AN IMPROVE- MENT IN FURNACES AND IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL THERETO.
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Russell Crampton, of the Adelphi, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN FURNACES AND IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL THERETO.'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Russell Crampton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th December 1855.
I, THOMAS RUSSELL CRAMPTON, of the Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN FURNACES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL THERETO,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in furnaces, and in the
means of supplying fuel thereto. Heretofore in constructing some forms of
furnaces, apparatus has been arranged in combination therewith to force the
fuel into the furnaces below the previously ignited fuel thereon; and my
improvement consists of constructing a furnace with an opening or openings on
the level of the upper surface of the fire bars, and below the upper surface
of the burning fuel on the fire bars, in order that the fuel, as it is continuously
forced through the opening or openings into the furnace, may pass along the fire
bars and raise the ignited fuel above. For this purpose ordinary straight fixed
fire bars may be employed, and when the fire bars are not long, an opening

page_text: is formed at one end only of the furnace, and a ram or forcer is applied to the
furnace, together with a suitable hopper. The ram or forcer has a recipro-
cating or suitable motion given to it by hand, or by the engine, or in place
thereof, a small separate engine may be used in combination with fire feeders
in connection with steam boiler furnaces for giving motion to the ram or
forcer, or feeding apparatus applied thereto. When long fire bars are used, it
is desirable to, feed in like manner at both ends of the fire bars.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Russell Crampton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th June 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
RUSSELL CRAMPTON, of the Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Russell Crampton, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Russell Crampton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Thomas Russell Crampton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN FURNACES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL THERETO,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Russell Crampton,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Russell Crampton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
le performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-

page_text: This Invention has for its object an improvement in furnaces, and in the
means of supplying fuel thereto. Heretofore in constructing some forms of
furnaces, apparatus has been arranged in combination therewith to force the
fuel into the furnaces below the previously ignited fuel thereon; and my
improvement consists of constructing a furnace with an opening or openings
on the level of the upper surface of the fire bars, and below the upper surface
of the burning fuel on the fire bars, in order that the fuel, as it is continuously
forced through the opening or openings into the furnace, may pass along the
fire bars and raise the ignited fuel above. For this purpose ordinary straight
fixed fire bars may be employed, and when the fire bars are not long, an
opening is formed at one end only of the furnace, and a ram or forcer is applied
to the furnace, together with a suitable hopper. The ram or forcer has a
reciprocating or suitable motion given to it by hand, or by the engine; or, in
place thereof, a small separate engine may be used in combination with fire
feeders in connection with steam boiler furnaces for giving motion to the ram
or forcer, or feeding apparatus applied thereto.. When long fire bars are used;
it is desirable to feed in like manner at both ends of the fire bars.
f
The accompanying Drawing shows the application of my improvements to
locomotives, in which A represents the hopper for receiving the fuel; B, an
opening communicating with the fire box, the lower part of which is near or
level with the upper surface of the fire bars. Fixed near the opening B is the
pusher Ċ of suitable dimensions working in a box p, which has an alternate
motion given to it by a small steam engine D, by means of the worm E on the
engine shaft driving the worm wheel F, to the spindle of which is fixed the
small crank G, which imparts motion through the connecting rod II to
the pusher C. The action is as follows:-The fuel falls alternately before the
puslier on either side of the centre pin of the same, and is forced towards
the ends or sides of the fire box in the direction of the dotted lines K, K, and
meeting with resistance, the fuel is consequently forced upwards. The thick-
ness of the fuel in the furnace would evidently be regulated according to
circumstances. I do not confine myself to the particular form of pusher described
and shown; a pusher of different form may be applied, having motion given to
theni by means of different contrivances; for instance, a pusher may be applied
on each side of the fire box, by the action of which the fuel would meet at or
near the centre, and by the resistance would be forced upwards, or a single
direct pusher may be used on one side or end; in this case the fuel would be
forced to the opposite side of the fire box, when it would tend to accumulate,
and the resistance at that part would cause the fuel to ascend. The fire bars
are not necessarily horizontal, but may be modified in form and position to

page_text: meet each particular case; for instance, the bars may be in the direction of the
dotted lines V, as being convenient in cases of application to an existing loco-
motive furnace by means of a pusher or pushers on one side only. I am
aware that several Inventions have been used for feeding furnaces from below
by lifting the fuel, or forcing it upwards underneath the grate or bars, and
therefore I wish it to be distinctly understood that the peculiarity of my.
Invention consists in causing the fuel to be raised into the fire by the resistance
which it meets with in the fire box, as the mass of fuel in some cases would
be sufficiently compact to cause the fuel to be raised before meeting with
resistance from the side of the fire box, otherwise the fuel would be raised by
the resistance it meets with in the fire box, as before described.
-An important feature of my Invention consists in the application to loco-
motives of an independent steam engine (which may or not have a feed pump
attached), to give motion to any description of fuel-feeding apparatus to furnaces
of locomotive engines, as well as to the Invention before described, by which the
amount of feed can be regulated at pleasure, the apparatus kept in motion
while the locomotive is at rest, and moreover may be worked by hand when no
steam is in the boiler, by means of the handle m fixed to the fly wheel n.
Although the above description relates to locomotives, I do not confine
myself to that particular kind of furnace, except that part which has reference
to the use of an independent steam engine for feeding in the fuel.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Russell Crampton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
T. R. CRAMPTON. (L.S.)