Improvements in Fuel Feeding or Stoking Apparatus for Furnaces and the like, and in Injectors for use in connection therewith.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1898-Accepted, 22nd Oct.,
1898
Improvements in Fuel Feeding or Stoking Apparatus for Furnaces
and the like, and in Injectors for use in connection therewith.
I, DAVID REYNOLDS WARD, of 31, Sussex Avenue, in the City of Newark,
County of Essex and State of New Jersey, United States of America, 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:-
This invention relates to new and improved means of automatically introducing
fuel to a furnace fire and by means of which all the solid hydro-carbons, or other
combustible matters usually used as fuel, may be burned in a very economical
manner, and without producing smoke.
One of the leading objects of the invention is to enable an instant return to
hand firing at any time should the automatic feeding devices become inoperative
or clogged. The device is also designed to utilize the inferior grades of fuel, such
as culm, screenings, and saw dust, and to reduce large lumps of fuel to a size
adapted to be fed and distributed by the injector over the bed of fire. Further
objects are to secure a more perfect combustion and a greater amount of heat
from the fuel; to obtain a more perfectly automatic feeding of the fuel, to lessen
the labor and attention usually required for furnace firing, and to secure other
advantages and results, some of which may be hereinafter referred to in con-
nection with the description of the working parts.
The invention consists in the improved fuel feeding or stoking apparatus for
a furnace, and in the arrangements and combinations of parts thereof, all sub-
stantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of
the claim.
The accompanying drawings show my improvements as embodied in an
apparatus designed for soft coal, culm, or screenings, and applied to an ordinary
single horizontal boiler furnace, and like letters of reference indicate correspond-
ing parts in each of the several figures. Figure 1 is a front elevation of a boiler
front with my apparatus in position; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;
Figure 3 is a plan showing the base plate of the hopper and certain parts of the
feeding apparatus in operative relation thereto, the upper part of the hopper
having been removed; Figure 4 is a sectional view of the same on line,
Fig. 3, and showing a portion of the upper part of the hopper in place; Figure 5
is a vertical section, in detail, through the furnace door and injector at right
angles to said door along the line y, Figure 1; and Figure 6 is an end plan of a
deflector forming a part of the said injector.
In said drawings, a indicates a furnace or boiler front of any usual construc-
tion, a¹, being the ash pit doors, a", the furnace doors hinged to swing open in
the usual manner, and a¹, the doors covering the flues. A hopper or fuel recep-
tacle b, is secured by screws or other means to the flue doors all, which doors may
be opened to permit cleaning of the flues by removing the fastenings securing the
hopper to one door, so that said hopper will be free to swing with the other door
when onened.

page_text: The front of said hopper is preferably inclined, as shown in Figure 2, in order
to give the hopper or receptacle increased capacity and to guide the fuel downward
to the feeding chains; the end walls are made vertical and the ends of the hopper
may extend oppositely to increase the capacity of said hopper to any extent
convenient.
The bottom of the hopper b, consists of a casting ', in which are formed a pair
of integral boxes, c, raised from the horizontal plate portion 6", of said casting..
The said raised boxes c, c, are each provided interiorly with a contracting
chamber c¹, the converging top and side walls of which extend from the open
mouth of said chamber oppositely to the opening c¹, through the plate 61, formed
above the funnels f¹, depending from the underside of said plate. Feeding
chains e, e, enter through openings e¹, at the opposite ends of the hopper b, and
slide over the horizontal upper surfaces of the base plate and enter the large
open ends of said contracting chambers c¹, drawing the fuel to the openings cl,
from whence it gravitates into the funnels.
The feeding chains are arranged on sprocket wheels g, in the passages c¹¹, and
outside of the hopper b, on sprocket wheels g¹, said wheels being so disposed and
arranged as to cause the chains to travel along the floor or plate 611, at the top
thereof and to draw the fuel from the ends of the hopper inward toward the
centre. The supplemental hopper f, having the funnels f', is suitably secured
upon the under side of said plate or casting 1, in any suitable manner to receive
the gravitating fuel, and particularly the crushed or comminuted coal, and
conduct it through the funnels f¹, to the hoppers o, of the injectors.
The sprocket wheels g', are journalled or pivoted upon brackets h, Figure 4,
fixed upon the opposite ends of the hopper plate, said wheels lying within the
end extensions fit, of the supplemental hopper. The feeding chains e, arranged
on said sprocket wheels, g, g¹, are provided with suitable buckets i, which are
made of heavy and strong metal and perform not only the function of drawing
the fuel into the passages or openings, but the further function of reducing
the coal, by cutting, crushing, or a similar comminuting process, in connection
with the converging walls. The larger lumps or masses of coal, more particu-
larly soft coal, are broken, cut or crushed by the projecting edges of the buckets
into smaller lumps or pieces of a size suited to be fed to the injectors and thence
to the fire. The reduced coal being thus of a more uniform size when spread upon
the bed of fire, conduces to a more regular and perfect combustion.
The said buckets at their projecting edges are not necessarily made sharp so
as to cut into the fuel, but the edges may act to either cut or crush the coal, as
it is fed through the contracting chambers c¹.
