Improvements in or applicable to Steam Boiler and other Furnaces for Preventing Smoke.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 13th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 24th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Steam Boiler and other Furnaces
for Preventing Smoke.
We, WILLIAM WOODWARD and ROBERT WOODWARD, of Carruthers Street
Mill, Ancoats in the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton
Spinners, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention, to be as follows:-
According to our invention we arrange a grid or other valve in the furnace door,
which valve can be opened to admit air and closed after a time fixed upon, we also
arrange a box at the back of the fire bridge of the furnace, which box at its upper
side is or may be perforated to allow air to pass from the space under the fire bars
with which the box communicates to the flue at the back of the bridge to meet the
unburnt gases and mix and ignite them as they pass over the fire bridge.
This box in the Hue behind the fire bridge has a grid or other valve at the
opening, where it communicates with the space under the fire bars, which valve
can be opened when air is to pass and closed when air is not to pass to the flue
behind the fire bridge.
The axis of the hinge of the furnace door according to our invention is a vertical
shaft in suitable bearings on the frame for the door in front of the furnace, and this
shaft extends upwards and has secured upon it a pulley or the segment of a pulley
to which one end of a chain or other suitable connection is attached, the other end
of which connection, passes over a pulley or is connected with bell-crank or other
levers and rods or connections to an hydraulic ram or piston in a cylinder connected
with a cistern having water or other fluid in it, there being a valve to open and
admit fluid-from-the cistern to the cylinder of the ram when it is drawn out and
close against the return of the fluid, there being also a passage from the cylinder to
the cistern so that the fluid may pass back from the cylinder of the ram to the
cistern at a speed regulated by a cock or cone screw plug.
or
On the frame of the furnace door, there is or may be a bar arranged to slide
horizontally in suitable bearings, and the chain or connection attached to the pulley
r pulley segment on the axis or shaft for the fire door is also connected with the
said horizontal bár so as to move it one way when the furnace door is opened at the
same time as the ram is drawn out.
When the furnace door is opened a projection from the said valve comes against
the frame for the door or a projection from it, and this gives movement to open the
valve, and there is a lever having its fulcrum on the door of the furnace, one end of
which lever is connected with the valve and the other end of this lever projects to
come near to the said sliding horizontal bar when the door is shut, so that a pin on
the said bar will come against the end of this lever and shut the valve in the door
when the said horizontal bar moves in the opposite direction by the descent and
weight of the ram, the speed of which movement being determined by the cock or
screw cone plug which allows the liquid to flow from the cylinder back to the
cistern.
One end of the said horizontal bar is also counected with one arm of a bell crank
lever having its fulcrum on the framing for the door, at the front of the furnace,
and the other arm of the bell crank lever is connected by a rod or link with an arm
on the outer end of a shaft in suitable bearings in the space below the fire bars and
upon the inner end of this shaft an arin is secured having a pin connected with and

page_text: made to act upon the valve for the air which is to pass to the flue behind the fire
bridge.
It will thus be seen that both valves for the furnace door and fire bridge are
simultaneously opened when the furnace door is opened and closed by the ram in
its descent at the speed allowed so that air is supplied through the valves
immediately after supplying fuel to the furnace, when smoke is generated so as to
consume it and such air is shut off gradually at a certain period afterwards, when
smoke censes to be generated, which can be regulated as required by the cock or
screw cone plug.
When the air valves are not required to operate and the apparatus is to be put
out of action the shaft for the furnace door may be arranged to slide endways to a
short extent through its bearings and the door may be made to turn freely upon
the shaft, consequently the shaft will not be partly rotated when the door is opened
or closed.
The shaft in this case has a pin or projection in it, that will enter a notch in the
hinge part of the door, when the shaft is in its lowest position, so that the shaft will
then be connected with the door and will partly rotate when the door is opened or
closed, but when the shaft is lifted or held up by a suitable lever, the pin in
the shaft will come out of the notch and the door and shaft will be disconnected as
to rotation.
The door may be permanently connected to partly rotate the shaft as first
described, so that the air valves will both be opened whenever the furnace door is
opened and the air valves after being opened may be quickly closed by opening the
cock to its full extent to allow the ram to descend quickly.
Or there may be a handle or connection to act upon and open the automatic valve
between the cistern and ram cylinder when the ram is to descend quickly. The
apparatus may be worked to open the valves by hand and allowed to close
automatically.
The details of the mechanism described may be varied without departing from
our invention.
Dated this Twenty-third day of July 1894.
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.
Improvements in or applicable to Steam Boiler and other Furnaces
for Preventing Smoke.
