IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUPPLYING FURNACES AND FIRE-PLACES WITH FUEL
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Young, of Queen Street, Cheapside, in the City
of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED IN SUPPLYING FURNACES AND FIRE-PLACES WITH FUEL."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Young at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th August 1876
WILLIAM YOUNG, of Queen Street, Cheapside, in the City of London
PROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUPPLYING FURNACES AND
FIRE-PLACES WITH FUEL.”
"IM-
The Invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus employed
in supplying furnaces and fire-places with fuel.
In the Specifications of former Letters Patent granted to me dated September 19,
1856, No. 2202; April 11th, 1866, No 1029; and November 28, 1872, No 3574,
screws of various forms were described as the means for supplying furnaces and fine-
places with fuel by forcing the latter in at the bottom of the furnace or fire-place
under the burning fuel.
Now according to my present Invention I do not place the furnace feed screw in
immediate communication with the bottom or mouth of the hopper as heretofore,
but I interpose between the two a channel or communication in which is arranged
a worm or screw for the purpose of feeding in regulated quantities the fuel from the
hopper to the furnace feed screw. I by preference connect the axes of these two
screws together by suitable gearing, and in some cases I give motion to such
screws by steam or other self-acting motive power, whilst for ordinary fire-places
and for some other purposes I give motion thereto by means of a suitable lever
handle.
The screws may be placed at any angle in relation to each other as convenience or
circumstances may dictate, and the hopper and screws may be fixtures or according
to my present Invention they may be provided with wheels to run on rails or other-
wise, in which case a single hopper with its screws may be employed to supply fuel to
a number of furnaces. When the apparatus is made moveable the furnace or fire-
11

page_text: feed screw is adjusted at a suitable height to be capable of operating at the bottom
of the furnace or between the two bottom bars of a fire-place.
For domestic purposes the apparatus will assume somewhat the form of an orna-
mental coal scuttle or vase.
In applying my improvements to furnaces I preferably dispense with the ordinary
fire-bars, and form the bottom of the furnace by a curved enclosed water space
communicating with the boiler, the lowest point of such curved water space bottom
being at the furnace mouth, from which it rises in a curve towards the back thereof.
By these means I obtain increased water heating space and ensure the air to support
combustion passing into the furnace through the opening through which the fuel is
supplied to the furnace.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor by the said William Young in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 3rd March 1877.
"IM-
WILLIAM YOUNG, of Queen Street, Cheapside, in the City of London.
PROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUPPLYING FURNACES AND
FIRE-PLACES WITH FUEL."
The Invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus employed
in supplying furnaces and fire-places with fuel.
In the Specifications of former Letters Patent granted to me dated September
19th, 1856, No 2202, April 11th, 1866, No. 1029, and November 28th, 1872,
No. 3574, screws of various forms were described as the means for supplying
furnaces and fire-places with fuel by forcing the latter in at the bottom of the
furnace or fire-place under the burning fuel.
Now according to my present Invention I do not place the furnace feed screw in
immediate communication with the bottom or mouth of the hopper as heretofore, but
I interpose between the two a channel or communication in which is arranged a
worm or screw for the purpose of feeding in regulated quantities the fuel from the
hopper to the furnace feed screw. I by preference connect the axes of these two
screws together by suitable gearing, and in some cases I give motion to such
screws by steam or other self-acting motive power, whilst for ordinary fire-places
and for some other purposes give motion thereto by means of a suitable lever
handle.
The screws may be placed at any angle in relation to each other as convenience
or circumstances may dictate, and the hopper and screws may be fixtures, or accord-
ing to my present Invention they may be provided with wheels to run on rails
or otherwise, in which case a single hopper with its screws may be employed
to supply fuel to a number of furnaces When the apparatus is inade moveable
the furnace or fire-feed screw is adjusted at a suitable height to be capable of
operating at the bottom of the furnace or between the two bottom bars of a
fire-place. For domestic purposes the apparatus will assume somewhat the form of
an ornamental coal scuttle or vase.
In applying my improvements to furnaces I preferably dispense with the ordinary
fire-bars, and form the bottom of the furnace by a curved enclosed water space com-
municating with the boiler, the lowest point of such curved water space bottom
being at the furnace mouth, from which it rises in a curve towards the back thereof.
By these means I obtain increased water heating space and ensure the air to support
combustion passing into the furnace through the opening, through which the fuel is
supplied to the furnace.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, more fully
.to describe the same.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a section; Figure 2, a front elevation; and Figure 3, a plan
view of parts of a portable engine having my improvements applied thereto; and
Figure 4 is an elevation and Figure 5 is a section of the furnace feed screw shown
separately.
Figure 6 is a front view; and Figure 7 is a section of parts of a locomotive.engine
with my improvements applied thereto
Figure 8 is a sectional view showing my improvements applied to a Cornish
boiler.
Figure 9 is a sectional view showing my improvements applied to a fire-place or
grate for a dwelling house; and Figure 10 is an elevation of a coal box separately
showing the feed worm or screw applied thereto.
In all the views like parts are marked with similar letters of reference.
a is the fire-place or furnace; b is the furnace feed screw, which is of a somewhat
similar character to those shown and described in the Specifications of former Letters
Patent granted to me and herein-before referred to.
