Machinery for Automatically Moving Coal and other Material.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 9th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 24th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Machinery for Automatically Moving Coal and other Material.
I, WILLIAM KEENAN of the Township of Korak in the District of Algoma in
the Province of Ontario, Canada, Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a machine by which coal and other material may be
removed from one point to another practically without manual labour and it consists
essentially of one or more shoots supported on suitable cranks and operated by an
engine or other appropriate power in such a manner that one end of the said shoot
is forced into the pile of coal or other material gathering a supply which is raised
and discharged out of the opposite end of the shoot into the furnace or other point
it is intended to be discharged substantially as hereinafter more particularly
explained.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved machine applied to a nest of
boilers and arranged to furnish a constant supply of coal to the furnaces.
Although my device may be used for conveying grain and other material an
explanation of its application to a nest of boilers will be sufficient to enable the
points of the invention to be easily understood. I show two shoots in operation but
of course any one will understand that in some cases one shoot will be sufficient and
in others a number of shoots will have to be employed.
A and B represent the two shoots. The front end of each shoot is supported by
a bar C the said bar being hinged to the bottom of its shoot and suitably pivotted
at its lower end as indicated.
A long throw crank D is carried in an elongated bearing E formed in the bottom
of the shoot A and the shaft of the said crank is suitably journalled and properly
geared to the engine F or other driving motor.
G is the coal bin of which a portion only is shown provided with a slanting
bottom so that the coal will naturally gravitate towards the path of the shoots A.
A rod H is connected at one end to the bar C and at the other end has a plate I
pivotted on it which plate is located in the furnace just above the grates and is so
connected to its rod that in moving from the front of the furnace to the back it
will push the coal in front of it whereas on its return stroke it will float over the
coal in the furnace.
J is a similar rod connected to the bar C and extending into the ash pit and has
a plate K connected to it in such a manner that when moving towards the front of
the ash pit it will draw the ashes with it but in moving towards the back of the ash
pit it will not act upon the ashes.
I have described the mechanism in connection with one shoot A. The shoot B
is provided with similar parts. In the drawing I show shoot A travelling towards
the furnace L while the shoot B is travelling towards the coal bin G.
A trough M is formed before the furnace doors N which doors are hinged so
that they will open when pressed against and close again as soon as the pressure is
removed.
We will assume that the shoot A has gathered a supply of coal for its bin and is
travelling towards the trough M. When it reaches the trough M it remains
sufficiently long to discharge its entire contents into the trough M the coal thus
deposited falling through the door N into the furnace L. The plate I moves at
the same time and pushes a portion of the coal towards the rear of the furnace. As
the crank continues to move the shoot A is carried back and as it assumes the
position of the shoot B in the drawing it gathers up the fresh supply of coal and
the operation described is repeated.

page_text: When the shoot is moving from the furnace the plate K is drawn by its rod
towards the front of the furnace and in this way moves the ashes towards the mouth
of the ash pit when they can be easily carried away.
A machine such as I have described when applied to a nest of boilers enables
the furnaces connected to the said boilers to be regularly and automatically fed
with practically little or no manual labour. The only manual labour required is to
arrange that the coal in the bin G be kept within reaching distance of the moving
shoots.
Dated this 15th day of June 1899
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Machinery for Automatically Moving Coal and other Material.
I, WILLIAM KEENAN of the Township of Korak in the District of Algoma in
the Province of Ontario, Canada, Farmer, 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:-
The object of the invention is to design a machine by which coal and other
material may be removed from one point to another practically without manual
labour and it consists essentially of one or more shoots supported on suitable cranks
and operated by an engine or other appropriate power in such a manner that one
end of the said shoot is forced into the pile of coal or other material gathering a
supply which is raised and discharged out of the opposite end of the shoot into the
furnace or other point it is intended to be discharged substantially as hereinafter
more particularly explained.
Referring to the drawings hereunto annexed
―:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved machine applied to a nest of
boilers and arranged to furnish a constant supply of coal to the furnaces.
Although my device may be used for conveying grain and other material an
explanation of its application to a nest of boilers will be sufficient to enable the
points of the invention to be easily understood. I show two shoots in operation but
of course any one will understand that in some cases one shoot will be sufficient
and in others a number of shoots will have to be employed.
A and B represent the two shoots. The front end of each shoot is supported by
a bar C the said bar being hinged to the bottom of its shoot and suitably pivotted
at its lower end as indicated.
A long throw crank D is carried in an elongated bearing E formed in the bottom
of the shoot A and the shaft of the said crank is suitably journalled and properly
geared to the engine F or other driving motor.
G is a coal bin of which a portion only is shown provided with a slanting
bottom so that the coal will naturally gravitate towards the path of the shoots A.
A rod H is connected at one end to the bar C and at the other end has a plate I
pivotted on it which plate is located in the furnace just above the grates and is so
connected to its rod that in moving from the front of the furnace to the back it will
push the coal in front of it whereas on its return stroke it will float over the coal
in the furnace.
J is a similar rod connected to the bar C and extending into the ash pit and has
a plate K connected to it in such a manner that when moving towards the front of
the ash pit it will draw the ashes with it but in moving towards the back of the
ash pit it will not act upon the ashes.
I have described the mechanism in connection with one shoot A. The shoot B
is provided with similar parts. In the drawing I show a shoot A travelling towards
the furnace L while the shoot B is travelling towards the coal bin G.

page_text: A trough M is formed before the furnace doors N which doors are hinged so
that they will open when pressed against and close again as soon as pressure is
removed.
We will assume that the shoot A has gathered a supply of coal for its bin and is
travelling towards the trough M. When it reaches the trough M it remains
sufficiently long to discharge its entire contents into the trough M the coal thus
deposited falling through the door N into the furnace L. The plate I moves at
the same time and pushes a portion of coal towards the rear of the furnace. As the
crank continues to move the shoot A is carried back and as it assumes the position
of the shoot B in the drawing it gathers up the fresh supply of coal and the
operation described is repeated.
When the shoot is moving from the furnace the plate K is drawn by its rod
towards the front of the furnace and in this way moves the ashes towards the
mouth of the ash pit when they can be easily carried away.
A machine such as I have described when applied to a nest of boilers enables the
furnaces connected to the said boilers to be regularly and automatically fed with
practically little or no manual labour. The only manual labour required is to
arrange that the coal in the bin G be kept within reaching distance of the moving
shoots.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A machine consisting of one or more shoots one end of each shoot supported
upon the end of a pivotted bar the opposite end having an elongated bearing fitted
onto a long throw crank connected to a shaft suitably journalled and geared to an
engine or other suitable driving power substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
2. A machine consisting of one or more shoots one end of each shoot supported
upon the end of a pivotted bar the opposite end having an elongated bearing fitted
onto a long throw crank connected to a shaft suitably journalled and geared to an
engine or other suitable driving power in combination with the rods H and J
connected to the supporting bar of the shoot and having a plate pivotted on the
end of each of the said rods substantially as and for the purpose specified. >
Dated this 9th day of August 1892.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.