IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL STOKERS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Proctor of Burnley in the County of Lancaster
Mechanical Engineer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL
STOKERS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Proctor at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd August 1882.
JAMES PROCTOR of Burnley in the County of Lancaster Mechanical Engineer
IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL STOKERS
"
This invention relates to further improvements in apparatus as aforesaid for
which apparatus Letters Patent No. 2047 A.D. 1875 were granted to me and which
invention has and continues to be largely adopted and employed by users of
steam power. The present invention consists of an improved application and
mechanism for working the shovel employed for throwing and distributing the
coal operating the moveable grate bars and to improved apparatus for actuating
the ram for pushing the supply of coal to the shovels.
The shovel or shovels I mount on a cross shaft operating by wheels tappet and
bevels or equivalent which mechanism also serves to actuate the moveable grate
bars, the shovel or shovels are in such position in relation to the dead plate as
that when actuated by preference in a direction over its carrying shaft the coal is
thrown overhand through a slit or opening formed through the dead plate; usually
there will be two such shovels and the supply of coal or fuel to them is secured by
a double inclined plane.
The ram I actuate by means of a bell crank lever working over or above the
ram, the end of one of the arms of the crank lever enter a slot in the upper surface
of the ram so that it is not necessary to have any opening the lower part of
the cylinder of the ram as heretofore through which opening coal dust was apt to
escape.
The construction of apparatus as aforesaid enables me to dispense with many
working parts of the apparatus as heretofore constructed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Proctor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd February
1883.
"
JAMES PROCTOR of Burnley in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL STOKERS'
"
This invention relates to further improvements in apparatus as aforesaid for
which Letters Patent No. 2047 A D. 1875 were granted to me and consists of
improved apparatus for operating the movable grate bars.
On cross shafts operated by wheels and tappets by means of levers I operate
the movable grate bars imparting to them the requisito to and fro motion
Such being the nature and object of this my said invention I will now proceed
to describe the same in detail and in order that the invention may be fully
understood I have hereunto annexed a sheet of drawings illustrative thereof and
have marked same with figures of reference like figures denoting like parts.
Fig 2 is a plan view of same.
Fig 3 is an end elevation of driving or gearing apparatus.
1 is a speed pulley driving the shaft 2 on which is the eccentric 3 and draw
catch 4 engaging with and operating a catch wheel 5 on the stud 6 carried by the
bracket 7 which at each revolution by means of the stud 8 slotted link 9 and
shaft 10 imparts a rocking motion to the shaft 11 in its bearing 12 cast or
attached to the shaft 11 are levers 13. 14 of different lengths as shewn, the ends of
the levers 13. 14 are received within the slots 15 16 of the bars 17. 18 so that
inasmuch as the levers 13. 14 are of different lengths the amount of motion or
traverse imparted by the shorter lever 13 to its bar 17 will be less than the motion
or traverse given to the bar 18 by the longer lever 14 thus every alternate bar has
a different traverse than the other or intervening bar.
The dead plate 19 is stepped as at 20 and forms rests for the ends of the bars 17,
the bars 18 rest and are supported by the upper ends of their moving levers 14.
21 is a cover to prevent coal falling into the recesses 20 in front of the ends of the
bars 17. The other ends of the bars rest on the hollow back bearer 22.
The varying motion or traverse of the bars breaks up the fire prevents the
adhetion of clinker and the greater traverse of a portion of the bars serves to move
the fire in the direction of the bridge.
In the provisional specification which I caused to be filed reference was made to
improvement for actuating shovels for mechanical stokers and I have since
discovered the same not to be of the utility I supposed them to be I therefore
disclaim the same.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of this my said invention
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect I would have it understood that what I claim as my
invention is.
The improved apparatus for imparting the varying motion to grate bars

page_text: 5
comprising the rocking shaft levers and slotted bars operated as described and as
illustrated and for the purposes aforesaid
In Witness whereof I the said James Proctor have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twenty first day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
JAMES PROCTOR (L.S.)