IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-FEEDING SMOKELESS FURNACES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Vicars, the elder, and Thomas Vicars, the
younger, both of Liverpool, in thó County of Lancaster, Engineers,
and James Smith, of the same place, Baker, for the Invention of
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Vicars, the
elder, Thomas Vicars, the younger, and James Smith at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 16th
October 1868.
1
We, THOMAS VICARS, the elder, and THOMAS VICARS, the younger,
both of Liverpool, in the County of, Lancaster, Engineers, and JAMES
SMITH, of the same place, Baker, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-FEEDING SMOKELESS FURNACES,"
to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to further improvements in and additions to
that class of so-called self-feeding smokeless furnaces, such as Juckes's,

page_text: Wilson and Smith's, and Vicars and Smith's, wherein a progressive
motion is given to the fuel, and consists,―
First. In feeding the fuel directly on to and preferably into and
amongst the burning mass at a suitable distance above the fire-bars
instead of from above, as patented by us on the 4th July 1867, No. 1955.
The distance above the fire-bars will be in all cases determined by the
quality or character of the fuel and the construction of the furnace.
In externally fired steam boiler furnaces we find ten inches from the fire-
bars to answer. We employ for this purpose a reciprocating plunger or
push piece or any other convenient propelling or travelling mechanism;
by making it adjustable the quantity of fuel supplied can be regulated
or measured.
Secondly. In immersing the lower edges or under sides of the whole
or part of furnace bars in water, with the object of making them last
longer, and to prevent the adhesion of slag or clinker. To accomplishi
this cach bar is provided with a trough wherein water is maintained at
the desired level by a float acting directly on a valve in the water supply
pipe or cistern, or by any other suitable means. The bars are formed
with flanges or ribs on their sides to serve as covers for the troughs, or
they are so passed into the troughs as to prevent dust and ashes, from
falling into them.
Thirdly. In forming furnace bars, the lower edges or under sides
whereof are immersed in or dip into water, with cavities or passages
through which water is allowed to circulate or flow from the troughs.
And, fourthly. In forming or fitting the moveable bars, the lower
edges or under sides of which are immersed in or dip into water, with
raised steps or projections, called by us pokers, to stir up the mass of
fuel, and in allowing by capillary attraction or otherwise, or causing by
small levers and buckets operated by the bars or by other means, water
to flow or circulate through cavities or passages formed in them.
Where the above last, second, third, and fourth, or only the second,
with the third or fourth improvements are adopted, we prefer to use a
wide bar formed with open spaces to allow air to enter upwards, and the
dust and ashes to fall through into the pit.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Vicars, the elder, Thomas Vicars, the
younger, and James Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, WC, THOMAS
"VICARS, the elder, and THOMAS VICARS, the younger, both of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, and JAMES SMITH, of the same
place, Baker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Vicars, the elder, Thomas
Vicars, the younger, and James Smith, Her special license that we,
the said Thomas Vicars, the elder, Thomas Vicars, the younger, and
James Smith, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Thomas Vicars, the elder, Thomas Vicars, the younger,
and James Smith, our exccutors, 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 SELF-FEEDING SMOKELESS FURNACES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Vicars,
the elder, Thomas Vicars, the younger, and James Smith, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or
one of our or their hands and scals, 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 we, the said Thomas Vicars, the elder, Thonias
Vicars, the younger, and James Smith, do hereby declare the nature of
our 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, reference being had to the accompanying three Sheets
of Drawings, and to the figures and letters of reference thereon, tliat is
to sav

