IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald Brooman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th June 1865.
1, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166. Fleet Street. in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in constructing furnaces at the top with discs, as
hereafter explained, through which the fuel held in a hopper or chamber above
them is to pass into the fire. in the adaptation of one or more levers to stir
and clear the spaces between the furnace bars, and in the case of furnaces for
vertical boilers in the adaptation thereto of a serpentine flue carried through
the boiler, and conducting the products of combustion into the chimney.
Over the top of the furnace I place a hopper for containing the fuel to be
consumed. At the bottom of this hopper is a fixed disc or plate with holes or
apertures formed therein. Above this fixed dise is another similar but
movable disc, with similar apertures to the first. When the apertures in the
two discs correspond the fuel passes as if through one disc only, but at the

page_text: will of the stoker the movable disc may be moved, so as to regulate and even
shut off the supply, a handle being fixed to the movable disc. whereby it may
be turned on a central pin. Above these two discs there is a third distributing
disc formed with one radial aperture, and connected to a shaft, to which
rotary motion is imparted. This shaft carries at its top a mitre wheel geared
into by another mitre wheel on a shaft driven by some prime mover. This
shaft also carries a cam, which communicates motion to a rod connected to
the short arm of levers, the long arms of which enter and move up and down
between the furnace bars, and thus stir and keep them clear.
For vertical boilers. I place my furnace in an annular water space, aml
carry serpentine flues in and through the water space. The flame and
products of combustion circulate in the coil or serpentine flues, heat the water,
and then pass into the chimney.
The fuel feed apparatus and the stirring apparatus are. together or
separately, applicable to all kinds of furnaces.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
. by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th December 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting..
WHEREAS Iler most. Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five. in the twenty-eighth year of
ller reign, did. for Herself. Her heirs and successors. give and grant unto
me, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and ng 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," (communicated to me from abroad
by Francois Durand, of Paris, France,) apon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and

page_text: seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Richard Archibald Brooman. do hereby
declare the nature 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in constructing furnaces at top with discs, as
hereafter explained, through which the fuel held in a hopper or chamber
above them is to pass into the fire, in the adaptation of one or more levers to
stir and clear the spaces between the furnace bars, and in the case of furnaces
for vertical boilers. in the adaptation thereto of a serpentine flue, carried
through the boiler. and conducting the products of combustion into the
chimney.
Over the top of the furnace I place a hopper for containing the fuel to be
consumed. At the bottom of this hopper is a fixed disc or plate with holes
or apertures formed therein. Above this fixed disc is another similar but
movable disc, with similar apertures to the first. When the apertures in the
two discs correspond, the fuel passes as if through one disc only, but at the
will of the stoker the movable dise may be moved so as to regulate and even
shut off the supply, a handle being fixed to the movable dise, whereby it may
be turned on a central pin. Above these two discs there is a third distributing
disc, formed with one radial aperture, and connected to a shaft to which rotary
notion is imparted. This shaft carries at top a mitre wheel geared into by
another mitre wheel on a shaft driven by some prime mover. This shaft also
carries a cam, which communicates motion to a rod connected to the short
arm of levers. the long arms of which enter and move up and down between
the furnace bars, and thus stir and keep them clear.
For vertical boilers place my furnace in an annular water space, and
carry one or more serpentine flues in and through the water space. The flame
and products of combustion circulate in the coil or serpentine flues. heat the
water, and then pass into the chimney.
The fuel feed and the stirring apparatuses are. together or separately,
applicable to all kinds of furnaces.
Fig. of the accompanying Drawings is a vertical section of the furnace
of a tubular boiler with the improved fuel. feed, and stirring apparatus
applied thereto. a is a hopper, placed over the top of the furnace, and con-

