Improvements in Apparatus and Appliances for Automatically Regulating the Supply of Air to Steam Boiler and other Furnaces.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 1st Apr., 1893-Accepted, 1st July,
1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus and Appliances for Automatically
Regulating the Supply of Air to Steam Boiler and other
Furnaces.
We, GEORGE EDGAR and JOSEPH SAXTON, both of 15, Saint James' Row
Sheffield, in the County of York, Mechanical Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of our said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND
APPLIANCES FOR AUTOMATICALLY REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF AIR TO
STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES " to be as follows:-
The objects of our invention are to provide the means by which the admission
of air to furnaces may be automatically regulated, more particularly during and
immediately after the operation of firing (stoking) so as to ensure more perfect
combustion and abatement of smoke, also at the same time to provide such an
arrangement of mechanism that when the apparatus has once been properly set
and adjusted the operation of firing cannot be performed without the apparatus
being brought into action.
Although our invention can be adapted to various classes of furnaces, it is more
particularly applicable to the furnaces of steam boilers, and as the principle and
mechanism is the same or similar however it is used, a description of it as applied
to the furnace of a Cornish steam boiler for regulating the admission of air through
the fire bridge will suffice.
In such a boiler we attain the objects of our invention in the following manner.
We first provide an opening for the passage of air in the lower part of the
bridge below the fire bars of the furnace, this opening we fit with a door or valve
which can be opened and closed by a suitable rod or chain brought to the front of
the furnace, the end of this rod or chain we connect to a lever or wheel fixed to a
suitable shaft placed across the lower part of the furnace front, on this shaft we
fix two levers the first of which is actuated by a corresponding lever attached
either to the fire door or to the hinged bolt of the fire door, in such a manner as to
allow of the fire door being partially opened to examine the fire but not sufficiently
open to allow of firing without the levers referred to coming into contact, so that
when the fire door is fully opened for the purpose of firing the levers cause the
shaft to turn and open the door or valve in the lower part of the bridge, and at
the same time a connecting rod attached to the second lever on the last named
shaft is set in motion and actuates a beam or lever or series of levers communicating
with a specially constructed apparatus bereinafter referred to as the regulator. It
is this regulator which forms the essential feature of our invention combined with
the arrangement and combination of parts by means of which it is brought into
action.
The regulator consists of a cylinder fitted with a bucket or plunger provided
with a valve the rod of which is attached to the beam or levers herein previously
referred to which are actuated by the opening of the fire door.
This cylinder we fill with glycerine or oil or other suitable liquid and provide a
port or passage from the top part of the cylinder to the bottom thereof, on this
passage between the top and bottom of the cylinder we attach a cock or cocks by
means of which the area through which the fluid has to pass from the top to the
bottom of the cylinder, may be varied according to the time which it may be found
desirable for the regulator to occupy in its action, which is as follows.
When the stoker opens the fire door for the purpose of firing, by means of the
mechanism herein previously described, the bucket or plunger is forced down to
the bottom or end of the cylinder, the liquid contents rising or passing through

page_text: the valve to the upper or opposite end of the cylinder above the plunger, and when
in this position if the communication between the top and bottom or ends of the
cylinder is entirely closed the apparatus would remain stationery, but on the
passage being opened by means of the cock or cocks previously referred to,
the plunger which is actuated by a counterpoise in the form of a spring or balance
weight commences to ascend in the cylinder and continues to ascend as rapidly as
the orifice through which the liquid has to pass will allow. This upward or return
motion of the plunger causing, by means of the mechanism previously described,
the door in the fire bridge to close.
In some cases we fix the cylinder so that it will oscillate so as to accomodate
itself to the radial movements of the lever or beam and thereby avoid the necessity.
of employing a connecting rod or slides or parallel motion.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the regulator and
appurtenant mechanism has once been properly adjusted and connected to the door
through which the air to the bridge of the furnace is admitted, that it will be
impossible for the stoker to throw coal upon the furnace without opening this door
and that having once been opened it cannot again be closed except by the action
of the regulator and that by means of the cock or cocks the motion of the regulator
may be timed at will.
By providing the cocks with a removable key or by placing them on the regulator
in a lock up case the regulator when once set cannot be tampered with.
Dated this 1st day of July 1892.
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus and Appliances for Automatically
Regulating the Supply of Air to Steam Boiler and other
Furnaces.
.
We, GEORGE EDGAR and JOSEPH SAXTON, both of 15 Saint James' Row,
Sheffield, in the County of York, Mechanical Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of our said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND
APPLIANCES FOR AUTOMATICALLY REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF AIR TO
STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES" and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The objects of our invention are to provide the means by which the admission
of air to furnaces may be automatically regulated, more particularly during and
immediately after the operation of firing (stoking) so as to ensure more perfect
combustion and abatement of smoke, also at the same time to provide such an
arrangement of mechanism that when the apparatus has once been properly set
and adjusted the operation of firing cannot be performed without the apparatus
being brought into action.
Although our invention can be adapted to various classes of furnaces it is more
particularly applicable to the furnaces of steam boilers, and as the principle and
mechanism is the same or similar however it is used, a description of it as applied
to the furnace of a Cornish steam boiler for regulating the admission of air through
the fire bridge will suffice.
In such a boiler we attain the objects of our invention in the following manner,
We first provide an opening for the passage of air in the lower part of the bridge
below the fire-bars of the furnace, this opening we fit with a door or valve which
can be opened and closed by a suitable rod or chain brought to the front of the
furnace, the end of this rod or chain we connect to a lever or wheel fixed to a
suitable shaft placed across the lower part of the furnace front, on this shaft we
fix two levers the first of which is actuated by a corresponding lever attached

