IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER TUBULAR BOILERS, AND IN GRATE BARS FOR THE SAME
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER TUBULAR BOILERS, AND IN
GRATE BARS FOR THE SAME."-A communication from abroad by Asa
Ober Denio and George Granville Lobdell, both of Wilmington,
County of New Castle, State of Delaware, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Jolinson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd April 1874.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
5 of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER TUBULAR BOILERS,
AND IN GRATE BARS FOR THE SAME," a communication to me from abroad by
Asa Ober Denio and George Granville Lobdell, both of Wilmington,

page_text: be as follows:—
The first part of the Invention relates to a mode of controlling the
draft in locomotive and other multitubular boilers without interfering
with the free exhaust of the engines by means of a series of vanes
placed in the smoke box between the exhaust pipe and tube sheet of the
boiler as explained hereafter.
The second part of the Invention is for extinguishing the ashes in and
clearing them from the ash pans of locomotive boilers by jets of water
derived from the boiler and directed into the said ash pans.
:
The third part of the Invention relates to a mode of constructing,
arranging, and operating the grate bars of locomotive and other boilers
for the purpose of insuring the free passage of air through and between
the said bars, and for the purpose of clearing ashes and clinkers from
the fire.
In carrying out the first part of this Invention two frames are secured
within the smoke box of a locomotive boiler between the tube plate and
exhaust nozzles, and to each frame are pivoted a series of vertical vanes,
the vanes of each frame being connected together by horizontal cross
bars, one of which is connected to the end of the upper vertical arm and
the other to the lower vertical arm of a three-armed lever pivoted on a
pin connected to the frames. The third or horizontal arm of the lever
is connected by a rod to an attachment by which two horizontal vanes
arranged above the said vertical vanes are connected together, the
latter vanes being pivoted to continuations of the sides of the two frames.
A rod extends from the end of the upper vertical arm of the three-armed
lever to a horizontal arm fixed to a vertical shaft working in a socket or
bearing attached to and extending through the shell of the boiler, on the
outside of which the vertical shaft is provided with another horizontal
arm, from. which a rod extends to the opposite end of the boiler so as
to be within reach of the engineer, who is thus enabled to fully or
partially open or entirely close the vanos. The products of combustion
from the tubes are prevented from passing below the frames by a
vertical plate which connects the lower edges of the said frames with
the lower part of the shell of the boiler.
· Although the vanes have been described above as being moveable, the

page_text: objects of the Invention may be partially attained by using stationary
vanes fixed or arranged at a suitable angle in the frames.
It is preferable however to make the vanes moveable so as to be
readily controlled by the engineer, who in some cases may find it
advisable to entirely close them, thus preventing the products of
combustion from escaping into the smoke box excepting through the
slight vent presented by the opening between the two frames, which
objects of the Invention may be partially attained by using stationary
vanes fixed or arranged at a suitable angle in the frames.
It is preferable however to make the vanes moveable so as to be
readily controlled by the engineer, who in some cases may find it
advisable to entirely close them, thus preventing the products of
combustion from escaping into the smoke box excepting through the
slight vent presented by the opening between the two frames, which
will insure sufficient draft to induce the fuel to burn slowly.
In other cases the vanes may be opened to a very limited extent and
in others to a still greater extent, but it will rarely be necessary to open
them fully.
It will be seen that the engineer by means of these vanes and their
connections has complete control of the draft which is regulated at a
point between the tube sheet and exhaust nozzles, so that there can be
no necessity for restricting the free exhaust of the steam under any
circumstances.
The Invention it will be evident is applicable to vertical and other
tubular boilers as well as to locomotives.
The second part of the Invention consists of a nozzle, which by
preference is made of the fish tail shape so as to insure a widely diffused
jet secured to the lower end of a pipe passing vertically down the front
of the boiler, and connected at its upper end to a cock communicating
with the water space of the boiler, and having a handle within reach of
the attendant engineer, the nozzle being directed into or towards the
ash pan. The said pipe may be so connected to the cock and to the
boiler that it can be turned laterally by means of a handle which
enables the engineer to direct the jet to all parts of the ash pan. It is
important that the ignited portions of the ashes should be extinguished
before or as they are being discharged from the ash pan onto the track,
otherwise the particles of ignited fuel might be dispersed by the wind
and endanger neighbouring buildings, hence water only is discharged
from the nozzle.
It is not essential in carrying out this part of the Invention that
tlie pipe should be moveable; it may be fixed and provided at its lower
end with a branch from which project into or towards the ash pan any
suitable number of fixed nozzles, the jets from which will so pervade the
:

