AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC FUEL FEED AND SMOKE BURNING APPARATUS FOR BOILERS OP ANY KIND
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lewis, of Preston, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED AUTOMATIC FUEL FEED AND SMOKE BURNING APPARATUS FOR BOILERS
OP ANY KIND."
Sealed the 28th February 1873, and dated the 9th September 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lewis at the.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th September 1872.
I, JOHN LEWIS, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer and
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC FUEL FEED AND SMOKE BURNING APPARATUS FOR
BOILERS OF ANY KIND," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to a self-acting fuel feed and smoke consuming
apparatus, and improvement on what is known as the "Jukes' furnace."
Whereas as is well known that Jukes' apparatus as by him arranged
was only applicable to boilers fired underneath, my apparatus is appli-
cable to boilers and furnaces of any known description or shape. Mr.
i

page_text: In
Collyer and Messrs. Hart afterwards arranged the same plan on a con-
tracted scale to suit large flue'd boilers, but these became objectionable
from their filling up or nearly so the under draught space, thereby spoiling
the draught. I obviate this difficulty by the following arrangement :-
I form a frame by two side bars, a bridge plate, and dead plate. Between
the two side bars I place a back and front shaft in suitable bearings.
The front bearings are made to slide in and out by adjusting screws.
this frame I fix, according to the width required inside each side bar, an
endless chain of bars, similar to those used by Jukes. Next to and
longitudinally with such chains I place one, two, or any number of bars,
and then another chain and bar or bars, and so on through the whole
fire-grate. These longitudinal bars are supported at each end by a cross
bar at and in each end of the aforesaid frame, quite clear of the working
of the chain. In the top side of such chains I fix a succession of short
cross bars that project above and over each side, and work on the longi-
tudinal bars. These cross bars work freely over fixed bars, serving to
carry the fuel forward and cleansing them from all cinder, as removing
all consumed matter forward and away, likewise support such chains on
their passage, such being easily removed and replaced without disturbing
the chains. These frames of bars I mount on three or more wheels, one
under the bridge plate to roll on the bottom of the flue, and two under
the dead plate rolling on the floor of the stoke house, so that the whole
will be portable and pulled out at pleasure.
I give motion to front shaft and thence to the chain bars by a screw
and wheel or any other method that convenience may dictate. The
speed may be regulated by cone pullies in driving, or other equivalent.
In the front I fix a hopper, into which the coal is thrown; and sliding
in front of boiler is a door that slides up and down to regulate the
amount of fuel required in the boiler.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 3
filed by the said John Lewis in the Great Seal Patent Office on
- the 8th March 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LEWIS, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer and Patent
Agent, send greeting.
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page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Lewis, Her special licence that I,
the said John Lewis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Lewis, 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 IMPROVED AUTOMATIC FUEL FEED
AND SMOKE BURNING APPARATUS FOR BOILERS OF ANY KIND," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Lewis, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 John Lewis, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to accompanying Drawings,
and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention consists of a self-acting fuel feeding apparatus for
boilers or furnaces of any kind, and is an improvement on those of
Jukes, Hart, Collyer, and others of the same class, theirs being a
succession of chains working side by side, thereby choking the under
draught. By my arrangement I remove this difficulty by fixing a bar
or bars between each chain, thereby giving as much draught space as
may be required, and forming a support for the chain by fixing small
cross bars on to the upper side of such chains, which cleanse the top side
of the bars and carry the fuel forward and the consumed matter out at
the further end of the furnace.
Fig. 1 in my Drawing is a sectional elevation of my apparatus; Fig. 2

page_text: a front view of the same; Fig..4, a view of the bridge end of the appa-
ratus. In the several Figures similar parts are marked by corresponding
letters of reference..
A, A, A, in Figs. 1 and 2, is the flue of a Cornish boiler. a, a, are the
two side bars of my apparatus, bolted to dead and bridge plates b and c.
In connection with and bolted to bridge plate c is a centre wheel carriage
plate d, in which works the leading wheel e. The side bar ends in front
of boiler bolt to dead plate b, and shoulder up to front of the boiler or
furnace f. Under the outer or front ends of such side bars I bolt
brackets g, g, in which I work wheels h, h. Thus a frame is formed
running on three wheels, one wheel running in the flue and two outside
on floor of stoke house. In the bridge end of this frame I fix a shaft or
roller, each end revolving in a bearing or pedestal in the side bars at i.
This is made to receive and carry the feed and cleansing chains over and
down round. In the other end of such frame and in front of the boiler 1
or furnace I fix a similar shaft j, or roller with sliding centres or
bearings, on the outer end of which I fix screw and wheel k, l, or other
equivalent to drive from. a¹, a¹, are two regulating screws for tightening
up feed and cleansing chains. m, m, are stationary bars for carrying or
supporting chains, and to give air space between such chains I have by a
preference shewn two bars between each chain, but I can and may use
one, three, or more. n, n, are endless chains working over shafts or
rollers i and; to carry fuel in and the consumed matter out under the
bridge, as shewn by the arrows in Fig. 1. On the top side of these chains
I fix a succession of short cross bars, which project on each side and 1
slide freely with the chains on the top side of the stationary bars longi-
tudinally, serving the purpose of cleansing the tops of such bars and
supporting the chains level with them for feeding with fuel and clearing
away the consumed matter. o, o, is a door that slides up and down in
front of furnace, and is supported at any height to regulate the thick-
ness of feed by catches and wheels p and q and connecting chains r over
quadrant 8. In the front of such door is a hopper shaped dead plate b,
which likewise forms a portion of the frame before mentioned; this is
the receiver for fuel. The chains work a sufficient distance in front to
carry the fuel forward under the door, the door forming a gauge for the
quantity taken in. t, t, t, in Fig. 1, are three distance and bearer bars
for stationary bars to rest in, keeping them in their places and from
twisting by the heat..

page_text: The fuel being placed on the hopper dead plate or equivalent in
quantity, the action of the endless chain n, n, carries forward as much
as the height of the door will allow to pass under it onward into the
furnace, travels onward, and by the time it gets to the middle of the
furnace or half way to the bridge it is one complete mass of candent
matter, giving a heat so powerful that all carbonaceous gas coming from
the green fuel behind is consumed before it can reach the bridge. By
the time this candent matter has reached the bridge its heat giving power
is entirely exhausted. It is then carried away by the cross bars in the
direction shewn by the arrows to the bottom of the furnace.
The amount of heating power required in a furnace may be regulated
by the speed of feed chains and thickness of fuel admitted under the
door.
Having now described my Invention and the way in which I apply it,
I beg to say that I do not confine myself to the precise details I have
had occasion to describe and refer to, as many variations may be mado
in detail without departing from the principle or main features of my
Invention; but what I claim as secured to me herein is,―
First. The arrangement of a series of feed and cleansing chain bars for
feeding, cleansing, and supporting such chains in their work, substan-
tially as and for the purposes herein set forth and illustrated.
Second. The stationary or intermediate bars so fixed as to give air
space and yet to support the chains, substantially as and for the purposes
herein set forth and illustrated.
Third & last. The general arrangement of the different parts before
mentioned, as and for the purposes herein-before set forth and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lewis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
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