IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE ADMISSION OF AIR TO STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES, AND FOR INDICATING THE REQUISITE OPENING FOR THE DAMPERS OF THE SAME.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ellis Rowland, of the City of Manchester,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
REGULATING THE ADMISSION OF AIR TO STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES,
AND FOR INDICATING THE REQUISITE OPENING FOR THE DAMPERS OF THE
SAME.
"
Sealed the 5th January 1875, and dated the 7th July 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ellis Rowland at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th July 1874. ..
.
I, ELLIS ROWLAND, of the City of Manchester, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR REGULATING THE ADMISSION OF AIR TO STEAM BOILER AND OTHER
FURNACES, AND FOR INDICATING THE REQUISITE OPENING FOR THE DAMPERS OF THE
SAME," to be as follows:-

page_text: openings in the furnace doors which shall be simple and not liable to
derangement by the heat of the furnace.
In carrying out my Invention I fix a casing in front of the gridiron
sliding shutter of a furnace door, and in an opening in the front of this
casing I fix a wind vane, so that all the air passing through the gridiron
sliding shutter when open shall be compelled to pass the wind vane,
so causing it to revolve. By mechanism herein-after described the rotary
motion of this wind vane is employed to close the gridiron sliding shutter,
and so shut off the supply of air through the door after the lapse of the
requisite interval of time.
AC
.::
As applied to actuate a horizontal gridiron sliding shutter I mount the
wind vane herein-before mentioned on a stud or pin supported by a cross
bar carried by or forming part of the casing. On the boss of the vane
is a spur pinion, which geers with a spur wheel mounted on a stud pro-
jecting from the inside of the casing. The boss of this spur wheel is
also formed into or carries a spur pinion, which geers into another spur
wheel mounted on an extension of the stud or pin before mentioned
carrying the wind vane. Projecting from the spur wheel last mentioned
is a stud forming a crank pin, which works in a slot formed in the lower
end of a double-armed lever mounted in a vertical position: on a stud
projecting from the inside of the casing. The upper end of such double-
armed lever carries a pawl or ratchet, which takes into a rack cast upon
or attached to the sliding shutter before mentioned, so that as such arm
is caused to oscillate by the action of the crank pin before mentioned the
sliding shutter is moved one tooth for each oscillation in the direction of
its closed position until the openings are shut, when the indraught and
consequently the motion of the wind vane ceases.
I form a projection on the sliding shutter which passes through one
side of the casing, and' at a suitable place on the boiler or exterior of the
furnace I fix a stop, so that when the furnace door is opened in the act
of firing the projection from the sliding shutter comes in contact with
the stop, and the sliding shutter is forced into its open position ready
for action when the furnace door is closed.
The sliding shutter should work upon antifriction bowls or be otherwise
mounted so as to avoid friction as much as possible,
51'

page_text: As applied to a circular shutter, that is, one with radial slots and
turning around a centre, I mount the rack separate from the circular
shutter on bowls or runners projecting from the inside of the casing and
form it with a stud adjustable in a vertical slot formed in a projection
from its under side. A radial groove is formed in the circular shutter
into which the adjustable stud projects, and so the motion of the rack is
imparted to the circular shutter. By setting the pin to work in the
radial groove nearer to or further from the centre the time taken to close
the shutter may be varied according to the requirements of different
furnaces..
The speed of the wind vane and time taken to close the shutter will
serve as an indicator of the strength of the draught in the furnace,
and so aid the fireman in regulating the damper controlling the
draught.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Ellis Rowland in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ELLIS
ROWLAND, of the City of Manchester, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria; by Her
"Letters. Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Ellis Rowland, Her
special licence that I, the said Ellis Rowland, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Ellis Rowland,.
my: executors, administrators, and 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 makė,
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 APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE ADMISSION OF AIR TO STEAM

