IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO FURNACES AND OTHER FIRE-PLACES.
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bernard Peard Walker, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
SUPPLYING FUEL TO FURNACES AND OTHER FIRE-PLACES.'
3-
Sealed the 12th December 1876, and dated the 23rd June 1876.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bernard Peard Walker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd June 1876.
BERNARD PEARD WALKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO FURNACES AND OTHER
FIRE-PLACES."
This Invention relates to that description of furnaces or fire-places in which the
fuel is introduced from below in lieu of being supplied at or from the upper part of
the grate, and in respect of which Letters Patent were granted to Myron John
Frisbie, dated the 3rd January 1868, No. 27, and to James Milward Holmes and
myself, dated the 20th November 1875, No. 4039, and it consists of an improved
arrangement of the parts whereby defects incidental to the apparatus when con-
structed in accordance with the Specifications of the said former Letters Patent are
remedied and a reduction of cost both in construction and maintenance is obtained.
In carrying out my Invention the hopper in which the fuel is first placed and
the moveable plate are constructed in a manner somewhat similar to that described
in the said former Specifications; but in lieu of employing radial arms for carrying
them I mount them upon curved rails attached to the walls on each side of the
ash-pit whereby I am enabled to secure depth in the ash-pit, and leave the bottom
thereof clear from obstruction to the removal of the ashes.
The hopper or vessel furnished with a loose or movable bottom is in my im-
proved arrangement moved to and fro to receive and discharge the supply of fuel
by means of a crank fixed in front of the fire-place and provided with one or more
connecting rods, which are attached to a bent or bell crank lever, to one end of
which the loose bottom is connected.
By the rotation of the main or driving crank shaft the hopper with its charge of
fuel is moved into the proper position for the discharge of the fuel into the fire, and
the continued movement of the shaft acting upon the bent or bell-crank lever
before mentioned raises the loose bottom, pushing before it the charge of fuel, and
then draws the hopper forward until it has arrived at the position for refilling,
[Price 6d.]

page_text: after which a further movement of the shaft acting on the connecting rod end of
the bent or bell-crank lever effects the lowering of the movable bottom in order to
admit of the hopper being refilled.
By means of these improvements the apparatus is rendered less complicated in
construction and in its use, as no reciprocating motion of the driving gear is needed,
the wheels moving the crank shaft requiring to be turned in one direction only.
The bottom of the ash-pit is also left unobstructed so as to be more readily
cleared of ashes. The driving mechanism is not situate directly under the fire-
bars, and is therefore less likely to be worn and obstructed by the ashes falling
into its working parts. I also propose to provide means for the filling of the
hopper with fresh fuel by a partly automatic arrangement, consisting of a slide or
shoot attached to a receptacle into which the fuel may be placed in quantity. Two
sliding doors or shutters are arranged in the shoot so as to allow a measured
quantity of fuel to run down down the shoot into the hopper by the raising of the
one simultaneously with the closing of the other slide or shutter. The charge of
fuel between the two escapes and falls by its weight into the hopper.
In cases where it is desirable the motion to the apparatus may be derived from a
prime mover in lieu of the apparatus being as heretofore worked by hand.
'
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Bernard Peard Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
December 1876.
$8
BERNARD PEARD WALKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO FURNACES AND OTHER
FIRE-PLACES."
My said Invention relates to that description of furnaces or fire-places in which
the fuel is introduced from below in lieu of being supplied at or from the upper
part of the grate, and in respect of which Letters Patent, were granted to Myron
John Frisbie, dated the 3rd January 1868, No. 27, and to James Milward Holmes
and myself, dated the 20th November 1875, No. 4039, and it consists first of an
improved arrangement of the parts whereby defects incidental to the apparatus when
constructed in accordance with the Specifications of the said former Letters Patent
are remedied and a reduction of cost both in construction and maintenance is
obtained.
In carrying out this part of my Invention the hopper in which the fuel is first
placed and the moveable plate are constructed in a manner somewhat similar to
that described in the said former Specifications, but in lieu of employing radial arms
for carrying them I mount them upon rails attached to the walls on each side of
the ash-pit, whereby I am enabled to secure depth in the ash-pit, and leave the
bottom thereof clear from obstruction to the removal of the ashes.
The hopper or vessel furnished with a loose or moveable bottom is in my im-
proved arrangement moved to and fro to receive and discharge the supply of fuel
by means of a crank fixed in front of the fire-place, and provided with one or more
connecting rods which are attached to a bent or bell-crank lever to one end of
which the loose bottom is connected.
