IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO FUEL ECONOMISERS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Parker, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, for an Invention" of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO FUEL
ECONOMISERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Parker at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th September 1880.
JOHN PARKER, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO FUEL ECONOMISERS."
My Invention relates to the fuel economisers which are employed in the heating
of feed water for steam generators as is well understood. In such apparatus the
outer surfaces of the pipes through which the feed water is conveyed are freed from
the accumulating deposits of soot by means of reciprocating scrapers. Such scrapers
are usually divided into two sets, each sot being carried by a frame, and the two
frames are attached to the two ends of a chain which is so acted upon by suitable
mechanism, as that whilst one frame is being raised the other frame is being lowered.
One consequence of this arrangement is that each frame when being lowered
descends only by virtue of the weight of itself and of the load which it carries, so
that when the frame sticks the driving mechanism cannot set it in motion again
until the time arrives when it is to be raised. To remedy this defect I so arrange so
that there shall be a positive connection with the driving mechanism both for
raising and for drawing downwards each frame. I connect each frame with the
two ends of a second chain or set of chains which passes below a pulley or set of
pulleys mounted to revolve in a suitable frame or in suitable frames which is or
are fixed in the flue or space below the pipes. I prefer to pass the said chain or
each chain below or partly around two pullies of comparatively small diameter in
place of employing only one pulley of larger diameter which would occupy more
vertical space in the flue. When the additional chain, or each additional chain, is
kept tight, each frame is drawn downwards as well as lowered, and when the said
chain is worked with a little slack it overcomes any tendency of the frame or
scraper to stick, that is to say, to stop in the downward course.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Parker, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th March
1881.
JOHN PARKER, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO FUEL ECONOMISERS."
My Invention relates to fuel economisers which are employed in the heating of
feed water for steam generators as is well understood. In such apparatus the outer
surfaces of the pipes through which the feed water is conveyed are freed from the
accumulating deposits of soot by means of reciprocating scrapers. Such scrapers
are usually divided into sets, each set being carried by a frame or scraper-carrier,
and the two carriers being attached to the two ends of a chain which is acted upon
by suitable mechanism, so that whilst one carrier is being raised the other carrier
is being lowered. One consequence of this arrangement is that each scraper-carrier
when being lowered descends only by virtue of the weight of itself and of the load
which it carries, so that when the carrier sticks the driving mechanism cannot set
it in motion again until the time arrives when it is to be raised. To remedy this
defect I so arrange that there shall be a positive connection with the driving
mechanism, both for raising and for drawing downwards each scraper-carrier. I
connect each scraper-carrier with the two ends of a second chain or set of chains
which passes below a pulley or set of pulloys mounted to revolve in the flue or
space below the pipes.
And.in.order-that-my-Invention may be fully understood I have attached hero-
unto a Sheet of Drawings made-to-a-scale-of-about-three quarters of an inch to tho
foot, and marked with letters of reference, to which Drawings I will refer in this
place. Fig. 1 of the said Drawings represents n_side elevation,-and-Fig.-2-an ond
elevation of a fuel economiser fitted with my Invention. In the said Figs. a, a, are
the vertical pipes, which may be of any suitable number, and arranged or grouped
together in any suitable manner; and b, bl, are the scraper-carriers. The said
scraper-carriers are worked in pairs, each carrier 6 being connected by means of a
chain c to another carrier 6'. Each of the chains c passes over a pulley, which is
fixed upon a shaft d, and upon each shaft is fixed a worm wheel e with which
gears a worm which is upon a shaft f. The last named shaft imparts a simul-
taneous revolving motion to all the shafts e, first in one direction and then in the
other, as is usual. The shaft is actuated by ordinary or suitable mechanism which
is not included in the Drawings for the reason that its representation was not
considered to be necessary to the illustration of my Invention. The revolution of
the shafts d, d, controls the movements of the scraper carriers, and causes them to
be alternately raised and lowered in the usual manner. The parts so far described,
when referring to the Drawings, do not differ from arrangements in use prior to the
date of my application for Letters Patent. To the two scraper-carriers in each set
are attached the two ends of an additional chain g, which passes partly around the
two pullies h, h, which are mounted to revolve in brackets bolted to the lower
connecting pipes, or otherwise suitably fixed in position below the vertical pipes a.
This chain forms as it were a part of an endless chain, of which the chain c is the.
other part, the carriers 6 and 6¹ being the connecting links. It will be seen that
when either of the two carriers is raised the other carrier is not only lowered by
the chain c but is at the same time drawn down by the chain g, so that any
tendency to stick which the falling carrier may have is overcome, and both carriers
are caused to move both upwards and downwards with certainty. When describing
the carrier as being drawn down as well as lowered I have supposed the
chain g to be tight, but in practice I should prefer to have 'a little amount of slack
in this chain, so that less wear and tear of the parts is occasioned. When so

page_text: arranged the said chain does not act upon the descending carrier so long as the
assistance of the chain is not required excepting that the weight of the chain assists
the downward movement of the carrier, but in the event of the said downward
movement being arrested, say for example, by the sticking of the scrapers, the chain g
tightens, and being acted upon by the ascending carrier draws downwards the
descending carrier. One pulley may take the place of the two pullies h, and two
or more chains may bo used to connect each pair of scraper-carriers in place of the
one chain gif.considered to be advisable, and other modifications may be made in
the arrangements so long as is obtained the positive drawing down of the scraper-
carriers either by continuous action or by action arising when required.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said Invention and the
mauner in which I carry the same into practical effect, I would have it to be
understood in conclusion, that I claim :-
First. Connecting together the two scraper-carriers or the two carriers in each
pair in such a manner as that the ascending carrier shall be capable of drawing
downwards the descending carrier, substantially as and for the purpose set forth
and indicated.
And, Secondly. The chain g connected with the two scraper-carriers and the
pullies h, h, or a single pulley, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Parker, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Tenth day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
Signed, sealed, and delivered in
presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
41, John Dalton St.,
Manchester.
(Agent for the Patentes.) .
JOHN PARKER. (L.B.)