IMPROVEMENTS IN GENERATORS FOR PRODUCING GASEOUS FUEL
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jabez Lones and Charles Vernon and Edward Holden
and Ralph Bennett trading as Lones Vernon and Holden of Sandwell Iron
Works Smethwick in the County of Stafford Manufacturers for an Invention
of IMPROVEMENTS IN GENERATORS FOR PRODUCING GASEOUS FUEL "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jabez Lones, Charles Vernon,
Edward Holden, and Ralph Bennett at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents on the 13th November 1883.
JABEZ LONES and CHARLES VERNON and EDWARD HOLDEN and RALPH BENNETT
trading as Lones, Vernon and Holden of Sandwell Iron Works Smethwick in the
County of Stafford Manufacturers IMPROVEMENTS IN GENERATORS FOR PRODUCING
GASEOUS FUEL
"
"
Our invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in the
generators employed for the production of gaseous fuel by the imperfect combustion
of solid fuel,
By our improvements the removal of ashes and clinkers is readily effected and
the production of gaseous fuel made continuous that is, is free from the temporary
interruptions which arise in the use of ordinary generators.
In constructing one of the said generators according to our invention we build
partly of brick and partly of cast iron a chamber divided horizontally into two
compartments which ordinarily we make of about equal capacity. The upper
compartment or combustion chamber contains the fuel undergoing partial com-
bustion and the lower compartment constitutes the ash pit. The ash pit is a
chamber having in it a large opening for the removal of ashes which opening is
ordinarily closed by a tight fitting door. The ash pit is also provided with other
smaller openings in which steam jets play for forcing the requisite amount of air
into the combustion chamber. These smaller openings are provided with valves or
dampers by means of which they can be closed at pleasure.
The ash pit is separated from the combustion chamber by a series of horizontal
fluted iron rollers which are mounted on shafts working in bearings in the opposite

page_text: sides of the ash pit. The shafts of these rollers are provided at one end and
external to the ash pit with toothed wheels or pinions which engage with one
another and thereby gear all the rollers together. These grooved rollers are made
with alternating deep and shallow flutes and are so geared together that in rotating
the edges of the leaves or projecting parts of one roller are opposed to the corre-
sponding parts of the adjacent roller. The leaves of the rollers are perforated with
holes so small in diameter that while they permit the falling through them of
ashes they do not permit the passage of the solid fuel. These holes are sufficiently
numerous to permit of the ready passage through them to the combustion chamber
of the maximum amount of air admitted to the ash pit.
The number and size of the rollers described may be varied but from four to six
of the said rollers of a length and diameter suitable to effect the division of the
combustion chamber from the ash pit answer well in ordinary cases.
By means of a winch or lever applied to the shaft of one of the rollers an
oscillating motion through any required angle may be given to the rollers or they
may be made to perform a continuous rotary motion.
When it is wished to remove ashes and clinkers for the combustion chamber it
is only necessary to give an oscillatory motion through a small angle to the rollers
when the ashes fall through the holes in the leaves of the fluted roller and the
clinkers crushed between the opposed leaves of the rollers fall into the ash pit.
This removal of ashes and clinkers does not interrupt the working of the generator.
By giving a continuous rotary motion to the rollers the whole or part of the fuel
may be removed from the combustion chamber into the ash pit.
Generators for the production of gaseous fuel made according to our invention
are especially applicable to furnaces used for heating iron but are also applicable to
furnaces generally in which gaseous fuel is burned.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Jabez Lones, Charles Vernon, Edward Holden, and Ralph Bennett
in the Patent Office on the 30th April 1884.
JABEZ LONES and CHARLES VERNON and EDWARD HOLDEN and RALPH BENNETT
trading as Lones, Vernon and Holden of Sandwell Iron Works Smethwick in the
County of Stafford Manufacturers "IMPROVEMENTS IN GENERATORS FOR PRODUCING
GASEOUS FUEL
"
Our invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in the
generators employed for the production of gaseous fuel by the imperfect combustion
of solid fuel.
By our improvements the removal of ashes and clinkers is readily effected and
the production of gaseous fuel made continuous, that is, is free from the temporary
interruptions which arise in the use of ordinary generators
In constructing one of the said generators according to our invention we build
partly of brick and partly of cast iron, a chamber divided horizontally into two
compartments which ordinarily we make of about equal capacity. The upper
compartment or combustion chamber contains the fuel undergoing partial com-
bustion and the lower compartment constitutes the ash pit. The ash pit is a
chamber having in it a large opening for the removal of ashes which opening is
ordinarily closed by a tight fitting door. The ash pit is also provided with other
smaller openings in which steam jets play for forcing the requisite amount of air
into the combustion chamber. These smaller openings are provided with valves or
dampers by means of which they can be closed at pleasure.
The ash pit is separated from the combustion chamber by a series of horizontal
fluted iron rollers which are mounted on shafts working in bearings in the opposite
sides of the ash pit. The shafts of these rollers are provided at one end and
external to the ash pit with toothed wheels or pinions which engage with one
another and-thereby gear all the rollers together. These grooved rollers are made
with alternating deep and shallow flutes and are so geared together that in rotating
the edges of the leaves or projecting parts of one roller are opposed to the corre-
sponding parts of the adjacent roller. The leaves of the rollers are perforated with
holes so small in diameter that while they permit the falling through them of
ashes they do not permit the passage. of the solid fuel. These holes are sufficiently*
numerous to permit of the ready passage through them to the combustion chamber
of the maximum amount of air admitted to the ash pit.
The number and size of the rollers described may be varied but from four to six
of the said rollers of a length and diameter suitable to effect the division of the
combustion chamber from the ash pit answer well in ordinary cases.
By means of a winch or lever applied to the shaft of one of the rollers an
oscillating motion through any required angle may be given to the rollers or they
may be made to perform a continuous rotary motion.
:
When it is wished to remove ashes and clinkers from the combustion chamber it
is only necessary to give an oscillatory motion through a small angle to the rollers.
when the ashes fall through the holes in the leaves of the fluted rollers and the
clinkers crushed between the opposed leaves of the rallers fall into the ash pit."
This removal of ashes and clinkers does not interrupt the working of the generator.
By giving a continuous rotary motion to the rollers the whole or part of the fuel.
may be removed from the combustion chamber into the ash pit.