page_text: .
BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES, AND FOR INDICATING THE REQUISITE OPENING FOR
THE DAMPERS OF THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Ellis Rowland; my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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
BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES, AND FOR INDICATING THE REQUISITE OPENING FOR
14
THE DAMPERS OF THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Ellis Rowland; my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ellis Rowland, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
The object of my Invention is to construct an apparatus for auto-
matically controlling the admission of air to furnaces through suitable
openings in the furnace doors, which shall be simple and not liable to
derangement by the heat of the furnace.
In carrying out my Invention I fix a casing in front of the gridiron
sliding shutter of a furnace door, and in an opening in the front of this
casing I fix a wind vane, so that all the air passing through the gridiron
sliding shutter when open shall be compelled to pass the wind vane, so
casing it to revolve. By mechanism herein-after described the rotary
motion of this vane is employed to close the gridiron sliding shutter,
and so shut off the supply of air through the door during the lapse of
the requisite interval of time.
As applied to actuate a horizontal gridiron sliding shutter I mount the
wind vane herein-before mentioned on a stud or pin supported by a
cross bar carried by or forming part of the casing. On the boss of
the vane is a spur pinion which geers with a spur wheel mounted on a
stud projecting from the inside of the casing. The boss of this spur
wheel is also formed into or carries a spur pinion, which geers into
another spur wheel mounted on an extension of the stud or pin before
mentioned carrying the wind vane. Projecting from the spur wheel last
mentioned is a stud forming a crank pin, which works in a slot formed
in the end of a lever mounted in a vertical position on a stud projecting

page_text: from the inside of the casing. Such lever carries a pawl or ratchet
which takes into a rack cast upon or attached to the sliding shutter before
mentioned, so that as such arm is caused to oscillate by the action of the
crank pin before mentioned the sliding shutter is moved one tooth for
cach oscillation in the direction of its closed position until the openings
are shut, when the indraught and consequently the motion of the wind
vane ceases.
I mount a double-armed lever upon the same stud which carries the
lever which actuates the pawl or ratchet, the long arni of such double-
armed lever projecting downwards and operating upon a stud projecting,
from the sliding shutter. The short arm projects upwards and through
the top of the casing, where it comes in contact with two cams mounted
upon the furnace front, and by which the sliding shutter is forced into
its open position ready for action when the furnace door is closed.
The sliding shutter should work upon antifriction bowls or be otherwise
mounted so as to avoid friction as much as possible.
As applied to a circular shutter, that is, one with radial slots and
turning around a centre, I mount the rack separate from the circular
shutter on bowls or runners, and from it with a stud adjustable in a
vertical slot formed in a projection from its under side. A radial groove
is formed in the circular shutter, into which the adjustable stud projects,
and so the motion of the rack is imparted to the circular shutter. By
setting the pin to work in the radial groove nearer to or further from the
centre the time taken to close the shutter may be varied according to
the requirements of different furnaces.
The speed of the wind vane and time taken to close the shutter will
serve as an indicator of the strength of the draught in the furnace,
and so aid the fireman in regulating the damper controlling the draught.
.
And in order that this my said Invention may be the more readily
understood and carried into practical effect I have hereunto annexed a
Sheet of Drawings illustrating the application of my improvements to a
furnace door, and drawn about half size, Fig. 1. being a front elevation
with the casing opened upon its hinges in order that the mechanism may
be better seen; Fig. 2, a sectional plan of Fig. 1 in its opened position;
and Fig. 3, a vertical side section of Fig. 1, but shewing the casing

page_text: closed; Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of Fig. 1. Similar letters
marked on the several views are used to denote similar parts.
IN
A is the furnace door, upon the front of which the principal portion of
the apparatus is fixed, and having an opening A formed in it to allow
the air to pass therethrough to the furnace. To the front of the furnace.
door A a casing is fixed by bolts A2, formed in two parts B, B¹, and.
hinged together by suitable hinges B² to allow of the apparatus being
opened from time to time for cleaning, and in which open position it is
illustrated. C is a wind vane mounted and turning easily upon a stud C¹
fastened into the cross bar C² affixed to the inside of the casing B'. The
boss of the wind vane is formed into or carries a pinion C³, which geers
with a spur wheel D mounted upon a stud D' projecting from the inside
of the casing B¹. The boss of this spur wheel is likewise formed into or
carries a pinion D³, which geers, with another spur wheel E mounted
upon an extension E¹ of the stud C₁ carrying the wind vane.
of this spur wheel carries an eccentric pin E². .
The boss
When the hinged portion B₁ of the casing is in its closed position, as
seen in Fig. 3, the eccentric pin E² takes into a slot E³ formed in a
lever depending from the stud F¹ bolted to the casing B, and as such
pin E is slowly carried round by the action of the wind vane an oscil-
lating motion is imparted to the lever F. A pawl or ratchet G is pivoted
at G¹ to such lever F and takes into a rack H formed upon a carriage H¹.
mounted upon antifriction wheels H² and free to travel upon the bottom
of the casing B in obedience to the pull of the pawl or ratchet G. A
vertical slot H³ is found in the carriage H¹ which receives a pin I pro-
jecting from a circular revolving shutter J provided with a series of slots
or openings J' (in this case four) corresponding to a similar number
formed through the partition K in the casing B, and a stud K¹ projects
from the partition K upon which the circular shutter turns.
It is the function of the wind vane C to close the circular shutter J
during a definite interval of time after a fresh supply of fuel to the
furnace. A suitable arrangement of mechanism is therefore provided
(and which will be herein-after described) to open the circular shutter J
to its widest extent immediately upon and by the act of opening the
furnace door A, in which open position the circular slutter is illustrated
on the Drawing. Upon closing such furnace door after the fresh supply

