IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO FURNACES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO FURNACES."
-A communication from abroad by Samuel Danks, of Cincinnati,
Ohio, United States of America.
Sealed the 1st March 1872, and dated the 21st December 1871.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 21st December 1871, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVED Apparatus
FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO FURNACES," and have petitioned Her Majesty to
grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal

page_text: ash-pit below the grate. H is a hopper of triangular form. W is a wall
separating the grate from the hopper. A is a large auger in the bottom
of the hopper. This auger is usually five inches in diameter and six
inches in pitch; one end of the auger passes through a circular hole in
the wall W. This hole has exactly the diameter of the largest diameter
of the pitch of the auger, so that the auger fits closely in the said hole.
The said hole is usually at about the middle of the vertical height of the
fire. The shaft X of the auger passes through the rear side of the hopper
opposite the grate and extends beyond the side. To this extension of
the shaft is attached a belt wheel or crank L or other device, by which
the
auger is turned.
In reference to the above dimensions of the auger it may be here
remarked that I do not confine myself to any particular size of auger,
hopper, or grate, but vary the respective dimensions as experience may
dictate; and I employ any description of machinery and gearing which
may find most suitable for the driving of the auger or of two or more
I
augers.
C represents coal cither fine or coarse as desired. The pitch of the
auger will of course vary with the fineness or coarseness of the coal
used. I do not limit myself to the employment of one auger, but if the
grate or furnace be large I use two or three or more with a grate as
experience may dictate.
The manner in which my Invention operates is very simple. I fill the
hopper H with say fine coal C. A fire F having been kindled in the
chamber D whenever it is desirable to feed the fire with fresh coal
I cause the auger to revolve at any desired velocity by turning the
crank; or if other variety of mechanical power is employed then by
setting that in motion, taking care that the spiral of the auger moves
toward the fire. As the auger revolves the coal in the hopper is forced
by the said auger into the middle of the fire. The coal can be fed as
fast or as slowly as desired by increasing or decreasing the velocity with
which the auger revolves.
This improved method of firing is superior to the ordinary methods for
the following reasons:-Ordinarily the coal is cast upon the top of the
fire.
When this is done the temperature of the furnace is lowered as
follows, viz., the immense volume of gas suddenly liberated from not

page_text: being sufficiently heated and also from an insuffiency of air, is
prevented from igniting, and then the moisture of the fresh coal is
instantly converted into steam and fills the furnace above the fire. As
the temperature of this steam is below that required for ignition, the
temperature of the furnace is still further lowered, and thus the
steam combines with the insufficiency of air to prevent the ignition of
the gases. The fire by this method of feeding is improperly dampened,
and a large proportion of the gases so suddenly generated pass from the
fire and escape unconsumed through the chimney, the heat which might
have been obtained from their ignition in the furnace and so utilized
being wasted. Slack coal fed in this manner to furnaces is much more
troublesome and liable to waste than coarse coal. Hence its use has
been discarded.
By my improved method of firing a continuous supply of coarse coal,
or more usually slack or fine coal, which I use with great success, is fed
to the fire. As the auger is placed at the vertical centre of the body of
the fire the coal is fed at the centre of the fire. The gases from this
coal are thrown off continually, but having to pass through incandescent
coke or fuel in order to escape are heated to a sufficient temperature by
the time they reach the upper surface of the fire to easily ignite upon
coming into contact with the air blast driven into the space in the fire
chamber above the surface of the fire, and they so ignite. My Invention
thus prevents the lowering of the temperature of the fire and thereby
together with securing the steady feeding of the fire and the steady
consumption of the gases allows a very uniform and very high tempera-
ture, both of which are very desirable to be maintained. It economises
fuel by consuming the gases thrown off from the fuel while burning; it
saves manual labour, and simplifies the feeding of furnaces by dispensing
with the skill necessary for feeding in the ordinary methods.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to

page_text: Second. Two or more augers located at the side of the grate and at
the bottom of the hopper H, whereby the fuel is fed directly to the grate
without the aid of a blast or other auxiliary, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one
Witness,
WILLIAM JOHN LOWE.
Wч. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)