IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ellis Butterworth, of Calder Cottage, near Rochdale, in
the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
APPLICABLE TO FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 15th February 1878, and dated the 17th August 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ellis Butterworth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th August 1877.
ELLIS BUTTERWORTH, of Calder Cottage, near Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS
AND OTHER PURPOSES."
I propose blowing fuel by means of air or steam, or throwing or injecting it by a
reciprocating or rotatory motion into furnaces where the fuel is stirred and passed
along by means of scalers or pokers, the fire-bars of which have or have not water
circulating through them; or instead of passing the fuel along by means of scalers or
pokers some of the bars may be stationary, with or without water circulating
through them, and the others moving bars to break up the fire and carry the fuel
along; or the bars may all be moved by means of a revolving eccentric camb or
crank shaft applied to their outer ends and thus pass the fuel along, or the bars may
be made to move in one direction altogether or in sets, and be drawn back separately
or a few together, and thus pass the fuel along.
I propose to make the fire-bars when hollow to contain water, with one or more
cavitys through them; one end of the bars are connected to a box from which water
is supplied to the bars, and the other ends have plugs or plates fastened to them.
Where one cavity only is used it may go partly through the bar; in this case the
open end is fastened to the water box. The front of the water box is bolted or
fastened to the box, so that it can be taken away to clean out the bars. These bars
I propose to make of wrought iron, malleable cast iron, or of cast steel, whether they
have one or more cavitys for the water.
When fans or discs are used to throw the fuel into the furnaces I propose to take

page_text: the driving shaft through the fan box and have the wheel plate or pulley on the
fan spindle or fan, either above or below this shaft; this wheel plate or pulley
propose to have above the driving shaft when it is above the fan box. Inside the
fan box I propose to have a plate or plates to keep heat off the box, and I propose
to drive the crushing rollers by means of a catch and wheel.
Where the fuel is thrown or injected into a furnace by an intermittant motion I
propose to have the fuel fall on a shovel or plate, by means of which it is thrown
into the furnace. This shovel or plate may be hung on centres or on a shaft, and
be actuated by springs, weights, or cambs. Where these shovels or plates are used,
or where the fuel is thrown or injected from a shelf by means of springs, weights, or
tappets, I propose to have the crusher or crushers deliver the fuel on to the shelf or
shovel and thus dispense with the ram or other feeding instrument; these crushers
I propose to make adjustable to regulate the quantity of fuel fed by them.
the fuel is thrown by doors suspended on centres or on a shaft, I propose to drive
the tappets which actuate them by spur, bevil, or ratchet wheels.
When
Where the fuel is passed along the fire-bars by pokers I propose to have water
inside the fire-bars.
Where the fuel is injected by a sliding pusher from a shelf I propose to actuate it
by a spring, or camb, or eccentric, and dispense with the detaining catch hitherto
used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Ellis Butterworth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
February 1878.
ELLIS BUTTERWORTH, of Calder Cottage, near Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS
AND OTHER PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to blowing fuel by means of air or steam, or throwing or
injecting it by a reciprocating or rotary motion into furnaces where the fuel is
stirred and passed along by means of scalers or pokers, the fire-bars of which have
water circulating through them; or instead of passing the fuel along by means of
scalers or pokers some of the bars may be stationary with water circulating through
them, and the others moving bars to break up the fire and carry the fuel along; or
the bars may all be moved by means of a revolving eccentric or crank shaft 'applied
to their outer ends and thus pass the fuel along; or the bars may be made to move
in one direction altogether or in sets, and be drawn back separately or a few
together, and thus pass the fuel along.
I make the fire-bars, when hollow, to contain water, with one cavity through
them; one end of the bars are connected to a box from which water is supplied to
them; and the other ends have plugs or plates fastened to them; or instead of the
cavity going through the bar I make it go partly through the bar; in this case the
open end is fastened to the box containing water.
