Year: 1898

page_text: I, JAMES PROCTOR, of Hammerton Street Iron Works, Burnley, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
-;
This invention relates to that class of mechanical stokers known as "
stokers," and is more especially designed to improve the shovel stoker for which
shovel
Letters Patent No. 7,308 of 1896, were granted to myself; a part of the inven-
tion is however applicable to other kinds of shovel stokers as will be hereafter
explained.
The first part of my invention relates to the moving of the ram which supplies
the fuel to the shovel as described in the specification of the above named Letters
Patent and it consists of an improved motion for reciprocating the ram from the
lantern wheel or tappet wheel which actuates the shovel, whereby I am enabled
to dispense with the crank wheel and sliding bar described and illustrated by the
aforesaid specification.
The lantern wheel shaft is raised so as to be carried by the ram box side and in the
case of a two flued boiler the lantern wheel is divided, and instead of being at
the centre of the space between the two ram boxes, each part is fitted on the shaft
close to the inner side of the ram box.
The lantern wheel besides acting as usual on the tappets on the centre of the
radial shovel acts on a lever mounted on a fixed centre in an upright position and
so formed as to be first pushed in one direction and then in the other direction
by each projection on the lantern wheel coming in contact with parts of this lever
on different sides of its fulcrum. This upright lever is provided with a toothed
rack or quadrant or with a projection or equivalent device.
The rack or quadrant may gear with a similar quadrant on a short shaft beneath
the ram box, the shaft being provided with a finger extending through a slot in
the bottom of the ram box and working the ram therein.
In some cases I may mount a lever on this short shaft last named acted on by
the lantern wheel to give the inward motion to the ram.
be given either by a second lever moved by the lantern wheel and cranked to
The return motion may
actuate a cranked part or arm on the above lever or simply by means of a weight.
In either case the withdrawing or return stroke of the ram may be more rapid
han the inward motion.
Or the rack or quadrant above described may act upon teeth on a horizontal
ever mounted on a vertical centre beneath the ram box and this horizontal lever
vill act by means of a suitable finger upon the ram.
The lantern wheel shaft may be driven by a vertical shaft and bevel wheels as
efore but all the remaining working parts will by the above arrangement be
lose to the inner side of the ram box.

page_text: The spring of each shovel may be applied as usual but I prefer the following
arrangement, consisting essentially of a pair of springs to each shovel acting
against each other to hold the shovel in the forward position but yielding to the
action of the tappets while the shovel is being withdrawn and acting in concert
to return the shovel quickly when it is released as hereafter explained.
on the
In applying this arrangement of double spring (which forms the second part
of this invention) to the radial shovel of the above described stoker
(or to
the radial shovels of other mechanical stokers) I fix
rocking shaft to which the radial shovel is attached a boss provided with two lugs
or eyes at opposite sides of its centre and I attach the inner end of one of the pair
of springs aforesaid to each of these lugs. As the lantern wheel causes the shaft
to rock, the two springs are expanded in opposite directions while the shovel is
being withdrawn, and when the latter is released the reaction of the springs will
throw the shovel forwards rather in advance of its normal position and the springs
will the bring it back to this position again. In such cases as above described a
great advantage is obtained as the two springs will produce an equality of tension
on both sides of the rocking shaft, whereas by the usual arrangement hitherto
employed the action of the spring was always on one side of the shaft thus causing
a considerable amount of friction in the bearings.
In the case of a shovel which slides without rocking on a centre (for example
as referred to in my former specification above named) the two spiral springs are
placed at right angles to the shovel rod or bar, and are both connected at their
inner ends to the said rod or bar, their outer ends being connected to studs fixed
in the bottom of the shovel box, the springs being in a state of tension so that
in their normal position the two springs will lie in the same line and will tend
to keep the sliding shovel in a central position in the shovel box. The rear end
of the shovel rod or bar is opened out into the form of a rectangular strap the
outside of which slides in a guiding groove in the bottom of the shovel box, and
the three-throw or other cam works against a friction roller mounted inside this
open strap so that as the cam revolves it pulls the shovel bar back and then lets it
go alternately.
.
When the shovel bar is drawn back it pulls both of the springs backwards into
a diagonal position lengthening the springs, and as soon as the cam lets go, the
re-action of the springs will throw the shovel forwards until the springs assume
a slightly diagonal position in a forward direction and will then return the same
to its normal or central position with both springs in a line again.
The studs to which the outer ends of the springs are attached are so mounted
as to be adjustable so as to increase or diminish the tension of the springs as may
be desired.
Improvements in Mechanical Stokers.
I, JAMES PROCTOR, of Hammerton Street Iron Works, Burnley, in the County 4
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 relates to that class of mechanical stokers known as
"shovel