By the rotation of the main or driving crank shaft, the hopper with its charge of
fuel is moved into the proper position for the discharge of the fuel into the fire, and
the continued movement of the shaft acting upon the bent or bell-crank lever before
mentioned raises the loose bottom pushing before it the charge of fuel, and then
draws the hopper forward until it has arrived at the position for refilling, after
which a further movement of the shaft acting on the connecting rod end of the
bent or bell-crank lever effects the lowering of the moveable bottom in order to
admit of the hopper being refilled.

page_text: By means of these improvements the apparatus is rendered less complicated in
construction, and in its use as no reciprocating motion of the driving gear is needed
the wheels moving the crank shaft requiring to be turned in one direction only.
The bottom of the ash-pit is also left unobstructed so as to be more readily
cleared of ashes. The driving mechanism is not situate directly under the fire-bars,
and is therefore less likely to be worn and obstructed by the ashes falling into its
working parts.
My Invention consists, secondly, in providing means for the filling of the hopper
with fresh fuel by an automatic arrangement consisting of a shoot attached to a
receptacle into which the fuel may be placed in quantity, which shoot is provided
with two sliding doors or shutters arranged in such a manner as to allow a
measured quantity of fuel to run down the shoot into the hopper by the raising of
the one slide or shutter simultaneously with the closing of the other slide or shutter.
The charge of fuel between the two escapes and falls by its weight into the hopper.
In cases where it is desirable the motion to the apparatus may be derived from
a prime mover in lieu of the apparatus being as heretofore worked by hand.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now pro-
ceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the
several Figures on the annexed two Sheets of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1, (Sheet 1) of the accompanying Drawings represents a sectional elevation
of my improved machine shewing the arrangement of mechanism by which the fuel
is introduced into the fire; Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of one half of the
machine.
Figure 3 (Sheet 2) is a sectional elevation illustrating the automatic arrange-
ment for supplying the fuel to the hopper.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the vessel or hopper into which the fuel is first
placed is shewn at A, A, with the piston B raised to the full extent so that the fuel
it contained is lifted into the fire in the manner described in the said former
Specifications. The continued notion of the crank C which is actuated by a train
of gearing C¹, C, moved by a winch on the driving shaft D in the direction indicated
by arrows, brings the hopper A forward into the position shewn by dotted lines
in Figure 1 for the purpose of being filled with fuel, which latter operation may be
effected either by hand, as in the case of known fire feeders on a similar principle, or
automatically as more fully herein-after described. When the connecting rod E
has by the action of the crank C arrived at the extent of its forward motion, and
brought with it the hopper with its apron F, into the position for filling the still
continuing motion of the crank C lowers the piston B into the position, also shewn
by dotted lines in Figure 1, by means of the levers G1, G2, the latter of which is
connected with the piston by a toggle joint H which compensates for the curved
path of the end of the lever G2, and permits of the use of a cylindrical hopper, when
the piston B has thus been lowered to the bottom of the hopper or during its
descent the coal or other fuel is placed in the hopper and the motion of the crank C
continued. On the completion of the stroke, that is to say, when the hopper has
arrived at its full distance from the front of the fire-place, and thereby its aperture
is immediately underneath the opening in the fire-grate provided for the intro-
duction of the fuel, a lever catch I, I, falls into a notch I¹ formed in the moving
frame I carrying the hopper with the levers G1, G2, and prevents the drawing
forward of the aforesaid hopper and frame until the piston B is raised to the top
of the hopper, and the fuel thereby lifted into the fire-place. When this has been
effected the catch I is released by the roller J attached to the main driving wheel
C2 on the crank shaft K, lifting the end of the catch I out of the notch 11, as shewn
in Figure 1 the full lines in that Figure indicating the position of the parts generally
at this stage of the operation, after which the still continuing rotation of the crank
repeats the former process, and so on in succession. The frame I' carrying the
hopper with the weigh shaft K', on which the levers G1, G2, are securely fastened
is furnished with truck wheels L, L, by means of which it travels to and fro on the

page_text: arcs M which consist of rails or castings bolted on the side plates of the fire-place
and which are arranged to be concentric with the upper surface of the apron F so
as to maintain the latter in contact with the under side of the opening of the fire-
grate as in the grate described in the said former Specification, No. 2768. In some
cases it may be desirable to use a plain flat plate as an apron, and the arcs M will
then be replaced by straight rails.