The openings of the boxes c, c, face in opposite directions and lie substantially
at the centre of the hopper and the feeding chains e, travel inward toward said
centre, and thus it is evident that the opposite ends of the hopper may be made as
far apart as convenience may require, without affecting the supply of fuel there
from to the funnels f¹, or allowing the fuel to accumulate in a "dead" mass at
the ends of said hopper.
The feeding chains e, and their sprocket wheels g, gl, are driven by any suitable
power transmitting devices, such, preferably, as I have shown in the drawings,
where k, k, are outside sprocket wheels arranged on the shafts 1, 1 with the
sprocket wheels g, gl. A power chain m, extends to a suitable sprocket pulley n,
on a shaft n', driven by any suitable means.
The slack side of the driving chain m, is held up clear of the lower portion of
the chain by the idle carrier wheel t, pivoted on a suitable bracket secured to the
side of the hopper. The said chain m, is so arranged upon the driving sprockets k,
of the chain fuel conveyer as to rotate them in opposite directions, and I thus obtain
the necessary opposite movements of the feeding chains e, across the hopper bottom.
Above the flue doors all, I arrange an air pipe p, from a blower of suitable
size and capacity. As shown, the said air pipe is connected to the injectors by
suitable tubes p', which may be of sheet metal to obtain desirable lightness;

page_text: said tubes are, preferably, in sections joined by flexible connections pl. By
the introduction of these flexible connections, and by providing the space q,
between the ducts f¹, and vertical extensions o, I can, at any time, open the
furnace door a¹¹, without adjusting or removing any part of the apparatus; and,
in fact, while it is in operation.
In case of a desire or necessity for hand stoking, the air tubes p¹, 2, can be
instantly removed by separating the upper flexible connections from the branch
tubes, over which they are telescoped, and withdrawing the lower metal
tubes from the injectors. These air tubes may be removed in the same manner,
also, when it is required to open the flue doors all
the
The injectors, comprises a horizontal tube s¹, to which is joined
the vertical extension 0, for receiving the fuel. The area of
horizontal tube s¹, is enlarged beyond the junction of the vertical
extensions 0, for the purpose of relieving the pressure and preventing
the air from backing up or forcing the fuel upward in said vertical extension,
or holding it against a free gravitation.
The fuel on reaching the horizontal tubes s¹ of the injectors s, is carried along
by the air current against the deflector r, which sprays the fuel evenly over the
fire surface and diffuses the air within the fire box.
The horizontal tubes s¹, of the injectors, receive telescopically the ends of the
lower sections of the pipes p', and extend into and through openings provided
therefor in the doors a¹, the said horizontal tubes being provided with
shoulders s for limiting the inward passage. Said horizontal tubes are also
threaded at their inner extremities to receive the nut-like collars r, of the
deflectors r, which collars serve to rigidly clamp said injectors to the doors and
to hold the deflecting projections, in proper relation to the entrance passage
for the air and fuel into the fire chamber. The deflecting projections, or
spreaders, are oppositely bevelled at the sides toward the inflowing air and fuel
so that the latter is spread, evenly over the bed of ignited coals. The doors of
the furnace is made hollow with an inner lining u. having a fuel and air
passage, coinciding with the opening in the door in which the horizontal pipe s',
of the injector is fastened.
The deflecting projections or spreader extends from the end of said horizontal
pipe to, and into said passage v, of the lining, but preferably, terminates flush
with said lining so as to be protected from the heat to a great extent, and from
other injury. At the lower part of the door, I provide a slicing opening w.
The introduction of air above the grate surface is desirable and necessary for
the proper combustion of all solid fuels which generate quantities of hydro-carbon
gases, and the amount of air used by me for injecting the fuel is the amount that
is necessary for producing a proper combustion of the said hydro-carbon gases.
Thus the air serves the double purpose of injecting the fuel and combining with
the fuel gases to produce perfect combustion.
The only attention or care required in the use of my improved apparatus, is
to supply the hopper with fuel, and to occasionally slice the fire. Cleaning of
fires is never required, as large cinders do not form in the use of my apparatus,
and the ashes remain small in size and divided, falling through the grate spaces
with each slicing, and leaving the fire at all times clean and bright.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
-
1. The combination with the hopper and injectors receiving fuel therefrom,
of oppositely movable fuel conveying chains for forcing the fuel from said hopper
towards said injectors, and means for driving said chains, substantially as set
forth.
2. The combination with the fuel receptacle or hopper with openings near the
centre and at the opposite ends, fast and loose sprocket wheels arranged outside

page_text: of said openings and near the centre of the interior of said hopper, conveyer chains
arranged on said sprocket wheels and means for driving the fast wheels in opposite
directions, to drive the chain conveyers from the outer ends toward the centre
openings, of injectors receiving fuel from the centre openings in the hopper,
substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the fuel receptacle or hopper having openings, and
means for forcing the fuel therefrom, of a trough-like receiver having ducts f¹,
injectors arranged contiguous to, but independent of said ducts and receiving the
fuel therefrom, and means for conveying compressed air to said injectors, sub-
stantially as set forth.
