Improvements in Fuel Feeding Mechanism for Furnaces.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th July, 1898-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fuel Feeding Mechanism for Furnaces.
I, HENRY MARTYN WILLIAMS, of 36, East Berry Street, in the City of Forty
Wayne, in the County of Allen, and State of Indiana, United States of America,
Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fuel feeding
apparatus for furnaces adapted more particularly for use in connection with
locomotive boiler furnaces; and it is an object of the invention to provide simple
and effective means whereby fuel may be conveyed from the tender of the loco-
motive and fed upon the grate bars of the furnace thereof. A further object of
the invention is to provide means for operating the feeding mechanism either
by hand or from some moving part of the engine and finally the invention has
for its object to provide means whereby the feeding mechanism may be regulated
to deliver a greater or less quantity of fuel to the furnace in a given time. With
these objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and
combination of parts hereinafter more particularly described.
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which
like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of a locomotive and its tender
with an apparatus embodying the invention applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same.
Referring more particularly to the drawings, A designates a locomotive boiler;
B, the furnace thereof; and C, the locomotive tender, all of which may be of
ordinary construction. The grate bars 1 of the furnace may also be constructed
and arranged in any well known or desired manner, but preferably they extend
transversely across the furnace chamber and form a downward inclined plane
from the front to the rear of the chamber, and said bars are also arranged to
incline downwardly in opposite directions from the transverse center of the grate
as shown in Fig. 2.
Extending vertically below the grate and communicating with the interior of
the furnace chamber through a central opening formed in the grate is a supply
pipe 2, communicating at its lower end with one end of a horizontal feed chamber 3
extending to one side of the locomotive and this chamber in turn communicates
with a second supply pipe 4 leading from a point within or adjacent to the tender C
and provided at its receiving end with a hopper 5. This pipe 4 except at its
receiving end is arranged below the floor of the locomotive and at one side
thereof, so as not to interfere with the movements of the engineer within the
engine.
:
Within the feed chamber 3 is the fuel feeding mechanism comprising, as
shown, two separated parallel toothed rollers 6, 6ª extending transversely across
the chamber near opposite ends thereof and journaled in the sides of the said

page_text: chamber. Extending around the rollers 6 is a continuous feed belt or chain 7
which substantially conforms in width to the said rollers and to the feed chamber,
and carried upon said belt in transverse rows are separated fingers 8 which pro-
ject from the belt a sufficient distance to bring their ends nearly into contact
with the bottom of the feed chamber and with the side wall of the pipe 2 which
is the farthest from the inner roller 6". Suitable means is provided for driving
the feed rollers and feed belt from a moving part of the engine, and while this
means may be variously constructed and arranged, that shown is effective and
simple and is preferred on this account. The shaft of the roller 6 projects beyond
one side of the feed chamber 3 and has mounted thereon a worm-gear 9, inter-
meshing with which is a worm 10 supported to rotate in bearings of the frame.
Arranged upon the worm shaft near one end thereof is a ratchet wheel 12 with
which engages a pawl 13 carried upon a lever 14. This lever is pivoted at one
end upon the worm shaft and its opposite end extends into close proximity to an
axle 15 of the engine and is provided with a slot 16. Upon the axle 15 is an
eccentric 17 surrounding which is the usual strap 18, to a lug or projection of
which is pivotally connected one end of a link 19, which link near its opposite
end is provided with a pin 20 extending through the slot 16 of the lever 14 and
adapted to be moved Iongitudinally therein to vary the throw of the lever. Any
convenient means may be employed for shifting the pin 20 within the slot 16,
that shown comprising a rod 21 pivotally connected to the end of the link 19.
This rod is supported to be reciprocated in a guide of the frame and at its end
it is pivoted to one end of a hand lever 22 which is in turn pivoted intermediate
its ends and extends to a point where it may be conveniently grasped by the
engineer.
From the above description, it will be obvious that when the locomotive is
running and coal is fed into the supply pipe 4, it passes therethrough into the
receiving end of the feed chamber 3, through which it is conveyed by the fingers 8
of the traveling feed belt 7 to the vertical supply pipe 2, the fuel within this
latter being lifted therethrough and emptied upon the furnace grate by the fuel
which follows it. It will be noted that by inclining the grate bars from the
central supply opening the fuel as it is fed through the said opening tends to roll
over that already upon the grate towards the lower end and sides thereof, thus
not only preventing the mouth of the supply opening from becoming clogged up
but at the same time effecting a uniform distribution of the fuel over the fire
bed.
In order that fuel may not be conveyed from the supply pipe 2 to the receiving
end of the feed chamber a grating or slotted plate 24 is arranged at the inter-
section of the feed chamber and supply pipe 2, the said plate depending from the
upper wall of the feed chamber and extending substantially in contact with the
feed belt, the slots or openings of said plate being of such width and so spaced as
to permit the feed fingers 8 to pass therethrough but prevent any of the fuel from
being carried therewith.
When the locomotive engine is at a standstill, it is of course impossible to
operate the feeding mechanism from the axle thereof and as it is necessary that
fuel he fed to the furnace to keep up steam, suitable hand operated devices are
provided for actuating the feed mechanism. Thus, as shown a rod or bar 19ª,
mounted to reciprocate in guides of the frame extends in close proximity to the
ratchet wheel 12 and upon said bar is carried a pivoted pawl 26 adapted to engage
and turn the said wheel when the bar is moved in one direction and to move
freely over the teeth thereof when the bar is moved in the opposite direction.
As a convenient means of reciprocating said bar, a lever 25 is provided which
extends from a point within easy reach of the engineer and is pivoted intermediate
its ends to the frame and at its lower end to one end of the bar. From this, it
will be seen that by reciprocating the said lever 25, the bar 19" is also reciprocated
causing its pawl to rotate the ratchet wheel 12 and through the intermediate
devices actuate the feeding mechanism.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1st. The combination of a locomotive, its furnace and a tender for carrying
fuel, a fuel supply pipe extending from a point adjacent the tender along one
side of the locomotive beneath its platform and communicating with the furnace
chamber feeding mechanism within said pipe, and devices operated from a mov-
ing part of the engine for actuating the feeding mechanism, substantially as
described.
•
2nd. The combination with a locomotive and its furnace, of a fuel supply pipe
communicating with the interior of the furnace, feeding mechanism for conveying
the fuel through said pipe, adjustable devices operated from a moving part of the
engine for actuating the feeding mechanism, and means for adjusting said devices
for varying the action of said feeding mechanism, substantially as described.
3rd. The combination with a furnace, of a fuel supply pipe communicating
with the interior thereof, a continuous feed belt within said pipe provided with
fingers, means for driving said belt, and a slotted guard plate extending from a
wall of the pipe through the slots of which the feed fingers pass, substantially
as described.
4th. The combination with a locomotive engine and its furnace having an in-
clined grate with an opening, of a vertical fuel supply pipe leading to said opening,
feeding mechanism for conveying fuel through said pipe, and means for driving
said feeding mechanism froin a moving part of the engine, substantially as
described.
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