improvements and relating по деспадзШ Tor Feeding Furnaces.
Year: 1888

page_text: improvements and relating по деспадзШ Tor Feeding Furnaces.
I, WILLIAM EUGENE ALLINGTON, residing at No. 309 Cherry Street, East Saginaw,
in the County of Saginaw and State of Michigan, United States of America,
Gentleman, 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 to that class of apparatus which is employed in connection
with planing machines, in lumber mills and similar wood-working establishments for
feeding shavings, saw-dust and similar solid particles to furnaces, where they are
consumed as fuel for generating steam to drive the machinery connected with the
boilers of said furnaces; and I preferably employ the same in connection with a
superposed collector or separating chamber, for separating saw-dust, shavings &c.,
from the air, of the class in which the air laden with the solid particles receives a
rapid rotating or whirling motion in the separating chamber, whereby the solid
particles are driven out of the air current and against the inner surface of said
separating chamber by centrifugal force.
My invention consists of certain novel constructions and combinations or arrange-
ments of parts by means of which, first, the blast of air passing through the feeder
pipes and separator from the fan, however powerful, is under complete control;
second, the danger from fire by back-pressure or accumulation of fuel in the pipes is
entirely avoided third, the pipe nozzles can be quickly and easily moved out of the
way when access to the furnaces or doors is desired; and it consists, further, in the
construction and combination of parts which are accessorial in the obtainment of
the results named, as hereinafter disclosed in the description, drawings and claims.
The objects of my invention are to provide the feeder pipes, which convey the fuel
from the collector or separator to the furnace and storage vault, with adjustable
dividing valves for directing and controlling the flow of fuel into said furnace or
vault; to construct said pipes in such manner that quick and easy access to the
furnace may be had at all times; to provide said pipes with automatic safety valves
for allowing any fuel which may escape past the lower dividing valve, when closed,
to pass out at said safety valves, and thus prevent the fuel from accumulating, in said

page_text: pipes and finally taking fire; and to provide the hopper of the fuel separator with an
adjustable damper for regulating the force of the blast carrying the fuel and with
means for breaking up or dissipating the whirling motion of the air and fuel therein.
In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification and in
which the same numerals of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all
the figures
Figure 1, represents a front elevation of two boiler-furnaces provided with my
invention, the lower portion of the hopper of the collector or separator being shown
above, as connected to the piping leading to said furnaces, the pipe extending to the
storage vault or chamber being broken away;
Figure 2, a side elevation, partly in section, of the feeder pipes and a portion of
the furnace and the storage vault or chamber;
Figure 3, a vertical section of a part of the collector or separator, with the upper
end of the main feeder pipe or conduit attached to the lower end of the hopper;
Figure 4, a vertical section of the pipe in the bottom of the separator provided with
a modified form of valve or damper, and
Figure 5, an enlarged section of a portion of the hinged nozzle, showing the
counter-balanced safety valve and the escape aperture.
In the drawings the numeral, 1, represents a dust or fuel separator which may be
of any suitable construction, otherwise than in the following particulars-It consists
of a separating chamber. 2, having a suitable inlet opening, 3; of a bottom, 4, formed
with one or more discharge apertures or slots, 5, and with a central aperture in which
is secured a short pipe, 6, or said bottom may have a plain central aperture or a long
pipe, if desired of a hopper, 7, secured below the bottom of the separating chamber,
and of a wing, 8, hinged with its inner edge to the inside of said hopper and provided
with a cord or wire, 9, passing through small holes in the hopper and to the outside,
for tilting or raising the outer edge of said wing, more or less, from the inside of
the hopper.
The use or purpose of the wing just named is to break up or dissipate the whirling
or gyrating motion of the air and material in the hopper and to assist in regulating
the force and amount of air required to feed the fuel from the lower end of said
hopper through the feeder pipes and into the furnaces. When a strong air-blast is
required to feed the fuel from the hopper, the free or outer edge of said wing is
moved inward or toward the center of the hopper, which will destroy the whirling
motion of the air and fuel and effect their proper discharge.
For regulating the amount or pressure of air in the hopper, without producing any
effect upon the fan which supplies the blast to the separator, I provide the central
opening in the bottom, 4, of the separating chamber with a suitable valve or
damper, 10, which, for the purpose of illustration, is shown as applied to the short
pipe, 6, two forms of said valve or damper being illustrated, one of them being tilting,
as shown in Figure 3, and the other sliding, as shown in Figure 4; but, as before
stated, said short pipe may be substituted by a long pipe, passing up entirely through
the separator and communicating with the outer air, or by a plain central opening
without a pipe.
In regulating the force or pressure of air in the operation of feeding from the
hopper, if only a little air be required to feed very light fuel the damper or valve, 10,
will be left entirely open, so that the hopper will get full relief through the pipe or
opening. If more air be required, the damper will be partly closed, and if still
more air be needed the damper will be entirely closed. If, again, a still stronger
force or pressure be necessary, the damper will remain closed and the wing will
be opened out, more or less, from the side toward the center of the hopper. "With
the wing fully moved out toward the center of the hopper and with the damper entirely
closed, the same blast will be produced from the hopper as is received in the separator,
proper, from the fan.
It will thus be seen that the force or pressure of the air is under perfect control at
all times and that the fuel can be fed with a force varying from no air at all, as
when it descends by its own gravity, to the full blast received by the separator,

