Improvements in and relating to Steam Boiler Furnaces
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 11th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 22nd Oct.. 1898
Improvements in and relating to Steam Boiler Furnaces
I, DORE LEE BLEYER, General Manager of the Hawley Down Draft Furnace Co.,
of New York, No. 39, Cortlandt Street, New York City, U.S.A., do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Improvements on a down draft smokeless furnace for steam boilers.
The object of this invention is certain improvements in down draft smokeless
furnaces for steam boilers, so as to secure better working conditions than have
hitherto been in use.
First. The water grate, which consists of two cylindrical drums connected by a
staggered double row of water tubes, is provided with an opening opposite each
tube in the front drum for cleaning purposes; each opening having a brass plug
or nipple with a brass cap, which can be removed at will, the same being rendered
accessible from the front of the boiler by a movable plate on the boiler front.
Second. The water grate is placed on an average of about fourteen inches above
the ordinary grate on an incline upwards towards the back of the boiler of about
three inches to the foot.
Third. The connections of the water grate with the boiler are made with the
boiler tubes in a water tube boiler, and with the openings made by the removal of
one or more of the fire tubes in a horizontal return fire tube boiler. The ordinary
or lower grate is of cast iron, five-eighths of an inch bars and five-eighths of an
inch air space. The front of the furnace has three tiers of doors, the upper tier
being double hinge doors.
By these improvements the interior of the water grate is rendered accessible
from the front of the boiler for cleaning and inspection; the water grate being
set on an incline and connected with the boiler tubes gives much better circulation
to the water in the boiler; the connections of the water grate with the boiler
tubes instead of flange holes cut into the boiler shell also spare the boiler from
mutilation, whereby better results will be obtained in the way of prevention of
moke (when bituminous coal is burned); increase in boiler capacity; preserva-
tion of the boiler by prevention of scale, less labor required to clean the boilers;
regulation of the draft and prevention of the escape of heat from the fires by the
double hinge doors and economy in fuel due to more complete combustion.
Dated this 30th day of November 1897

page_text: Dreyer o
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:-
This invention relates to improvements in down-draft smokeless furnaces, princi-
pally, but not exclusively, for steam boilers.
The objects of these improvements are:
First, to burn bituminous coal more completely and economically.
Second, to increase the capacity of the steam boiler.
Third, to prevent or suppress the emission of soft coal smoke.
Fourth, to insure greater safety of the steam boiler.
Fifth, to prevent the accumulation of sediment and scale in the boiler aud
furnace.
Sixth, to preserve the boiler.
These objects I claim are attained by the device specified hereinafter and illus-
trated in the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 shows in perspective the accessible water grate.
Figure 2 shows in perspective the down draft furnace attached to a horizontal
return fire tube or tubular boiler.
Figure 3 shows a side view of the furnace, its location, position and connec-
tions with a Lancashire boiler.
Figure 4 shows a front view of the furnace, its location, position and connee-
tions with a water tube boiler.
Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the fire doors in the furnace or boiler front.
Figure 6 shows a side view of the furnace in a water tube boiler.
Figure 7 shows a front view of the furnace, its location, position and connec-
tions with a horizontal return fire tube or tubular boiler.
Figuro 8 shows a rear view of the same.
Figure 9 shows a side view of the same.
THE ACCESSIBLE WATER GRATE.-Figure 1
Consists of two cylindrical steel drums; a front drum A and a back drum B
with heads and hand holes in the ends C. These drums are placed parallel
with each other and connected either by a straight or staggered row of water
tubes D opening at both ends into the drums. These tubes are placed so as to
leave air spaces wider than those of the ordinary cast iron grate bars. Opposite
each tube in the front drum is an opening E. These openings are closed when the
boiler is in use with brass plugs or nipples with brass caps, which can easily be
removed for the purpose of inspecting or cleaning the interior of this water grate.
LOCATION AND POSITION OF THE WATER GRATE.-Figure 2.
The water grate is placed above an ordinary grate Funder the forepart of the
boiler, in the space usually known as the fire box. The drums running parallel
with the front of the boiler. The back drum B is elevated so as to form an incline
of the water grate upwards towards the back of the boiler of from 2 to 6" to the
fout. The ends of the drums C extending through and resting in the brick walls
on both sides.
CONNECTIONS OF TILE WATER GRATE WITH THE BOILERS.
LANCASHIRE BOILER.-Figure 3.