We, WILLIAM WOODWARD and ROBERT WOODWARD, of Carruthers Street
Mill, Ancoats in the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton
Spinners, 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 :-
According to our invention we arrange a grid or other valve in the furnace door,
which valve can be opened to admit air and closed after a time fixed upon; we also
arrange a box at the back of the fire bridge of the furnace, which box at its upper
side is or may be perforated to allow air to pass from the space under the firé bars
with which the box communicates to the flue at the back of the bridge to meet the
unburnt gases and mix with and ignite them as they pass over the fire bridge. ;
This box in the flue behind the fire bridge has a grid or other valve at the
opening where it communicates with the space under the fire bars, which valve can
be opened when air is to pass, and closed when. air is not to pass to the flue behind
the fire bridge.

page_text: The axis of the hinge of the furnace door according to our invention is a vertical
shaft in suitable bearings on the frame for the door in front of the furnace, and this
shaft extends upwards and has secured upon it a pulley or the segment of a pulley
to which one end of a chain or other suitable connection is attached, the other end
of which connection, passes over a pulley or is connected with bell-crank or other
levers and rods or connections, to an hydraulic ram or piston in a cylinder connected
with a cistern having water or other fluid in it, there being a valve to open and
admit fluid from the cistern to the cylinder of the ram when it is drawn out and
close against the return of the fluid, there being also a passage or pipe from the
cylinder to the cistern so that the finid may pass back from the cylinder of the ram
to the cistern at a speed regulated by a cock or cone screw plug.
On the frame of the furnace door, there is or may he a bar arranged to slide
horizontally in suitable bearings, and the chain or connection attached to the pulley
or pulley segment on the axis or shaft for the fire door is also connected with the
said horizontal bar so as to move it one way when the furnace door is opened at the
same time as the ram is drawn out.
When the furnace door is opened a projection from the said valve comes against
the frame for the door or a projection from it, and this gives movement to open the
valve, and there is a lever having its fulcrum on the door of the furnace, one end of
which lever is connected with the valve and the other end of this lever projects to
come near to the said sliding horizontal bar when the door is shut, so that a pin on
the said bar will come against the end of this lever and shut the valve in the door
when the said horizontal bar moves in the opposite direction by the descent and
weight of the ram, the speed of which movement being determined by the cock or
screw cone plug which allows the liquid to flow from the cylinder back to the
cistern.
One end of the said horizontal bar is also connected with one arm of a bell crank
lever having its fulcrum on the framing for the door, at the front of the furnace,
and the other arm of the bell crank lever is connected by a rod or link with an arm
on the outer end of a shaft in suitable bearings in the space below the fire bars and
upon the inner end of this shaft an arm is secured having a pin connected with and
made to act upon the valve for the air which is to pass to the flue behind the fire
bridge.
It will thus be seen that both valves for the furnace door and fire bridge are
simultaneously opened when the furnace door is opened and closed by the ram in its
descent at the speed allowed so that air is supplied through the valves immediately
after supplying fuel to the furnace, when smoke is generated so as to consume it and
such air is shut off gradually at a certain period afterwards, when smoke ceases
to be generated, which can be regulated as required by the cock or screw cone
plug.
When the air valves are not required to operate and the apparatus is to be put
out of action the shaft for the furnace door may be arranged to slide endways to a
short extent through its bearings and the door may be made to turn freely upon
the shaft, consequently the shaft will not be partly rotated when the door is opened
or closed.
The shaft in this case has a pin or projection in it, that will enter a notch in the
hinge part of the door, when the shaft is in its lowest position, so that the shaft will
then be connected with the door and will partly rotate when the door is opened or
closed, but when the shaft is lifted or held up by a suitable lever, the pin in
the shaft will come out of the notch and the door and shaft will be disconnected as
to rotation.
The door may be permanently connected to partly rotate the shaft as first
described, so that the air valves will both be opened whenever the furnace door is
opened and the air valves after being opened may be quickly closed by opening the
cock to its full extent to allow the ram to descend quickly.
Or there may be a handle or connection to act upon and open the automatic
valve between the cistern and ram cylinder when the ram is to descend quickly..

page_text: automatically.
The details of the mechanism described may be varied without departing from
our invention.
Fig. 1, is an elevation at the furnace end of a steam boiler having two furnace
flues.
Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section of the boiler at the furnace end showing a vertical
section through one furnace flue.
These two views illustrate one modification of our invention.
Fig. 3, is an elevation at the furnace end illustrating another modification of our
invention.
