IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND STEAM ROLLERS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Dickins and Harvey Heywood, of Middleton,
in the County of Lancaster, Dyers and Printers, and John Holland, of
the same Place, Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FURNACES AND STEAM ROLLERS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Dickius, Harvey
Heywood, and John Holland at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 27th November 1866.
We, THOMAS DICKINS and HARVEY HEYWOOD, of Middleton, in the County
of Lancaster, Dyers and Printers, and JOHN HOLLAND, of the same Place,
Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FURNACES AND STEAM BOILERS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates, firstly, to a method of using moveable fire-bars,
whereby the fuel is gradually moved from one end of the furnace to the other,
while the said bars are at the same time freed from clinkers and the air
passages opened. In order to effect these objects we impart to the said bars
a. forward and backward motion, alternate bars moving forward while the
intervening bars are moving backward, during which motions those which are
moving forward rise and those which are moving backward fall, and thus the
fuel is carried forward..

page_text: In carrying out our Invention we propose to place a shaft at the front of
the boiler or flue, and to which a slow rotary motion is communicated; on this
shaft is a series of cams embraced by forks extending from the bars, and the
said shaft communicates motion to another cam shaft at the back of the boiler
or flue, or to vibrating cams acting against the bars. By these means a series
of bars is caused to advance while another series is returning, the one at the
same time rising and the other falling. We have spoken of alternate bars,
but they may move in groups if desired, or a portion of them may be
stationary. We propose if necessary to notch the upper surfaces of the bars
in order to assist their hold on the fuel.
Our Invention in steam boilers relates to that system in which the coal or
other fuel is placed in a hopper so as to render it self-feeding. We propose
to use a cylindrical or other formed shell, projecting into the interior of which
is a fuel box, conical by preference. The lower end of this box communicates
with an enlarged part situate above the fire-bars and constituting a combustion
chamber surrounded with water, and from this proceed a number of flues
which pass through the water space and then communicate with external flues.
For large powers we propose to use a number of boilers constructed as above
described and connected together at their steam chambers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Dickins, Harvey Heywood, and John Holland in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
DICKINS and HARVEY HEYWOOD, of Middleton, in the County of Lancaster,
Dyers and Printers, and JOHN HOLLAND, of the same Place, Mechanic, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of November; in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, and in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Thomas Dickins, Harvey Heywood, and John Holland, Her special
license that we, the said Thomas Dickins, Harvey Heywood, and John Holland;
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas
Dickins, Harvey Heywood, and John Holland, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time

page_text: 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND STEAM BOILERS," upon the condition,
amongst others, that we, the said Thomas Dickins, Harvey Heywood, and
John Holland, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, 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 Harvey Heywood, do hereby declare
the nature of our said Invention, and in what manuer 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 :-
Our Invention according to our Provisional Specification related, firstly, to
a method of using moveable fire-bars, whereby the fuel is gradually moved
from one end of the furnace to the other, while the said bars are at the same
time freed from clinkers and the air passages opened. In order to effect these
objects we proposed to impart to the said bars a forward and backward
motion, alternate bars moving forward while the intervening bars were moving
backward, during which motions those which were moving forward rose, and
those which were moving backward fell, and thus the fuel was carried
forward..
In carrying out our Invention we proposed to place a shaft at the front of
the boiler or flue, and to which a slow rotatory motion was communicated;
on this shaft. were a series of cams embraced by forks extending from the
bars, and the said shaft communicated motion to another cam shaft at the
back of the boiler or flue, or to vibrating cams acting against the bars. By
these means a series of bars were caused to advance while another series was
returning, the one at the same time rising and the other falling. Since the
filing of our said Provisional Specification we have found by experiment that
this part of our Invention cannot be usefully carried out, and we therefore lay
no claim thereto.
Our Invention relates to that system of steam boilers in which the coal or
other fuel is placed in a hopper so as to render it self-feeding. We use a
cylindrical or other formed shell, projecting into the interior of which is a fuel
box, conical by preference. The lower end of this box communicates with an

page_text: enlarged part situate above the fire-bars, and constituting a combustion:
chamber surrounded with water, and from this proceed a number of flues
which pass through the water space, and then communicate with external
flues. For large powers we use a number of boilers constructed, as above.
described, and connected together at their steam chambers:
::.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents a boiler constructed.
according to our Invention in vertical section; Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly
in section; and Figs. 3 and 4 are views in elevation and plan shewing the
boiler set in brickwork. The outward shell of the boiler is at a, within.
which is another, shell b, provided at its upper end with a pipe c which
extends to the top of the boiler, and is there in communication with a
hopper d (Fig. 3). The two shells a, b, form a water chamber e, passing
through which is a series of tubes f, attached at one end to the outward
shell a and at the other to the inward shell b, which shell forms a fire-box g
surrounded by the water chamber c. The fire-bars are at h, supported at
their outward ends by a circular flange i, and at their inward ends by a
pillar krising from the ash-pit. The coal or other fuel is placed in the:
hopper d, from whence it passes down the pipe c and into the fire-box g,
which it fills or partially fills, the hopper d and pipe c constituting a coal
box for keeping up the supply of fuel. The products of combustion pass
through the tubes f into the flue 7 (Figs. 3 and 4), and from thence to the
chimney.
The above arrangement refers to a boiler set in brickwork, but if it be
desired to dispense with the said brickwork, for marine purposes for instance,
the mouths of the tubes may be connected together by any suitable ordinary
arrangement. One method of effecting this we have shewn at Fig. 5, in
which m is a water chamber surrounding the boiler above described, and
leaving a space n constituting a flue with which the tubes f communicate, as
shewn in the Drawing; the water chamber m is not open to the chamber of
the boiler, and will serve therefore simply to heat the water, but it may be
open at top and bottom to the chamber e, and so form a portion of the boiler.
At o is a fire-door, by means of which the fire may be lighted and the fuel
stirred if necessary, but the said lighting can be effected by passing burning
fuel through the pipe c, which pipe may be provided with a shutter if required.
At p is a man-hole, and other usual fittings are to be adapted in the ordinary
Boilers constructed as above described may be used singly, or any
required number may be connected together at their steam chambers.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in
manner.

page_text: which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood that we claim
as secured to us under the above in part recited Letters Patent,―
Firstly, the central fire-box g surrounded by the water chamber, and fed as
above described.
Secondly, the tubes f passing from the said fire-box and through the water
chamber.
In witness whereof, I, the said Harvey Heywood, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
HARVEY HEYWOOD. (L.S.)