It will be seen that according to the present Invention a continuous movement
of the driving gear in one direction effects the to-and-fro motion of the hopper
needed for filling in and conveying the fuel into the proper place for being raised
into the fire, and also the lifting of the piston by which the fuel is forced up, and
subsequently lowering it for the reception of a new supply of fuel. Also that by
mounting the hopper with its apron and weigh shaft and levers upon a bridge
frame carried on rollers which run on rails, curved or straight, attached to the side
walls of the ash-pit the floor of the latter is left unobstructed by any pivots or
other contrivances as in the feeder described in the last-mentioned former Specifi-
cation. At the same time the depth of the ash-pit is greatly reduced as compared
with that required when the hopper swings to and fro on centres which stand upon
the floor of the ash-pit. In some cases in lieu of using cranks and connecting rods
to move the hopper to and fro as herein-before described, I employ a spur rack and
pinion, the former being double with teeth on each side, and the pinion mounted in
a swing frame after the manner of the well-known mangle motion, or I use a chain
and mangle wheel or any other suitable contrivance for producing reciprocating
motion according to the particular circumstances of each special case. i
The second part of my Invention, which is applicable both to the fire-feeding
apparatus herein-before described and to other apparatus constructed upon a
similar principle, has for its object the rendering of the apparatus automatic, that is
to say, I arrange the apparatus.so that a proper supply of fuel shall fall into the
hopper when in the position for filling from a bin, bunker, or receptacle capable of
containing a large supply, and which may be filled from carts or railway trucks,
thus obviating the necessity for the employment of hand labour in filling the hopper.
In carrying out this part of my Invention, which is illustrated by Figure 3,
Sheet 2, I place in front of the furnace a bunker or receptacle a capable of holding
a supply of fuel sufficient for several charges of the hopper, and constructed with
sloping sides so that the fuel will fall to the lower part so long as any remains.
At the lower part of this bunker, which may be of the form shewn, is a shoot or
inclined trough a¹ leading from the lower aperture of the bunker to the mouth of
the hopper A when the latter is in the feeding position, that is to say, when drawn
forward to the full extent into the position shewn by dotted lines in Figure 1 and
in full lines in Figure 3. In this shoot are fitted two sliding doors b, b¹, running
in slots and grooves provided in the shoot, and arranged by means of a vibrating
beam c, so that when the one sliding door is pushed up through its corresponding
slot the other is drawn down. Thus in the Drawing the door b¹ is shewn drawn
down so as to allow the fuel to pass by it whilst the door bis at the top of its
path closing the shoot and staying the stream of fuel which otherwise would run
through the shoot. Attached to the vibrating beam c is an arm d upon which
operate a crank d¹ revolving with the crank shaft K, Figures 1, 2, and 3, and
furnished with a friction roller e, the latter engaging with the arm d just at the
time when the piston B, Figures 1, 2, and 3, commences to descend. The vibrating
beam c is then moved so that the sliding door b is withdrawn, allowing the fuel
which occupies the space between the two doors b, b¹, to 'run down into the hopper,
and at the same time the door 6¹ is raised through the shoot, and cuts off any
further supply of fuel. The vibrating beam c is provided with a weight f which
falling when the roller e has become disengaged from the arm d allows the fuel to
fill again the space between the sliding doors ready for again filling the hopper at
the time when it arrives at the filling position.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or. may be used or carried into effect, I

page_text: would observe in conclusion that I do not claim the mechanical arrangement of the
automatic apparatus herein-before described with reference to Figure 3 (Sheet 2) of
the accompanying Drawing except in combination with a fire feeder in which a
vessel charged with fuel is introduced beneath the fire, and its contents are forced
upwards by means of mechanism in a manner analogous to that described in the
said former Specifications, nor do I limit myself to the precise details in either of
the arrangements herein-before described and illustrated on the accompanying
Drawings; but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is―
First. The employment on each side of the ash-pit of rails upon which to run the
hopper or vessel for containing the charge of fuel in fire feeders supplying fuel
from beneath, substantially as herein-before described.
Second. The general arrangement and combination of parts by means of which
the motions necessary for carrying the hopper from the feeding position to the
place at which the fuel is forced out from the hopper into the fire, the raising of
the piston, and consequently of the charge of fuel into the fire, the return of the
hopper to the feeding position, are all continuously or successively effected by the
motion of a driving shaft in one and the same direction, substantially as herein-
before described.
Third. Effecting the supply of the fuel to the hopper automatically by the
employment of a bunker or receptacle furnished with a shoot or trough, and with
sliding doors opening and closing alternately, by means of which a determinato
quantity of fuel is delivered at the proper time into the apparatus for feeding the
fire substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bernard Peard Walker, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of December, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
BERND. P. WALKER. (L.S.)