Generators, Circulators and Pulsators
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 8th July, 1887.
declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improvement in Steam Generators, Circulators and
Pulsators.
The object of my invention is to simplify the construction and arrangement of the
bridge-wall and conducting pipes for the purpose of adapting them to use in con-
nection with all forms of boilers and for rendering the circulation of the water and
generation of steam more rapid and uniform.
A further object is to provide a bridge-wall of increased height and of such form
that the bars which conduct the steam from the steam chamber of the bridge-wall to
the boiler shall occupy positions within and along the sides of the fire space at a
considerable distance above the grate bars, for the particular purpose of burning
wood to advantage.
With these ends in view my invention consists in a bridge-wall provided with a
water receiving and steam discharging chamber communicating with each other only
through the hollow grate bars and tubes leading from one of the bridge-wall
chambers therein, in connection with a water conducting pipe leading from the water
space of the boiler to the water receiving chamber of the bridge-wall, and a steam
conducting pipe leading from the steam discharging chamber of the bridge-wall to
the steam space of the boiler.
My invention further consists in a sectional bridge-wall, the lower section of which
is provided with a water and a steam chamber and the upper section of which is
provided with a steam chamber in communication with the steam chamber of the
lower section and with the steam space of the boiler.

page_text: My invention further consists in certain features of construction and combinations
of parts as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings
:―
Figure 1 is a top plan view partly in section showing one form of hollow bridge-
wall, the side conveying and return pipes and the hollow grate bars, the rear portion
of the boiler broken away.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same with a portion of the fire pot wall broken
away.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section through line a, a, of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section through line y, y, of Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a partial side elevation of the grate bars and steam conducting pipes
showing the wood burning bridge-wall in end elevation.
Figure 7 is a vertical section of the wood burning bridge-wall taken transversely
through its central portion.
.
Figure 8 is a vertical section taken longitudinally through the centre of the wood
burning bridge-wall.
Figure 9 is a view of the compression joint showing its parts in detail.
Figure 10 is a view in longitudinal vertical section showing the adaptation of the
generating grate bars to a locomotive or marine engine.
Figure 11 is a transverse vertical section of the locomotive or marine boiler through
line zz, of Figure 10, and
Figure 12 is a detached view of one form of loose joint.
A represents a boiler of ordinary construction, B" a grate, C a bridge-wall, and
a the furnace wall.
The form of bridge-wall shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, is a simple and
economical form adapted to use in connection with coal burning furnaces.
The form of bridge-wall adapted to wood burning or to both wood burning and
coal burning furnaces I shall describe after I have described the form shown in the
first five figures.
A pipe a leads from the boiler from a point below the water line and preferably
from the end over the doors opening into the fire box, and extending partially across
the end to one side of the furnace wall leads along outside of the fire box and
preferably outside of the furnace wall to a point opposite the end of the bridge-wall
where it turns and enters the end of the bridge wall, thereby forming a conduit for
the water to flow from the boiler into a chamber within the said bridge-wall.
The pipe a² is provided at convenient points with a stop valve D for shutting off
the water in case of accident or for repairs or other purpose, and with a check
valve d to prevent the water from setting back and interfering with the flow from
the boiler.
The interior of the bridge-wall C, Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, is separated by a
suitable partition c into two chambers c¹ and c, which preferably extend its entire
length, and for convenience, are arranged one in front of and above the other.
The lower chamber is the one which the pipe a² enters and which through the
pipe a² is supplied with water from the boiler.
b
The grate bars B consist of tubes provided with curved faced transverse grate
lugs on their upper sides. They are preferably of taper form as shown, and the
grate bars are open at their ends adjacent to the bridge-wall and closed at their
opposite ends. Their ends adjacent to the bridge-wall are reinforced as shown at 1
and provided with annular grooves 62, the outer portions of the grooves being bell or
funnel shaped in cross section as shown at 63.
The lower portion of the bridge-wall is provided with a series of bosses c³, sur-
rounding openings et into the chamber c' at such intervals as separate the grate bars,
and the ends of the bosses care provided with annular grooves e adapted to register
with and having the same form as the grooves in the ends of the grate bars. The
joint between the grate bar and the boss e³ is formed by a ring or thimble Ę of

