IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO FIRES OR FURNACES, AND FOR CONSUMING SMOKE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Norman Macbeth, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and Thomas Beeley, of Hyde Junction, in the County of Chester,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL
TO FIRES OR FURNACES, AND FOR CONSUMING SMOKE."
Sealed the 23rd January 1880, and dated the 15th September 1879,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Norman Macbeth and
Thomas Beeley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th
September 1879.
NORMAN MACBETH, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and
THOMAS BEELEY, of Hyde Junction, in the County of Chester, Engineer. "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO FIRES OR FURNACES, AND FOR CONSUMING
SMOKE."
This apparatus is designed to feed the fuel up from below the grate surface, so
that the fresh fuel shall lie immediately upon the grate surface, the hottest fuel
being kept upon the top of the fire, and so that the gas or smoke from the fuel
which is being supplied to the furnace may pass through the ignited fuel and be
consumed. The apparatus consists of a grate surface, which may be of the ordinary
construction, in which is placed a trough or troughs, which may be divided into
sections. The trough is wholly or partly open at or near the bottom. Below or
partly below the trough is a longitudinal straight sliding frame carried upon
suitable moving supports or on slides. The sliding frame consists of sides with or
without cross partitions between them, forming one or more sections across the
direction of its length. In connection with the sliding frame is hinged a longitu-
dinal plunger beam carrying one or more suitable plunger pieces, which form
moveable false bottoms to the section or sections of the sliding frame. The sliding
frame receives alternate inward and outward motions. The end of the hinged
plunger beam nearer the mouth of the furnace receives alternate upward and down-
ward motions, and the whole of the plunger beam receives inward and outward
motions along with the sliding frame. When the sliding frame and plunger beam.
are receiving or have received their outward motion, and the plunger beam is
receiving or has received its downward motion, one or more of the sections at the
outward or furnace-mouth end of the sliding frame receives a charge of fuel, after
[Price 6d1

page_text: which when the sliding frame and plunger beam are receiving or have received
their inward motion, and the plunger beam is receiving its upward motion, the fuel
is discharged into and through the trough to the fire space. On a repetition of
these several motions the section or sections nearest the outward end of the sliding
frame receives another charge of fuel from the source of supply, while at the same
time the section or sections next in succession in the inward direction in the sliding
frame receives its charge from that portion of fuel remaining in the trough which
has before been discharged by the section or sections nearest the outward end of
the sliding frame, the same course of action being repeated in the case of all the
sections contained in the sliding frame, the arrangement and action of the plunger
beam and its plunger pieces being such that each section in succession inwards
receives a charge of fuel from the sections preceding it. The sliding frame and
plunger beam receive their several motions from suitable working gearing, and the
fuel is supplied to the apparatus by suitable arrangements.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Norman Macbeth and Thomas Beeley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th March 1880.
NORMAN MACBETH, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and
THOMAS BEELEY, of Hyde Junction, in the County of Chester, Engineer. " IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO FIRES OR FURNACES, AND FOR CONSUMING
SMOKE."
Our Invention consists of improved apparatus for supplying fuel to fires or
furnaces by means of a sliding frame and plungers working beneath a trough in the
furnace; and in order that it may be understood and readily carried into effect we
will describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, reference being had to the
Figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 is a cross section of an ordinary
internally fired boiler, to which our improved apparatus for supplying fuel and
consuming smoke is applied. a is the grate surface, which may be formed of fire
bars in the usual manner, in which is placed the trough b, which may be divided
into sections or boxes by partitions, as shewn in Fig. 1. The trough is wholly or
partly open at the bottom. Below the trough b is the sliding frame c carried by
the rollers d, which run on the rails s, and by the rocking levers e, or it may
be carried by other suitable means. The sliding frame c consists of sides and
partitions forming sections or boxes corresponding or nearly so with the sections or
boxes in the trough b; g is the plunger beam hinged to the sliding frame c by the
pin f, and moving to and fro with the frame c. To this plunger beam are attached
the plunger pieces h, which form movable bottoms to the sections or boxes in the
sliding frame c. The outer end of the plunger beam is connected to the lever m,
and it is alternately raised and lowered by the action of the tappet q against the
bowl p on the rocking lever o, which is connected to the lower end of the lever m,
as shewn on Fig. 1. The outer edge of the sliding frame c is connected to the
lever e, and it receives an inward and outward motion from the eccentric l; j is a
hopper or shoot for feeding the fuel into the section or box 1 at the outer end of
the sliding frame c.