page_text: and that this could not be accomplished in a separator having no bottom without
making adjustments at the purified air outlet of the separating chamber, which
would, of course, cause the air to react upon the fan which creates the blast and
cause irregularities in the operation of the same, which would destroy or impair the
effectiveness of the separator.
The numerals, 10', indicate the furnace fronts, which are provided with doors, 11,
of any usual or preferred construction, and with apertures, 121, for the feeder
nozzles. These apertures are shown in the drawings as made in the front walls of
the furnaces, but they may be formed in the furnace doors, if such be more convenient
or desirable.
I have found it to be most advantageous to arrange said apertures about twelve
inches above the grates.
The main feeder pipe or conduit, 11', is secured to the lower end of the hopper
of the separator, the latter being arranged in such a manner above the boiler furnaces
and the storage vault that it will allow the smaller feeder pipes and their branches to
descend to said furnaces with as steep inclination and as slight bends or curves as
possible.
The main feeder pipe or conduit, 11', is bifurcated at its lower portion, forming
branches, 12, and, 13, one of which, 12, is extended by a pipe, 14, to the storage
vault, 15, while the other, 13, is extended by a branched pipe, 16, toward the
furnaces.
A dividing valve or cut-off, 17, is pivoted or hinged in the crotch of the bifur-
cation of the main pipe, 111, for dividing the fuel between the furnaces and storage
vault; it is also adapted to be tilted, to entirely or partly close either of the pipes, 14,
and, 16, and for this purpose it is provided with an arm, 18, forming part of its
pivoted pintle or shaft. To the end of said arm are secured ropes or cords, 19,
which pass around two guide-pulleys, 20, arranged one above and one below the outer
end of the valve arm, and are thence carried over guide-pulleys, 21, and down
to an adjustable operating lever, 22, which is fulcrumed within convenient reach of
the fireman or attendant to the furnaces. Thus said dividing valve or cut-off may
be set to direct the current of air and fuel discharging from the hopper of the
separator so as to pass either into the pipe, 14, leading to the vault, or into the
branched pipe, 16, leading to the furnaces; or it may be so set or adjusted as to
pass a part of the air and fuel through both of said pipes at the same time. When
this valve is so adjusted as to shut off all air and fuel from the pipe leading to
the vault there is generally enough air delivered from the bottom of the hopper to
properly convey said fuel into the furnaces, but, when said valve is so set as to divide
the air and fuel, it will be obvious that the air current passing through the branched
pipe, 16, to the furnaces will be weakened, and that, in such case it will only be
necessary to adjust the damper and wing in the botton and hopper of the separator,
since thereby the blast, although divided, will be so increased in strength that it will
have the proper force to deliver the fuel into the furnaces.
The branched pipe, 16, which leads toward the furnaces, is bifurcated at the
point, 23, and provided with a tilting or dividing valve, 24, and branches, 25, similar
to those extending from the main feeder pipe or conduit, 11'. This dividing valve is
provided with an arm, 24', forming part of its pivot, to which is attached a handle, 24",
having at its lower end suitable devices for securing it adjustably upon the lower end
of one of the pipes leading from the branches, 25, said devices consisting of a rod
having notches, 24, and a catch, 24, upon said pipe.
As only two furnaces are illustrated, only one bifurcation is shown in the pipe, 16,
but, if it be desired to feed a greater number of furnaces than two, it is only necessary
to increase the number of the bifurcations and branch pipes accordingly.
To the branches, 25, of the lower bifurcation are secured the pipes, 26, which are
sufficiently curved to bring their lower ends to register with the apertures in the
furnace fronts. These pipes and any other portions of the piping requiring it, are
firmly supported and braced by braces or rods, 27, or the like.
At the lower ends of the pipes, 26, are secured nozzles, 28, which are preferably

