IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Baldwin, of the Firm of J. and J. Baldwin, of
Halifax, in the County of York, Worsted Spinners, and Alfred Clayton, of the
same Place, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILER
AND OTHER FURNACES."
Sealed the 30th July 1878, and dated the 1st February 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Baldwin and Alfred
Clayton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st February
1878.
JOHN BALDWIN, of the Firm of J. and J. Baldwin, of Halifax, in the County of
York, Worsted Spinners, and ALFRED CLAYTON, of the same Place, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES."
The object of this Invention is to consume smoke and economize the fuel of
furnaces, and the improvements consist in a new arrangement and combination of
parts forming such furnaces.
The bed of the furnace is partly composed of screws running lengthway, and
intermediate moveable bars. These screws are caused to revolve by any well known
mechanical contrivance in the direction of from front to back of the furnace, and
the intermediate bars are caused to travel backward and forward by means of cams
or eccentrics. The fuel is supplied to the furnace from a hopper in front of the
boiler, and is pushed forward on to the screws and bars by means of pushers or
plungers (by preference) so arranged that the pushers are advancing when the
intermediate bars are receding, or vice versa.
By this Invention fuel is fed regularly to the furnace, and carried forward to the
end of the bars until the ashes drop off the end, smoke is consumed, and a saving in
fuel is effected.
When it is desirable to assist the fires by "hand firing," a sliding or other door
is provided in front of the hopper, and a weighted lever attached thereto, so as to
assist in readily opening and closing the same.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Baldwin and Alfred Clayton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st August 1878..
JOHN BALDWIN, of the Firm of J. and J. Baldwin, of Halifax, in the County of
York, Worsted Spinners, and ALFRED CLAYTON, of the same Place, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES."
The object of this Invention is to consume smoke and economize the fuel of
furnaces, and the improvements consist in a new arrangement and combination of
certain parts of such furnaces.
The bed of the furnace is composed partly of screws and partly of stationary and
inoveable grate bars. The screws are caused to revolve, and the intermediate bars
are caused to travel backward and forward by means of cams or eccentrics. The
fuel is supplied to the furnace from a hopper in front of the boiler, and is pushed
on to the screws and bars by means of pushers or plungers, by preference so arranged
that the pushers are advancing when the intermediate bars are receding, or vice
versa.
By this Invention fuel is fed regularly to the furnace, and carried to the other
end of the bars until the ashes drop off the end, the smoke is consumed, and a saving
of fuel is effected.
When it is desirable to assist the fires by "hand firing," a sliding or other door
is provided in front of the hopper.
In the accompanying Sheets of Drawings Fig. 1 represents a front end elevation
of a double-flue boiler with our improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a vertical
cross section of same; Fig. 3, longitudinal section; and Fig. 4, sectional plan.
Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are details herein-after referred to.
The
The arrangement of the screws and bars will be understood on reference to Fig. 2,
in which A are the screws; B, the fixed or stationary bars; and C, the moveable or
reciprocatory bars. The screws and bars are supported inside the furnace by the
dead plate or bridge D, a front elevation of which is shewn in Fig. 5, Fig. 6 being a
section through the dotted line a, b, where the end of the screw is received; and
Fig. 7, a section through the dotted line c, d, where the ends of the bars rest.
screws and bars are supported by the plate E, where the stationary bars terminate.
The barrels or spindles of the screws and the moveable bars are continued to the
outside of the furnace, and upon each of the screw spindles is fixed a worm wheel F,
which gear with worms G on the shaft H, to which intermittent motion is imparted
by ratchet wheel and catch J. On the shaft H are also fixed a series of eccentrics K,
which work within the forked ends of the bars C, and cause them to reciprocate or
move backwards and forwards within the furnace. Fuel is supplied to the furnace
from the hopper L provided with a sliding bottom M, through which fuel is admitted
to the chamber N, falling first on to the inclined plate P, and from thence to the
grate, being pushed forward thereon by the pusher or plunger R, which is operated
by toothed segment S, levers T, and eccentrics T¹, the latter being mounted on
shaft H. Sliding doors U are provided to enable the attendant to inspect the
interior of the furnace, and hinged doors V afford facility for rakeing or band firing
when desirable.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Fuel on being admitted to the
chamber N falls on to the screws and bars; the screws revolve in such a direction
as to carry the fuel resting upon them towards the dead plate or bridge. The
action of the moveable bars when travelling in the direction of the bridge is also
the same, and the fuel is prevented from returning with the bars by the plungers,
which force it onward, and also prevent it from adhering to the bars, and making
room for a fresh deposit of fuel on the grate bars in time for the next movement
towards the interior of the furnace. The whole of the fuel from one side of the
grate to the other is thus gradually moved forward towards the bridge, the fuel
resting upon the stationary bars being carried forward by that on each side of it.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be or may be performed, we would have it understood that we do
not confine ourselves to the precise details of construction and arrangement herein
shewn, neither do we claim any part of the apparatus separately considered, but
what we claim as our Invention, and consider to be new is,-
1st. The combined use of revolving screws and moveable grate bars, substantially
as herein shewn and described.
2ndly. The combined use of revolving screws and moveable and fixed grate bars,
substantially as herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Baldwin and Alfred Clayton, have here-
unto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-seventh day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
5 Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named John Baldwin and
Alfred Clayton, in the presence
of
ROBERT HADDON.
(L.S.)
JOHN BALDWIN.
ALFRED CLAYTON. (L.S.)