When fans or discs are used to throw the fuel into the furnace I take the driving
shaft through the fan box. When the fuel is passed along the fire-bars by pokers I
have water inside the fire-bars. When the fuel is injected by a sliding pusher
;
;

page_text: from a shelf I actuate it by a spring and camb or eccentric, and dispense with
the detaining catch hitherto used.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the accompanying Drawing,
Fig. 1 is an end elevation, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section of part of a
boiler.
a, a, are hoppers into which the fuel is placed; b are crushing or feed rollers
which take the fuel from the hoppers and pass it to the revolving fans or discs C
which throw or inject the fuel through an aperture d into the furnace in the usual
way; e, Fig. 2, is a section of a fire-bar; it has one cavity through it (one end is
made up by a plate) to contain water. A series of these bars are connected to a
hollow box or chest f (see also Fig. 4), which is supported by a pipe g through
which water flows from the boiler into the box, and by a pipe h through which
the water flows from the box into the boiler again. The water passes through
the apertures i in the box into and out of the fire-bars. The fire being on the
top of the bars heats the highest portion of the water in the bar, and as the
bars are set so that the end fast to the hollow box is higher than the other;
this water flows towards the water box (as the upper portion of water in the
bars is lighter than the water at the bottom of the bar). Thus as the water
in contact with the top of the bar flows towards the box, the water in contact
with the bottom of the bar flows down the bar, and thus the water is made
to pass through the bars.
Fig. 3 shews the end of the bar that is fastened to the box. j (see Figs. 1
and 2), are scalers or rakes which pass up between the fire-bars and move the fire
along; they may have teeth, as shewn, or be without teeth. The way they are
operated is as follows:-k, Fig. 1, are driving pullies driven from any convenient
place; these pullies are fast to the driving shaft which passes through the fan
boxes. On this shaft is fast the wheel m which drives the wheel n fast on the
shaft o, which is supported by the bearings p. On the shaft o are eccentrics q see
also Fig. 2, where they are shewn in dotted lines). On these eccentrics work
connecting rods (one rod is not shewn so as to show the eccentric), which rods
have a catch formed on their lower ends, which catch into the teeth of the wheels 8,
and thus cause it to revolve. Fast to the wheels 8, 8, are oval wheels t, t, which
drive oval wheels u, which are fast on the crank shaft v, and thus cause it to revolve;
this shaft carries one end of the scalers j. On the shaft v is an eccentric v¹, which
by means of the clip v², rod v³, and arm v4, cause the shaft w, which is carried by the
arms w¹, to oscillate. To the shaft w are fastened the arms w², which move up and
down between the fire-bars; these arms support the other end of the scalers. Thus
as the crank shaft v revolves. it causes the scalers to move up and down and to and
fro between the fire-bars, and thus pass the fuel along.
:
Instead of the fuel being passed along by means of scalers, pokers may be used,
see Fig. 5. O is a revolving shaft, driven and supported the same as O, see Fig. 1.
On this shaft is a camb O', which lifts the connecting rod 02; the lower end of the
connecting rod takes hold of the stud 03 fast on the lever O, which is fast on the
shaft V, which is carried by the brackets, which are fast to the box to which the
hollow bars containing water are fastened. To the shaft vare fixed the arms v',
which have studs or shafts v², on which hook the ends of the pokers v³, which are
flattened where they pass up between the bars; the flattened ends are supported
by projections e¹ formed on the bars. After camb 01 has lifted the lever 02,
and forced the pokers into the fire, to move and push it on, the projection on the
camb passes from under the pulley on the connecting rod, and allows the spring O*
to pull the rod down, and thus pull the pokers out of the fire again.
Fig. 6 shews how the fuel may be passed along by means of plain fire-bars; e are
the fire-bars containing water; J are the plain or solid fire-bars which pass between
the bars e, and pass the fuel along. These plain bars are supported at one end by
the projections e¹, formed on the bars e, and at the other end by the crank shaft v,

page_text: which as it revolves causes the bars J to move up and down and to and fro between
the hollow bars e. Fig. 10 shows one end of this crank shaft v.
Fig. 7 shews how the fuel may be passed along by bars, all of which are moved
by a revolving eccentric or crank shaft applied to their outer end; v (see Figs. 7
and 11) is a revolving eccentric or crank shaft which carries the outer ends of the
fire-bars e and e¹, the other ends of the bars rest on the inclined surface of the rail
e², the crank shaft v is so formed that every alternate bar as e is at the bottom
when the other bars e¹ are at the top, so that when the shaft v revolves in the
direction shewn by the arrow it stirs the fuel and passes it along.
