Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Controlling the Supply of Air to Furnaces.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Nov., 1894-Accepted, 29th Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Controlling the
Supply of Air to Furnaces.
We, WILLIAM PINDER, of Waterloo Mills, Bradford, in the County of York,
Engineer, and JOHN WILLOUGHBY, of Whitehall Road, Birkenshaw, in the
Baid county, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object, the construction of an apparatus and the
combination of the same with one or more furnaces in such a manner that, after
supplying the fire with fuel, an additional current of air is allowed to flow and
amalgamate with the gases from the burning fuel for a predetermined period, for
the purpose of effectually consuming or preventing the emission of smoke; and at
the time required for the additional air supply to be automatically stopped.
We accomplish our object in the following manner. The air may be admitted
through an opening in the furnace door, door frame, dead plate or bridge, and when
combined with a door, we by preference use one such as is shown and described in
the Patent Specification No. 5453 of 1890; the additional current of air may be
supplied by a fan, blower or the like.
Above the furnace door, or doors, is mounted a shaft having an arm secured
thereon near to each door, and in the position that, on opening the door, the shaft
is operated in its bearings.
The door may be connected to an air supply pipe, and the hinge pin is hollow
through which a bar is placed and fitted with a lever for the purpose as hereinafter
described, and to the lower portion of the said bar is an arm connected to a plate
for stopping the additional supply of air to the fire when required.
To the shaft is secured a weighted lever and a ratchet wheel, and with the
latter, one or more pawls engage which is or are attached to a wheel mounted
loosely on the before mentioned shaft. The last mentioned wheel is suitably
connected to a wheel rotated by a current of air propelled by a fan or the like.
On opening the furnace door the before mentioned shaft is operated, the weighted
lever raised, and the teeth of the ratchet wheel passed over the pawls.
On closing the door, the before mentioned lever secured to the top of bar
inserted in the hinge pin, comes in contact with a quadrant secured on the said
shaft, by which air is allowed to flow to the fire until the lever is clear of the
quadrant, which is operated by a current of air propelled by a fan or the like,
acting on a wheel coupled to the shaft. When the said lever is clear of the
quadrant, the additional supply of air is stopped by the before mentioned plate
closing the opening in fire door.
In place of the wheel operated by a current of air, an escapement may be
coupled to the ratchet wheel, and the shaft operated by the descent of a weighted
lever secured thereon; or a cylinder filled with liquid may be utilized, the piston
having a hole through same, the piston rod being connected by suitable means to a
lever secured on the before mentioned shaft.
When admitting air through the door frame or other portion or portions of the
furnace, the plate for stopping the supply of air is suitably connected to a
convenient part of the door hinge pin or bar placed therein.
Dated this 20th day of February 1894.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.

page_text: Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Controlling the
Supply of Air to Furnaces.
We, WILLIAM PINDER of Waterloo Mills, Bradford, in the County of York,
Engineer, and JOHN WILLOUGHBY, of Whitehall Road, Birkenshaw, in the said
county, 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 has for its object, the construction of an apparatus, and the
combination of the same with one or more furnaces in such a manner that, after
supplying the fire with fuel, an additional current of air is allowed to flow and
amalgamate with the gases from the burning fuel, for a predetermined period, for
the purpose of stopping, or preventing the emission of smoke; and at the time
required for the additional air supply to be automatically stopped.
In order that our invention may be fully understood, we will describe the same
in detail by making reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of such portions of a two flued boiler as are
necessary to illustrate our invention, which is added thereto.
Fig. 2 a plan.
Figs. 3 and 4. enlarged details shewing the mechanism for operating the plate,
for regulating the supply of air to the furnaces, and
Figs. 5 and 6 enlarged details of catch and worm wheel mounted on shaft E.
The boiler is indicated by the letter A. having two furnace tubes B. The
additional supply of air may be admitted to same through an opening in the
door frame, dead plate, or bridge, but by preference through the doors C. C.
which are mounted similar to those shewn and described in Patent Specification
No. 5453 of 1890.
The additional current of air may be supplied by a fan, blower or the like,
and the air conduits D. D. from said blower or the like to the furnaces, may if
desired, be passed through the said flues of boiler, in order to warm the additional
current of air before same is passed into the furnaces.
Above the furnace doors C. C. we mount a shaft E. supported by brackets F. F.
in any convenient manner. On to said shaft are secured the arms G. G. near
to the doors C. C. and in such position that on opening a door C. the shaft is
operated.
The air conduits D. D. are connected to the doors C. C. in any convenient
manner, the hinge pin J. in each door is hollow, through each of which passes a
rod K. provided with a lever L. for the purpose hereinafter described, and to
the lower portion of each rod K. is secured an arm M. the opposite end of which
is connected to a plate N. fitting into internal opening U. of respective doors C. C.
for cutting off the supply of additional air to the fires when required.
The before mentioned shaft E. is provided with quadrants O. and weighted
lever P. secured thereon.
Upon opening a door C. the respective arm G. comes in contact therewith, and
being secured to the shaft E. operates the latter such a distance until the
arms G. G. are practically clear of the doors. The quadrants O. also secured
on the said shaft E. will be moved to such a position that, on closing a door C.
the before mentioned levers L. secured to the respective rods K. K. will be in
contact therewith, and in such position that, the arms M. will keep the plate N.
in the position somewhat as shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 4 allowing the necessary
additional current of air to pass through the opening U. into the furnace.
:

page_text: The shaft E. is operated in the opposite direction to that before described, by
means of the weighted lever P. such a distance until the quadrants O. are clear of
the levers L. whereby the current of air passing into the conduits D. D. operates
the plate N. no longer held by the levers L. being in contact with quadrants O.
thus automatically closing the internal openings U. in the fire doors C. C. and
stopping the supply of air to the top of the fires.
In any convenient position in the additional air conduit D. we mount a fan vane
or the like Q. which is propelled by the current of air, and operates through the
worm R. the train of wheels S. and worm T, the latter gearing with the worm
wheel X. mounted loosely on shaft E. The said worm wheel X. is provided with
one or more pawls V engaging with a catch wheel W. secured on shaft E. as shewn
by Fig. 5.
By the weighted lever P. being secured to the shaft E. it will operate the same
in the direction of arrow, and if no gearing or the like was connected with the
said shaft, the quadrants O. would be quickly moved clear of the levers L. but by
connecting gearing such as shown and described, with a catch wheel W. secured on
the shaft E. the weighted lever P. cannot operate the said shaft quicker than is
allowed by the rotation of the fan vane Q.
It will be readily understood by persons conversant with mechanics, that other
methods may be adopted for preventing the quick motion of the shaft E. as for
example, an escapement may be employed, or a cylinder filled with liquid utilized,
the piston of which is connected to a lever on said shaft and provided with a hole
through same, so that on opening a door C. the liquid is displaced from one side of
the piston to the other. When the door is closed, the piston descending by
gravity, displaces the liquid slowly, thus allowing the weighted lever P. to operate
the shaft E. and slowly move the quadrants O. clear of the levers L.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is,
1. A furnace with which is combined a door C. having an internal opening U.
and plate N. said plate being hinged and automatically operated substantially in
the manner as described.
2. A furnace door C. having an internal opening U. fitted with a hinged
plate N. so arranged that on closing the door C. the internal opening U. is
uncovered by plate N. and air allowed to flow to the furnace until the hinged
plate N. is liberated.
3. The fan Q. and connections to shaft E. combined with quadrants O. and
intermediate connections with a plate N. mounted to a door C. substantially in the
manner as shown and for the purpose as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 21st day of November 1894.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.