Improvements in the Construction of Steam Boilers and Furnaces.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 30th June, 1892-Accepted, 30th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Steam Boilers and Furnaces.
I RADCLIFFE BUCKLEY of Winter Street Iron Works, Lees near Oldham in
the County of Lancaster Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
"
steam
My invention relates principally to the construction of the furnace and the
arrangement for supplying the same with fuel, and it is so arranged that it can be
applied to and form the heating apparatus of an ordinary "Lancashire
boiler, or it may be so constructed that the heating apparatus may be formed in
one with, and constitute an integral part of a boiler of such or similar
construction.
According to my invention the furnace or combustion chamber, and the ashpit
are enclosed by side and back walls, and a dome or arched top, which are made
hollow of double boiler plate having a water space between the plates which at its
upper part forms a portion, of or is in direct connection with the water space of the
boiler proper.
At the back of the ashpit is fixed a vertical fuel box open at the top, which is
at the back of the fire bars and level therewith.
Just below the fire bars is a damper plate which, when pushed in closes the fuel
box, and which may be drawn out when dosired by means of two pistons (one on
each side) working in two cylinders and actuated when required by steam, com-
pressed air or other elastic fluid. Or the said damper may be moved in or out
by hydraulic pressure or by means of racks and pinions or other equivalent
mechanism.
In the front of the fuel box below the damper an opening is made and fitted
with a door for supplying fuel to the box, and in the latter a ram-plate or false
bottom is fitted so as to rise and fall and is moved either by a steam piston,
hydraulic ram, or other equivalent power.
The fuel is filled into the box when the ram plate is at the bottom and the
door then closed. The damper being open, the ram plate is slowly raised up by
the steam or other power, thus raising up the green fuel and supplying it to the
bottom of the fire, so that as this fuel is "baked" the smoke and gases issuing
therefrom are compelled to pass upwards through the incandescent part of the fuel
which is above, and become thereby effectually consumed.
A portion of the back wall of the combustion chamber above the fuel box is
made sloping forwards so that as the fuel is pushed upwards by the ram, this sloping
portion forces it forward towards the centre of the chamber.
When the whole supply of fuel in the box has been thus raised up and a fresh
supply is required, the damper plate is first forced in to support the superincumbent
fire; the ram plate is then lowered, the fuel door in the ashpit opened, and the box
filled with a fresh supply of fuel, and when the door has been closed the operation
of feeding the fuel up into the furnace proceeds as before.
The front of the furnace or combustion chamber is open, and the fuel is confined
therein by a vertical grating which is pivotted from above and hangs down with its
lower edge just above the front edge of the fire bars, so that the air has access to
both through the bottom bars and also through the vertical bars of the front
grating.
To prevent undue radiation of heat from the fire through the front grating this
portion is enclosed by a metal hood lined with asbestos and from this hood hangs
a door which can be opened or closed more or less to prevent the admission of
too much cold air to the unner part of the furnace. The unner part of the

page_text: vertical grating may also be provided with a metal plate or a flap of asbestos cloth
for the same purpose.
The lower bars of the fire grate are mounted on pivots at the back so that their
front edge may be raised or lowered, and the upper part of the vertical grating is
made with projecting arms or brackets which are pivotted to slotted links, the lower
ends of which are jointed to the front of the bottom grating, and these links are in
turn connected by other links to two piston rods, the pistons of which work in
vertical cylinders and are actuated by steam, compressed air or other fluid under
pressure.
The object of this arrangement is to facilitate the operation of "clinkering."
When this is required the steam or other fluid is admitted to the cylinders so as
to force down the pistons, the first effect of which is to lower the front of the bottom
fire bars away from the lower edge of the vertical front grate until a space is left
between them.
This first part of the motion does not have any effect upon the vertical grating
as the slots in the levers slide over the pins or pivots fixed in the projecting arms
or brackets before mentioned. As soon however as the end of the slot is reached
the arms or brackets are pulled down by the links causing the lower part of the
vertical grating to sweep backwards pushing the upper portion of the fire back with
it, so that the fireman can readily remove the "clinkers" from the bottom fire bars;
after which the pistons are lowered so as to bring this portion of the apparatus
into its normal position.
