Improvements in or Appertaining to Apparatus for Supplying Fuel to Furnaces.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 29th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 29th Nov., 1887
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Appertaining to Apparatus for Supplying Fuel
to Furnaces.
I, ALFRED WILLIAM BENNIS of 365 Blackburn Road, Bolton in the County of
Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the improvement of that class of mechanical
stokers forms of which are set forth in Edward Bennis' patents Number 1308 of
1875, No. 3070 of 1878 No. 3443 of 1879 and No. 6091 of 1882.
In these patents
carriage springs or volute or spiral springs are used fixed at one end to an adjustable
abutment and at the other end to the throwing apparatus or in the carriage spring at
both ends and the middle respectively, or in other words the entire length of the
spring's travel is used in propulsion. Now my invention consists in using part of the
travel of the spring or part of the spring for propulsion and the other part for
buffering or the whole alternately for actuating or buffering.
I form my spring of wire and zig-zag form so as to be as long as possible when
arranged with machinery on the plan set forth in 1308 of 1875 but instead of using
an abutment for the shovel to knock against I buffer it with the zig-zag spring assisted
or not as the case may be by a second buffering spring. 1 prefer however a very
simple form of apparatus when the rectilinear motion-shovel is used. I give the
shovel a long arm projecting backwards and on this I place a catch or tappet for the
three throw or other cam. The spring is attached to am adjustable bearing at one ond
and at the other is fixed at the middle of its end to the shovel arm which passes through
it. As the cam draws it out it compresses (or puts in tension) the spring and in the
recoil when the spring has passed the neutral point the tension or compression as the
case may be comes into play and buffers the shovel. In a radial shovel the spring
can be placed round a rod linked to the shovel arm or shovel, and on this arm the
tappet actuated by the cam can be placed, or the spring can be used without such rod
and the cam act direct on the shovel arm. In place of one spring two can be used
one in compression when the other is in tension and the effect will be the same.
Dated this 90th day of January 1887

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Appertaining to Apparatus for Supplying Fuel
to Furnaces.
I, ALFRED WILLIAM BENNIS of 365, Blackburn Road, Bolton in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, 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 :-
This invention has for its object the improvement of that class of mechanical stokers,
forms of which are set forth in Edward Bennis's patents, No. 1308 of 1875, No. 3070
of 1878, No. 3443 of 1879, and No. 6091 of 1882. In these patents, carriage springs
or volute or spiral springs are used, fixed at one end to an adjustable abutment, and at
the other end to the throwing apparatus, or in the carriage spring, at both ends, and
the middle respectively, or in other words the entire length of the spring's travel is
used in propulsion. Now by my present invention, I use part of the travel of the
spring, or part of the spring for propulsion, and the other part for buffering, or the
whole alternately for actuating or buffering.
Referring to the drawings,
Figure 1 shows a zig-zag spring to replace the spring set forth in specification
No. 1308 of 1875, and others of that class, plan view for the rest of the apparatus,
see said specification. This spring has a vastly greater practical length and therefore
a greater elasticity.
Figure 2. shows a longitudinal vertical section of a very simple form of apparatus
on the principles of said patent No. 1308 of 1875.
A is the rectilinear moving shovel of sheet iron or steel. B long arm projecting
backward in guides corresponding to the guided shovel arm of said specification Ca
catch or tappet for the three throw or other cam D. Two or more of these tappets
can be used if the cam takes the form of a segmental toothed wheel. By having
three teeth in one part of the cam, two in another, and one in a third, and
corresponding teeth or tappets on the rod, a similar action can be obtained. Friction
surfaces can also take the place of teeth and tappets, a frictional cam and frictional
rod. D is the cam as used with only one tappet, and is carried by shaft M driven in
any suitable manner. This cam can be used instead of the two cams set forth in
specification No. 1308 of 1875. E is the spring placed round the rod and linked to
the catch or other part of the shovel arm at one end, and to an abutment Fat the
other end, or the spring can be fixed to the arm near its middle, and be attached to
an abutment both at the front or rear end, or to gain more room instead of being
round the guided shovel arm, one or more other arms can project backward from the
shovel, or the shovel arm be forked, and a spring or springs be placed round each of
these arins, and attached to them and to abutments. G is the reciprocating crusher
corresponding to the reciprocating crusher C of the aforesaid patent of 1875,

page_text: and H H the two lugs attached to the crusher, not lettered in that patent, which in
that patent formed the checks for the cams D to work against. I prefer, however, to
use one three throw cam D to work both these checks and the tappet as shown, as
such arrangement is simpler and cheaper. I is a front plate corresponding to the
link Oof specification No. 1308 of 1875, but instead of pivoting it at each end, I
simply hook it into a support i projecting from the side of the hopper as shown, and
let it rest on the crusher. By this means it can be at once pulled out when required,
and the crusher can then be also removed. J is the bottom of the hopper and top of
the shovel box. K is a hinged back plate useful to hide the machinery, and to carry
a name plate. L is the bottom plate of the shovel box, it can be flat throughout or
slightly sloped or curved up at the end as shown.
The mode of action is as follows
-
Coal being placed in the hopper, shaft M is set slowly revolving, the cam alternately
pushes the pusher G forward and backward as described in patent No. 1308 of 1875,
crushing and feeding the coal, which falls down in a crushed state upon plate L,
cam D also intermittently draws back the tappet C with rod B, shovel A, and spring E,
and lets them slip again. The shovel then flies back and drives the coal in front onto
the fire. The spring being attached at each end, changes from a state of compression
to that of tension, as it passes the neutral point, and thus gradually takes up the
unexpended force and produces a buffering action of the most perfect description, and
there is no abutment or stop required as set forth in specification No. 1308 of 1875.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of a pusher or shovel rod B attached to the shovel, and
travelling with it, and cam D or its equivalent as described, and a spring E attached
to an abutment fixed or adjustable on the framework of the machine.
2. In a mechanical stoker the combination of a propelling spindle B actuating the
shovel with a coiled spring or springs E, acting both as a throwing agent and a
buffering agent, or one as a throwing agent, and the other as a buffering agent,
substantially as described and illustrated.
D: 001 ore of Oatahan 1007
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.