Improvements in Appliances for use in connection with Mechanical Stokers, for Supplying Air to Furnaces.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for use in connection with Mechanical
Stokers, for Supplying Air to Furnaces.
We, JOHN VICARS, the elder, and JOHN VICARS, the younger, both of 56, Seel
Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates chiefly to mechanical stokers known as coking stokers
in which the fuel is fed by mechanical means from a hopper in a heap on the
dead plate and is gradually carried on by reciprocating fire bars. In some
cases, at present, parts of the heap of fuel do not burn owing to insufficient
draught but remain dead and consequently by the reciprocation of the bars such
unburnt fuel is riddled through the bars into the ashpit and thus waste is caused
The object of our invention is to provide appliances whereby currents of air
sufficient to maintain combustion or coking shall be directed into the parts of
the heap of fuel which are usually dead. These parts are in the well known
Vicars stoker, chiefly under the fuel feeding plungers. The appliances are
simple in construction, adjustable, not liable to get out of order and are, or
parts of them are, easily removable to allow of renewal, or of inspection of
the fire.
For these purposes we make use of a hollow cone or of several cones of different
diameter one behind another formed with or attached to a piece pivotted to or
free to slide on a convenient part of the framework of the stoker, for instance
the dead plate or a continuation thereof; such piece being arranged so that
the cone or cones is or are opposite an opening in the furnace front leading to
the parts of the fuel through which there is insufficient draught. Opposite to
the centre of the cones we arrange a steam jet secured to a hollow spindle adjust-
able longitudinally by screws and nuts or like devices, into or through a steam
chest fixed to the framework of the stoker. Steam is supplied to the steam chest
by a pipe in any convenient way and is regulated by a valve as desired. The
steam issuing from the jet induces eurrents of air through the cones and forces
such air into the fuel to be burnt or coked.
By the above arrangement the cones may be moved aside to allow of access
to or inspection of the fire without disturbing the steam connections thus avoiding
the liability to leakage which would exist if the steam connections had to be
moved to allow access to the fire.
The appliances may be arranged at several points in the front of the furnace.
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page_text: Improvements in Appliances for use in connection with Mechanical
Stokers, for Supplying Air to Furnaces.
We, JOHN VICARS, the elder, and JOHN VICARS, the younger, both of 56, Seel
Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare 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, refer-
ence being had to the accompanying drawings:-
This invention relates chiefly to mechanical stokers known as coking stokers
in which the fuel is fed by mechanical means from a hopper in a heap on the
dead plate and is gradually carried on by reciprocating fire bars. In some
cases, at present, parts of the heap of fuel do not burn owing to insufficient
draught, but remain dead, and consequently by the reciprocation of the bars such
unburnt fuel is riddled through the bars into the ashpit and thus waste is caused.
The object of our invention is to provide appliances whereby currents of air
sufficient to maintain combustion or coking shall be directed into the parts of
the heap of fuel which are usually dead. These parts are, in the well known
Vicars stoker, chiefly under the fuel feeding plungers. The appliances are
simple in construction, adjustable, not liable to get out of order, and are, or
parts of them are, easily removable to allow of renewal, or of inspection of
the fire.
In the drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line A A on
Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line B B on Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a
front view, all of appliances under our invention, and so much of a mechanical
stoker of the well known Vicars type as is necessary to show the application of
the appliances
b
i are the
For the purposes of our invention we make use of a hollow cone a formed
with or attached to a piece pivotted at e to the dead plate c¹ or to other con-
venient part of the framework of the stoker. We prefer to use in front of the
cone a another cone d of less diameter or several cones if desired one behind
another and all attached to the piece b, which piece is so arranged that the cone
or cones is or are opposite an opening or passage e in the furnace front leading
to the parts of the heap of fuel on the dead plate at f through which parts there
is insufficient draught. These parts are usually under the ends of the fuel feeding
openings of which there are two, one at each side of the furnace, only one
being shown. is the usual fire door at the centre of the furnace.
fire bars which may be reciprocated in any usual way. ; is the casing of one
of the fuel feeders. is the side of the furnace flue and is the front plate of
the boiler. Opposite to the centre of the cones we arrange a steam jet or nozzle m
secured to a hollow spindle n adjustable longitudinally, by nuts o engaging with
screws on the spindle, or like devices, into or through a steam chest
to the framework of the stoker, say to the fuel feeding casing by a bracket r
sare packing rings of asbestos or the like to prevent escape of steam between
the nuts o and the chest g. Steam is supplied to the chest by a pipe in any
convenient way and is regulated by a valve as desired. is an opening in the
hollow spindle to allow steam to pass to the jet m, in issuing from which it
induces currents of air through the coues and forces such air into the fuel to be
burnt or coked.
fixed
Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are similar views to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 respectively and the
parts are the same with the exception that the cones a and d are formed with or

page_text: ttached to a piece b¹ free to slide in a groove or guide v in or on the dead pran
ike letters indicate similar parts as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
By the above arrangements the cones a and d may be readily moved aside as
hown by the dotted lines a' on Figs. 2 and 5 to allow of inspection of the fire
hrough the passages e and without disturbing the steam connections to the
chest g, thus avoiding the wear and liability to leakage which would exist if the
steam connections had to be moved to allow access to the fire.
Although the above description refers only to using the appliances under the
fuel feeders it will be obvious they may be applied in various positions where
similar conditions of fuel exist or where it is desirable to quickly remove the
air cones to allow of access to or of examining objects behind them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
First. The combination with an opening leading into a furnace of an air
inducing cone or cones movable sideways, and a steam jet or nozzle supported
independently of the cone or cones substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Second. The combination with an opening leading into a furnace of an air
inducing cone or cones movable sideways, and a steam jet or nozzle on a hollow
spindle adjustable longitudinally through a steam chest supported independently
of the cone or cones substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
T1900.
W. D. JOT
4, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Agent.