page_text: interior of the ash pan as to simultaneously extinguish and discharge
the ashes.
In the third part of the Invention for arranging and manipulating
the grate bars each bar is rounded transversely at the top, but if desired
may be straight and has at each end a journal or trunnion adapted to a
bearing in the furnace to which the bars are applied.
At one end of each bar and forming part of the same is a pendant
arm, the arms of the series of bars being connected together by a
horizontal rod to be operated by the attendant engineer througli
the medium of such appliances as the character of the boiler may 1
suggest.
Through the top flanges or surface of the bar are two rows of
elongated openings, one row on each side of the middle or strengthening
vertical web, and cast at one end of each opening on the under side of
the top flanges of the bar is a pendant piece or deflector.
Supposing the bars to be hung to the furnace of a locomotive boiler
moving in a forward direction, the pendant pieces or deflectors must
necessarily act as vanes and direct forcible currents of air upwards
through the said openings in the bar, thus insuring a thorough com-
bustion of fuel.
It is preferred to arrange the deflectors or vanes so that they increase
in depth from the front to the rear of the bar, in order that the effective
action of one may not be obstructed by another, and that like volumes
of air may be directed through all the openings. The deflectors may if
desired be inclined or curved.
When the bars are used in connection with stationary boilers or
furnaces they should be so arranged that the vanes will be opposed to
the air entering the ash-pit for supporting combustion, or to a blast
introduced into the ash-pit.
The position of the journals or trunnions in respect to the tops of the
bars should be so arranged as to leave a certain space between the latter
to insure an increased width of space between the bars as the latter are
turned on their bearings, whereby the ashes directed from the tops of
the bars when the latter are agitated have every opportunity of escaping
from between the bars, according to the angle which the bars are made
to assume. Clinkers moreover, which may be temporarily lodged

page_text: between the bars must when the latter are vibrated be effectually broken
and fall in fragments into the ash-pit.
to comutions of the Letters atent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
'Office on the 14th October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria; by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
37th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER TUBULAR BOILERS, AND IN GRATE BARS FOR
THE SAME," a communication to me from abroad by Asa Obor Denio
and George Granville Lobdell, both of Wilmington, County of New
Castle, State of Delaware, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
scal, should particularly 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.

page_text: rod K extends from the upper arm of the lever H to an arm M on the
vertical shaft m, adapted to a bearing N, attached to and extending
through the shell of the boiler, on the outside of which the shaft m has
an arm n, from which a rod extends to the opposite end of the boiler so
as to be within reach of the engineer, who is thus enabled to fully or
partially open or close the vanes a and a¹. The products of combustion
from the tubes are prevented from passing below the frames D by a
plate q, which connects the lower edges of the said frames with the shell
of the boiler.
Although the vanes a and a¹ are shewn in the Drawing, and have
been described above as being moveable, and although it is preferable to
so arrange the vanes that they will be under the immediate control of
the attendant engineer, the objects of the Invention may be partially
attained by stationary vanes, which by preference are arranged at about
the anglo shewn in the Drawing. Such stationary vanes would serve
the purpose of directing the products of combustion to a central point
in the smoke box, where they will be brought under the direct influence
of the exhaust steam, and 'the stationary vanes would serve the addi-
tional purpose of retaining the heat in the tubes, and of so neutralizing
the violent action of the exhaust as to prevent the usual masses of fuel
from being drawn from the fire-box and through the tubes.
It is preferable however to make the vanes movable so as to be readily
controlled by the engineer, who in some cases may find it advisable to
entirely close them, thus preventing the products of combustion from
escaping into the smoke box, excepting through the slight vent presented
by the opening between the two frames, which will insure sufficient
draft to induce the fuel to burn slowly.
In other cases the vanes may be opened to a very limited extent, and
in others to the extent illustrated in the Drawing, but it will rarely be
necessary to open them to a greater extent than is there shown.
It will be seen that the engineer by means of these vanes and their
connections has complete control of the draft, which is regulated at a
point between the tube sheet and exhaust nozzles, so that there can be
no necessity for restricting the free exhaust of the steam under any
circumstances.
The Invention it will be evident is applicable to vertical and other
tubular boilers, as well as to locomotives.