Figs. 8 and 9 shew how the fuel may be passed along by bars which move in
one direction all together, and are drawn back separately or a few together; e, e¹,
and e³ are the fire-bars, which are supported by the rails a, a; vis a shaft caused
to revolve in the direction shewn by the arrow in any convenient manner; to this
shaft is fixed a rod or roller v', which as the shaft v revolves pushes the bars all
together towards the back end of the furnace; on this shaft v is a wheel which gears
into a wheel on the shaft w (both of these wheels have the same number of teeth),
when the bars are all pushed in, the projection w¹ fast on the shaft w, come in con-
tact with the bars e, and pull them back; then the projection w² fast on the shaft w,
come in contact with the bars e¹ and pull them back, and then the projections w³
come in contact with the bars e and pull them back, when all the bars are pulled
back.
Instead of the bars all being pushed in at once all the bars on one side of the
furnace might be pushed in together, while the bars on the other side are being
pulled back separately or in sets; thus the fuel will be caused to pass along through
the furnace.
Figs. 12 and 13 shew how the fuel may be blown into the furnace by air or
steam; a is the hopper, into which the fuel (which should be in small particles) is
put; at the bottom of the hopper is a roller or wheel b, which revolves in the
direction shewn oy the arrow, and delivers the fuel on to the plate c, from which it
is blown into the furnace by steam or air, which comes through holes in the pipe d ;
the steam or air may be supplied in any convenient manner.
The furnace is operated as follows:-d is a connecting rod, which moves up and
down, and is driven in any convenient manner; this rod takes hold of a stud e, fast
to one end of the lever f, the other end of which lever is connected to and moves
round the shaft of the roller b. In the lever f is a stud g, which carries a catch h,
which pushes a wheel i on the shaft of the roller b, thus causing it to revolve; also
on the lever f is a stud k, on which the catch is suspended; this catch causes the
wheels to revolve (see s, Fig. 2), and thus drives the scalers.
Figs. 14 and 15 show how the fuel may be thrown or injected by a reciprocating
motion. a is the hopper in which the fuel is placed; b is a roller or wheel (shown
in dotted lines) which feeds the fuel on to the shelf c ; d is a camb or eccentric,
which is fast on the shaft of the roller b, and revolves in the direction shown by the
arrow, the projection on this camb or eccentric pushes back the lever e, which is fast
to the shaft f, on which are the arms g (shown in dotted lines) which are connected
to the arms h (also in dotted lines) which are fastened to the pusher i, which slides
on the shelf c. is a spiral spring, which pulls the lever e against the stop piece 1,
or against the camb or eccentric d. Thus immediately a projection on the camb or
eccentric has passed the projection on the lever e the spiral spring pulls the lever e
against the stop piece l, and thus through means of the shaft f, arms 9, arms h, and
pusher i, the fuel is thrown or injected from the shelf into the furnace. The feed
roller b and scalers may be actuated as shewn and described in reference to Figs. 12
and 13.
Having thus described my Invention, and shewn how the same may be carried
into operation I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself to
the details given, as the same may be considerably varied; but what I claim as my 8
Invention is,
First. Blowing fuel by means of air or steam, or throwing or injecting it by a

page_text: reciprocating or rotatory motion into furnaces where the fuel is stirred and carried
along by means of scalers or pokers, and the fire-bars of which have water circu-
lating through them.
Second. The employment of moving fire-bars to stir and pass the fuel along
between stationary fire-bars that have water in them, in furnaces the fuel of which
is blown in by steam or air, or thrown or injected by a reciprocating or rotatory
motion substantially as described. .
Third. The employment of fire-bars, which are moved by means of revolving
eccrentric camb or crank shaft applied to their outer ends to pass the fuel along in
furnaces, into which the fuel is blown by air or steam, or thrown or injected by a
reciprocating or rotatory motion.
Fourth. The employment of fire-bars which move in one direction all together, or
in sets, and are drawn back separately, or not more than one-third of the bars at
once in furnaces, into which the fuel is blown by air or steam, or thrown or injected
by a reciprocating or rotatory motion.
Fifth. The hollow fire-bar, with one cavity, into and out of which the water passes
at the same end.
Sixth. Passing the driving shaft through the fan box.
Seventh. Employment of water inside the fire-bars in furnaces, the fuel of which
is passed along by means of pokers.
Eighth. Injecting the fuel into the furnace by a sliding pusher, which is actuated
by a spring camb or eccentric, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ellis Butterworth, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of February, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-eight.
ELLIS BUTTERWORTH. (L.S.)