4. In combination with a boiler furnace, having the flue doors, all, and
furnace doors all, of a hopper fastened to one of said doors and free to swing open
therewith, a fuel injector fastened upon another of said doors, independent of said
hopper, means for conveying the solid fuel from said hopper to said injector,
and means for conveying compressed air, substantially as set forth.
5. The improved fuel feeding device for furnaces, comprising the hopper having
opposite openings, and brackets with fast and loose sprocket wheels journalled at
points contiguous to said openings, the shafts carrying the fast sprocket wheels
carrying also driving sprocket wheels, oppositely moving conveyer chains, a
driving chain arranged to operate the last said wheels in opposite direction,
means for operating the said driving chain, a fuel receiver f, fast to this hopper,
separate injectors and flexible tubes or pipes for conducing air or fluid thereto,
substantially as set forth.
6. The improved fuel feeding device for furnaces, comprising the hopper having
opposite openings and sprocket wheels to receive the chain conveyers and driving
sprocket wheels, a driving chain, operating the driving sprocket wheels oppositely,
an idler wheel and means for driving said driving chain, and injectors having
vertical extensions receiving the gravitating fuel from the hopper, means for
applying compressed air to the said gravitating fuel, and a deflector for spreading
said fuel, substantially as set forth.
7. In combination with the furnace and fuel supply means, of an injector com-
prising a horizontal portion s¹, and vertical portion o, the said horizontal portion
being adapted to receive the air supply duct and being enlarged beyond the
junction with said vertical portion, and a deflector comprising the collar r, and
deflecting projection ", all arranged and adapted to operate, substantially as
set forth.
8. The combination with the furnace door, of an injector for solid or non-liquid
or non-gaseous fuel, comprising the shouldered horizontal pipe fitted within said
door, a collar for holding said pipe in position and having a deflecting projection
extending into the path of the injected fuel, substantially as set forth.`
9. The combination with the hollow and lined door having the passage v, in
the lining, of the injector having the horizontal pipe secured in said door
opposite the passage in the lining and a nut-like deflector holding said injector to
the door, and having its deflecting projection or spreader terminate approximately
flush with the lining, substantially as set forth.
an
10. The combination with the door made hollow and having a lining substan-
tially as described, of the shouldered horizontal injector, tube or pipe having
enlarged threaded end holding said tube to the door and having an oppositely
bevelled projection extending into the path of the injected fuel to spread the same,
substantially as set forth.
11. The combination with the furnace and its door, of an air injector fastened
to said door and a deflector also fast upon said door and extending into the path
of the injected fuel, the projection of said deflector being oppositely bevelled,
substantially as set forth.
12. In combination with the hollow and lined furnace door, an injector engag-
ing the front of said door and a nut like deflector having an oppositely bevelled
extension or projection, the nut-like part being fastened upon the injector to hold

page_text: the same and the bevelled extension or projection being disposed in the path of the
injected fuel, substantially as set forth.
13. The combination with the shouldered and enlarged horizontal tube having
a vertical extension o, of nut-like deflector r, having the short deflecting projec-
tion, substantially as set forth.
14. In a furnace stoking apparatus, the combination with feeding chains, and
means for operating the same, of a hopper having centre out-passages for the
fuel, the said feeding chains moving oppositely from the opposite ends of the
hopper to said central openings, substantially as set forth.
15. In a furnace stoking apparatus, the combination with the feeding chains
and means for operating the same, of a hopper having a centre out-passage or
opening and a box formed above the said out-passage or opening with walls con-
verging toward said opening, the said feeding chain extending through said box
and opening, substantially as set forth.
16. In a furnace stoking apparatus, the combination with the hopper having
funnels secured beneath and openings through the bottom plate in line with said
funnels, sprocket wheels arranged in said openings and at or near the opposite ends
of said hopper, feeding chains arranged on said sprocket wheels and moving above
said bottom plate inward from the opposite ends of said hopper to said openings,
substantially as set forth.
17. In a furnace stoking apparatus, the combination with the hopper b, having
funnels f, f, beneath, and openings c", e, with boxes c, c, opening within said
hopper above, and sprocket wheels g, g, within said openings, means for operating
said sprocket wheels, and chains on said sprocket wheels extending toward the
opposite ends of said hopper, and co-operating sprocket wheels, g', substantially
as set forth.
18. In a mechanical stoker, the combination with the injectors having hoppers o,
for coal and pipes for the injecting fluid, of a hopper b, arranged above said
hopper o, and having depending funnels above said hopper o, and boxes within
said hopper b, having converging walls forming chambers leading oppositely to
said funnels and feeding chains arranged in said chambers and adapted to force
the fuel from the interior of said hopper b, between said converging walls, sub-
stantially as set forth.
19. In a mechanical stoker a hopper or coal receptacle having at the bottom
converging walls leading to an exit opening, and a feeding chain adapted to force
the fuel between said walls, substantially as set forth.
nar
THIS
DAVID REYNOLDS WARD,
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.