page_text: of fuel the air is drawn freely through the open shutter J into the
furnace, but as it must first pass the wind vane C. such wind vane is.
thereby caused to revolve, and through the train of wheelwork hercin-
before described a slow ratcheting motion is imparted to the pawl or
'ratchet G, and by the action of such pawl or ratchet in the rack H the
carriage H' is slowly advanced across the casing B from left to right,
carrying with it. the pin I and circular shutter J. By the time the
carriage H¹ has travelled from left to right and the pin I arrived at the
position (see Fig. 1) the openings J' in the circular shutter are
covered, and the supply of air through the door being thus cut off the
motion of the wind vane ceases. The circular shutter, rack, and carriage-
remain in their last-described. positions until the furnace door is again
opened, when the act of opening brings them to their original position.
For this purpose a double-armed lever is centred upon the stud F¹, the
long arm L of which descends behind the carriage H¹as shewn.. The
short arm L rises between two cheeks M, M', projecting from the
casing B and B¹ respectively (to ensure greater steadiness) for a short
distance above the top of the furnace door A, where it rests between
N and N¹ mounted upon the bracket N2 bolted to the furnace
front (see Fig. 4), and thus when the furnace door is opened or closed
such lever receives motion from such cams as herein-after described.
two cams
An arm O branches from the long arm L and passes through a slot O¹
formed in an upward extension of the pawl or ratchet G. When the
furnace door is closed the short arm L' rests against the cam N¹, whilst
the long arm L and its branch O respectively occupy the positions shown.
by the full lines on the Drawing, so permitting the pin I to advance to the
dotted or closed position and the pawl or ratchet G to act upon the
rack H.
:
Supposing now that the circular shutter J has been closed by the
action of the wind vane C, and consequently the pin I to be in the
dotted position and the carriage to the extreme right, the opening
of the furnace door A will cause the short arm L of the double-
armed lever to come against the cam N and throw such double-armed:
lever into the position illustrated by the dotted lines. The first effect of
this action is to raise the pawl or ratchet G out of. contact with the
rack H, and so free the carriage for the return movement.
The long
arm L then comes in contact with the pin and carries it back to its

page_text: original position I, together with the carriage H¹ and circular shutter J,
thus opening the latter ready for the next action. The furnace door.
being now closed the short arm L' again comes in contact with the
cam N', whilst the long arm L resumes its original position, as best
illustrated in Fig. 1.
'
The time taken to close the circular shutter may be varied to suit the
requirements of different furnaces by making the pin I adjustable in a
radial slot in the circular shutter so as to be set nearer to or further from
the centre, or the pin may be attached to the carriage and be made.
adjustable therein, and work in a radial slot in the circular shutter, 'as
described in the Specification which accompanied my petition, but I prefer
to effect this adjustment by the cam wheel N, setting it in the slot N³.
(Fig. 4), so as to open the circular shutter more or less, and consequently
varying the time taken to close it.
Although I have only described the application of my improvements.
to the actuating of a circular shutter, it will be obvious that a horizontal
sliding shutter may be employed as described in the first part of my
Provisional Specification. The carriage may in that case be dispensed
with, the rack being attached direct to the sliding shutter, which shutter.
should run upon wheels or be otherwise mounted to avoid friction as
much as possible.
The speed of the wind vane and time taken to close the shutter
serves as an indicator of the strength of the draught in the furnace,
and so aids the fireman in regulating the damper and controlling the
draught.
Haying, thus particularly described the nature and object of my said.
Invention, together with the best means with which I am acquainted for.
carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise details, relative proportions, or dimen-
sions of the various parts illustrated on the accompanying Drawing, nor a
to, the precise forms of sliding shutter shewn and described, and train of
mechanism connecting the shutter with the wind vane; as all such parts
might be considerably varied without departing from the Invention, but
what I consider to be new and therefore claim is,
1st. The use and application of a wind vane to close an opening in the a
front of a furnace door for the purposes, described.

page_text: 2nd. The general arrangement and combination of mechanism for
adapting the motion of the wind vane to the closing of the shutter and
the means employed for resetting the parts by the opening and closing
of the furnace door, substantially as described and illustrated on the
accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ellis Rowland, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-five.