page_text: We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings
the manner in which our invention is to be performed
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal vertical section; Figure 2 in transverse vertical
section and Figure 3 in plan, with a portion removed, a generator for producing
gaseous fuel constructed according to our invention.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
a is the upper compartment or combustion chamber of the generator in which
the fuel undergoing partial combustion is contained and b is the lower compartment
or ash pit, the said compartments a and b being separated by a horizontal division c;
d is a large opening in the ash pit b closed by the tight fitting door e. Through
this opening & the ashes are removed; f, fare pipes for conveying air, or a mixture
of air and steam, to the ash pit. By means of steam jets, one of which is marked g
in Figure 2, at the outer ends of the pipes f air mixed with steam is forced down
the said pipes into the ash pit b for supplying the requisite amount of air, or a
mixture of air and steam, to the combustion chamber a. By means of hinged valves
or covers the pipes f may be closed at pleasure and the supply of air to the ash
pit and combustion chamber cut off; h, h, h, h. are the horizontal fluted rollers by
which the combustion chamber a is separated from the ash pit b. That is to say,
in the division c between the combustion chamber and ash pit is an opening i,
immediately below which opening is the series of rollers h, h, h, h. These rollers are
mounted on shafts working in bearings in the opposite sides of the ash pit (see
Figure 2). Each shaft projects through one side of the ash pit and carries a toothed
wheel or pinion j. These toothed wheels or pinions are engaged with one another
so as thereby to gear all the rollers together (see Figure 3). On the shaft of one of
the rollers is a boss or disc k in which a set of holes is made for receiving a winch
or lever. By turning the said shaft by means of the said winch or lever an
oscillating motion or a continuous rotary motion may be given to the set of rollers.
By an examination of Figure 1 it will be seen that the grooved or fluted rollers are
made with alternating deep and shallow flutes and the said rollers are so geared
together that in rotating the deep flutes of one roller are opposite to the shallow
flutes of the adjacent roller. The leaves of the rollers are perforated with small
holes (shown in section in Figure 1.) These holes are so small in diameter that
while they permit the falling through them of ashes they do not permit of the
passage of solid fuel. The said holes also serve for the passage through them to
the combustion chamber a of the maximum amount of air or a mixture of air and
steam admitted to the ash pit b.
In order to remove ashes and clinkers from the combustion chamber a the
workman by applying a winch or lever to the boss or disc k can give and oscillating
motion through a small angle to the series of rollers h, h, h, h. The ashes thereby
fall through the holes in the leaves of the fluted rollers and the clinkers are crushed
between the opposed leaves of the said rollers and fall into the ash pit. In this
way the ashes and clinkers can be removed from the combustion chamber a without
interrupting the working of the generator. When it is wished to remove the whole
or part of the fuel from the combustion chamber a, a continuous rotary motion is
given to the rollers h, h, h h by operating the boss or disc k.
The combustion chamber a is charged with solid fuel at the door and the gaseous
fuel passes out of the generator by the passage m and is conveyed in any convenient
way to the furnace to be heated.
Figure 4 represents partly in cross section and partly in side elevation and
Figure 5 partly in plan and partly in horizontal section the lower part or ash pit of
a gaseous fuel generator containing a modified arrangement of the fluted rollers and
other parts.
In this modification a pair of fluted rollers p, p geared together is employed, the
leaves of the said rollers being unperforated but in order to provide means for the
passage of air, or a mixture of air and steam, from the ash pit b to the combustion
chamber and also for the passage of ashes from the combustion chamber to the ash
pit, the two rollers are situated a short distance apart and each roller is built up of

page_text: a series of lengths separated a short distance from each other as represented in
Figure 5, where it will be seen that the divisions between the lengths of the rollers
are not opposite one another. Passages are thus provided between the opposed
edges of the two rollers and also between the several parts or lengths of which the
rollers are composed.
In addition to these passages holes q, q are made in the division r at the sides of
the rollers for the passage of air to the combustion chamber. Holes q², q², q² are
made in one of the walls of the generator for the introduction of a bar into the
combustion chamber for breaking up large clinkers before they are operated upon
by the fluted rollers p, p. The said fluted rollers are worked in the manner herein-
before described with reference to the rollers h, h when it is desired to break up the
clinkers or remove the ashes or solid fuel from the combustion chamber.
Generators for the production of gaseous fuel made according to our invention
are especially applicable to furnaces used for heating iron but are also applicable to
furnaces generally in which gaseous fuel is burned.
Having now described the nature of our invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed we wish it to be understood that We claim as our
invention The improvements in generators for producing gaseous fuel herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings; that is to say, separating
the combustion chamber in which the fuel undergoing partial combustion is
contained from the ash pit, by a pair or a series of fluted iron rollers geared together
and made preferably with alternating deep and shallow flutes, the said rollers and
the other parts of the generator being constructed combined and acting substantially
as described and illustrated, whereby the removal of ashes and clinkers from the
combustion chamber does not interrupt the working of the generator and the
production of gaseous fuel is made continuous.
In witness whereof I the said Jabez Lones have hereunto set my hand and seal
this Twenty ninth day of-April-in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty four
Witness, RICHARD SKERRETT
37 Temple Street
Birmingham
JABEZ LONES (L.S.)