IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLI- CABLE TO FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ellis Butterworth, of Calder Cottage, near Rochdale, in
the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLI-
CABLE TO FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 27th May 1879, and dated the 3rd December 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ellis Butterworth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd December 1878.
ELLIS BUTTERWORTH, of Calder Cottage, near Rochdale, in the County of Lan-
caster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS AND
OTHER PURPOSES."
I propose to employ a hopper into which the fuel is placed, at the bottom of
which is a roller or rollers which takes the fuel out of the hopper and feeds it into
a box or on to a plate or shelf. In this box or above this plate or shelf is a pusher,
ram, or screw. (This pusher, ram, or screw may supply one or two furnaces; when
it supplies two I propose to have an adjustable plate or plates by means of which
the supply of fuel to each furnace can be regulated.)
When a pusher or ram is used an oscillating movement is given to it, the amount
of which oscillation I regulate by means of a screw or other device. This pusher,
ram, or screw pushes the fuel on to two inclined planes for each furnace. These
inclines convey the fuel to two fans or beaters mounted on a shaft or shafts, and
these project the fuel through apertures into the furnace. The plates under the fans
in some cases I make adjustable. In place of the fuel being pushed on to inclined
planes it may be pushed through an aperture or over the edge of the box or plate
(which may be adjustable), or shelf, the edges of which may be serrated, when it will
fall on to a plate or on to drums, fans, discs, or beaters, and these throw the fuel
into the furnace.
In some cases a measuring roller, with or without a crushing roller or rollers, may
be used to supply the fuel to the drums, fans, discs, or beaters."
In some cases I propose to mount a drum, fan, or beater on the furnace door,
when I make the plate adjustable, over which the fuel is pushed on to the drum or
[Price 6d1

page_text: fan, and the edge of this plate may be serrated. The fuel is fed on this plate by
rollers and pushers or rams, which oscillate or revolve and push the fuel over the
edge of the plate, or a measuring roller may be used, when the fuel may fall on to
the drum or fan, or on to a plate which may be adjustable, and then on to the fan
or drum. I place the driving pulley on the end of the fan or drum shaft next the
door hinge, and have a worm or wheel on the other end to drive the feed roller or
rollers, so that when the door is opened the feed is stopped.
I propose to drive the drums, fans, or beaters by means of a cone, drum, or drums,
which are moved or the belts on which are moved by self acting or other mechanisin
so as to vary the speed of the fan, and thus vary the distance the fuel is thrown
into the furnace.
The firebars I propose to make hollow for air or steam to pass through, and to
make them with projections inside for the air to impinge against. These bars may
be made all in one piece or in segments. The air or steam may be forced through
the bars by a fan or other means. I pass the fuel by means of screws, pokers,
scalers, or moving bars along the fire bars when hollow or tubular for air or steam
to pass through to cool them.
Where the firebars have water in them I support one end of the by springs or
weighted levers, and in some cases I pass the fuel along them by means of screws.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Ellis Butterworth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd June
1879.
.
ELLIS BUTTERWORTH, of Calder Cottage, near Rochdale, in the County of Lan-
caster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS AND
OTHER PURPOSES."
My Invention consists in certain improved parts or combination of parts forming
a furnace which is particularly applicable to the flues of steam boilers, but which
may be applied to various other purposes, the object of my Invention being to
economise fuel and prevent smoke.
In performing my Invention I make use of a hopper into which the fuel is placed.
At or near the bottom of this hopper is a roller or rollers which crush the large
pieces of fuel and feeds it on or in to a box, plate, or shelf on or in which is a ram
or pusher which supplies the fuel to two inclined planes for each furnace, and these
inclines convey it to two fans or beaters which throw it into the furnace. In some
cases, in place of the fuel being pushed on to inclined planes, it is pushed through
an aperture or over the edge of a. box or plate, when it falls on to fans, discs, or
beaters, which throw the fuel into the furnace. The distance the rams or pushers
oscillate I regulate by means of screws.
The fans or beaters in some cases I drive
by means of cone drums, the belts on which are moved by self acting means so as
to vary the speed of the fans or beaters, and thus vary the distance the fuel is
thrown into the furnace.
In some cases I make the fire bars hollow for air or steam to pass through to
cool them, and in some cases I make them with projections inside for the air to
impinge against; these bars may be made in one piece or in three, four, or more
segments. The air or steam may be forced through the bars by a fan or other
means. I pass the fuel along the fire bars (when hollow for air or steam to pass
through them) by means of scalers, pokers, or screws. When the fire bars have
water in them I support one end of the bars by springs or weighted levers, and in
some cases I pass the fuel along them by means of screws or helices.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the accompanying Drawing. Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of part of a boiler,
and Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same with part of my improvements applied.
a are hoppers into which the fuel is placed; b are rollers which take the fuel out
of the hoppers and feed it into the plate or box c; these rollers crush the larger
pieces of fuel so that they can pass between them; instead of two rollers, as shown,.
one roller and a crushing plate, between which and the roller the larger pieces of
fuel may be crushed before being passed on to the plate or box c.
On this plate or
box c is a ram or pusher d, which oscillates to and fro and pushes the fuel between
the plate c and plate e until it falls through a hole in the plate c on to two inclined
planes ff. (see Figure 2), which conveys it to the fans or beaters g, which revolve
and throw it into the furnace. Both these fans or beaters are shown mounted, on
one shaft h, which is horizontal or nearly so.
Figures 3 and 4 show another arrangement. a is the hopper; b, the crushing or
feed rollers; c, the plate or box; d, the ram or pusher that pushes the fuel through
an aperture or over the edge of the plate c, when it falls on to the fans, discs, or
beaters e (which are mounted on vertical spindles), and these throw the fuel into the
furnace.
Figures 5 and 6 is an arrangement whereby two furnaces may be supplied with
fuel from one hopper. Figure 5 is a front elevation, and Figure 6 is a side elevation
partly in section. a is the hopper; b are the crusher or feed rollers which feed the
fuel into a box c, in which is a ram or pusher d, which is caused to move to and fro
by the lever e, which vibrates on the stud f; on the lower end of the lever e is a
stud g, which is caused to move to and fro by any suitable means; this stud can be