page_text: Our Invention relates to further improvements in and additions
to that class of so-called self-feeding smokeless furnaces, such as
Juckes's, Wilson and Smith's, and Vicars and Smith's, wherein a
progressive motion is given to the fuel, and consists,―
First. In feeding the fuel directly on to and preferably into and
amongst the burning mass at a suitable distance above the firc-bars
instead of from above, as patented by us on the 4th July 1867, No 1955.
The distance above the fire-bars will in all cases be determined by the
quality or character of the fuel and the construction of the furnace. In
externally fired steam boiler furnaces we find ten inches from the fire-
bars to answer. We employ for this purpose a reciprocating plunger
or push piece so fitted or adjusted that the amount of feed or the
quantity of fuel supplied can be regulated, varied, or measured.
Secondly. In immersing the lower edges or under sides of the whole
or part of furnace bars in water with the object of making them last
longer and to prevent the adhesion of slag or clinker. To accomplish
this each bar is provided with a trough wherein water is maintained
at the desired level by a float acting directly on a valve in the water
supply pipe or cistern, or by any other suitable means. The bars are
formed with flanges or ribs on their sides to serve as covers for the
troughs, or they are so passed into the troughs as to prevent dust and
ashes from falling into them.
:
Thirdly. In forming furnace bars, the lower edges or under sides
whereof are immersed in or dip into water, with cavities or passages
through which water is allowed to circulate or flow from the troughs.
And, fourthly. In forming or fitting the movable bars, the lower
edges or under sides of which are immersed in on dip into water, with
raised steps or projections, called by us pokers, to stir up the mass
of fuel, and in allowing, by capillary attraction or otherwise, or causing
by small levers and buckets operated by the bars or by other means,
water to flow or circulate through cavities or passages formed in them.
Where the above last second, third, and fourth, or only the second
with the third or fourth improvements are adopted, we prefer to use a
wide bar formed with open spaces to allow air to enter upwards, and
the dust and ashes to fall through into the pit.
Sheets A and B of the Drawings illustrate details according to the
first and second parts of our Invention applied to a steam boiler
constructed with two fire-places. Fig. 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2,

page_text: a vertical transverse section at the line 1, 1; Fig. 3, a vertical longi-
tudinal section at the line 2, 2; and Fig. 4, a horizontal section at the
line 3, 3. In all these views like letters denote the same parts.
Of the mechanism which more particularly belongs to and operates
under and with the first part of our Invention, a is the supporting
frame; b, hinged fire-doors, two are shewn for each fire-place; c, fuel
container or hopper; d is a shaft made to rotate by an intermittent
motion; the said shaft d gives by the excentrics, straps, and rods e motion
to the fuel feed plungers or push picces f. In the size of furnace and
arrangement delineated four of these plungers or push picces are shewn,
but it will be obvious any convenient greater or less number may be
used. With Lancashire slack of ordinary quality on the two grates
shewn, these being of medium area and in connection with an average
draught, we have found about one hundred and twenty strokes of four
inches cach per hour, that is to say, one hundred and twenty distinct
portions (or sixty to each grate), fed or forced in during that time to
answer well. In practice the coal slack or fuel does not fall on to the
progressive motion fire-grate, but is forced into and amongst the burning
mass. On the Drawings the distance from the lower edges of the
plungers or push pieces to the upper surfaces of the fire-bars is seven and
one half inches, so that in the furnace immediately in front of the said
plungers or push picces there is a large body of fuel in combustion.
With bituminous fuel we have found in fact that at the front of the
plungers or push pieces the fuel becomes coked, is subjected to a process
of destructive distillation, and that the gases thereby evolved or liberated
are in a highly heated and fit condition to freely combine with the
oxygen admitted, and hence most effective and economical combustion
is induced.
The mechanism by which intermittent rotary motion is communicated
to the shaft d in the disposition and arrangement of parts delineated
on the Drawings is actuated indirectly, that is to say, from the parts
employed to operate the fire-bars, but we would have it understood
that the motion may be cominunicated direct, any available motive
power being used.
The parts employed to give motion to the fire-bars are those described
and claimed in the Specification of an Invention for which Letters
Patent were granted to us of date the 4th July A.D. 1867, No. 1955;
they consist of the first motion reciprocating connecting rods g, rocking

page_text: side levers g', impulse pallets g, ratchet wheels g, and lever with curved
head to regulate the movement of the bars. Duplicates of these
parts are fitted to and with the shaft d for the purpose of imparting
motion thereto; thus arc reciprocating connecting rods; i, rocking
side levers; j, impulse pallets; k, ratchet wheels; , curved levers
acting on studs fitted in the impulse pallets. The connecting rods / by
being coupled nearer to or further from the end or ends of g¹ or i will
give more or less throw to i, and hence the travel of j, and the resulting
movement of k, d, and f, and the fuel forced in by the latter, will be
augmented or diminished, but we prefer the arrangement first described
above and delineated on the Drawings, as thereby we can increase or
decrease the speed of the bar, tappet, shaft, or the shaft d, and the
plungers or push pieces fat will by simply adjusting the levers with
curved heads g' and l. The amount of feed allowed to fall from the
hopper in front of the plungers or push pieces to be afterwards forced
in by them over the fire-grate can be adjusted by the means described
with great delicacy, so as to suit the character of the fuel, the amount of
draught, the state of the atmosphere, and other the conditions incident
to combustion in furnaces.
Of the mechanism which more particularly belongs to and operates
under and with the second part of our Invention, g, g¹, g, and g³ are
the bar actuating parts above described; m, tappet shafts; n, fire-bars;
these are formed as shewn with outwards and downwards projecting
flanges or ribs which fit over the sides of the water troughs shortly to be
mentioned, and with a large number of openings marked o, seen best in
Fig. 4, to serve for the admission of air and steam upwards into,
amongst, and through the incandescent fuel. p, troughs to contain
water. One of these troughs p combined with a fire-bar n is drawn to a
larger scale on Sheet C, where Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 6
a transverse section at the line 4, 4. The same letters are marked on
the same parts in these Figures as in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. The lower
edge of the midfeather of the firc-bar n dips into and is immersed in the
water in the trough p, but such inidfeather does not reach the bottom.
The object of this arrangement is to obviate friction, and to reduce such
friction to a minimum in fire-grates arranged or constructed according
to our Invention we interpose friction rollers g between the bearers >
and the bars n. s is a damper to shut off air when desired from the back
part of the bars. To maintain the level of the water in the troughsp at
an uniform height we employ a cistern provided with a self-acting