Though our invention is illustrated as applied to internal fluid boilers it will be
readily understood how it can be applied to other boilers and furnaces, where air is
to be admitted at the fire bridge of the furnace and at the fire door.
is the external shell of the boiler.
a, the furnace flues.
b, is the dead plate in front of the furnace flue.
c, the furnace bars (see Fig. 2).
d', the beam carrying the fire bridge d.
Behind the fire bridge a hollow box e, of metal or other suitable material is
formed extending across the furnace fine a¹.
The top e¹, of this box is inclined and is perforated with numerous holes.
The front of the hollow box e, below the fire bars c, is formed by a series of slots,
which correspond with slots in a plate, that is arranged to slide horizontally in
suitable supports secured to the front plate of the box e.
This arrangement forms a grid valve, and admits to and shuts off air from the
hollow box e. The air admitted from the furnace flue under the fire bars c,
is partly heated, and gets more heated in the hollow box e, and passes out of it
through the perforations in the inclined top e, of the hollow box to meet the
unconsumed gases when passing over the fire bridge d.
ولا
In the front plate of the hollow box e, there is a bearing or support for the end
of a shaft which extends from the hollow box to the fire door end of the furnace
Hue where it is supported in another bearing formed in a bracket or plate secured to
the front of the boiler.
At the inner end of the shaft g, there is an arm g', secured, the end of which
comes between projections from the grid slide f, so that it is moved to open and close
when the shaft g, is oscillated to and fro by an arm or lever g³, secured at the front
end of the shaft g.
There is a casting h, secured to and which closes the front or furnace end of the
boiler in which casting the furnace door ', is formed.
This door h', is hinged upon a vertical shaft h2, on one side which shaft ³, can
oscillate in bearings and, from the said casting h.
The fire or furnace door h', has a hollow box h, formed upon its inside and the
plate, forming this box towards the furnace on the inside has numerous
perforations.
The front plate of the door has a series of vertical slots formed in it to correspond
with slots in a plate k, arranged to slide horizontally in suitable supports on
the door so as to cover and uncover the slots in the door, this arrangement forming
a grid valve which will when open, admit air to the hollow box on the fire door when
it is heated to some extent, and will then pass through the perforations in the
plate, to the furnace above the fire bars c.
The grid valves and h, at tlie fire bridge and fire door, are opened to admit air
for time after each firing or stirring up of the fuel (at which time smoke is
generated for want of an additional supply of air at that time at the fire
bridge and above the fire;) and this air is shut off when the smoke ceases to be
generated.
Our invention makes the admission and shutting off of air to the furnace

page_text: automatic and independent of the fireman as the action of opening the fire door to
supply fuel or stir it up opens the valves; and k, for supplying air to the furnace
and brings into operation mechanisin or apparatus for gradually closing the said
valves within a given time (which can be varied as required) after the fire door
is shut.
At the upper end of the shaft h³, forming the axis of the fire door hinge,
a pulley, is secured, and to this pulley one end of a chain l, is attached, the other
end of which is attached to a projection or stud m², in a bar m, arranged to slide
horizontally in brackets secured in the casting h.
This slide bar m, at one end has a pin projection m², from it that enters a slot in
the upper end of the long arm of a bell crank lever' m³, having its fulcrum m², ou a
stud in a bracket secured to the casting h.
The short arm of the bell crank lever m³, is jointed to the upper end of a rod m³,
that connects it with the arm 9², on the outer end of the shaft 7, actuating the grid
valve f, at the fire bridge.
Thus as the bar m, slides to and fro it opens and shuts the grid valve f
The other end of the slide bar m, has a projection me, to which a continuation of
the chain, is connected, and the chain l, is extended from the projection_m",
to pass over a guide pulley 12, in a bracket carried on any suitable support and in
any convenient manner.
From the guide pulley, the chain l¹, passes and is attached to the upper end of
a piston or pump rod n¹, the piston of which works in a cylindern, the lower end of
which is in a plate forming the top of a cistern a², for water, and there is a pipe a³,
from the bottom of the cylinder n, extending nearly to the bottom of the cistern ²,
and there is a clack valve, in the bottom of the cylinder n, over the upper end of
this pipe n³.
into
When the piston or bucket n*, is lifted, water is drawn from the cistern n²,
the cylinder n, the valve n', closes and the water cannot return except through a
pipe or passage between this cylinder n, and the cistern n³, in which pipe or passage
there is a cock n³, or screw plug by which the speed at which the water is to pass
from the cylinder n, to the cistern 2, is regulated and as the cylinder empties the
piston n*, descends.
The piston is heavy enough alone or with added weights to overcome all the
friction to its movement and that of the connected mechanism.
There is a projection &, from the sliding grid valve k, in the fire door h', the end
of which projection comes against the casting h, when the door h', is opened and
this opens the grid valve k.
