IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES AND FIRE-GRATES, • AND IN FIRE-BARS TO BE USED THEREWITH.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Lancaster, of Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
SUPPLYING FUEL TO STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES AND FIRE-GRATES,
•
AND IN FIRE-BARS TO BE USED THEREWITH.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Lancaster at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 2nd January 1874.
I, THOMAS LANCASTER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES AND FIRE-
GRATES, AND IN FIRE-BARS TO BE USED THEREWITH," to be as follows:--
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for mechanically
crushing, supplying, and distributing fuel to furnaces and fire-grates so
as to induce more perfect combustion, thereby economising fuel and

page_text: dispensing with manual stoking; also to improvements in fire-bars,
arranged so as to remove clinkers from the fire-bars and discharge them
from the fire.
The objects of this Invention are to economise fuel, afford greater
facilities for generating steam by utilizing the heat capable of being
developed from certain gases evolved in the consumption of fuel and
usually wasted, and to obtain a more uniform temperature than is
yielded by the methods in general use.
An apparatus constructed according to this Invention consists of a
conical hopper, inside of and in which are teeth, blades, or cutters, which
may be adjusted to any given angle. At the top of the hopper there is
fixed a cross bridge and at the bottom a footstep, which carry a vertical
shaft, on which is fitted a roller provided with teeth, blades, or cutters
set at given and variable angles. The roller may be made conical, ellip-
tical, eccentrical, or of other suitable shape. The teeth, blades, or
cutters are so placed as to work and come in direct contact with the
coals passing through the hopper, which coals are crushed by the roller
with its teeth, blades, or cutters, and the teeth, blades, or cutters on the
inside of the hopper. The vertical shaft carrying and driving the
⚫ roller is.made to lift up and down by means of a screw and wheel, and
thereby the amount of feed can be regulated, also the size of the coal for
distribution.
In all cases this form of crushing box cannot be used, and in order to
give fuller effect in exceptional cases use is made of a crushing box fitted
with two rollers working towards each other, with variable cutters
placed upon them, and driven in such a manner to suit circumstances
by wheels or worms and wheels combined. This crushing box is so
arranged as to lead the crushed fuel to the beater or distributing box,
hereafter described.
In some cases a crushing box worked by eccentrics or wheels may be
employed, more specially adapted for preparing coals for a quantity of
fires, inside of which is placed fixed and moveable teeth in such a
position and at variable angles so as to come in direct contact with the
coals to be crushed, or in part made to move upwards and downwards,
or backwards and forwards. Underneath the crushing hopper or box is
fitted a distributing box, fitted with beaters or distributors of the usual
form applied to mechanical stokers. The box however is of an improved

page_text: form, namely, having a hopper-shaped mouth for delivery, thereby
allowing a freer delivery and distribution of the coals on to the fire, and
also preventing choking.
The whole apparatus is bolted or otherwise attached to the front of
the furnace, but in such position as to leave room underneath for the
free use of the furnace doors, so that in case of any misfortune to the
apparatus stoking by hand may be accomplished in the ordinary way.
°
The apparatus is driven by a horizontal shaft passing over the top of
the hopper or crushing box. This shaft has a worm, which drives the
shaft or shafts carrying the crushing roller or rollers by means of a
suitable worm wheel. This horizontal shaft is also fitted with vertical
pulleys or drums, which drive by means of an endless band the revolving
beaters or distributors, which are fitted in the beater or distributor box.
In the case of the apparatus being fitted to marine boilers, and where
it is necessary to place the crushing box away from the beater or dis-
tributing box, there is fitted a portable or fixed shoot of suitable form
connecting the crushing box to the beater box. Inside of the shoot
there is fitted a worm or screw traveller, which conveys the crushed
coals from the crushing box to the beater or distributing box, and in
like manner a shoot may be fitted for feeding the crushing box with coal
from the bunker.
Fire-bars for furnaces constructed according to this Invention, and to
be used in connection with the mechanical stoker before described, are
made partly moveable by means of a revolving shaft at each end of the
furnace. On these shafts are fixed a series of tappets, so as to raise
one half of the fire-bars from the other, and move them backwards and
forwards to remove clinkers from the fire-bars, and discharge them out
from the fire.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Thomas
Lancaster in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th August 1874.

page_text: The apparatus is driven by a horizontal shaft passing over the top of
the hopper or crushing box. This shaft has a worm, which drives the
shaft or shafts carrying the crushing roller or rollers by means of a
suitable worm wheel. This horizontal shaft is also fitted with vertical
pulleys or drums, which drive by means of an endless band the
revolving beaters or distributors, which are fitted in the beater or dis-
tributor box.
In the case of the apparatus being fitted to marine boilers, and where
it is necessary to place the crushing box away from the beater or dis-
tributing box, there is fitted a portable or fixed shoot of suitable form
connecting the crushing box to the beater box. Inside of the shoot
there is fitted a worm or screw traveller, which conveys the crushed
coals from the crushing box to the beater or distributing box, and in
like manner a shoot may be fitted for feeding the crushing box with coal
from the bunker, or an "elevator" may be used.
Fire-bars for furnaces constructed according to this Invention, and to
be used in connection with the mechanical stoker before described, are
made partly moveable by means of a revolving shaft at each end of the
furnace. On these shafts are fixed a series of tappets, so as to raise
one half of the fire-bars from the other, and move them backwards and
forwards to remove clinkers from the fire-bars, and discharge them out
from the fire.
The before-going being the nature, object, and purposes of this my
Invention, I will now proceed to describe more in detail how the same.
may be carried into practical effect, and for that purpose I have here-
unto attached a Sheet of Drawings sufficiently illustrative of my
Invention as to enable any engineer to carry the same into effect. The
Drawings, Figure 1 to Figure 5 inclusive, and Figures 9 and 10, are drawn
to the scale of two inches to the foot; Figures 6, 7, and 8 are half size.
Like letters denote similar parts throughout the Drawings..
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a conical hopper constructed
according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a plan of same.
Figure 3 is an outside elevation of an apparatus constructed according
to my Invention fitted to a boiler front.
Figure 4 is an outside plan of hopper.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of Figure 3, shown partly in section.