page_text: controlling float i connected to a valve fitted in or to the source of water
supply, or a cistern with a ball cock or valve of any of the ordinary well-
known constructions can be used for this purpose. Should the character
of the fuel evaporate a large quantity of water then the float falls, opens
the tap or valve, and increases the supply; but should the quantity
evaporated be reduced from any cause then the float will rise and the
supply be reduced. Fig. 7 illustrates the said travelling bars with
water troughs placed alternately with travelling or ordinary stationary
bars.
The third part of our Invention is illustrated on Sheet C by Figs.
5 and 6. v, cavity formed in the midfeather of the bar; this is open
at the lower end to the water and may be continuous from end to end,
or there may be one, two, or more connecting pieces cast therein so as to
form several cavities; wo are transverse passages formed through the mid-
feather, whether the same be made single or double.
The fourth part of our improvements are also illustrated on Sheet C.
Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section through a fire-bar n and its trough p,
and Fig. 9 is a transverse section at the line 5, 5. x is a raised projection
or poker. In practice two or more of the bars in a furnace of ordinary
size would be fitted with these pokers. y denotes a bundle of iron or
other wire fitted in a cavity or passage formed in the said póker x; the
said wire serves by capillary attraction to convey water from the trough
2 upwards to prevent damage to the poker by the heat of the fire.
Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 11 a transverse section at the
line 6, 6, of another similar bar n and trough p. The poker x, however,
is here kept cool by water in bulk supplied to a container
trough p by a tumbling scoop a hinged to 6*. As the bar n travels
towards the fire-door the said scoop falls into the water and becomes
filled, but, on the return stroke the scoop is raised into the position
shewn on the Drawings and made to deliver its contents to the con-
tainer =.
from the
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and
particularly ascertained the same by details which we have found to
answer well in practice, we would have it understood that we do not
confine ourselves to the exact arrangements and constructions of parts
shewn, as these may be considerably modified without departing from
the leading features of our Invention, for instance, we have only
delineated our improvements applied to and in connection with a

page_text: combination of Wilson and Smith's and Vicars and Smith's furnaces, but
it will be perfectly obvious they aro equally applicable to the whole class
of self-feeding smokeless furnaces in which a progressive motion is given
to the fucl; what we claim is,―
First. Feeding furnaces of the kind herein described from the front at
a distance above the fire-bars by mechanism capable of adjustment, so as
to regulate or vary the rate of supply of fuel at will, practical details
having been described herein and illustrated on Figs. 1, 3, and 4 of the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Second. Immersing the lower edges or portions of the whole or part of
the fire-bars in furnaces of the kind described in water for the purpose
set forth, practical details having been described herein and shewn on
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the accompanying Drawings.
Third. Forming furnace fire-bars, the lower edges or portions of
which dip into water, with cavities or passages for the purpose set forth,
substantially as illustrated by Figs. 12 and 13 on the Drawings.
Fourth. Constructing furnace bars employed in furnaces where a
progressive motion is given to the fuel with pokers for the purpose set
forth, substantially as shewn on Figs 14, 15, 16, and 17.
And fifth. Forming the pokers last above claimed hollow and in con- 2
veying water thereinto, substantially by the means illustrated by Figs.
14, 15, 16, and 17, and herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Vicars, the elder, Thomas
Vicars, the younger, and James Smith, have hereunto set our
hands and scals, this Twelfth day of April, in the year of our 2
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
THOMAS VICARS the olden
In the presence of
JOHN T. KING,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
THOMAS VICARS, the elder.
THOMAS VICARS, the younger. (L.S.)
JAMES SMITH.
(L.S.)