Improvements in Apparatus for Delivering Coal on to Fires, for Delivering Provender in Stables and for other purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 4th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Nov.. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Delivering Coal on to Fires, for
Delivering Provender in Stables, and for other purposes.
1, JOHN FREDERICK NICHOLLS, of 26 Lewes Crescent, Brighton, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
According to this invention 1 employ a long box divided into compartments by
transverse partitions and suspended and counterbalanced in such manner that as
each compartment is emptied the box rises automatically bringing the next
compartment up to the place of delivery and so on until all the compartments
have been emptied.
In cases where the box is vertical the bottoms of the compartments are
preferably inclined so as to allow the contents to flow out more readily or the box
itself may be inclined. Each compartment may be provided with a lid which is
kept shut until the proper time or the compartments may be closed by a plate
against which the box moves.
For a domestic fire place the appliance is preferably placed in a recess formed
in the brickwork at the side of the fire, an inclined passage leading from just
above the fire into this recess the inner end of the passage being closed by a door
operated by a handle or otherwise.
When the door is opened the coal flows out of the compartment at the end of the
passage and down it onto the fire the box then rising and bringing the next
compartment opposite the passage.
The apparatus can also be used for delivering provender in stables and for many
other purposes.
Dated this 4th day of December 1894.
Improvements in Apparatus for Delivering Coal on to Fires, for
Delivering Provender in Stables, and for other purposes.
1, JOHN FREDERICK NICHOLLS, of 26 Lewes Crescent, Brighton, Gentleman,
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 :-
According to this invention I employ a box divided into compartments which
can be emptied in succession.
In cases where the box is vertical the bottoms of the compartments are
preferably inclined so as to allow the contents to flow out more readily or the box
itself may be inclined. Each compartment may be provided with a lid which is
kept shut until the proper time or the compartments may be closed by a plate
against which the box moves.
For a domestic fire place the appliance is preferably placed in a recess formed in
the brickwork at the side of the fire, an inclined passage leading from just above

page_text: Figure 1 is a sectional front elevation and Figure 2 a sectional side elevation of
an apparatus constructed according to this invention for supplying a domestic
fire place.
The other
a is a box divided into five compartments by inclined partitions a¹. bare
pulleys over which pass chains c c' having one end fixed to the box a.
end of the chain c is fixed to a weight which balances the box a when empty.
On the chain c are five weights d' each sufficient to balance the contents of one
of the compartments of the box a. e is a receptacle for the weights d'. fis a
sliding door which can be raised by pulling the chain f¹. 2 is a pawl hinged to
the back of the door and engaging with projections on the sliding doors a² to
the compartments in the box a. When the chain f¹ is pulled therefore the door a²
as well as the door f is raised allowing the coal in the upper compartment to fall
onto the fire as shown in Figure 1. The weights d and d are now heavier than
the box a with its contents and therefore raise it until the lower weight reaches
the receptacle e and the second compartment comes opposite to the inclined shoot.
When the sliding door f is lowered the pawi f2 rides over and comes beneath a
projection on the door of the second compartment. When the chain f' is again
pulled a second supply of coal is put onto the fire and so on.
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively front and side sectional elevations of a modifica-
tion and Figures 5 and 6 are a plan and underside view of the coal box employed.
In this case the coal box a is stationary and its bottom is made in four parts a³
each of which is hinged and forms a door. These doors are secured by the plate g
fixed to the lower end of a vertical spindle passing through the middle of the
box and having fixed to its upper end the ratchet disc g'. The sliding door f is
worked by a connecting rod f pivotted to a toothed wheel gearing with a rackj
actuated by a handle. Fixed to the rack is a rod k to which is pivotted
a pawl engaging with the ratchet disc g'. When the box is filled the doors a³
are secured by placing the plate g in the position shown in Figure 6 and the box
is put into place with the doors downwards.
When the handle is pulled the door f is raised and the pawl & engaging with
the ratchet disc gl gives it th of a turn so freeing one of the doors a³ which falls
open delivering the coal in the compartment above it into the inclined shoot and
onto the fire. When the handle is released the door f closes by its own weight
and draws the rack and handle back. During this motion the pawl h' rides over
the ratchet disc. Each time the handle j is subsequently pulled the effect is the
same except that the ratchet disc g' and plate g are given a th instead of an gth of
a turn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is
1. The combination of a box divided into compartments with means for
successively delivering the contents of the compartments substantially as
described.
2. The combination of a counterbalanced box divided into compartments with

page_text: means for successively bringing the compartments opposite to a shoot and
delivering their contents substantially as described.
3. The combination of a box divided into compartments, hinged bottoms to the
compartments and means for successively freeing the bottoms of the compartments
and delivering the contents substantially as described.
4. Apparatus substantially as described and shown at Figures 1 and 2.
5. Apparatus substantially as described and shown at Figures 3 to 6.
nuh dan of Au 1805K
J. F. NICHOLLS.