page_text: stokers," and is more especially designed to improve the shovel stoker for which
Letters Patent No. 7,308 of 1896 were granted to myself; a part of the invention
tion is however applicable to other kinds of shovel stokers as will be hereinafter
explained.
The manner in which my said invention is to be performed or carried into prac-
tical effect will be readily understood on reference to the three sheets of drawings
hereunto annexed and the following explanation thereof.
On Sheet 1 of the drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation and Fig. 2 is a partial
vertical section (through about the line A. B in Fig. 1) of so much of a shovel stoker
as is requisite to show the application of the first part of my present improvements
thereto, a being the front plate, 6 the hoppers, c the rams d the shovel boxes,
and e the shovels.
This part of my invention relates to the moving of the rams c which supply
the fuel to the shovels as described in the specification of the above named Letters
Patent and it consists of an improved motion for reciprocating the rams c from
the lantern wheel or tappet wheel which actuates the shovels e whereby I am
enabled to dispense with the sliding bar described and illustrated by the aforesaid
specification.
The lantern wheel shaft f is raised so as to be carried by the ram box side, and
in the case of a two flued boiler (as shown at Fig. 1) the lantern wheel is divided
into two parts g and and instead of being at the centre of the space between
the two ram boxes, each part is fitted on the shaft f close to the inner side of the
ram box.
The lantern wheel besides acting as usual on the tappets h on the centre of
the radial shovel e acts on a lever i (see Fig. 2) mounted on a fixed centre k in
nearly a vertical position and as the lantern wheel
the arrow each projection thereon first strikes the upper part of the lever i
revolves in the direction of
above the fulcrum moving the upper part of the lever to the right and then falling
into the notch strikes onto the lower projection of the lever below the fulcrum
and moves the lever i back again in the opposite direction. The lever i is pro-
vided with a toothed rack or quadrant 7 at its lower end (as shewn at Fig. 2) or
with a projection or equivalent device as hereinafter described. This rack or
quadrant gears with a similar quadrant * on a short shaft m beneath the ram
box, the said shaft being provided with a finger n (see Fig. 1) extending through
a slot in the bottom of the ram box and working the ram c therein.
Or may bring the toothed quadrants 1 (on the shaft) near to the centre of the
same and work them according to my previous arrangement of a central lantern
wheel through a T-shaped lever * with a toothed segment at each end, as shewn.
at Figs 3* (front view) and 4* (plan view) on Sheet 2 of the drawings.
In some cases I may mount a lever o on the shaft m (as shown in side view at
Fig. 3 and front elevation at Fig. 4) which lever o is acted upon by the lantern
vheel g to give the inward motion to the ram c.
ither by a second lever o moved also by the lantern wheel and cranked so as to
The return motion may be given
ct on the cranked part of the lever o as seen at Fig. 3, or the return motion
hay be effected simply by means of a weight. In either case the return stroke
f the ram c may be more rapid than the inward motion. Or the rack or quad-
ant above described may act upon teeth on a horizontal lever q (as shown in
de view and elevation at Figs. 5 and 6 and underneath view Fig. 7 Sheet 3) the
id lever being mounted on a vertical fulcrum beneath the ram box and this
orizontal lever may be provided with a loop at the other end (see Fig. 7) acting
a pin n fixed beneath the ram c.
The lantern shaft f may be driven by a vertical shafts at the centre and bevil
heels tas seen at Fig. 1 but all the remaining working parts will by the above
rangement be close to the inner sides of the ram boxes.
The spring of each shovel e may be applied as usual but I prefer the following
rangement consisting essentially of a pair of springs to each shovel acting against

