IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Yates, of 7, Mary Street, Bromley, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES."
Sealed the 17th August 1854, and dated the 26th June 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Yates at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
June 1854.
I, WILLIAM YATES, of 7, Mary Street, Bromley, in the County of Middle-
sex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FURNACES" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a peculiar combination of parts, with a view to
produce a mechanically fed furnace. For this purpose the furnace is con-
structed with inclined bars, with a dead plate in front, on which move slides,
which at their front ends can move into an inclosed chamber formed on the
dead plate; a quantity of coal is placed on the dead plate in front of a slide
or door, under which the slides move. The number of such slides applied to
a furnace may be varied, but it is preferred to employ two to each furnace,
and that they shall be moved alternately by a crank lever, put in motion by
the steam engine by a connecting rod, giving motion to a driver acting on a
ratchet wheel fixed on the cranked axis, which gives motion to the crank levers
which move the slides. The slides, in moving back, allow some of the fuel to
descend, and the return movement of the slides forces the fuel on the fire bars,.
and that which is on the fire bars towards the bridge.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Yates in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th December 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
YATES, of 7, Mary Street, Bromley, in the "County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord.
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Ier
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Yates, Her special licence' that I, the said William Yates,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Yates, my executors, administrators,' 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FURNACES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Yates, by an instrument in writing under my hand and scal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain 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 William Yates, do hereby declare the
naturo 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
thereof (that is to say):-
.:
..
This Invention consists of a peculiar combination of parts, with a view to
produce a mechanically fed furnace. For this purpose the furnace is con-
structed with inclined bars, with a dead plate in front, on which move slides,
which at their front ends can move into an inclosed chamber formed on the
dead plate; a quantity of coal is placed on the dead plate in front of a slide
or door, under which the slides move: "The number of such slides applied to a
furnace may be varied, but it is preferred to employ two to each furnace, and
that they shall be moved alternately by a crank lever, put in motion by the
steam engine by a connecting rod, giving motion to a driver acting on a
ratchet wheel fixed on the cranked axis, which gives motion to the crank levers
which move the slides. The slides, in moving back, allow some of the fuel to

page_text: descend, and the return movement of the slides forces the fuel on the fire bars,
and that which is on the fire bars towards the bridge.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a plan; Figure 2, a longitudinal section; and Figure 3, a
front view, of a steam boiler furnace, arranged according to my Invention. a, a,
are the fire bars, which incline from front to back; b is part of the steam boiler;
c is the ash pit; d is a dead plate, which is for the most part outside the
furnace, but protrudes partly into, the furnace, as is shewn. The dead plate d
is enclosed at the front and top and at its two ends by the plates e, c, and it
is on this dead plate and into the chamber formed by the plates e, c, that the
two slides g, g, move. And I would state that the number of slides used may
bo varied, according to the width of the furnace and the convenience offered.
ff, are sliding doors; h are axes. which receive motion in the following
manner, i, are arms fixed to the two axes h, and in such manner that the
axes are caused to move in opposite directions. The arms are by the
connecting rods j attached to the crank axis l, as shown. The axes h, h, give
motion to the slides g, g, by the arms k', k¹. The slides g, g, move to and fro
on the dead plate, and push before them any coal which may on their moving
back fall between them and the openings under the sliding doors f,f; for
which purpose a quantity of fuel (small coal) is constantly piled up against
the doors and on the upper surfaces of the slides g. The sliding doors are
raised and lowered by the handles and axes m, m, and they are retained in
any desired position by the ratchet wheels and catches n, n. The crank axis l
receives motion from a shaft m³, driven by the steam engine.
is fixed an excentric, which gives motion to the connecting rod o, which has a
long slot at its end, through which a pin at the end of the arm p works; this
arm p carries a driver g, which takes into and drives the ratchet wheel » each
time the rod o is raised by the motion of the excentric, and the excentric raises
the arm p a distance, depending on the position to which the arm p is allowed
to move, which is regulated by a stop s in the plate t; and as there are several
holes in the plate t, the stop s may be put into any of them, and the distance
the other end of the arm will be allowed to descend will be regulated
accordingly. The ratchet wheel r is fixed to the axis 7 by being made of two
parts, which are fixed together by screws and nuts, the object being to drive
the axis by friction, so that in the event of a large coal or other matter
interposing itself between the slides 9 and the sliding door, the holding
On the shaft m'

page_text: between the ratchet wheel and the axis may give way, and prevent injury to
the apparatus. I would remark that I do not claim the ratchet wheel and
apparatus which gives motion thereto, and the means of giving motion may be
varied.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to any
of the parts separately; but what I claim is, the mode of combining the
mechanical parts herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Yates, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
WILLIAM YATES. (L.s.)