CERTAIN IM- PROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES." PROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Arthur Wilson, of Salford, in the County
of Lancaster, Mill Furnisher, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IM-
PROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 4th February 1876, and dated the 12th August 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Arthur Wilson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th August 1875.
I, RICHARD ARTHUR WILSON, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
Mill Furnisher, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
:-
My Invention consists in an improved mode of constructing the fire-
grates of steam boilers and other furnaces.
This improved fire-grate consists of a series of hollow grate bars
connected at each end to a water chamber through which water
circulates or solid grate bars may be used. At right angles to the grate

page_text: bars is a series of axles on which serrated discs are mounted and ribs
are placed between the discs, the axles are turned slowly round by
worms and wheels, and in revolving they carry forward the fuel and
prevent the accumulation of clinkers, and consequently keep up a con-
stant supply of fresh air to promote combustion.
The fuel may be supplied to the fire-grate by hand labour as usual,
or by a self-acting apparatus consisting of a pair of fans or other
equivalents.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Arthur Wilson in the Great Seal Patent :
Office on the 11th February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARTILUR WILSON, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Mill Furnisher,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Richard Arthur Wilson, Her special licence
that I, the said Richard Arthur Wilson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard Arthur Wilson, my
exccutors, 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
" CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Arthur
Wilson, 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,

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Arthur Wilson, 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 (that is to say) :-
My Invention consists in an improved mode of constructing the firc-
grates of steam boiler and other furnaces.
This improved fire-grate consists of a series of hollow grate bars
connected at each end to a water chamber, through which water
circulates, or solid grate bars may be used. At right angles to the grate
bars is a series of axles, on which serrated discs or other equivalents are
mounted and ribs are placed between the discs; the axles are turned
slowly round by worms and wheels, and in revolving they carry forward
the fuel and prevent the accumulation of clinkers, and consequently
keep up a constant supply of fresh air to promote combustion.
The fuel may be supplied to the fire-grate by hand labour as usual,
or by self-acting apparatus consisting of a pair of fans or other
cquivalents.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of my
improved self-acting feeding apparatus for the furnaces of steam boilers;
Fig. 2 is a side view of the same; a is part of the flue of an ordinary
cylindrical boiler; b is the hopper; c, c, the crushing rollers; and d, d, the
distributing fans which are made as usual; e is the driving shaft, and e¹
the driving pulley. On the shaft e are also fixed the friction pulleys c²,
for driving the friction plates d' on the axles of the fans e³, or bevel
wheels may be employed in lieu of the pulleys e and plates d'. By this
arrangement space is economised, and by varying the lateral position of
the friction pulleys e on the shaft e, the speed of the fans & can be
altered with facility.
Fig 3 is a plan of one section of my improved fire-grate; Fig. 5 is a
side view of the outside bars of each section; Fig. 6 is the centre bar
with the gearing for driving the discs; Fig. 6 is a side view of one of
the bearing bars; Fig. 7 is a section on an enlarged scale of the bars
and discs; and Fig. 8 is a section of the bars.
On referring to Figs. 3 to 8, it will be seen that my improved fire-
grate is made in sections, any number of which are placed side by side

page_text: according to the width of the furnace. Each section consists of the
outer bars f, the centre bar g, and the bearing bars h, all of which are
connected together by keys i or bolts. The bars h support the square
axles of the serrated or plain discs j, which are turned round simul-
taneously in the following manner :-On each square axle is fixed a
worm wheel j¹, see Figs. 5 and 7, and these wheels are driven by the
worms on the shaft k. At the front end of this shaft and in line with
it is a second shaft ²; these shafts are connected when required by the
sliding clutch box ³. The shaft is driven from the shaft e by a pair
of spur pinions, as shewn in Fig. 4, and by a worm and wheel as shown
in Fig. 5. The discs j revolve between and project slightly above the
bars f, g, and h, and in revolving they carry forward the fuel towards
the bridge this motion prevents the accumulation of clinkers, and
consequently keeps up a constant supply of fresh air to promote com-
bustion. The bars f, g, and h, can be cast in two blocks as shewn in
Fig. 9, or altogether if desirable.
In Figs. 10 to 16 I have shewn a modification of my improved
furnace. In these views I employ a series of cams m in lieu of the discs j
above described; Fig. 10 is a side view of one of the bearing bars n;
Fig. 11 represents the intermediate bars o and outside bars p; Fig. 12
is the centre bar q with the gearing; Fig. 13 is a plan of the section
of bars; Fig. 14 is a transverse section of Fig. 13; Fig. 15 is a plan of
the dead plate with the gearing for driving the cams m; and Fig. 16 is
a front view of the same. The cams m are fixed on square axles
revolving in the bearings bars n, and an intermittent rotary motion is
communicated to the cams in the following manner :-In Figs. 15 and
16, is the driving shaft to which motion is given in any convenient
manner by power or by hand. To the shaft is fixed a mitre wheel ¹,
gearing into and driving the wheel s¹ on the shaft s, on which is the
worm s² gearing into a wheel on the cross shaft t, on which in a worm
gearing into the wheel ¹ on the shaft u; on this shaft is keyed the
segment wheel u², gearing into the pinion ³, and communicating an
intermittent rotary motion to the shaft v. The pinion gears into and
imparts a similar intermittent motion to the pinion w² on the shaft w.
On the shafts and w are keyed segment wheels v¹ and w¹, gearing into
the racks which are jointed to the racks x¹, these racks x¹ are jointed
together as shown in Fig. 12, the racks a work in side grooves as shewn
in Fig. 16, and the racks a¹ are supported in forks y, suspended to the
centre grate bar q, as shown in Fig 12. The forks y are connected

page_text: below to the bar z, which is moved to and fro by a cam on the shaft u;
this motion of the bar lifts the racks a¹ into gear with the pinions m¹
on the axles of the cams m. By this arrangement every time the
racks are brought into gear with the pinions m¹ the cams n perform
one revolution and carry the fuel forward towards the bridge.
The object of giving an intermittent motion to the cams m is to
reduce the time during which they are exposed to the action of the fire,
and thereby to prevent them being burnt.
In some cases the grate bars may be made hollow, as shewn in Figs.
17 and 18, when hollow grate bars are used they are connected at each
end to a water chamber, communicating with the boiler or with a
cistern, in order to obtain a circulation of water through the bars.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described two
convenient modes of carrying the same into operation, I wish it to bo
understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the details given, nor
to the mode of communicating motion to the discs j and cams n, as the
same may be considerably varied, but what I do claim is,--
First. The improved gearing shown and described in reference to
Figs. 1 and 2, for driving the distributing fans e.
Secondly. The improved furnace shewn and described in reference to
Figs. 3 to 9 inclusive, in which the fuel is carried forward by a series of
revolving discs or other equivalents.
Thirdly. The improved furnace shewn and described in reference to
Figs. 10 to 16 inclusive, in which the fuol is carried forward by a series
of intermittently revolving cams or other equivalents.
And, Lastly. The improved mode of constructing hollow grate bars,
as shewn and described in reference to Figs. 17 and 18.'
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Arthur Wilson, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of February, Onc
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.