page_text: each other so as to hold the shovel in the forward position, but yielding to the
action of the tappets while the shovel is being withdrawn, and acting in concert
to return the shovel quickly when it is released as hereinafter described.
As
In applying this arrangement of double spring (which forms the second part
of this invention) to the radial shovel e of the above described stoker (or to the
radial shovels of other mechanical stokers) I fix on the rocking shaft u to which
the radial shovel e is attached (see vertical sectional view Fig. 8) a boss pro-
vided with two lugs or projections vat opposite sides of its centre, and I attach
the inner end of one of the pair of springs a aforesaid to each of these lugs.
the lantern wheel causes the shaft u to rock the two springs a are expanded in
opposite directions while the shovel e is being withdrawn and when the latter is
released the reaction of the springs a will throw the shovel forwards rather in
advance of its normal position and the springs will then bring it back to this
position again.
In such cases as above described a great advantage is obtained as the two springs
will produce an equality of tension on both sides of the rocking shaft u whereas
by the usual arrangement hitherto employed the action of the spring was always
on one side of the shaft thus causing a considerable amount of unnecessary friction
in the bearings.
In the case of a shovel which slides without rocking on a centre (for example as
referred to in my former specification above named) the two springs would be
placed at right angles to the shovel rod or bar y (as shown in underneath plan view
at Fig. 9) both being connected at their inner ends to the said rod or bar y their
outer ends being connected to adjustable studs z fixed in the bottom of the shovel
box, the said springs a being in a state of tension so that in their normal position
(as drawn in full lines) the two springs will lie in the same line, and will tend
to keep the sliding shovel in a central position in the shovel box.
The rear end of the shovel rod or bar y is opened out in the form of a rectan-
gular strap 1 the outside of which slides in a guiding groove 2 in the bottom of
the shovel box and the three-throw or other cam works against a friction roller 3
mounted inside this open strap so that as the cam revolves it pulls the shovel bar y
back and then lets it go alternately.
When the shovel bar y is drawn back it pulls both the springs x backwards into
a diagonal position (as shown by the dotted lines 4) lengthening the springs, and
as soon as the cam lets go the springs, will throw the shovel forwards until the
springs assume a slightly diagonal position in a forward direction and will then
return the same to its normal or central position with both springs in a line again.
The studsz to which the outer ends of the springs are attached are so mounted as
to be adjustable so as to increase or diminish the tension of the springs as may be
desired.
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:
First: In mechanical stokers of the class above referred to and fitted with a
radial shovel or shovels the improved means substantially as herein before described
and illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 44, 5, 6 and 7 of the annexed drawings for
giving reciprocating motion to the ram or rams from the lantern wheel or wheels
by which the radial shovel or shovels is or are actuated.
Secondly: In mechanical stokers of the class above referred to and fitted with
a radial shovel or shovels the combination with the rocking shaft on which the
shovel swings, of a pair of springs acting against each other so as to yield to the
action of the tappets whilst the shovel is being withdrawn and acting in concert
so as to return the shovel quickly when released, substantially as herein before
described and illustrated by Fig. 8 of the annexed drawings.
Thirdly: In mechanical stokers of the class above referred to fitted with a sliding
shovel or shovels the combination with the sliding shovel bar of a pair of springs

page_text: "gust each other so as to yield to the action of the tappets whilst the
shovel is being withdrawn, and acting in concert so as to return the shovel quickly
when released, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Fig. 9
of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 1st day of Februa 1000
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicant, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.