IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Charles Moffatt, John Allerton, junior,
and Samuel Hinkings Handscomb, all of Halstead, in the County
of Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES.”
Sealed the 4th May 1875, and dated the 24th November 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Charles
Moffatt, John Allerton, and Samuel Hinkings Handscomb at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the
24th November 1874.
We, ALEXANDER CHARLES MOFFATT, JOHN ALLERTON, junior, and
SAMUEL HINKINGS HANDSCOMB, all of Halstead, in the County of Essex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FURNACES," to be as follows :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in furnaces, and the
improvements relate to apparatus for feeding forward the fuel upon the
furnace bars, and for keeping the spaces between the bars free from

page_text: clinker. For these purposes the furnace bars are ranged in a direction
from front to back of the furnace. Below the bars and crosswise of the
furnace is placed an axis having mounted loosely upon it a number of
discs, which rise up between the bars. The axis. is supported in such a
manner that it can be raised and lowered and also moved to and fro from
front to back of the furnace.
When the axis is moved towards the back of the furnace it is raised
so that a portion of each of the discs rises above the surface of the bars,
and the discs then to some extent carry along with them the fuel which
is resting upon the bars. At the end of this forward movement the axis
descends to bring the discs below the surface of the bars, and it is then
moved towards the front of the furnace, to be again raised and again
moved towards the back of the furnace.
At the front of the furnace is a hopper containing the supply of fuel,
and the fuel is taken away from the bottom of the hopper and is carried
forward by means of the discs as above explained. The backward and
forward movement of the discs between the bars also serves to keep the
spaces between the bars free from clinker.
The manner in which we prefer to give the to-and-fro movements
to the axis is as follows:-The ends of the axis rest upon guide surfaces
running from front to back of the furnace. The axis has an arm
descending from it, which arm is by a connecting rod coupled to a
revolving crank. When the arm is moved in either direction it gives a
partial turn to the axis. The ends of the axis have eccentric surfaces
fixed upon them, and when the axis is turned these bear upon the guide
surfaces before mentioned and raise or lower the axis. When the axis
is no longer able to turn it is carried forwards or backwards by the move-
ment of the connecting rod. At the end of the backward or forward
motion the axis is again caused to make a partial turn before moving in
the opposite direction, and the discs are thereby raised or lowered at each
end of the backward and forward motion.
Two or more sets of axes and discs may be used, and a short to-and-fro
motion be given to them. In place of the axes having discs mounted
loosely upon them, and being raised and lowered as above described to
bring the discs alternately above and below the bars, the axes may have
arms fixed to them to come between the bars so that by turning the axes

page_text: the arms may be caused to rise up between the bars. In this case the.
axes may simply be moved to and fro without being raised or lowered:
When the axis is moved away from the front of the furnace it is turned
to bring the arms above the surface of the bars, and when moved in the
opposite direction the arms are lowered to bring them below the bars.
Any desired number of axcs carrying arms may be thus used.
In placc also of the axes being moved to and fro a rocking motion only
may be given to them. In this case two sets of axes carrying arms may
be used, which in this case become and form part of the bottom of
furnace, and they may be lifted in alternate rows, so that when one set
of arms rises above the bars the other set are level with and form part of
the furnace bottom.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Charles Moffatt, John Allerton, and
Samuel Hinkings Handscomb in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th May 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALEXANDER
CHARLES MOFFATT, JOHN ALLERTON, junior, and SAMUEL HINKINGS
HANDSCOMB, all of Halstead, in the County of Essex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four,
in the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Alexander Charles Moffatt,
John Allerton, and Samuel Hinkings Handscomb, Her special license
that we, the said Alexander Charles Moffatt, John Allerton, and Samuel
Hinkings Handscomb, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Alexander Charles Moffatt, John Allerton,
and Samuel Hinkings Handscomb, our 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, exercisc, 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

page_text: long in the fire. The revolving of the discs is caused by the friction of
their peripheries against the fuel.
At the back end of the fire-bars is a hinged flap ", shewn separately
at Figures 6 and 7. The clinkers which are driven back by the discs
accumulate upon this flap, and may from time to time be discharged by
allowing the flap to drop, as shewn at Figure 7. This is done by means
of a small rod brought to the front of the fluc. At other times the flap
is supported by the weighted arm 8, as shewn at Figure 6.
In place of the axes having discs mounted loosely upon them, and
being raised and lowered as above described to bring the discs alternately 1
above and below the bars, the axes may have arms fixed to them to come
between the bars, so that by turning the axes the arms may be caused to
rise up between the bars. In this case the axes may simply be moved to
and fro without being raised or lowered. When the axes are moved away
from the front of the furnace they are turned to bring the arms above 1
the surface of the bars, and when moved in the opposite direction the
arms are lowered to bring them below the bars.
Another arrangement for feeding forward the fuel upon the furnace
bars is shewn at Figures 8, 9, and 10, on Sheet 3. In this arrangement
in place of the axes being moved to and fro a rocking motion only is 2
given to them. In this case a number of such axes carrying arms may
be used, and the arms may be lifted in alternate rows, so that when one
set of arms rises above the bars the other set is level with and forms part
of the furnace bottom.
Figures 8 and 9 shew side views of the furnace bars and arms, and 2
Figure 10 shews a plan view of the same. In Figure 8 every alternate
row of arms is raised to advance the fuel on to the arms in front of them,
and which arms in their turn take up and advance the fuel when the
others have returned to a position level with the furnace bars. In
Figure 9 both sets of arms are shown level with the bars.
Each set of arms is connected to one or other of two rods t, t, which
at the front of the furnace are acted upon by cams u, u, to which a slow
revolving motion is imparted. This arrangement is particularly applicable
for the short furnaces of locomotives and portable engines, althoughrit
may also be used with other furnaces.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner
of performing the same, we would have it understood that we claim, the
combined arrangements substantially as herein-before described for
feeding forward the fuel upon furnace bars, and for keeping them clear
from clinker.
In witness whereof, we, the said Alexander Charles Moffatt, John
Allerton, and Samuel Hinkings Handscomb, have hereunto set
our hands and seals, this Twenty-second day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.