Improvements in connection with Furnace Grates and Fuel Feeding Mechanism therefor.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with Furnace Grates and Fuel Feeding
Mechanism therefor.
I, THOMAS BROWN, Gentleman, of Des Moines, in the County of Polk, State
of Iowa, U.S.A., 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, reference being made to the accompanying
drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation on the line X-X of Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a plan view of my improved device.
Figure 3 is a plan view of one section of the dead plate.
My invention has for its object the provision of means by which the fuel may
be conveniently and readily conveyed from any desired point to and upon the grate,
by which the fuel when deposited upon the grate and in process of consumption,
may fall along the grate to a point where, when entirely consumed, the ashes or
clinkers thereof may be comminuted and deposited in the ashpit, by this means
maintaining the fire grate clean, insuring a steady and complete circulation of the
draft through the grate, providing entire combustion of the fuel, so that the
products of combustion are also completely consumed, no smoke or soot being
generated or formed, and the dangerous or offensive gases also consumed, resulting
in a great saving of fuel, and also permitting the use of the same grate indefinitely,
since the grate bars are in nowise damaged by burning.
My invention consists in a screw conveyer operated within a conducting boxing
or tubing formed in a connected section or sections and an opening in its lower end
for the admission of the fuel, together with means by which said conveyer may
be operated, the boxing or tubing surrounding the conveyer having communication
with the grate.
°
My invention consists further in a grate of conoidal form, in the apex of which
is an opening, at which opening the conductor boxing is located, and through which
the fuel elevated by a conveyer within the boxing is delivered upon the grate, a
dead plate arranged at and disposed about the lower circumference of the grate,
having a number of projections or teeth which when the grate is rotated upon
its axis by any suitable means in conjunction with the ends of the grate bars
serve to comminute the clinkers or ashes before the latter are deposited in the
ashpit.
My invention consists further in certain details of construction and arrange-
ment of parts, hereinafter more particularly described, and pointed out in my
claims.
The numeral 10 designates a conveyer which, as shown, is extended within the
hollow interior of the conductor 11, which latter is preferably a length of piping
having an open upper end and approximately bell-mouthed at its lower end. The
conductor 11 as shown is extended obliquely upward underneath the conoidal
grate 12, its upper portion being elbow-shaped and its extreme upper and open
end terminating at an annular opening in the centre or apex of the said conoidal
grate 12.
At a point just below its upper end, and on the outer side of the conductor 11,
a plurality of engaging lugs 13 are formed, the grate 12 being so cast as that a
ring 14 is provided about the opening at its apex, from which ring the grate
bars 15 radiate downwardly, forming an incline at all points relatively to the said
opening at the apex of the grate 12. The grate 12 is also so cast as that the
bars 15 thereof, are connected near their lower ends by means of the intermediate
nieces 16

page_text: A box or fuel receptacle 17, having an integral flange 18 is secured by means of
bolts (Fig. 1) to the lower end portion of the conductor 11 and the centre shaft 19
of the conveyer 10 is mounted at its lower end portion in a bearing formed in
one side of said box. This box 17 forms three sides of the fuel receptacle, the
other side being open and having communication with the bell-mouth of the con-
ductor 11. By this construction the size of the fuel box may be varied.
A movement of rotation is imparted to the shaft 19 of the conveyer 10 by
means of the driving mechanism 20 and the universal knuckle joint connection 21.
The dead plate is made in sections 22 connected together by means of studs or
bolts and has a large central opening which is circular in form, in order that said
plate may be disposed about the ends of the grate bars 15, which latter as is
apparent are also arranged in a circle. In every instance the grate need not be
circular; but where circumstances demand circularity may be changed to other
forms, and the dead plate and the opening therein also changed to conform to that
of the grate, without departing from the spirit of my invention, the grate being
preferably circular since it is then capable of complete rotation on its axis, thus
more comminuting the products of combustion. The edge of the circular opening
in the dead plate is serrated, forming projections or teeth 23.