page_text: "
Figure 4 is a front elevation of the fire-box of a locomotive with the
second part of the Invention attached; Figures 5 and 6 are enlarged
views of the steam pipe and nozzle forming parts of the same; and
Figure 7 is a front elevation of the fire-box of a locomotive with a
modification of this part of the Invention attached.
The nozzle D, which by preference is made of the fish-tail shape
(shewn in the detached view, Figure 6), so as to insure a widely diffused
jet, is secured to the lower end of a pipe B, passing vertically down the
front of the boiler, and connected at its upper end to a cock A com-
municating with the water space of the boiler, and having a handle
within reach of the attendant engineer, the nozzle being directed into or
towards the ash pan C.
In the present instance the pipe B is so connected to the cock and
to the boiler that it can bo turned laterally by means of a handle E,
which enables the engineer to direct the jet to all parts of the ash
pan. It is important that the ignited portions of the ashes should be
extinguished before or as they are being discharged from the ash pan
into the track, otherwise the particles of ignited fuel might be dispersed
by the wind and endanger neighbouring buildings, hence water only is
discharged from the nozzle.
It is not essential in carrying out this part of the Invention that the
pipe B should be movable; in Figure 7, for instance, the pipe is fixed,
and is provided at its lower end with a branch B¹, from which project
into or towards the ash pan C any suitable number of fixed nozzles,
the jets from which will so pervade the interior of the ash pan as to
simultaneously extinguish and discharge the ashes.
Figure 8 is a transverse vertical section, illustrating the third part of
the Invention; Figure 9, a longitudinal section of the same; and
Figure 10, a sectional plan of the same.
According to this part of the Invention each grate bar A (in the ;
present instance) is rounded transversely at the top a, but if desired
may be straight, and has at each end a journal or trunnion d adapted to
a bearing in the furnace to which the bars are applied.
At one end of each bar, and forming part of the same, is a pendant
arm b, the arms of the series of bars being connected together by a
horizontal rod B to be operated by the attendant engineer, through the
medium of such appliances as the character of the boiler may suggest.

page_text: In the top a of the bar are two rows of elongated openings e, one
row on each side of the strengthening web h, and at one end of cach
opening a deflector i is cast on the bar, as shown in Figures 9. and 10.
Supposing the bars to be hung to the furnace of a locomotive boiler.
moving in the direction of the arrow, Figure 9, the deflectors must
necessarily act as vanes and direct forcible currents of air upwards.
through the openings e, thus insuring a thorough combustion of fuel. .
It is preferred to arrange the deflectors or vanes in the manner
illustrated in Figure 9, that is, increasing in depth from the front to
the rear, so that the effective action of one may not be obstructed by
another, and so that like volumes of air may be directed through all
the openings. The deflectors may, if desired, be inclined or curved, as
shown by dotted lines.
When the bars are used in connection with stationary boilers or
furnaces they should be so arranged that the vanes will be opposed to
the air entering the ash-pit for supporting combustion, or to a blast
introduced into the ash-pit.
The position of the journals or trunnions d in respect to the tops of
the bars is illustrated in Figure 8 by dotted circles. It is important
that this relative position. should be maintained for it ensures an
increased width of space between the bars as the latter arc turned on
their bearings. Thus, if the bars be moved to the position shown by.
dotted lines in Figure 8, it will be seen that the space between them is
increased, and the space will be still further increased if the bars are
5 moved to a greater angle, hence the ashes directed from the tops of
the bars, when the latter are agitated, have every opportunity of
escaping from between the bars. Clinkers, moreover, which may be
temporarily lodged between the bars must, when the latter are vibrated,
bo effectually broken and fall in fragments into the ash-pit.
0
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
5 First. A system of vanes a placed within the smoke box of a boiler
between the tube sheet and exhaust nozzles, substantially as and for

page_text: the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by the accompanying
Drawings.
Second. The construction and arrangement of the vanes a and a¹,
placed at such an angle as to direct the products of combustion to a
central point in the smoke box, substantially as herein-before described
and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The combination of the frames D, D, and their vanes a, a,
cross bars G, G³, the vanes a¹, and lever H, and mechanism for
operating the vanes simultaneously through the said lever, substantially
as and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by the 1
accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. The combination with a locomotive ash pan of a nozzle or
nozzles directed to the pan attached to the boiler and to a cock com-
municating with the water space of the boiler, substantially as and for
the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by the accompanying 1
Drawings.
Fifth. The construction and arrangement of grate bars having journals
or trunnions, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described
and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Sixth. The combination in a grate bar of deflectors or vanes i with
the openings e in the top of the bars, substantially as and for the
purpose herein-before described and illustrated by the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal, the Thirteenth day 2
of October One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)