Improved Means for Economising Fuel and Consuming Smoke in Steam Boiler and other Furnaces.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 17th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Economising Fuel and Consuming Smoke in
Steam Boiler and other Furnaces.
1, WILLIAM HEYWOOD, of Stourbridge Road, Halesowen, Worcestershire,
Chain Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention consists of the hereindescribed improved means for economising
fuel and consuming smoke in the furnaces of steam boilers and in other heating
furnaces, stoves and muffles of all kinds in ironworks and elsewhere.
I will describe my invention as applied to a steam boiler furnace. In carrying
out my invention I employ a number of short firebars which are connected together
so as to form an endless chain or belt of bars, the said separate bars being jointed
together by round rods passed crossways through holes in the underside of the
ends of the firebars the ends of these cross rods being rivetted up or formed with
heads and nuts or cotters so as to secure them in place. This endless chain or belt
of bars may be made of any width required by placing the requisite number of
short bars in each row side by side and jointing them as above described and it
may be made of any length required and extend from the front of fireplace or the
furnace to the other end of the boiler if desired, or may terminate at any inter-
mediate point. The said endless belt or chain of bars passes over pulleys or
rollers on shafts at the front and at the back of the furnace, the end or ends of
each of these shafts being carried through the sides of the furnace to the outside
and geared together as by a light endless chain passing over chain wheels fixed on
to the projecting ends of the said shafts so that both shafts turn together; and in
the ends of either one or both of the said shafts there are holes into which a bar
can be put to act as a lever to cause the rollers to turn thus, moving forward the
endless belt or bars with the fuel through the length of one of the firebars towards
the back end of the furnace. The empty firebars pass back underneath the furnace
towards the front and then come up to the top of the front roller which receives
the charge of fresh fuel, the ashes and clinkers meanwhile being emptied off the
firebars into an enclosed ashpit at the back end. Any backdraught is prevented
by an iron or other swing shutter arranged above the bars at the back end of the
furnace.
1
The fuel may either be fed on to the front ends of the firebars by hand or 1
may provide automatic mechanism for this purpose consisting of an endless chain
feeder constructed similarly to the furnace bars above described but made much
smaller and lighter and fixed above the said firebars in front of the boiler or furnace
so that by this endless chain feeder the fuel will be deposited on to the front of the
firebars, the speed of the endless chain feeder and the corresponding feed of the
fuel being regulated according to the quality of the fuel used and the amount of
heat required.
+
In the chimney or flue I may or may not provide a light revolving screw fan
driven from any source so as to draw air through the bars to increase the draught ;
or other means may be employed to increase the draught if required.
By this system the requisite quantity of fresh air is introduced into the furnace
aud as the smoke and gases leave the fuel the oxygen of the air mixes with them
and causes them to ignite and consume away instead of passing up the chimney to

page_text: pollute the atmosphere; and at the same time a great amount of heat is given out
which otherwise would be lost.
Dated this 16th day of April 1894.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improved Means for Economising Fuel and Consuming Smoke in
Steam Boiler and other Furnaces.
I, WILLIAM HEYWOOD, of Stourbridge Road, Halesowen, Worcestershire,
Chain 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 consists of the hereindescribed improved means for economising
fuel and consuming smoke in the furnaces of steam boilers and in other heating
furnaces, stoves and muffles of all kinds in ironworks and elsewhere.
I will describe my invention by referring to the accompanying drawing which
illustrates my invention applied to the furnace of an egg-ended steam boiler..
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a furnace with my invention applied; Fig. 2 is
a sectional plan of the same;
Fig. 3 is a half sectional elevation on line X X of Fig. 2 and
Fig. 4 shews one of the firebars separately.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In carrying out my invention I employ an endless chain or helt of bars A formed
of a number of short firebars a¹ which are jointed together by round rods 6 passed
crosswise through holes a in the underside of the ends of the firebars the
ends of these rods being rivetted up or formed with heads and nuts or cotters so
as to secure them in place. This endless chain or belt of bars A is made of
suitable width and length according to the firegrate area required by placing the
requisite number of short bars a' in each row side by side alternately with the bars
in the next row and jointing them together as above described and it is made of
the necessary length so as to extend from the front of the fireplace as far as
required underneath the boiler. This endless belt or chain of bars A passes over
a pulley or roller C¹ at the front of the furnace and a similar pulley or roller C
at the back of the furnace these rollers being shaped to engage with the
downwardly projecting lugs as of the firebars and respectively mounted on suitable
shafts carried by fixed bearings e. The ends of these shafts d' dare by
preference carried through the brickwork sides F of the furnace as shewn in
Fig. 2 and are geared together by a light endless chain g passing over chain
wheels fixed respectively on the projecting ends of the shafts d' d' so that
both of the sbafts d'will turn together. Fixed on one or each of the shafts
there is a boss i made with holes into which a bar such as J can be inserted, so
as to act as a lever to turn the shafts and rollers C'C' and thus move forward the
upper side of the endless belt of bars A with the fuel thereon say through the
length of one of the firebars towards the back end of the furnace. The empty
firebars pass back underneath the furnace towards the front and then come up to
the top of the front roller C where the charge of fresh fuel is placed, the ashes
and clinkers meanwhile being emptied off the firebars into an enclosed ashpit Qat
the back end. K is the firing door which may be of any ordinary kind and is by
preference arranged to be lifted by a counterweighted chain like the door of a
puddling furnace. In order to support the weight of the upper side of the belt of
firebars A and the fuel thereon there are longitudinal bars say three in number