page_text: either to the fire door or to the hinged bolt of the fire door, in such a manner as to
allow of the fire door being partially opened to examine the fire but not sufficiently
open to allow of firing without the levers referred to coming into contact, so that
when the fire door is fully opened for the purpose of firing, the levers cause the
shaft to turn and open the door or valve in the lower part of the bridge, and at the
same time a connecting rod attached to the second lever on the last named shaft is
set in motion and actuates a beam or lever or series of levers communicating with
a specially constructed apparatus hereinafter referred to as the regulator. It is
this regulator which forms the essential feature of our invention combined with
the arrangement and combination of parts by means of which it is brought into
action.
The regulator consists of a cylinder fitted with a bucket or plunger provided
with a valve the rod of which is attached to the beam, connecting rod, or levers
herein previously referred to which are actuated by the opening of the fire door.
This cylinder we fill with glycerine or oil or other suitable liquid and provide
a port or passage from the top part of the cylinder to the bottom thereof, on this
passage between the top and bottom of the cylinder we attach a cock or cocks by
means of which the area through which the fluid has to pass from the top to the
bottom of the cylinder, may be varied according to the time which it may be found
desirable for the regulator to occupy in its action, which is as follows:
When the stoker opens the fire door for the purpose of firing; by means of the
mechanism herein previously described, the bucket or plunger is forced down to
the bottom or end of the cylinder, the liquid contents rising or passing through the
valve to the upper or opposite end of the cylinder above the bucket or plunger,
and when in this position if the communication between the top and bottom or ends
of the cylinder is entirely closed the apparatus would remain stationary, but on
the passage being opened by means of the cock or cocks previously referred to, the
plunger which is actuated by a counterpoise in the form of a spring or balance
weight commences to ascend in the cylinder and continues to ascend as rapidly as
the orifice through which the liquid has to pass will allow. This upward or return
motion of the bucket or plunger causing, by means of the mechanism previously
described, the door in the fire bridge to close.
In some cases we fix the cylinder so that it will oscillate so as to accomodate
itself to the radial movements of the lever or beam and thereby avoid the necessity
of employing a connecting rod or slides or parallel motion.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the regulator and
appurtenant mechanism has once been properly adjusted and connected to the door
through which the air to the bridge of the furnace is admitted, that it will be
impossible for the stoker to throw coal upon the furnace without opening this door
and that having once been opened it cannot again be closed except by the action of
the regulator and that by means of the cock or cocks the motion of the regulator
may be timed at will.
By providing the cocks with a removable key or by placing them on the
regulator in a lock up case the regulator when once set cannot be tampered with.
The nature of our invention will be better understood on reference to the
accompanying two sheets of drawings in which.
Fig. 1, (Sheet, 1.) is an elevation of the regulator, shewing its appurtenant
fittings and a portion of the mechanism by means of which it is brought into
action.
Fig. 2, is a vertical section of the regulator and
Fig. 3, a plan.
Fig. 4, (Sheet 2) is a general view of the regulator and mechanism as applied to
a Lancashire steam boiler.
The same letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, on each
separate sheet of drawings.
u, is the cylinder of the regulator.
b, the bucket or plunger of the same.

page_text: , the shaft placed across the lower part of the furnace front.
i, i, the port or passage from the top part of the cylinder, a, to the bottom
thereof.
j, is a cock or cocks for regulating the opening in the said port or passage, i, i.
k, the pin we sometimes provide for the cylinder, a, to oscillate upon when we
dispense with a connecting rod or parallel motion between the valve rod, d, and the
beam, e.
1, the pin or gudgeon upon which the beam, e, works.
m, the counterpoise or balance weight.
n, the lever or wheel fixed on the shaft, h, by means of which the rod or chain
connected to the air valve in the bridge is actuated.
o, is the lever on the shaft, h, which is actuated when the fire door is opened by
a corresponding lever, p, attached to the hinge bolt, 2, of the fire door, r.
In the description and illustrations here given we have shewn one regulator
controlling the air passages to both furnaces of a Lancashire steam boiler. As a
modification of this arrangement we sometimes fix two regulators, one to each
furnace so that the air passages in the bridge of each furnace may be controlled
and regulated separately and independently.
We are aware that valves or doors for the admission of air through the lower
parts of the bridges of steam boilers and other furnaces have been in common use
for many years also that such valves and doors have been fitted with appliances by
which they have been opened and regulated both by hand and by mechanical and
automatic contrivances, and we claim no novelty in respect to the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is,
1. In apparatus and appliances for automatically regulating the supply of air to
steam boiler and other furnaces the particular arrangement and combination of parts
and appliances comprising the regulator filled with glycerine, oil, or other suitable
liquid and its appurtenant fittings and mechanism by means of which the air valve
or door, or air valves or doors in the bridge of one or more furnaces may be opened
simultaneously with the opening (for the purpose of firing) of the fire door or doors
of such furnaces and afterwards closed in the manner and for the purposes
substantially as herein described and illustrated.
Dated this 30th day of March 1893.
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicants.