IM- PROVEMENTS IN FURNACES
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John. George Cameron at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th January 1871.
I, JOHN GEORGE CAMERON, of Hull, in the County of the same
Town, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN FURNACES," to be as follows:
My Invention has for its object an improved construction of furnace
applicable to various industrial purposes, and more particularly to steam
boilers, whereby an entire freedom from clinking is attained. For this
purpose I construct the furnace grate of a chain or chains, which may be
endless or otherwise (by preference of the ordinary form of link), arranged
closely side by side and stretched over two barrels, one at the front end
and the other at the back end of the furnace, or in other suitable
positions. The chains after they pass round the barrels are led over
supporting rollers in such manner that both lengths of the chain between
the barrels are caused to lie side by side in one and the same plane. To
the one barrel or the other either a continuous or a reciprocating rotary
motion is imparted, thereby causing the two lengths of each chain

page_text: either to travel continuously in opposite directions or to move first in one
direction and then in the other, thereby effecting the feeding forward
of the fuel and at the same time effectually breaking up the "clinker."
For imparting either description of motion at will to the chains I fix
upon the chain barrels two ratchet wheels with the teeth formed in
opposite directions, and I arrange in connection therewith a lever having
two pawls, one in gear with each ratchet wheel, so that when both pawls
are in gear and a reciprocating motion is imparted to the lever, either
by hand or by suitable mechanism, a reciprocating motion is imparted
to the barrel and consequently to the chains, whereas if the one or
other pawl is thrown out of gear with the one or other ratchet wheel
and a reciprocating motion is imparted to the lever, the chains will be
made to travel continuously in one direction or the other. I do not,
however, confine myself to the use of the ratchet wheel arrangement
but may use ordinary wheels to revolve the barrels instead thereof.
In place of arranging the two lengths of the chains side by side in
the same plane, as described, I also sometimes arrange them so as to
form an upper and a lower fire-grate.
For the purpose of clearing the chains of ashes I impart to the
barrels a continuous rotary motion. The chains may also be attached,
together laterally so as to form a web of the entire breadth of the furnace
and in some cases grate bars may be arranged in combination with the
chains. The fuel is fed on to the grate by preference at the front end
through an inclined shoot or any suitable known arrangement of self-
feeding hopper, or by hand at discretion. Below the fire-grate is arranged
a cinder grating or sifter inclined towards the front end of the furnace
or otherwise suitably placed, on to which grating the cinders and ashes
from the grate fall. To this grating a "jigging" motion may be
imparted by means of a lever worked by a treadle or otherwise, whereby
the ashes are caused to pass through the grating into the ash-pit below
while the cinders pass down along the grating to the front of the furnace,
where as they accumulate they are fed back into the furnace either by
hand or by any suitable mechanism, such as inclined endless chain
buckets, into the self-feeding hopper. A rake with teeth similar to a
garden rake is provided for raking the cinders down the grating if
necessary. The ashes are raked forward from time to time from the
ash-pit by means of another rake fitting the bottom of the ash-pit, and
are caused to pass into a trough or box provided with a lid at the top,

page_text: into which box water spray is introduced from a rose connected to a
service pipe with a spring valve or other suitable mechanism which may
be opened by a treadle or handle, so as to admit water from time to
time among the ashes, and thus cool them and prevent the flying about
of dust.
In connection with the feeding hopper I arrange, by preference,
revolving toothed crushing rollers for the purpose of breaking up the
lumps of coal before passing into the furnace. Such rollers may be
driven either by the same power that works the furnace, or they may
be worked and also used separately from such apparatus if desired.
In cases where the crushing rollers are not employed I prefer to
use a coarse grating inside the hopper to prevent the clogging up of
the hopper by means of lumps which will not pass over the feeding
apparatus.
In the event of feeding by hand the furnace is provided in front
with sliding doors with tale slides as doors for observing the state of
the furnace.
Although I have described my various improvements in combination
yet it is evident that they may also be employed with advantage
separately and apart from each other.