page_text: flattened or rectangular in cross-section, and which are slightly curved so as to properly
approach the apertures in the furnace fronts. They are hinged at their upper ends to
the lower ends of the pipes, 26, so that they may be swung back or away from the
furnace fronts. The connecting ends of said pipes and nozzles are also provided with
suitable screw-bolts, 29, arranged opposite the hinges, 30, for the purpose of securing 5
the nozzles in operative position.
A shoe or mouth piece, 31, provided with curved lugs or flanges, 31', at its sides, is
so hinged or pivoted upon the sides of the mouth of each nozzle that it will swing down
and form a chute extending from the mouth of said nozzlo to the aperture in the
furnace front when said nozzle is in operative position; also, it will swing up over the 1
mouth of the nozzle and out of the way when said nozzle is swung back out of
operative position; also, this shoe or mouth-piece will permit the nozzle to be swung
back without moving the pipe to which it is hinged, and will allow of a perfect con-
nection being formed between the month of said nozzle and the aperture in the furnace
front, thus preventing the escape of fuel between these parts.
The lower side of the nozzle, which forms the bottom of the same when in operative
position, is formed with a transverse slot or aperture, 32, and provided with a valve, 33,
which is hinged or pivoted about centrally of said slot and so arranged that its inner
portion, 34, will project into the nozzle and its outer portion, 35, extend outside thereof.
This inner portion is held down flat or even with the bottom of the nozzle when there
is the usual amount of fuel and force of air passing thereover, and when thus held
down it will, in connection with said outer portion, close said slot and thus prevent
the escape of any portion of the fuel passing. The outer portion, 35, of said valve is
so weighted as to tilt or raise the inner portion, 34, and open the slot when there is no
air blast or fuel or an insufficient amount thereof passing through the nozzlo to hold
said inner portion down.
It will be evident from the foregoing that the valve, 33, is entirely automatic and
has the function of a safety-valve, as it serves to catch or stop all the fine particles of
fuel which may leak through or past the dividing valve, 24, when it is closed, and
direct them out through the transverse slot, so that there will be no danger of such
particles accumulating in the nozzle and taking fire from the furnace.
Either the valve or damper in the bottom of the separating chamber or the wing in
the hopper may be dispensed with and the force of the air blast regulated or controlled
by the other, but of course this would preclude the wide range of adjustment or control
of the air blast which is possible when both the damper and wing are used.
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 :-
1st. In a furnace-feeder, the combination of a fuel separator, provided with a botton
formed with one or more discharge slots or apertures and with a hopper secured below
said bottom, with one or more feed pipes leading from said hopper, substantially a
described.
2nd. In a furnace-feeder, the combination of a fuel separator, provided with a botton
formed with one or more discharge slots or apertures and with a hopper secured belo
said bottom and provided with an adjustable wing upon. its inner side, with one o
more feed pipes leading from said hopper, substantially as described.
3rd. In a furnace-feeder, the combination of a fuel separator, provided with a bottor
formed with one or more discharge slots or apertures, a hopper secured below sai
bottom, a wing upon the inner side of said hopper and a cord or wire for adjustin
said wing from the outside of said hopper, with one or more feed-pipes leading fro
said hopper, substantially as described.
4th. In a furnace-feeder, a fuel separator provided with a bottom formed with or
or more discharge apertures and with a central aperture, an adjustable.valve or damp
for said central aperture, and a hopper below said bottom, in combination with one
more feed pipes leading from said hopper, substantially as described.
5th. In a furnace-feeder, a fuel separator, provided with a bottom having one
more discharge apertures and, also, a central aperture, a pipe secured in said cent