The mode of operation is as follows:-When the plunger beam is down, as shewn
on Fig. 1, the section or box 1 of the sliding frame c receives a charge of fuel from
the hopper or shoot j; then the sliding frame c is caused to move inwards by the
eccentric and lever e until the section or box 1 of the sliding frame c is under
the section or box 1 of the trough b. The plunger beam g is then raised by the
action of the tappet q and the levers o and m, thus raising the plunger pieces h to
the level of the top of the sliding frame c, and the fuel is discharged from box 1
of the sliding frame cinto box 1 of the trough b. The sliding frame c is then
moved outwards by the action of the eccentric and the lever e, the plunger pieces h
being level with the top of the sliding frame c, and forming an even surface to slide
under the trough b. To avoid carrying the fuel back from the furnace when the
sliding frame has moved outwards the plunger beam g is lowered by the action of
the tappet g and levers o and m, and the plunger pieces h are brought down,
allowing the box 1 of the sliding frame to receive another charge of fuel from the
hopper j, and the box 2 of the sliding frame to receive a charge of fuel from box 1
of the trough b, the sliding frame is again moved inwards, and the plunger beam is
moved upwards; the charge of fuel received from the hopper j by box 1 of the
sliding frame is discharged into box 1 of the trough b, and the charge of fuel
received by box 2 of the sliding frame from box 1 of the trough is discharged into
box 2 of the trough. In the same way each box of the sliding frame receives a
charge of fuel from the preceding box of the trough, and delivers such charge into
the box in the trough next in succession to the box from which the charge has been
received. In this manner the fuel is fed by successive movements from the hopper j

page_text: to the back of the furnace. As the plunger beam is hinged at the inner end of the
sliding frame it is obvious that each plunger piece in succession towards the back
has a shorter stroke than the one preceding it, so that each box in succession
receives less fuel as a charge than the one preceding it, so that a portion of the fuel
remains in the boxes of the trough and is delivered on to the furnace bars. By
this means the fuel is fed upwards into the fire along the whole length of the
trough, and the more recently supplied fuel is kept in contact with the plungers,
and the gases from the freshly supplied fuel in ascending pass through the burning
or incandescent fuel which is kept upon the top of the fire, and the gases and smoke
are thus consumed.
The trough and sliding frame may be divided into any convenient number of
sections or boxes of any size or shape, or the partitions in the trough b may be
dispensed with, and the plunger beam and plungers may be made of any convenient
section or form.
The mechanism for actuating the sliding and plunger beam and plungers may be
varied in construction and mode of action. Two troughs may be used, as shewn in
Figs. 3, 4, and 5, or other convenient number of troughs with a corresponding
number of sliding frames and plunger beams. The sections or boxes may be made.
of various shapes, as shewn in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, or any other suitable shape. The
fire grate surface may be level or at an angle. Although the Drawings shew the
apparatus as applied to the furnace of an internally fired boiler, it may be applied
to other furnaces.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the manner of
performing the same, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to
the details given, but what we claim is,-
Supplying fuel to fires or furnaces by means of a sliding frame and plungers
working beneath a trough, substantially as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Norman Macbeth and Thomas Beeley, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Ninth day of March, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
NORMAN MACBETH. (L.S.).
THOMAS BEELEY.
(L.S.)