes against
tooth on the key c and draws such key backwards together with cross bearer b and
fire bars the key d, cross bearer b', and fire bars a being meanwhile prevented
from moving by the stop on the key d coming against the cam k on the shaft g.
As the shaft g rotates still further, the cam k is disengaged from the stop j, and a
dog.or projection l on the shaft y comes against a tooth m on the key d, and moves
a

page_text: such key backwards together with the cross bearer b' and fire bars a¹. The
operation is then repeated. Any convenient means of driving the shaft g may be
used as is well known.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. Stirring, loosening, and moving or feeding appliances in feed hoppers
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Second. Fire-bar moving mechanism constructed and operating substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
W. B. JOHNSON,
Agent.