page_text: aperture, and adjustable valve or damper and a hopper secured below said bottom, in
combination with one or more feed-pipes leading from said hopper, substantially as
described.
6th. In a furnace-feeder, a fuel separator provided with a bottom. formed with
one or more discharge apertures and a central aperture, an adjustable valve or
damper, and a hopper secured below said bottom and provided with an adjustable
wing, in combination with one or more feed-pipes leading from said hopper, substantially
as described.
7th. In a furnace-feeder, a fuel separator, comprising a separating chamber, 2, having
a tangential inlet opening, 3, a bottom, 4, formed with apertures or slots, 5, a hopper, 7,
secured below said bottom and having an adjustable wing, S, a central pipe, 6, and an
adjustable valve or damper, 10, in combination with one or more feed-pipes leading
from said hopper, substantially as described.
8th. In a furnace-feeder, a fuel separator, provided with a bottom formed with one
or more discharge apertures, and a hopper secured beneath the same, in combination
with a bifurcated main pipe or conduit secured to the bottom of said hopper and
provided with a pivoted dividing valve and feed-pipes attached to said bifurcated main
pipe or conduit, substantially as described.
9th. In a furnace-feeder, the combination of a fuel separator, provided with a
bottom formed with one or more discharge slots or apertures and with a hopper
secured below said bottom and provided with an adjustable wing upon its inner side,
with a bifurcated main pipe or conduit secured to the bottom of said hopper and
provided with a pivoted dividing valve, and feed-pipes attached to said bifurcated main
pipe or conduit, substantially as described.
10th. In a furnace-feeder, a fuel separator, provided with a bottom formed with one
or more discharge apertures and a central aperture, an adjustable valve or damper,
and a hopper secured below said bottom and provided with an adjustable wing, in
combination with a bifurcated main pipe or conduit secured to the bottom of said
hopper and provided with a pivoted dividing valve, and feed-pipes attached to said
bifurcated main pipe or conduit, substantially as described.
11th. In a furnace-feeder, a fuel separator, provided with a bottom forned with one
or more discharge apertures and with a central aperture, an adjustable valve or
damper for said central aperture, and a hopper below said bottom, in combination with
a bifurcated main pipe or conduit secured to the bottom of said hopper and provided
with a pivoted dividing valve and feed-pipes attached to said bifurcated main pipe or
conduit, substantially as described.
12th. In a furnace-feeder, a feed-pipe in combination with a nozzle formed with a
transverse slot and having a pivoted and counter-balanced valve arranged in said slot
and adapted to be opened by the current of fuel and air and to close with the cessation
of the supply of the same, substantially as described.
13th. In a furnace-feeder, the combination with a feed-pipe, of a hinged nozzle
formed with a transverse slot and provided with a valve pivoted to rock within said
slot, the inner portion of said valve being arranged and adapted to close said nozzle
and its outer portion being weighted to counter-balance said inner portion and to be
closed over said slot by the inner portion being tilted down by the current of air and
fuel, substantially as described.
14th. In a furnace-feeder, the combination of the branched pipe. 16, provided with
the dividing valve 24, and the curved, rectangularly-shaped nozzle, 28, formed with
the transverse slot, 32, in its bottom and provided with the pivoted valve, 33,
having the inner portion, 34, and the outer weighted portion, 35, substantially as
described.
15th. In a furnace-feeder, the combination of a feed-pipe, with a movable nozzle
provided at its lower end with a pivoted shoe or mouth-piece which is adapted to move
down even with the bottom of said nozzle by its own gravity, when in operative
position, substantially as described.
16th. In a furnace-feeder, the combination of a feed-pipe, with a movable nozzle
provided at its lower end with the hinged shoe or mouth-piece pivoted to the sides of

page_text: the mouth or lower end of said nozzle and having curved lugs or flanges at its sides,
substantially as described.
17th. In a furnace-feeder, the combination of a feed-pipe, with a hinged and
outwardly swinging nozzle provided at its lower end with a pivoted shoe or mouth-
piece adapted to swing freely up and down even with the lower edge of said mouth-
piece and provided with curved lugs or flanges at its sides, and devices for removably
securing together said feed-pipe and nozzle, substantially as described.
18th. In a furnace-feeder, the combination of the bifurcated main pipe or conduit, 11',
and the pipes 14, and, 16, extending therefrom, with the pivoted dividing valve, 17,
and devices for operating the same, consisting of the arm, 18, the ropes, 19, guide-
pulleys 20, and, 21, and the adjustable operating lever, 22, substantially as described.
Dated this 30th day of October 1888.
WILLIAM EUGENE ALLINGTON.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.

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