The crown of the combustion chamber is arched and sloped backwards, where
an opening is formed through the back water space, which constitutes the mouth
of the flue passing horizontally through the water space of the boiler proper.
Beneath this flue an opening or openings must be made in the water space
forming the back of the combustion chamber communicating with the water space
in the boiler proper, and openings are also made above the flue to connect the two
steam spaces.
When this combustion chamber is fitted to an ordinary "Lancashire" boiler I
prefer to make the water connection by means of a short oval tube connecting the
manhole in the end of the boiler with a corresponding opening made in the back
plate of the combustion chamber.
The steam communication and the connection with the flue must also be made by
short connecting pipes.
In cases where there is much sediment from the water I slope the bottom of the
side water spaces towards the back, and I slope the bottom of the back water space
towards the centre, so that the sediment will naturally gravitate towards this point,
and here I fix a sludge cock or valve which may be opened from time to time for
the removal thereof.
Dated this 1st day of October 1901 ·
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Steam Boilers and Furnaces. 4
I RADCLIFFE BUCKLEY of Winter Street Iron Works Lees near Oldham in
the County of Lancaster Machinist, 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:-
My invention relates principally to the construction of the furnace and the 50
arrangement for supplying the same with fuel, and it is so arranged that it can be
applied to and form the heating apparatus of an ordinary "Lancashire" boiler, or
it may be so constructed that the heating apparatus may be formed in one with, and
constitute au integral part of a boiler of such or similar construction.

page_text: The nature of my said invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to
the drawings hereunto annexed and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved apparatus the boiler being shown partly..
in section.
Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same through the line A-B.
Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through the line C-D.
Fig. 4 a similar view through the line E-F and
Fig. 5 a partial section showing the application of my invention to an existing
"Lancashire" boiler.
According to my invention the furnace or combustion chamber a and the ashpit b
are enclosed by side and back walls, and a dome or arched top c which are made
hollow of double boiler plate having a water space d (see Figs. 3 and 4) between
the plates which at its upper part d' forms a portion of or is in direct communication
with the water space of the boiler proper e.
At the back of the ashpit bis fixed a vertical fuel box f open at the top which
is at the back of the fire bars g and level therewith.
Just below the fire bars 9 is a damper plate h which when pushed in (see Fig. 2)
closes the fuel box f, and which may be drawn out when desired by means of two
pistons (one on each side) working in two cylinders i and actuated when required
by steam, compressed air, or other elastic fluid. Or the said damper h may be
moved in or out by hydraulic pressure or by means of racks and pinions or other
equivalent mechanism.
In the front of the fuel box below the damper h an opening is made and fitted
with a door & for supplying fuel to the box f and inside the latter a ram-plate or
false bottom is fitted so as to rise and fall, and is moved either by a steam
piston in the cylinder m or by a hydraulic ram or other equivalent power.
The fuel is filled into the box when the ram-plate is at the bottom and the
door is then closed. The damper being open, the ram-plate is slowly raised
up by the steam or other power, thus raising up the green fuel and supplying it to
the bottom of the fire, so that as this fuel is "baked" the smoke and gases issuing
therefrom are compelled to pass upwards through the incandescent part of the fuel
which is above, and become thereby effectually consumed. A portion a' of the
back wall of the combustion chamber a above the fuel box f is made sloping forwards
so that as the fuel is pushed upwards by the ram l this sloping portion forces it
forward towards the centre of the combustion chamber a.
b
When the whole supply of fuel in the box f has been thus raised up and a fresh
supply is required the damper-plate his first forced in to support the superincumbent
fire; the ram-plate is then lowered, the fuel door in the ashpit 6 opened, and
the box filled with a fresh supply, of fuel, and when the door has been closed
the operation of feeding the fuel up into the furnace a proceeds as before.
The front of the furnace or combustion chamber is open and the fuel is confined,
therein by a vertical grating n which is pivotted from above, and hangs down with
its lower edge just above the front edge of the fire bars g so that the air has access
to the fire both through the bottom bars g and through the vertical bars of the front
grating n.