According to my present Invention I do not place the furnace feed screw b in
immediate communication with the bottom or mouth of the hopper c as heretofore,
but I interpose between the two a channel or communication c¹ in which is arranged
a worm or screw & for the purpose of feeding in regulated quantities the fuel from
the hopper c to the furnace feed screw b.
In the arrangement shown at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 I have represented
the furnace feed screw b to be formed hollow and provided with hollow necks or
axes b¹ which pass through stuffing boxes e communicating with inlet and outlet
tubes f, f, which communicate respectively with the lower and upper parts
of the water space of the boiler so as to facilitate the circulation of water
through the furnace feed screw, and thereby prevent the latter becoming too highly
heated.
In the arrangement shown at Figures 1, 2, 3, the screws b, d, are represented
as being automatically operated by a connection from the engine in the follow-.
ing manner-On the axis of the furnace feed screw bare fixed a ratchet wheel 62
and a toothed wheel bs, and on the said axis is also mounted loosely a lever 6' which
is provided with a catch or driver 65. On the axis of the worm or screw d is fixed
a worm wheel d¹ which is driven by a worm or screw g¹ fixed on an axis g on which
is fixed a toothed wheel g² which is taken into by and receives motion from the
toothed wheel 63. Thus as the lever b is noved to and fro by a connection from
the engine motion is given to the screws b and d whereby the worm or screw dis
caused to convey the fuel from the hopper or receptacle c along the channel c¹ to the
furnace feed screw b which forces the fuel into the furnace a
When required the apparatus may be caused for a time to remain stationary
whilst the engine is at work by throwing up the catch or driver be off the ratchet
wheel b, whilst if desired another lever similar to the lever b' may be mounted
loosely on the axis of the screw b to enable the same when desired to be operated
by hand when the engine is not at work
In Figures 6 and 7 the mode represented of giving motion to the screws b, d, is
somewhat modified from that before described. In this arrangement the lever 6' 18
formed as shown and is operated by the rod h¹ which is worked by an eccentric
h fixed on a rotating shaft or axis i, and an intermediate wheel ; conveys rotary
motion from the toothed wheel 63 on the axis of the furnace feeding screw b to the
axis g, whilst on one end of the axis g is fixed a ratchet wheel gs. A hand lever
g is mounted loosely on such axis and is provided with a catch or driver go to act
in combination with the ratchet wheel g³. Thus the screws b, d, may be automati-.
cally operated by the eccentrich when the engine is running, or they may be operated
by the lever g when the engine is standing.
If desired the eccentric / may by means of a clutch arrangement (not shown) be
thrown into and out of gear with the shaft i as may be required.

page_text: In the arrangement shown at Figure 8 the furnace is represented as having fixed
to the front thereof the feed screw b and shaft g and parts canied thereby, whilst
the hopper c and worm or screw d and parts connected therewith are carried by a
framing c² provided with wheels c³ to run on rails in front of the furnace or furnaces,
whereby a single hopper c and worm or screw & will serve to feed the feed screws
b of a number of furnaces arranged side by side. Thus on running the worm wheel
d into gear with the worm or screw g¹ and by operating a lever b* on the axis of
the feed screw b both screws b and d may be operated, whilst if the worm
wheel d¹ should fail to be driven by the worm or screw g¹ it can be driven by the
handle d³.
At Figure 9 I have represented the screws b, d, and apparatus connected there-
with to be carried entirely by the frame supporting the hopper c, the grate or stove
being provided with an opening at the lower part of the front to allow of the
screw being introduced therein, whilst in the absence of such screw a solid
or perforated plate a¹ is employed to close such opening. If desired, however,
the stove may have the screw b and parts carried thereby fixed to the front
thereof, whilst the hopper.c, worm or screw d, and parts carried thereby, may
be mounted on a separate frame provided with wheels to enable it to be moved
about as required. The chamber in which the screw 6 works is provided
with openings for air, which openings may be closed by plates m as shown
at Figures 2, 6, and 7, which plates may be operated by hand or may be
worked by a lever m¹, axis m², and levers m³, as shown at Figures 6 and 7.
The screw b may be made solid, as shown at Figures 8 and 9, or it may be formed
hollow, as shown at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, or it may be formed, as shown at
Figures 6 and 7, of tubes twisted or bent into the required forms and united
together by casting metal upon the same, or the screw b may be formed of a
number of spiral hollow or solid bars of either wrought or cast metal as will be
readily understood.
In applying my Invention to grates or fire-places and to furnaces, I preferably
dispense with the ordinary fire-bars and form the bottoms of the furnaces and fire-
places, according to the arrangements shown at Figures 7, 8, and 9, of solid fire-
brick, or as shown at Figure 1 the bottom of the furnace may be formed of a solid
plate forming the top of a water spaco under the same.
If desired a pair of crushing rollers (not shown) may be mounted in the hopper
c to break the fuel to a convenient size to be carried forward by the worm or
screw d.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the modes in which
I prefer to carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim
is feeding the furnace feed screw b by a worm or screw d in manner substantially
as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Young, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
WILLIAM YOUNG. (L.S.)