Improvements connected with Steam Boiler Furnaces for the Consumption of Smoke.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements connected with Steam Boiler Furnaces for the
Consumption of Smoke.
I, ALAMETI COULTHURST, of 191, Claremount Road, Halifax, in the County of
York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to new and automatic means of admitting atmospheric
air into the furnaces of steam boilers for the purpose of consuming smoke arising
from the fuel.
In carrying out my invention the dead plate or some other equivalent plate
between the door of the furnace and the grate bars is made to open every time
the door of the furnace is opened, for the purpose of mending the fires, but
the closing of the dead plate after the furnace door has been closed is made to
be gradual and this is effected by means of an air pump or vessel which when
the furnace door is opened is operated in one direction but the said air pump or
vessel is self closing, the time of closing being regulated according to requirements,
and in doing this the dead plate is gradually closed but meanwhile atmospheric
air is passing through the opening made by the dead plate whereby the said atmos-
pheric air is mingling with the gases arising from the fuel whereby they are
ignited and the smoke arising from the fuel is converted into flame consequently
the smoke is reduced to a minimum and economy of fuel effected.
Dated this 16th day of November 1897.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Patent Agents.
Improvements connected with Steam Boiler Furnaces for the
Consumption of Smoke.
I, ALAMETH COULTHURST, of 191, Claremount Road, Halifax, in the County of
York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to new and automatic means of admitting atmospheric
air into the furnaces of steam boilers for the purpose of consuming smoke arising
from the fuel.
In carrying out my invention the dead plate, or some other equivalent plate
between the door of the furnace and the grate bars, is made to open every time
the door of the furnace is opened, for the purpose of mending the fires or intro-
Die 871

page_text: ducing fresh fuel, but the closing of the dead plate after the furnace door
has been closed, is made to be gradual, and this is effected by means of an air
pump or vessel which, when the furnace door is opened, the pump is operated in
one direction, but the said air pump or vessel is self closing, the time of closing
being regulated according to requirements, and in doing this the dead plate is
gradually closed, but meanwhile atmospheric air is passing through the opening
made by the dead plate, whereby the said atmospheric air is mingling with the
gases arising from the fuel, whereby they are ignited and the smoke arising from
the fuel is converted into flame, consequently the smoke is reduced to a minimum
and economy of fuel effected.
In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention Fig. 1 is elevation of
the front part of a steam boiler furnace shewing the application of my improve-
ments.
Fig. 2 is sectional side elevation taken on line 1-2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is
part sectional plan taken through line A, B, of Fig. 2.
Referring to the drawings a represents the furnace door and b the pin on which
said door swings when being opened or closed. Secured on the bottom of pin b
is a crank c carrying a crank pin d. This crank pin d works in a slot e of a link e¹.
The dead plate is shewn at f and it has two openings and h formed therein in
which openings are adapted to work valves g₁ and h¹ connected together by a
connecting shaft or rod j. Over these openings and h in the dead plate f is a
semicircular tube or chamber h2 composed of fireclay, metal or other suitable
material provided with holes h³ leading into the upper part of the furnace.
kis the air pump or vessel provided with a piston or bucket K¹ which piston
is connected by vertical rod 7 and series of bars or levers to the valve h¹. At
the top of the air pump or vessel k is a small air valve m, which valve has a
small opening formed between the valve and the valve seating to allow of slow
admission of air to the said vessel.
When the furnace door a is opened it rocks the crank c and by means of the
crank pin d in the slot e opens the valve gl and through connecting bar or hori-
zontal rod i also opens the valve h¹ thus giving free admission of air to the tube h
and through holes h³ to the furnace. At the same time that the valves g¹ and h¹
are being opened the piston in the air vessel k is, by means of levers and
rod 7, raised to the top of said air vessel, the enclosed air escaping through the
valve m.
When the furnace door is closed again the pin d slides idly along the slot e¹
without closing the valves g¹ and h¹, but the weight of the piston k, piston rod 7,
and levers 71 is just sufficient to overcome the vacuum in the air vessel k and by
drawing air slowly in through the small opening in the valve m the valves g¹ and h¹
are gradually closed. thereby preventing ingress of air to the furnace through
openings g and h and holes h³ until the furnace door is again opened.
As the valves and h are closing, the link e' moves back to its normal position
ready to engage the crank pin d on the furnace door being re-opened.
By employing an apparatus of the description set forth the supply of air is not
cut off at once on closing the door. but atmospheric air is free to be admitted
during the time the valves g¹ and h¹ are closing, such air so admitted mingling
with the gases arising from the fuel, thereby converting said gases into flame,
consequently consuming the smoke to a very large degree, and the length of time
occupied in closing the valves in the dead plate may be varied as desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In steam boiler furnaces, the formation of one or more openings g, h, in
the dead plate, together with valves g¹ and h¹ for admitting and distributing air
to the furnace, substantially in the manner shewn and described.
2. In a steam boiler furnace the employment of two or more valves such as g¹

page_text: and in combination with crank c, crank pin d and slotted link e for opening
said valves, all operated and operating substantially as shewn and described.
3. In a steam boiler furnace the employment of valves such as g₁ and h¹ for
admitting air to the furnace on the opening of the door, in combination with an
air vessel such as k and connections and 71, and valve m provided with a small
opening, for gradually closing said valves, all operated and operating, substantially
as herein shewn and described.
4. The general arrangement, construction and combination of parts, as herein
described and shewn in the drawings, including the semicircular perforated
chamber for admitting air to a steam boiler furnace for the purpose of con-
suming the smoke therein.
Dated this 10th day of duoust 1808
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Patent Agents, Halifax, Agents for Applicant.