To prevent undue radiation of heat from the fire through the front grating n
this portion may be enclosed by a sheet metal hood lined with asbestos from which
hangs a door or flap which can be opened or closed more or less to prevent the
admission of too much cold air to the upper part of the furnace or (as shown at
Figs. 1 and 2) the front grating n may be provided outside with a light frame fitted
with sliding doors o for the same purpose.
-
The lower bars g of the fire grate are mounted on pivots g¹ at the back so that
their front edge may be raised or lowered, and the upper part of the vertical
grating n is made with projecting arms or brackets n' which are pivotted to slotted
links
P the lower ends of which are jointed to the front of the bottom grating g
and these links p are in turn connected by other links q to two piston rods, the

page_text: pistons of which work in vertical cylinders r and are actuated by steam, compressed
air, or other fluid under pressure.
The object of this arrangement is to facilitate the operation of "clinkering."
When this is required the steam or other fluid is admitted to the cylinders so as
to force down the pistons, the first effect of which is to lower the front of the fire
bars g away from the lower edge of the vertical front grating n until a space is left
between them as shown in dotted lines at Fig. 2. This first part of the motion
does not have any effect on the vertical grating n as the slots in the links p slide
over the pins or pivots fixed in the projecting arms or brackets n¹ before
mentioned.
As soon however as the end of the slot is reached, the arms or brackets n¹ are
pulled down also by the links p causing the lower part of the vertical grating n to
sweep backwards (as shown by the dotted lines) pushing the upper portion of the
fire back with it so that the fireman can readily remove the "clinkers" from the
bottom fire bars g after which the pistons are raised again so as to bring this portion
of the apparatus into its normal position.
.The crown c of the combustion chamber is arched and sloped backwards and a
corresponding opening is formed through the back water spaced which constitutes
the mouth of the flues passing horizontally through the water space of the boiler
proper e.
Beneath this flue an opening (or openings) (* must be made in the water space
forming the back of the combustion chamber a communicating with the water space
in the boiler e and an opening ex is also made above the flue to connect the two
steam spaces, or they may be otherwise connected.
In making a new boiler and furnace these connections may be made as shown at
Fig. 2 but when my improved combustion chamber is to be fitted to an ordinary
existing "Lancashire" boiler I prefer to make the water connection by means of a
short oval tubet (see Fig. 5) connecting the manhole in the end of the boiler e with
a corresponding opening made in the back plate of the combustion chamber a.
steam communication and the connection with the flues may also be made by short
connecting pipes and t³.
The
In cases where there is much sediment from the water 1 slope the bottom u of
the side water spaces d towards the back (see Fig. 2) and I slope the bottom v of
the back water space towards the centre so that the sediment will naturally gravitate
towards the point w and here I fix a sludge cock or valve which may be opened
from time to time for the removal thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First:-The general construction and arrangement of parts constituting the
"improvements in the construction of steam boilers and furnaces" substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Secondly-1 claim the combination with a steam boiler of a water surrounded
combustion chamber with fuel box at back provided with ram plate for raising
the fuel, damper plate for retaining the fire whilst recharging the fuel box, and
sloping projection at back for directing the fuel forwards.
Thirdly-I claim the combination with such combustion chamber of the bottom
grate pivotted at the back with means for raising and lowering the front of the
same, and the front grate pivotted above and means for pushing the lower part of
the same backwards to clear off the top fuel for "clinkering" and returning the
same to its normal position.
Fourthly:-I claim the means substantially as hereinbefore described and illus-
trated for connecting the steam and water spaces respectively of such combustion
chamber and the arched opening from the latter, with the corresponding steam and
water spaces and flues of the boiler proper, and

page_text: Fifthly I claim the construction of the "sump
"
or mud box at the bottom of
a boiler for the collection of the mud or deposit at a point below the action of the
fire whereby the burning of the plates or walls of the boiler or combustion chamber
is avoided substantially as described.
Dated this 29th day of June 1892.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.