CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD. OP CONSUMING SMOKE FROM THE FUEL USED IN FURNACES, AND IN THE. METHOD OF SUPPLYING FUEL TO FURNACES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED: THEREWITH
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Barker, of Todmorden, in the County of
York, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD.
OP CONSUMING SMOKE FROM THE FUEL USED IN FURNACES, AND IN THE.
METHOD OF SUPPLYING FUEL TO FURNACES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED:
THEREWITH."
"
Sealed the 28th August 1868, and dated the 3rd March 1868..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Barker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd March 1868.
I, JOHN BARKER, of Todmorden, in the County of York, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE METHOD OF CONSUMING SMOKE FROM THE FUEL USED IN FURNACES, AND.
IN THE METHOD OF SUPPLYING FUEL TO FURNACES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED,
THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
My Invention is designed for consuming the gaseous and carbonaceous:
portions of smoke emanating from the fuel used in furnaces.

page_text: The first part of my improvements consists in the application of jets
or flames of gas or other equivalent to ignite the gas, which is
abundantly contained in the smoke after it has passed along the flue
and is passing to the chimney; for which purpose I apply one or
more gas supply pipes in the space behind the flues, or in the flues
if desired, and provide burners in such pipes in such a position that the
draught from the furnace will not extinguish them, which is accomplished
by placing them in the opposite side of the pipe to the draught, so that
the back part of the pipe protects the gas flames. When gas is admitted
to these tubes and ignited such gas flames are surrounded by the gas
and smoke from the furnace, and the said gas becomes ignited by the
jets and the combination extends and is maintained the whole length of
the flue, which also consumes the carbon in the smoke..
Secondly. The Invention relates to a self-acting feeding apparatus to
supply fuel to the furnace, which when in action constantly supplies
and disperses the coal over the whole surface of the furnace or fire..
The improvements consist in applying to the front or mouth of the
furnace a revolving wheel containing a number of blades; beaters, or
shovels mounted on arms rädiating from the central boss, the shovels
or beaters being placed upon their supporting arms at different angles,
and above these "beaters" or "throwers," a pair of adjustable fluted
rollers are supported in the lower part of the frame of a coal or fuel
"hopper" which extends some distance above such rollers, the said
beaters and rollers being enclosed in a suitable chamber excluding the
outer atmosphere and the rollers above the beaters receive a slow
revolving motion by means of worms, worm wheel and bevil gearing,
and the beaters are driven at a greater velocity by means of positive or
frictional gearing. The "hopper" above the fluted rollers when filled
with fuel supplies it gradually on to the fluted rollers, and as they slowly
revolve thus break the larger portions into suitable sizes which' fall
on to the quickly revolving beaters," and by their peculiar con-
struction or arrangement the fuel is thrown as they fall over the whole
surface of the furnace grate; thereby effecting a more perfect combustion
of the fuel, and the accumulation of "slag" is prevented.
65
II

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Barker in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd September 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, JOHN
BARKER, of Todmorden, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Barker, Her special license,
that I, the said John Barker, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Barker, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time, and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE METHOD OF CONSUMING SMOKE, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
WITH," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Barker, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, or their or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Barker, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
My Invention is designed for the purpose of economizing the con-
sumption of fuel, and also the prevention of smoke in boilers employed
for generating steam; and consists, first, in the novel construction and
adaptation to the front of the furnace of an arrangement of apparatus
that will, when in motion, gradually and constantly disperse over the
whole surface of the furnace an even layer of coal in such a manner

page_text: that the fire or heat of the furnace is kept at one even temperature and
the formation of slag is prevented. This part of my improvement may be
described as follows:-Firmly secured to the front of the furnace, so as
to form a portion of the door, is a circular casing in which is supported
a shaft having arms radiating from it, and on the ends of which are
secured plates of metal placed at different angles, and which are designed
and constructed to act as throwers or shovels for discharging or throwing
coals so as to disperse them evenly over the whole surface of the grate.
The coals or fuel are placed in an hopper above and are caused gradually
to fall by means of slowly revolving fluted feed rollers on to these
shovels (which are caused quickly to revolve by suitable gearing) from
"whence they are regularly and evenly pitched or thrown on to the
<furnace.
The second part of my Invention consists in placing in the boiler
"flue, immediately behind the 'boiler, a hollow concave dish in which are
placed a number of gas burners which when ignited are protected from
'becoming extinguished "by the sides of the concave dish containing the
unconsumed gas evolved from the fuel when passing over these burners
become ignited and consumed, thereby preventing the formation of
smoke in the flue, by which means also a higher temperature of heat is
created which rarifies the air and consequently increases the draft of
the flue.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained
in detail I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made on a scale
of one and a half inch = one foot.
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of the improved fuel feeder
apparatus applied to the front of an ordinary steam boiler.
Fig. 2 reprets a longitudinal section of the boiler and self-feeding
apparatus, and also the position and arrangement of gas burners behind
the boiler for consuming the smoke evolved from the coals.
In these Figures a, a, is the boiler; b, the furnace; and c, the flue,
.all being well-known parts of the boiler. To the door or front of the
furnace a circular casing d is secured, in which is enclosed and
supported the beaters, throwers, or revolving shovels e, which are
actuated so as to revolve at a high velocity by means of the gearing f;
hopper or
placed above these revolving shovels or throwers an
receptacle g for coal is secured, the lower portion h of which just above
66
"

page_text: the beaters contains two fluted rollers i which are caused slowly to
revolve by means of the worm wheel and gearing k. The beaters or
revolving shovels e are supported or fixed at different angles or positions
upon the arms of the wheel to which they are secured for the purpose
when revolving of throwing the fuel upon the fire, so as equally to
distribute the same over the whole surface. At the extremity of the
boiler flue a concave or hollow cup m is supported, the interior of which
is supplied with burners to which gas is supplied from a meter or other-
wise, the sides of the cup m at the bottom being perforated for the
purpose of supplying air to the flame, the said flame being shielded from
the draft by the sides of the cup.
The action of the improvements from the foregoing lettered description
and Drawings will readily be understood.
Coal or fuel when first fed into the hopper g rests upon the feed
rollers i, from whence when such rollers are slowly revolving are
delivered in a regular fall upon the surfaces of the quickly revolving
beaters e, from whence by the peculiar disposition of such beaters are
thrown or pitched over the whole surface of the furnace grate b, the
quantity so delivered being regulated by the speed of the feed rollers i, i.
The coal by being thus equally and regularly fed into the furnace
becomes thoroughly consumed, in the process of which the regular
amount of heat emited gives the best result for economy in the
generation of steam. The smoke evolved from the fuel when escaping
into the flue is arrested in its progress so as to be thoroughly con-
sumed by the flame of gas burning in the cup m. By the employment
and use of the improved self-fuel feeder and distributer in combination
with the gas smoke consumer the fuel is materially economized and
smoke is thoroughly prevented escaping from the boiler.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, together with
the method of carrying the same into practical effect, I want it to be
distinctly understood in conclusion that I claim,-
First. The novel employment, adaptation, and use of regularly feeding
the furnaces of steam boilers with fuel by means of revolving shovels in
connection with the mechanism herein-before described, or any slight
modification thereof.
And, secondly. I claim the novel employment and use of gas burners
situated in the flues of boilers for the purpose of consuming smoke,

page_text: together with the general arrangement of mechanism constituting these
improvements, as herein-before described and fully set forth in the
Drawings attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Barker, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
JOHN BARKER. (L.S.) ·