IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF AIR TO FURNACES AND FOR PRODUCING THE COMPLETE COMBUSTION OF THE FUEL EMPLOYED IN SUCH FURNACES.
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Raphael Hunter Brandon of No 1 rue Laffitte Paris, in
the Republic of France Engineer and Patent Agent, for an invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF AIR TO
FURNACES AND FOR PRODUCING THE COMPLETE COMBUSTION OF THE FUEL
EMPLOYED IN SUCH FURNACES.-A communication by Andrew Howatson
residing in Paris, France.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Raphael Hunter Brandon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th July 1882.
RAPHAEL HUNTER BRANDON of No 1 rue Laffitte Paris, in the Republic of
France Engineer and Patent Agent IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGU-
LATING THE SUPPLY OF AIR TO FURNACES AND FOR PRODUCING THE COMPLETE
COMBUSTION OF THE FUEL EMPLOYED IN SUCH FURNACES A communication by
Andrew Howatson residing in Paris, France.
This invention has reference to improved apparatus for regulating the supply of
air to furnaces by the feeding or admission of an additional supply of air thereto
above the fire-bars immediately after the fire-door has been opened and closed for
the purpose of coaling, such admission being produced automatically by the action
of opening and closing the door and caused to cease gradually in any given period
of time for which the apparatus has been adjusted,
For this purpose, I have invented two different apparatus, the first of which is
actuated, as above stated by the opening and closing of a pivoted plate on the fire
door and is mainly dependent on the use of mercury for its working. This
apparatus can either be fitted on the existing doors of such furnaces or a new door,
can be made to fit on the hinges of the furnace front existing, these appliances can
be adapted to the furnaces while the boiler is at work without necessitating
any stoppage or loss of time or without damaging in any way the furnace or boiler
front,
The second apparatus is fitted on the furnace front or on another convenient
place and not in any way to the furnace door, it can be put in motion inde-
pendently of the opening and closing of the door, but at the same time, the door
cannot be opened or closed without having previously actuated the said apparatus ;
[Pmino Q

page_text: it is dependent for its action, 'on a weight which when raised, previous to the
opening of the door, admits a supply of air either above or in the midst of the fuel
in the furnace, the said supply of air being supplemented and activated if necessary,
by a jet of steam and the duration of this supply being dependent on the falling of
a weight, which is retarded more or less by the rapid rotation of a fly, as used for
the striking gear of a clock. At the same time the construction of this apparatus
is such that the damper must be lowered on opening and on closing of the furnace
door either by a manual operation or automatically by the door itself.
by a jet of steam and the duration of this supply being dependent on the falling or
a weight, which is retarded more or less by the rapid rotation of a fly, as used for
the striking gear of a clock. At the same time the construction of this apparatus
is such that the damper must be lowered on opening and on closing of the furnace
door either by a manual operation or automatically by the door itself.
.
FIRST APPARATUS FIG: 1. 2. & 3 SHEET 1
Fig 1, is a front view of a furnace front with the improved automatic apparatus
attached thereto,
Fig 2, a latteral elevation of the same, in section through A. A fig 1 and
Fig 3 a latteral elevation of the same, as seen from the opposite side,
In these figures, 1 is the cast iron furnace front as usually employed for steam
boilers, on the hinges 2, 2,,of which is hung the door 3 in which an elongated
opening is made and on the front of which is attached the automatic apparatus by
means of the four bolts 4, 4, 4, 4, the said automatic apparatus consists in the
reservoir 5 bolted underneath the cast iron mouth piece 6'by the two bolts 7. 7. in
an air chamber 8 formed by the mouth piece 6 and located on the front of the
door 3 in a pivoted plate 9 mechanically connected with the reservoir 5 and in a
lever 10 for operating the apparatus. The lever 10 is hung on a stud 11 projecting
from the door 3 by raising the same in the position shewn by a centre line in
fig 2, it actuates the apparatus as it is hereafter described. The aforesaid reservoir 5
is merely a cast iron pot in which is fixed a plunger. 12 by means of the screws
13, 13, internally, it contains a metallic cup piston 14 attached to an upright:
rod 15 the upper extremity of which is connected by links 16 to the door plate 9
pivoting on studs 9x which work in eyes 18* screwed on the sides of the mouth
piece 6 by means of a recessed pin plate 17. There is a hole pierced in the bottom of
the piston cup 14, and its upright portion does not fit tight in the reservoir,
A leg 18 is keyed fast on one of the studs 9* of the pivoted door plate 9, its lower
extremity lies in contact with the actuating lever 10 when the said door plate 9
•
When the fireman has to coal the furnace, he raises the actuating lever 10 to the
position above stated fig 2 thereby rotating the door plate 9 in the position shewn
in fig 2 by dotted lines through the instrumentality of the leg 18, This rotation
or tilting of the door plate raises the cup piston in contact with the under surface
of the plunger 12 by means of the links 16 and the rod 15%; the effect of thus
raising the cup piston is to cause the mercury 19 which, when at rest, is above the
water, to pass below the same; with the same handle 10 and by a horizontal
motion, the fireman swings open the door 3 with all its accessory parts, thereby
leaving free access for laying on coals and cleaning his fire, after which he recloses
the door 3 in the position indicated in the drawing. The pivoted door plate 9
remaining open and the cup piston raised on account of the resistance formed by
the mercury below and this resistance which can be regulated by the amount of the
mercury, the size of the hole etc, in such a manner that the said door closes
gradually in from 5 to 10 minutes, according to the requirements.
Although the door plate 9, as above described, when opened, closes more or less
slowly automatically, by a simple pressure of the hand on the actuating lever 10
it can, when desired be closed as rapidly as it is opened,
-
For the purpose of directing the air admitted by the door 9 directly, on the
burning fuel and not over the same, I fix a counter or guard plate 20 on the inner
face of the fire floor 3, see arrow Fig 2