page_text: taining the fuel to be supplied to the furnace; b is a fixed disc or plate at the
bottom of the hopper, and of a diameter corresponding as nearly as possible
with that of the furnace X. This disc has holes or apertures formed therein,
as represented in the detached views, Figs. 2 and 3. Above this fixed disc
is a similar but movable disc c, with similar apertures. When the apertures
in the two discs b and c correspond, the fuel passes as if through one disc only,
but at the will of the stoker the movable disc c may be moved so as to regulate
or even shut off the supply, a handle d (see the detached view Figure 4)
being fixed to the disc, whereby it may be turned on a central pine of the
disc b. Fig. 4 shows the disc c moved so that the apertures in the two
discs do not entirely correspond. is a distributing disc above the disc c;
this disc is represented detached in Figs. 5 and 6; it is formed with one
radial aperture g, and is connected to a shaft m, to which rotary motion is
imparted. The shaft m is guided by collars n', and carries at top a mitre wheel l'
geared into by another mitre wheel on a shaft i, which is driven by a band
from any prime mover passing over the pulleys h, h. The fuel in the hopper a
passes through the aperture y in the disc, and by the rotation of this disc is
distributed over the disc c. The apertures of the discs b and c may vary in
diameter from the periphery to the centre, likewise the opening of the disc
may be wider at the periphery. The shaft i carries a cam, which acts upon
one end of a rod p, the other end of which is connected to the short arms r of
levers pivoted at s, the long arms of which enter and move up and down
between the furnace bars, and thus stir and keep them clear.
Fig. 7 shows the fuel feed apparatus applied to the furnace of a vertical
boiler. The boiler is composed of a double casing E, E', forming an annular
space for containing the water to be evaporated. S, S. are serpentine flues
surrounding the inner casing E'. The flame and products of combustion
from the fire-place X circulate in the serpentine flues, heat the water, and
then pass into the chimney C.
Fig. 8 represents a furnace fitted with the fuel feed apparatus, and applied
to the front of a boiler A. The arrangement of the feed apparatus is the same
as before described, except that the shaft m is held by arms s (see Fig. 9)
lixed to the inside of the hopper a, and that at the bottom of the shaft a plate i,
formed with cutting teeth, is fixed, in order to break and divide the fuel, and
thereby facilitate its passage through the holes of the discs b and c. The
fuel, after passing through the apertures in the disc b, falls through channels
into the furnace. Rotary motion is imparted to the pulley h, and is trans-
mitted by endless screw gearing o to the shaft i, from which it is com-
municated to the shaft m by the mitre wheels 1, P. The furnace X has a

page_text: double casing k, l, forming a water space, and communicating with the
boiler A by a pipe n. A second pipe f forms a communication between the
space and the boiling vessel B. so that the same level is maintained in the
space and in the boiler A. The heat from the furnace produces its
evaporating effect below and within the space r: the products of combustion
then heat the vessel B. and pass on to the chimney. The steam generated
in the space is lead by the pipen to the boiler A. The space is prolonged
below the furnace X on the outside, to avoid loss of heat.
In the arrangement represented in Fig. 8 the furnace is mounted on a
carriage H. so that it may be removed from the boiler when required on
rails y. The disc c may, if desired, be dispensed with.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed. I declare that I claim as the "Improve-
ments in Furnaces,"-
First, constructing furnaces with apparatus for containing and feeding fuel.
arranged and acting substantially as herein-before described, and represented
in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, constructing furnaces with one or more levers, arranged and acting
substantially as herein-before described, and represented in the accompanying
Drawings, for stirring and clearing the space between the furnace bars.
Third, the combined employment in furnaces. substantially as herein-before
described, and represented in the accompanying Drawings. of apparatus for
containing and feeding the fuel, and a lever or levers for stirring and clearing
the space between the furnace bars.
Fourth, constructing furnaces with one or more serpentine flues, sub-
stantially as herein-before described. and represented in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof. I. the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal. this Seventh day of December. One thou-
sand eight hundred and sixty-five.
R. A. BROOMAN. (..s.)