page_text: or more or less as may be required running along from the roller C¹ to the roller C'
and along which the belt of bars travels these longitudinal bars being supported
by cross bearers m underneath built into the side walls of the furnace. At each
side of the belt of firebars A there is a dead plate n¹ n' also carried by the
bearers m and by preference arranged to slant down from the sides of the furnace
to the upper surface of the bars A. The lower or empty side of the belt of
firebars A is supported by any convenient means as for instance by the rollers o' o'
as shewn in Fig. 1. The firebridge P is arranged far enough above the top of the
belt of bars A to allow of the ashes and clinkers passing underneath where they
are discharged into the enclosed ashpit Q which is by preference made with a side
opening and door gl for the removal of the ashes and clinkers. Any backdraught
under the bridge P is prevented by the swinging shutter which at the top is
jointed to the back of the bridge and rests upon the belt of bars so as to be.
lifted by the ashes and clinkers as they pass down into the ashpit Q.
When the furnace is at work the fresh fuel is fed on to the front part of the
belt of bars A and the smoke and gases from it are effectually consumed by the
fresh air which has been heated by passing through the bars at the back part of
the furnace where the fuel is consumed at a red heat. As the fuel burns away the
stoker by means of the lever J turns the shafts d' d and moves the belt of bars A
through a short space so as to bring the fresh fuel into the hotter part of the.
furnace.
In the side walls underneath the furnace and underneath the upper belt of bars A
there are or may be air inlet passages such as so as to ensure a thorough
supply of fresh air up through the bars of the furnace these passages being
arranged to be closed by suitable doors (not shewn upon the drawing) if required.
In order to facilitate the removal of any clinkers or ashes which may get jammed
between the firebars and the underside of the firebridge P there is or may be a.
small hole T in the side of the furnace slanting towards the bridge P through
which a bar can be inserted for the removal of such clinkers.
By my invention as above described the requisite quantity of fresh air is
introduced into the furnace and as the smoke and gases leave the fuel the oxygen
of the air mixes with them and causes them to ignite and consume away instead of
passing up the chimney to pollute the atmosphere, and at the same time a great.
amount of heat is given out which otherwise would be lost.
Instead of the fuel being fed on to the front ends of the firebars by hand as.
stated above I may provide automatic mechanism for this purpose as in automatic
stokers which are well known but as this automatic mechanism is, well known and
forms no part of this invention I do not describe the same.
In cases where the chimney is very low or there are other conditions which
prevent a sufficient draught, mechanical means may, as in other furnaces, be
provided to increase the draught such for instance as a light revolving screw fan
in the chimney or flue arranged to draw the air through the bars.
My invention is applied to other heating furnaces and to stoves and muffles of
all kinds in ironworks and elsewhere similarly as above described with reference to.
the furnace of an egg-ended steam boiler.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said.
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In a steam boiler furnace or other furnace the combination of the endless
chain or belt of firebars A forming the furnace bottom, two rollers one at the front
and the other at the back of the furnace round which the belt of firebars passes
and gears, means for supporting the weight of the belt of firebars and means for
moving them forward when required, all substantially as and for the purpose.
set forth.
2. In a steam boiler furnace or other furnace the combination of the endless.
chain or belt of firebars A forming the furnace bottom, two rollers one at the front.

page_text: and the other at the back of the furnace, round which the belt of firebars passes
and gears, said rollers being mounted on shafts which are geared together outside
the furnace, means for supporting the weight of the belt of firebars and means for
moving them forward when required, all substantially as and for the purposes
Bet forth.
:
3. In a steam boiler furnace or other furnace and in combination with the endless
chain or belt of firebars forming the furnace bottom as denoted under Claims 1 and 2,
the employment of the bridge P under which the belt of firebars passes and the
flap or shutter at the back of the bridge for allowing the ashes and clinkers to
pass off the bars into the ashpit and to prevent a backdraught under the bridge,
all substantially as described and shewn.
4. In a steam boiler furnace or other furnace, the construction of the endless
chain or belt of firebars A made of the short firebars a¹ and cross rods b arranged
and combined together substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn.
Dated this 16th day of January 1895.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.