page_text: double convex shape in cross section, its opposite edges being constructed to enter the
grooves
2, c, but not touch the bottoms of the grooves thereby ensuring a tight joint
between the ring or thimble and the wall of the grooves, even though the grate bars
be tilted out of line.
The grate bars B are drawn toward the bridge-wall and the ring or thimble E
compressed between them by rods F provided with heads and squared portions f¹
near the heads. The squared portions f¹ are adapted to rest in angular or dovetail
slots g formed in the faces of lugs G located in the openings et, with the heads fin
engagement with the sides of the lugs G, while the opposite ends of the rods
project through the closed ends of the grate bars and are threaded to receive draw
nuts 2.
The contact faces of the nuts are rounded as shown at 3 and engage concave
seats in the ends of the bars whereby the grate bar is allowed to tilt without
opening the joint or straining the parts. The free ends of the bars B are provided
with projections * adapted to engage a movable shoe or rest H in a slot h, the shoe
being supported upon a suitable offset I or in any other well known or approved
manner.
The construction is such that when it is desired to remove a grate bar for any
purpose the shoe H may be slid toward the end of the grate bar until it clears the
offset I and the end of the bar be then dropped below the said offset and withdrawn
through the ash pit door or other suitable opening.
The chamber e in the bridge-wall communicates with the interior of the grate bars
through tubes K which are set firmly in the wall of the chamber c², and extend thence
through the openings and along the interior of the grate bars to points near the
closed end of said bars.
The water from the chamber c² flows into the hollow grate bars through the
tubes K. It is there converted more or less rapidly into steam, which escapes from
the grate bar into the chamber c¹, and thence through suitable conducting pipes to
the boiler, above the water line as follows:
On the opposite sides of the fire box and within it are located steam conducting
tubes L which extend from the bridge-wall, on an upward incline to and through
the end furnace wall, thence to the right and left as shown at l, thence upwardly as
shown at l, and thence toward each other as shown at 12, uniting with a common
inlet pipe M entering the boiler above the water line.
The changes in direction which conducting pipes L, L,
veniently made by the ordinary Land T-shaped bends, but
desirable in any instance by bending the pipe itself.
and 12, assume are con-
may be made if found
To prevent the back set of steam from the boiler a check valve N is inserted in the
inlet pipe M.
A blow off pipe O provided with a stop valve o is attached to a portion of the
pipe,, &c, preferably at the point where it makes its turn upwardly. This is
conveniently accomplished by placing a T-connection at the bend as shown. The
ends of the tubes L adjacent to the fire bridge are connected to the bridge by
compression joints m in a manner quite similar to that hereinbefore explained with
reference to the attachment of the grate bars to the bridge-wall.
The rods m which hold the tubes I pressed toward the bridge-wall are constructed
similar to the rods F and have their squared portions m² let into angular slots in
lugs n formed in the outer sides of the openings p through the bosses P.
Their heads m³ engage the sides of the lugs and their opposite ends project through
the T-coupling n² outside of the wall where they are provided with rounded faced
nuts m' adapted to engage concave seats m in the outside of the couplings.
In the preferred construction of bridge-wall represented in Figures 6, 7 & 8 a
detachable hollow upper section is provided with a steam chamber communicating
with the steam chamber c¹ of the lower section, through the openings S, S¹, formed
respectively in the bottom of the upper section and top of the lower section at their
central portions.

page_text: The openings S, S¹, are surrounded by bosses having annular grooves in their
faces in which a ring coupling is inserted similar to that herein before described.
Within the opening S in the bottom of the upper section a recessed lugs is located
to form a seat for the head and stem of the coupling bolt s', which projects thence
downwardly through the chamber c² and is provided with a nut on its lower end
which serves to draw and lock together the two sections of the bridge-wall.
The upper section of the bridge-wall has a rearward tilt from the top of the
lower section and the steam conducting tubes L lead from it at points near its top
and ends. The recessed faced lugs G in the openings leading to the grate bars, are
here set with their faces upright instead of horizontal and the circulating tubes extend
along just below or partially in front of the recesses in the lugs and thereby serve to
prevent the displacement of the rods while the grate bars are being adjusted.
The high narrow steam chamber leading from the ends of the grate bars upwardly
to the top of the lower section of the bridge-wall and thence through the
openings S, S¹³, into the upper section and thence to its top, exposes the water to an
extended surface, and serves to convert a great quantity of it into steam before it
reaches the steam conducting tubes L.
The construction also gives an increased depth and length of fire space with the
necessary room between the grate bars and tubes L to admit sticks of wood.
Its sectional construction also renders it easier to handle and more simple to
manufacture.
The steam generated in the grate bars and chamber c¹ or chambers c¹, C³, of the
bridge-wall enters the boiler through the tubes L and inlet pipe M whenever the
pressure becomes sufficient to move the check valve N against the pressure of steam
within the boiler, and as fast as water is converted into steam and enters the boiler a
fresh supply will pass from the boiler to the chamber c².
The admission of the water to the chamber c³ may be positively regulated by the
stop valve D or may be entirely cut off. If any water escapes from the grate bars
into the chamber c', of the bridge-wall and thence into the chamber and into the
tubes L, the heat to which they are exposed will tend to convert it into steam and
at all times there is such a ready communication between the side tube L through the
medium of the pipes 1, 1, 12, that the pressure of steam will be equalized and its
entrance into the boiler very regular.
Steam or water cushioning of the valves may be remedied and dirt removed from
the pipes by opening the blow off valve o.
At suitable places the apparatus is provided with plugs Q affording access to the
several passage ways for cleaning purposes.
The construction shown in Figure 10 is one of the approved arrangements for
applying the above described improvement to locomotive or marine engines. The
bridge-wall in this instance is rounded at the bottom and rests in rocking adjustment,
on suitable supports to admit of the grate being tilted with the ash pan in
cleaning out.
The pipe for feeding water from the boiler to the chamber c² of the bridge-
wall, enters the bridge-wall from below and the boiler at the water wall in front of
the bridge-wall.
The pipe L,,, &c, for conducting the steam from the chamber e' to the steam
space of the boiler connects with the chamber c¹ through a tubed portion of the water
wall in front of the bridge-wall, and extends thence in curved form up the side of the
boiler and thence rearwardly and into the boiler at the base of the steam dome. Both
pipes a² and L are provided with loose or ball joints R to permit the tilting of the
bridge-wall and grate bars, and with the necessary stop and check valves.
The sizes and shapes of the conducting pipes and bars and their arrangements
relatively to the boiler and to each other are matters depending to a great extent upon
the style and setting of the boiler.
The forms shown are those which are found preferable wherever practicable.
It is evident that numerous slight changes might be resorted to without