24 is a cross bar, (Fig. 1), secured to the dead plate 22 by the bolts 25, the
conductor 11 being also secured to the said cross bar 24.
The means for operating or rotating the grate 12 upon the lugs 13 consists in a
shaker rod 26 extended to the side of the furnace and pivoted under the grate 12
as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 2, a rod 27 also extending from said pivot
and having an upturned end 28 engaged between the grate bars, the rods 26 and 27
thus forming a bell-crank lever.
It will be seen that the lugs 13 have their top surfaces in a horizontal position
and that the ring 14 is of such a width on its lower surface as that it rests flat upon
the said lugs thus providing an annular bearing for the grate with a slight amount
of friction.
The operation of my device is as follows:
The fuel being first placed in the receptacle 17 and entering the opening or bell-
mouth in the lower end of the conductor is fed by the conveyer to and through
the opening in the apex of the grate, and from thence falls toward the dead
plate along the inclined grate bars, being meanwhile in process of combustion.
The operator by moving the shaker rod laterally rotates the grate upon its pivot
at the apex, and the ends of the dead plate teeth 23 in conjunction with the teeth
of the grate bars serve to comminute the products of combustion before deposition
in the ashpit.
I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the form and position of the
conductor and conveyer as it is obvious that a horizontal, vertical, or other position
of feed may be adopted.
The grate need not in each case be composed of radiating grate bars, but, if
desired may be cast integral and perforated, its lower edge however being provided
with teeth to operate in conjunction with those of the dead plate.
The conductor 11 may be formed in sections removably jointed or connected
together to permit of ready access to the conveyer 10.
In the use of the conveyer complete combustion is attained by not permitting
the entrance of air over the burning fuel while feeding, and thus avoiding smoking
intervals.
It will be observed from the foregoing description that the conveyer, conductor
or boxing being extended to a point coincident with the apex opening in the
conoidal grate, which latter is pivoted directly upon the upper end of said con-
ductor, the fuel fed by the conveyer is delivered and deposited immediately and
directly upon the grate through the apex opening, and from thence descends along
the downwardly radiating grate bars. By this means no previous coking of the
fuel occurs prior to delivery upon the grate, and by reason of the fact that the

page_text: grate is pivoted directly at the end of the conveyer the point of jointure is freed
from excessive heating, since at this point there is practically no draft.
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 :
I. In a stove or furnace, a conoidal grate having an opening at its apex, a con-
ductor or boxing having at its lower end an opening to admit the fuel, its upper
end terminating at the apex opening of the grate, an annular ring at said apex
opening, and an extension or extensions on the upper end of said conductor,
whereby the grate is rotatably and detachably mounted upon said conductor
together with a screw conveyer operated within said conductor, as set forth.
11. In a stove or furnace, the combination of a rotatably mounted conoidal grate
pivotally mounted upon the upper end of the fuel conductor, an opening at its
apex through which the fuel is fed upon the said grate, the grate bars of which
latter radiate and incline outwardly and downwardly from said opening, and a
stationary dead plate located at and disposed about the lower portion of the grate
bars, said dead plate having a circular opening and serrations forming teeth, said
teeth being in juxtaposition to the ends of the grate bars, together with means for
rotating the grate, as set forth.
III. In a stove or furnace, the combination of a conductor having an opening
at its lower portion for the admission of the fuel, a screw conveyer within said
conductor rotated by suitable driving mechanism, a conoidal grate rotatably
mounted upon the upper open end of the conductor, said open end coinciding with
an opening in the apex of the said grate through which the fuel is fed, the bars of
the grate radiating and inclining downwardly from said opening in the grate, and
a fixed dead plate having an opening provided with teeth disposed about the lower
portion or at the ends of the grata bars, so that said teeth act conjunctively
with the ends of said grate bars, together with means for rotating the grate, as
set forth.
Dated this 13th day of November A.D. 1891.
THOMAS BROWN.
H. B. Barlow,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for Applicant.