page_text: moved nearer to or farther from the stud f, on which the lever e vibrates by means
of the screw h, and thus the ram or pusher & may be made to move more or less as
required, and thus feed more or less fuel into the furnaces. When the ram or
pusher d moves in one direction it pushes some of the fuel along the box or trunk c
towards one furnace, and when it moves in the other direction it pushes some
towards the other furnace. When the fuel gets towards the end of the box or
trunk c it falls on to the inclines i, i, which convey it to the fans or beaters j mounted
on the shaft k, and these fans throw the fuel into the furnaces. On the end of the
shaft is a cone drum l, which is driven by means of a belt by another cone drum m;
this belt is guided on the cone drums by the belt forks n and o, which are mounted
on the studs p and q so as to move freely on the studs, and at the other end of the
forks are studs and ', which are connected together by a link; to the stud r is
attached one end of a connecting rod 8, the other end of which is connected to a
stud t, which is fastened out of the centre of the wheel u, and thus as the wheel
revolves it moves the belt on the cone drums, and thus varies the speed at which
the fans or beaters revolve, and thus varies the distance the fuel is thrown into the
furnaces. v, v, are plates under the crushing rollers, which by means of the screws x
can be pushed over the aperture z so as to prevent the fuel falling into the box or
trunk, or one of them may be closed so as to stop the feed of fuel to the furnace on
that side, while the other is left open, so that the pusher will feed the fuel on to the
furnace on that side; thus by means of these plates the quantity of fuel supplied
to each furnace can be regulated.
kc, k, Figure 1, is a hollow fire bar made in segments; it is supported at one end by
the front l, and at the other by the rail m. The air or steam is supplied from any
convenient source to the pipe or chamber formed in the front ; there are apertures
formed in this pipe or chamber opposite the end of each fire bar, through which the
air or steam passes into the bars. Figure 7 is an elevation of part of this bar, and
Figure 8 a section, both on a larger scale. a is the bottom part of the bar, and is
made the whole length of the bar; b are segments which I propose to make about
twelve inches long; these segments rest upon the bottom part of the bar a, and at one
end have pins c formed on them, which go under projections formed on the bottom part
of the bar; the end of one segment projects over another one until the last segment
is put in, when the bar or plate n (see Figure 1), is fastened on, which will keep the
segments in their places; or, in place of the fire bars being formed in seginents,
they may be all in one piece, when projections may be formed inside of them for
the air or steam to impinge against, and holes formed through their sides for the air
or steam to pass out of them see (Figures 9 and 10). Figures 11 and 12 show an
arrangement whereby the fuel may be made to pass along bars that have water in
them by means of screws or helices. a is the hopper in which the fuel is placed; b is
a pusher or ram which pushes the fuel out of the hopper on to the grate bars and 4
screws or helices; c are the fire bars, which have water in them; d are the screws
or helices which are made to revolve in any convenient manner, and as they revolve
they pass the fuel along the bars; these fire bars are supported at one end by the
box e and at the other by the springs h, which are carried by the rail i, which is
fixed in any convenient manner. In place of the springs weighted levers might be a
used. When the fire bars have air or steam passing through them the fuel may be
passed along them by screws or helices, as shown and described in reference to
Figures 11 and 12, or it may be passed along by scalers or pokers, as shown and
described in reference to Figures 1, 2, and 5 in my Patent No. 3132, of 1877.
Having now described my Invention, and shown how the same may be carried
into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the
details given, as the same may be varied, but what I claim as my Invention is,
1st. The combination of a crushing roller or rollers and reciprocating pushers or
rams to feed the fuel to beaters or fans, substantially as described.
2nd. The use of a reciprocating pusher or ram to feed the fuel to revolving beaters 5
or fans mounted on shafts that are horizontal or nearly so.

page_text: 3rd. The employment of screws to regulate the length of travel of the recipro-
cating pushers or rams, substantially as described.
4th. The use of adjustable plates under the crushing roller or rollers to regulate
the supply of fuel to each furnace when two of them are supplied from one
hopper. Fifthly. The employment of self acting mechanism to vary the speed of
the fans or beaters, substantially as described. Sixthly. The use of hollow fire bars
with projections inside for air or steam to impinge against. Seventhly. The use of
hollow fire bars the top of which is formed in 2, 3, 4, or more segments in furnaces
in which a progressive motion is given to the fuel. Eighthly. The use of screws,
scalers, or pokers to pass the fuel along fire bars that have air or steam inside of
them. Ninthly. The use of springs or weighted levers to support one end of the
fire bars when they have water in them, substantially as described. Tenthly. The
employment of screws pass the fuel along fire bars that have water inside of
them.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ellis Butterworth, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirty first day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.
ELLIS BUTTERWORTH. (L.S.)