There is a lever k², having its fulcrum k³, on a bracket secured to the fire door,
and the lower end of this lever is connected by a pin with the grid valve k, the
upper arm of this lever 2, comes between two pins projecting from the slide bar in,
when the door is shut, one of these pius m', is curved to guide the end of the lever k²,
to its correct position between them when the door is shut.
It will thus be seen that the grid valve k, in the door is opened when the door is
opened, as above explamed, and it remains open when the door has been shut, and
when the end of the lever k², comes opposite the pin m², projecting from the slide
bar and the latter moves slowly with the descent of the piston the grid valves k, on
the fire door are gradually closed at the same time as the grid valve j..
When the door shuts, the branch chain l, between the pulley l, and the
projection m², on the slide bar m, becomes slack until the piston *, has descended
to its full extent when the slack chain is taken up again.
There is a similar arrangement for each furnace door and also a separate piston n*,
and cylinder n, for each door.
As the water in the cistern n², evaporates more water is added through a hole in
the top of the cistern n².
Fig. 3, illustrates a modification of the apparatus for automatically acting upon
the grid valves fand k.

page_text: p, is a bar sliding vertically in brackets or bearings secured to the casting h, or
to a bracket or plate not shown secured to the casting h.
The lower end of this sliding bar p, has a short horizontal slot in it for a pin in
the aring, on the end of the shaft g.
To the slide bar p, a bracket is secured having a partial ring p', that is arranged
to come concentric with the hinge shaft h2, of the door h'.
On the door h', a bell crank lever A4, is placed on a fulcrum stud k³, in the door,
the vertical arm of this lever k, has a pin projection from its side that enters a
short vertical slot in a projection from the edge of the grid valve k.
The other or horizontal arm of the bell crank lever k, is formed with a jaw to fit
the ring part p¹, from the slide bar p.
Thus arranged if the ring p', moves up or down, the bell crank lever k*, and the
sliding grid will move accordingly.
Upon the upper end of the shaft 2, forming the door hinge a cam g, is secured
which acts upon a bowl p², on a stud in an arm from the vertical slide bar p, the
cam g, being shaped so that by partial rotation given by opening the door h', it will
cause the slide bar p, to be lifted and thus will open at the same time both grid
valves fand k, and when lifted the slide bar p, is held up when the fire door h³,
shuts again by the piston in connection with the slide bar.
The upper end of the slide bar is secured to the bottom end of a combined
cylinder and cistern r, the piston r, for which is secured on a rod 2, the upper end
of which is attached to a bracket r³, secured to the end of the boiler or to a bracket
from the casting h.
Thus arranged the piston,
down.
stationary and the cylinder r, can move up aud
The piston, may be packed by any ordinary packing or by a rolling elastic
packing ring.
There is a clack or other valve 2, in the piston opening upwards and there is a
small hole in the piston which can be opened or closed more or less by the end of a
screw, screwing through a bracket, secured to the top of the piston r.
When the cylinder », is lifted the water in it on the underside of the piston 7,
passes through the valve 4, in the piston to the cylinder on the upper side of the
piston and the valve +, closes against its return; then the cylinder r, can only
descend by the water passing from the upper to the lower side of the piston r³,
through the small hole regulated by the screw plug 75.
The cylinder is covered by a lid r, and in this lid there is or may be a
funnel, into which water may be poured to supply the cylinder with that lost by
evaporation.
Instead of the piston r', and cylinder r, being at the upper end of the sliding rod p,
it may be at its lower end in which case the piston ', is attached to the lower end
of the sliding bar and the cylinder r,
P'
is stationary attached to the boiler or a
bracket.
The piston, and cylinder r, or its equivalent may be in any other desired
position the slide rod p, and piston or cylinder (as arranged) may be connected by
rods and levers or other suitable connections.
Instead of grid valves (f and k) other valves may be used suitably connected with
the automatic mechanism, but we prefer the grid valves as most simple.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our iuven-
tion, and in what mauner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is.
1. The combination and arrangement of mechanism by which air can be
simultaneously supplied and automatically shut off by a valve or valves at or about
the fire bridge and another valve or valves in the fire door of furnaces, put in
action by opening the fire door substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.

page_text: 2. The combination and arrangement of mechanism by which a valve at the fire
bridge of furnaces and one on the fire doors of the same, are simultaneously opened
by opening the fire door and automatically closed substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement of mechanism substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated by Fig. 3 of the drawings.
4. The combination and arrangement of furnaces and apparatus substantially as
and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 and
when modified as illustrated by Fig. 3 of the drawings.
Doted this Eleventh day of April 1895.
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.