page_text: Figure 6 is an elevation of conical crusher; Figures 7 and 8 are plans
of top and bottom of Figure 6 respectively.
of top and bottom of Figure 6 respectively.
Figure 9 is a plan of beater fans or distributors.
Figure 10 is an elevation of firc-bar showing shafts with tappets for
moving same.
Upon reference to the Drawings it will be seen that an apparatus
constructed according to this Invention consists of a conical hopper A,
inside of and in which are teeth, blades, or cutters B, which may be set
or adjusted at any given angle. The teeth, blades, or cutters B may be
cast in a piece with the hopper A, or they may be loose and rivetted or
bolted thereto, as circumstances may require. The top of the hopper A
is fitted with a covering plate C, which partially covers the hopper, as
shown at Figure 4. Upon this covering plate there is fixed a cross
bridge or bracket D, and at the bottom of the hopper A and in the dis-
tributor box E there is fitted a footstep H. The bracket or cross
bridge D and the footstep H carry a vertical shaft G, upon which is
fitted a conical roller I (for detail of which see Figures 6, 7, and 8).
The roller I is provided with teeth, blades, or cutters, which may be cast
on the roller or rivetted or bolted thereto. These teeth, blades, or cutters
may be set at any suitable angle. The roller I may be made conical,
elliptical, eccentrical, or of other suitable shape. The teeth, blades, or
cutters upon the roller I are so placed as to come in direct contact with
the coals passing through the hopper, and the coals are crushed by the
roller I, with its teeth, blades, or cutters, and the teeth, blades, or
cutters B on the inside of the hopper A. The vertical shaft & carrying
the roller I is made to lift up and down by means of the wheel K. The
top of the shaft G being screwed and taking into a female screw on the
wheel K, thereby the amount of feed can be regulated, also the size of
coal for distribution. Underneath the crushing hopper A is fitted a dis-
tributing box E, in which works beaters or distributors of the usual
form L, L. The box E is of an improved form, having a hopper-shaped
mouth M, Figure 5, thereby allowing a freer delivery of coals on the
fire.
The apparatus is driven by the horizontal shaft N, actuated by a strap
working the pulleys O. The horizontal shaft N carries a worm P, which
drives a worm wheel R, keyed on to the shaft G. The wheel R is keyed
to the shaft G in manner so as to allow the shaft G to slide up and down

page_text: through the wheel when it is required to adjust the crusher I. The
shaft N carries the V pulleys S, which by means of an endless band
drive the pulleys T, as will be understood upon reference. The pulleys T
are keyed on to and drive spindles U, upon which are mounted the
beaters or distributors L, L³.
Coals are fed in the usual manner into the front of the hopper A, are
crushed in the hopper, and then distributed into the furnace by the
beaters L, as will be understood.
Upon reference to Figure 10 it will be seen that the fire-bar a is
actuated by means of the revolving shafts at the front of the furnace
and c at the back of the furnace. On these shafts are fixed a series of
tappets d, e, so arranged that they will raise each alternate fire-bar as
the shafts rotate and move the bars backwards and forwards, thus
removing clinkers from the fire. The shafts b and c may be driven by
any suitable system of gearing, as will be understood.
Having now described the nature, object, and purposes of this my
Invention, and shown how the same may be carried into practical effect,
I would have it understood that my Invention is capable of a variety of
modifications of arrangement, as described in paragraph three of this
Specification, and I would also have it understood that I do not confine
myself to any particular dimensions, as the same may be altered to suit
circumstances; but what I claim as my Invention and secured to me by
Letters Patent as aforesaid is,―
Firstly. A conical hopper or hoppers, inside of and in which are teeth,
blades, or cutters, and inside of which works a roller or rollers provided
with teeth, blades, or cutters, the teeth, blades, or cutters being so
arranged as to crush the coal passing through the hopper and coming
between the hopper and the roller, substantially and for the purpose as
shown in the annexed Sheet of Drawings and described in the before-
going Specification.
Secondly. The apparatus for mechanical stoking, and the com-
bination of parts appertaining thereto, substantially in the manner and
for the purposes as shown and described in the before-going Specification
and Drawings.
Thirdly. The improved form of beater or distributor box, and forming
the same with a hopper-shaped mouth, as shown at M, Figure 5, of the
accompanying Drawings, substantially as set forth.

page_text: Fourthly. The improvements in fire-bars, set forth in the before-going
Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Lancaster, have hereunto
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of August, in the year of
set
my
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
THOMAS (L.S.) LANCASTER.