page_text: wards to the mud drum I, which in turn is connected with the back of the boiler,
and from the top of the back drum by one or more connections H with one or more
of the lower row of boiler tubes. The space over the back drum J up to the lower
row of boiler tubes, and also the spaces between the lower row of boiler tubes K
from the back drum to the boiler head is closed with fire brick. This closes all
outlets for air above the water grate; thus leaving no opening for the current of
air or draft to pass except down through the water grate and then out in the
usual way.
HORIZONTAL RETURN FIRE TUBE OR TUBULAR ROLLER.-Figures 2, 7, 8 & 9.
In a horizontal return fire tube or tubular boiler the water grate is connected
with the boiler by one or more connections G from the top of the front drum with
the front head of the boiler, one or more of the lower row of fire tubes being
removed to furnish the openings for the front connections, and from the back drum
on one or both sides of the boiler by tubes H running back and upwards towards
the back of the boiler, and there connected with the boiler at the rear boiler head,
one or more of the upper row of tubes being removed to furnish openings for the
rear connections. The space between the back drum and the bottom of the boiler
is closed by a fire brick bridge wall J. This, as in a water tube boiler, also closes
all outlets for air above the water grate, and likewise leaving no opening for the
current of air or draft to pass except down through the water grate and then out in
the usual way.
OTHER TYPES OF STEAM BOILERS.
I do not desire to be restricted to any special form of making the connections
of water grate and boiler, which must necessarily vary somewhat on account of the
various styles, types and construction of boilers; but the principal remains the
same, as in the case of the "Galloway" and certain types of upright boilers.
THE LOWER OR ORDINARY CAST IRON GRATE.-F.
Below the accessible water grute is an ordinary cast iron grate F, the air spaces
of which are smaller than those of the upper or water grate. The air required to
complete combustion on this lower grate is supplied through the lower doors O.
THE FURNACE FRONT.-Figure 5
Which takes the place of the lower half of the boiler front has three tiers of
doors M N O. Between the upper and middle tier on the furnace front is a plate P,
which can be removed, thereby rendering the plugs and openings in the frout drum
and the interior of the water grate accessible from the front of the boiler.
THE WORKING OF THE PURNACE.
The coal is fed on the upper or water grate only, through the upper tier of fire
doors M, the lower plain grate being fed by the partially consumed fuel which
may drop from the upper or water grate; all outlets for air above the water grate
being shut off, as described under the heading of "Connections of the water grate
with the steam boiler," the current of air or the draft, which enters through the
upper tier of doors in the furnace front, passes down through the water grate,
thereby causing the volatile gases from the coals to pass through a heavy bed of
hot coals on the upper grate, the flames meeting the fire from the lower grate, the
two currents then passing out in the usual way as shown in Figure 2.
The object of burning fuel more completely is attained by the gases and con-
stituent elements of smoke passing through a heavy incandescent mass or bed of
coked coals, where they are completely consumed, instead of passing out through
the chimney. Thus additional fuel is furnished without additional cost; the
capacity of the boiler is increased by additional heat and heating surface and the

page_text: smoke suppressed by the consumption of its constituent elements before they leave
the combustion chamber.
I do not claim that methods for burning fuel on the down draft principle have
not been employed prior to this invention. What I do claim as my invention is a
more practical application of this down draft system of burning fuel applied princi-
pally to furnaces for steam boilers, of which the leading features are:-
First. The accessible water grate, as illustrated on Sheet 1 and described on
page 2, namely: the accessibility of the water grate from the front of the boiler,
so that the interior of the grate can be easily inspected and cleaned at any time,
whereby the formation of scale and sediment can be stopped, and thereby prevent
the burning out of tubes. The arrangement of the tubes so as to carry a bed of
coal heavy enough to prevent the formation of smoke by the consumption of its
constituent elements while passing through this bed or incandescent mass of coked
and burning coals.
Second. The combination, location and relative position of the two grates, as
shown in illustrations: the upper one a water grate with large air spaces between
the tubes, through which the water from the boiler rapidly circulates, the lower
one an ordinary cast iron grate with small air spaces, as set forth in these specifi-
cations and accompanying drawings.
Third. The connections of the water grate with the boiler, as described and
illustrated, whereby a better and more thorough circulation is obtained, resulting
in increased capacity, prevention of sediment and scale and greater safety of the
boiler.