page_text: departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, hence I do not wish to limit
myself strictly to the construction herein set forth, but,
Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by
Letters Patent is,
1st. In a Steam Generator, the combination with a boiler, steam generating grate
bars and a hollow bridge-wall provided with a water receiving and a steam dis-
charging chamber, of an independent water conducting pipe leading from the boiler
to the said water receiving chamber of the bridge-wall, and a steam conducting pipe
leading from the steam discharging chamber of the bridge-wall to the boiler,
substantially as set forth.
2nd. In a Steam Generator, the combination with a boiler, hollow steam generating
grate bars and a hollow bridge-wall provided with a water receiving and a steam
discharging chamber, the outlet from the water receiving chamber being only through
tubes leading therefrom into the interiors of the hollow grate bars, of a water con-
ducting pipe leading from the boiler to the water receiving chamber of the bridge-
wall and a steam conducting pipe leading from the steam discharging chamber of the
bridge-wall to the boiler, substantially as set forth.
3rd. In a Steam Generator, the combination with a boiler, a bridge-wall provided
with a water receiving and a steam discharging chamber and hollow grate bars,
through which the chambers in the bridge-wall communicate with each other, of a
water conducting pipe leading from the boiler to the bridge-wall outside of the fire
space, and a steam conducting pipe leading from the bridge-wall to the boiler,
substantially as set forth.
4th. In a Steam Generator, the combination with the boiler, and the bridge-wall
provided with a water receiving and a steam discharging chamber communicating
with each other through the hollow grate bars, of a water conducting pipe leading
from the boiler to the bridge-wall outside of the fire space, and a steam conducting
pipe leading from the bridge-wall to the boiler and passing through the fire space,
substantially as set forth.
5th. In a Steam Generator, the combination with the bridge-wall with its water
receiving and steam discharging chambers, of the water conducting pipe leading
from the boiler to the bridge-wall outside the fire space and the steam conducting
pipes leading from the bridge-wall to the boiler along the sides of and within the fire
space, substantially as set forth.
6th. The combination with the steam generating grate bars and the bridge-wall
with its water chamber and its steam chamber, of the independent water conducting
pipe, and the steam conducting pipes leading from separate points of the steam
chamber and uniting in a common steam inlet pipe, substantially as set forth.
7th. The combination with the steam generating grate bars and the bridge-wall
with its water chamber and its steam chambers, of the independent water conducting
pipe with its stop valves and check valves, the steam conducting and generating
pipes communicating freely with each other and having a common steam inlet pipe
leading to the boiler, and the check valve located in the common steam inlet pipe,
substantially as set forth.
8th. The combination with the steam conducting tubes leading from the steam
chamber of the bridge-wall through the fire space and thence to the boiler, of the
compression joints between the tubes and the bridge-wall the draw rods for tightening
the joints, the slotted lugs located at the sides of the openings into the steam chamber,
and the draw rods with their heads and squared portions adapted to engage the lug,
substantially as set forth.
9th. A steam generating bridge-wall consisting essentially of a lower hollow section
and an upper hollow section, the sections being connected together in a slightly
tilting or rocking adjustment by a steam tight joint, substantially as set forth.
10th. The bridge-wall consisting essentially of the rearwardly tilting hollow upper
section and the two chambered lower section, the two sections communicating with
each other and being detachable from each other substantially as set forth.

page_text: 11th. A steam generating bridge-wall composed of hollow sections united by a
steam tight compression joint through which the sections communicate with each
other, substantially as set forth.
12th. The combination with the lower section of the bridge-wall with its water and
steam-chambers and the hollow grate bars communicating with the steam chamber
direct and with the water chamber through a circulating tube, of the upper bridge-
wall section with its auxiliary steam chamber in communication with the steam
chamber of the lower section, and the steam conducting pipes leading from the
steam chamber in the upper section to the boiler, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 7th day of June 1887.