page_text: SECOND APPARATUS FIG: 4. 5. 6. 7. 8 AND 9 SHEET 2.
Fig 4 is a front elevation of this apparatus
Fig 5 is a lateral elevation of the same in section through B B fig 1.
Fig 6 is a similar elevation in section through CC fig 1.
Fig 7 is a partial elevation similar to fig
shewing a modification
Fig 8 is a plan and fig 9 a sectional longitudinal elevation of a modified fire
grating.
According to this arrangement, the apparatus is no longer attached to the fire
door, but is placed on the top of the boiler setting or on any convenient part of the
same, it is nevertheless arranged so that the fire door cannot be opened without
actuating it, its object and its result, although the same as in the above described
apparatus, fig 1. 2. & 3. are obtained by other means viz: the introduction of the
air is intensified if not altogether produced by a jet of steam and caused to continue
from 5 to about 10 minutes and its passage is gradually retarded by a fly
encountering, in its rotation, the resistance of the air,
In these figures, 1 are the fire-bars composing the grate. 2 the lintel plate 3 the
fire door, 4 the cast iron furnace front 5 the boiler and 6 the masonry of an
ordinary boiler setting. My new apparatus is applied to the same and consists in
a vertical air pipe 6* the lower end of which is bent at right angles and directed,
through a cutting made in the door, towards the fire, its upper extremity 7 is fixed
by a foot 8 on the brickwork and its outer face is provided with a valve 9 whilst
its inner face is closed; a rod 10 passes through the centre of the box 7 and on its
outer end is fixed the valve 9 towards its middle, there is fixed a lever 11 and
at its opposite extremity a plug which works in a shell 12; these two parts form
a cock for admitting and intercepting steam fed by a pipe 13 into a nozzle 14
situated in the vertical air pipe 6* On the front end of the lever 11 there is
suspended by a chain 14* a weight 15 which when the apparatus is not in action
stands in front of the fire door, see fig 4 and 5 on the back end of the said lever
there is suspended a counterbalance 16 weighing less than 15 and towards its
centre there is articulated a click 17 serving to impart rapid rotary motion to the
fly 18 as hereinafter explained. Further there is suspended another weight 19 in
front of the fire door 3 which is connected by a chain 20 to the damper ordinarily

page_text: position fig 4, and 5 the fireman should reopen the damper by drawing down the
weight 19.
Fig 7 shows a modification of this arrangement according to which I dispense
with the use of steam and consequently suppress the steam cock 12 pipe 13
nozzle 14 and upright air pipe 6* which latter I replace by a nozzle 6* open to
the atmosphere upwards and to the fire at its other extremity, the weight 15 is of
such a form that on falling, it closes the mouth piece of the air pipe 6* thus
intercepting the passage of air to the furnace,
Fig 8 and 9 show a modification of this arrangement in which the additional
air, instead of being fed above the fire is fed in on a level of the fire bars and on
their entre length; in this case the steam and air pipe 6* is brought down below
the fire bars and connected with the branch pipe 23 where the current of steam
and air enters the box 24 and from thence passes out right and left in the fire
through the small holes indicated,
Instead of operating the damper by means of the weight 19 as above stated, as
circumstances may require it I work it automatically by opening the door 3, either
by attaching the chain directly to the fire door at 25 see fig 4 or by attaching it
to the actuating lever 11 see fig 5
Having explained the nature of the improvements, as well as the best means I
am acquainted with for putting the same into practice I claim
First The construction and arrangement of an automatic apparatus as above
described and illustrated in three figures of sheet one, capable of being fitted on
existing furnace doors
Second The construction and arrangement of the automatic apparatus as above
described and illustrated in the three figures of sheet one capable of being fitted
on the hinges of existing furnace fronts.
Third The construction and arrangement of the automatic apparatus as above
described and illustrated in the six figures of sheet 2 capable of being placed on
the top or on any other convenient place of a boiler setting and
Fourth The modifications above described and illustrated in the 6 figures of
sheet 2 in connection with the apparatus referred to in clause 3
In witness whereof I the said Raphael Hunter Brandon have hereunto set
my hand and seal, at Paris in the republic of France, this fourth day of
July in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eight two.
Witnesses:
HUGO JAHR
HENRY MÉA
R. H. BRANDON. (LS.)