AN IMPROVED HOPPER FEEDER FOR FURNACES AND GAS PRODUCERS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, THOMAS LEONARD ELLIS of Coatbridge in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Ironmaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "AN
IMPROVED HOPPER FEEDER FOR FURNACES AND GAS PRODUCERS" to be as
follows:-
This Invention, which relates to an improved feeder for admitting fuel from
a hopper to the combustion Chambers of Furnaces and Gas Producers, consists of a
semicircular, segmental, or quadrantal box carried upon an axis placed transversely
with, and parallel to, the hopper. The said box is stiffened at right angles to the
axis by circularly shaped end plates or radial stays, and by one or more other
plates or radial stays situate between the end plates or stays, so as to give the box
considerable stiffness transversely whilst it is also strengthened at the interior by
longitudinal stays riveted thereto preferably by countersunk rivets, whereby it
resists alteration of form under the influence of heat. The outside or circular
surface of the box bears closely against the bottom and sides of the hopper; so as
to keep the joint sufficiently gas-tight when the box is in its closed position. The
end of the axis or shaft on which the said box is mounted is provided with a lever
of sufficient length to enable the attendant to rotate the box on its axis and
thereby discharge the fuel from the hopper into the Furnace or Gas Producer.

page_text: I, THOMAS LEONARD ELLIS, of Coatbridge, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Ironmaster do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED
HOPPER FEEDER FOR FURNACES AND GAS PRODUCERS, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
My said Invention, which relates to an improved feeder for admitting fuel from
a hopper to the combustion chambers of Furnaces and Gas Producers, consists of a
semicircular, segmental or quadrantal box, feeder or valve carried upon an axis
placed transversely with, and parallel to the hopper. The said box, feeder or valve
is stiffened at right angles to the axis, by circularly shaped end plates, or radial
stays and by one or more other plates or radial stays situate between the end
plates or stays so as to give the box considerable stiffness transversely, whilst it
is also strengthened at the interior by longitudinal stays riveted thereto preferably
by countersunk rivets, whereby it, for practical purposes, resists alteration of
form under the influence of heat. The outside or circular surface of the box bears
closely against the bottom and sides of the hopper, or the sides of the neck or
chute of the said hopper, so as to keep the joint sufficiently gas-tight when the
box is in its closed position. The end of the axis or shaft, on which the said box
is mounted, is provided with a lever of sufficient length to enable the attendant
to rotate the box on its axis and thereby discharge the fuel from the hopper into
the Furnace or Gas Producer,-The box, feeder or valve may be made of cast iron,
without the stays riveted thereto.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, (Sheet 1,) is a transverse section of a hopper feeder constructed
according to my. present Invention.
Figure 2, (Sheet 2,) is a similar view of another form of hopper feeder constructed
according to my present Invention.
Figures 3, 4, and 5, (Sheet 3) are respectively transverse sections and plan
((drawn to a reduced scale) shewing the application of my improved hopper feeder
when used for effecting a duplex sealing of the hopper and Furnace or Gas
-Producer.
In carrying out my present Improvements, I provide the semicircular box, feeder
or valve a, (Figure 1,) which is carried upon and secured to the shaft b, placed
transversely with and parallel to the hopper c.-The said box, feeder or valve is
stiffened at right angles to the axis or shaft b, by the end plates d, (represented in
plan on a reduced scale at Figure 5,) or by radial arms or stays, and by the plates 6,
or by radial arms or stays, situate between the end plates d, (or arms or stays when
such are employed at the ends) so as to give the box, feeder or valve a, considerable
rigidity transversely whilst the said box, feeder or valve is also strengthened at the
interior by the longitudinal stays f. riveted thereto, preferably by counter-sunk

page_text: rivets, whereby it resists, sufficiently for practical purposes, alteration of form
under the influence of heat. The outside or convex surface of the box a, bears
closely against the bottom and sides of the hopper c, or neck or chute of such
hopper, so as to keep the joint formed between these two parts, sufficiently gas-tight,
when the box, feeder or valve a, is in its closed position. The end of the axis or
shaft b, to which the box, feeder or valve a, is secured, is provided with the lever g,
of sufficient length to enable the attendant, by depressing the said Lever, to rotate
or cant the box, feeder or valve a, upon its axis b, and thereby discharge the fuel
from the hopper c, into the Furnace, or Gas Producer to which the said apparatus
is attached. When sufficient fuel has been charged into the Furnace or Gas
Producer, the lever g, is raised and the supply of fuel cut off by the box, feeder
or valve a, being brought into its normal position.-The box, feeder or valve a,
may be made of cast iron, under such construction the stays e, (Figure 5) are
dispensed with.
In place of constructing the box, feeder or valve a, of a complete semi-circle, or
nearly so, as represented at Figure 1, I may construct the said box, feeder or valve a,
of a segmental or quadrantal form such as is shewn at Figure 2, of the annexed
Drawings. Under these circumstances the chute or neck of the hopper c, is
provided at its lower part with the segmental lip h, or its equivalent for reducing
the area of the lower opening thereof to the required extent.
With reference to the apparatus represented at Figure 3, (Sheet 3) the semi-
circular box, feeder or valve a, is provided in duplicate, so that the fuel may be.
charged from the hopper c, on the rotation or canting of the upper box, feeder or
valve a, on to the lower box, feeder or valve a¹-The upper box, feeder or valve a,
being then brought into its normal position, the charge of fuel contained in the
space formed between the two boxes, feeders or valves a, and a¹, is allowed to fall
into the Furnace or Gas Producer by the rotation or canting of the said lower box,
feeder or valve a¹, and in this way any escape of gas or flame into the hopper at
the time of discharging the fuel into the furnace is effectually prevented. At
Figure 4, (Sheet 3) I have shewn an arrangement wherein the upper box a, is
similar in construction to those represented at Figures 1, and 3, but as here shewn
it is employed in combination with the flat hinged plate i, in place of the second
semi-circular box, feeder or valve a¹, shewn at Figure 3, the operation and object
of the arrangement shewn at Figure 4 being identical with that hereinbefore
described with reference to Figure 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The improved hopper feeder for Furnaces and Gas Producers, consisting of the
semi-circular, segmental or quadrantal box, feeder or valve a, secured to the shaft b,
which is provided at its end with the lever g, or its equivalent, constructed
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described with reference to the
annexed sheet of drawings.
J. H. JOHNSON, DAY & JOHNSON,
Applicant's Agents.