IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING DAMPERS RENDERING THE DRAUGHT OF FURNACES OF STEAM GENERATORS PROPORTIONATE TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF VAPORISATION
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ernest Poindron, of the City of Paris, in the Republic
of France, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF
ACTING DAMPERS RENDERING THE DRAUGHT OF FURNACES OF STEAM
GENERATORS PROPORTIONATE TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF VAPORISATION."
Sealed the 4th November 1879, and dated the 9th May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ernest Poindron at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th May 1879.
ERNEST POINDRON, of the City of Paris, in the Republic of France, Civil
Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING DAMPERS RENDERING THE DRAUGHT
OF FURNACES OF STEAM, GENERATORS PROPORTIONATE TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF
VAPORISATION."
The object of this Invention is to keep the dampers always in the position
requisite for determining or regulating the draught of the chimney of the furnace
in proportion to the degree of activity of vaporisation.
In order to maintain this continuous and relative proportion of draught of
furnace to activity of vaporisation the furnace door is made to pivot on a hinge or
axis from top to bottom by the action of a self acting damper, with which it
communicates by aid of a chain connected at one end to the register and at the
other to a special regulator adapted to the door and which turns on its axis, and
may or may not be solid with the door, in such a manner that the regulator being
contiguous thereto is drawn with it in its pivotting motion or produces this
pivoting separately and independently of the door, and thus effects a practical
method of inanoeuvring the damper without touching the door of the furnace and
prevents opening this door without actuating the damper, both essential actions for
effecting the objects above mentioned.
The maximum of vaporisation is produced by closing the door, the regulator is
applied to and solidified with the door, and the damper completely raised.
To moderate vaporisation the latch closing the door is released to liberate
the regulator. Then the damper is allowed to act automatically, the regulator
rises more or less according to the requirements of the case so as to bring down
the damper more or less, and in like proportion the energy of the draught is
diminished.
•
In charging or stirring the fire, the latch being unfastened, the door and regulator
pivot together from bottom to top.

page_text: The essential features of the Invention are, first, making the doors of furnaces of
steam generators to pivot from bottom to top for unmasking the entrance to the
furnace; and secondly, in connecting these doors to the damper of the chimney by
the intermediary of a regulator which admits of manipulating the damper with or
without opening the door, and which economically and surely effects an equality
between the proportion of draught and that of vaporisation.
Γ
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Ernest Poindron in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
November 1879.
"
ERNEST POINDRON, of the City of Paris, in the Republic of France, Civil
Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING DAMPERS RENDERING THE DRAUGHT
OF FURNACES OF STEAM GENERATORS PROPORTIONATE TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF
VAPORISATION."
The object of the automatic register or damper is to keep it by a simple arrange-
ment always in the position requisite for determining or regulating the draught of
the chimney of the furnace in proportion to the degree of activity of vaporisation.
In order to always secure a suitable proportionality of draught and vaporisation
the door opens by the self action of the register with which it communicates, being
permanently connected by a chain to oue end of the damper and solid with the
door by its other end or in its course as will be hereafter described.
The connection between the door of the furnace and the register or damper is in
all cases such as to admit of manoeuvring the damper without touching the door,
and prevents opening the door without bringing down the damper, two essential
conditions for the attainment of the object above mentioned.
This system is applicable to all doors whether they open by turning on a
horizontal axis rising from bottom to top, or on a vertical and inclined axis by
rotating in a horizontal direction or by sliding.
The accompanying Drawings, which give a general idea of the principle, may be
described as follows:-Fig. 1 is an elevation of the front of a furnace supplied with
my improvements; Fig. 2 is a vertical and partial section more particularly
illustrating the new parts; Figs. 3 and 4 represent in front view and in section a
modification of the preceding arrangement; Figs. 5 and 6 represent in elevation
and longitudinal section a simplified disposition with door pivoting on a horizontal
axis as in the preceding arrangements; and Fig. 7 shows a furnace with door
pivoting on a vertical axis with my improvements.
In all the Figures the iron front of the furnace a may however be more or less
important, provided that round the furnace mouth there is the requisite fulcrum
necessary for closing the door p. This fulcrum surface, for the arrangements Figs.
1 to 6 or analogous thereto, should be as inclined as possible to take advantage of
portion of the weight of the door to insure the perfect fitting of the door all round
the furnace mouth. In these same Figures 1 to 6 the door p pivots on a horizontal
axis c, supported by two cheeks c¹, c¹, cast in iron with the front, or made a little

page_text: above the entry b. A latch d'with counterweight keeps the door firmly closed and
fastens automatically. As usual the door p is furnished with a double bottom p¹.
In the Figs. 1 and 2 on the axis c is a shoulder of a false door f which I term a
regulator which is applied to and is solid with the door by means of the latch g
mounted on the door.
The regulator f is connected with the damper of the chimney by aid of the
chain m supported and guided on rollers n conveniently disposed. This chain is
attached to the regulator f by the piece h which may be fixed at a greater or less
distance from the pivoting axis c, and which may be more or less long, according to
the arc that the point of attachment of the chain should describe. In order to
suitably and visibly graduate the displacements of the register the regulator fis
articulated to a kind of forked shaft i, the other end of which rides on a guide bar j
connected with the divided bar k. A spur regulates the maximum descent of the
.register.
Action of the Automatic Register. For the greatest vaporisation the door p
is closed and the regulator f applied and solidly fixed to this door (Fig. 1),
the register is completely raised. To moderate this vaporisation the draught is
reduced, to effect which the latch g is unfastened so as to liberate the regulator f,
and then allowing the damper to act automatically, the regulator will rise more
or less according to requireinents so as to bring down the register more or less. In
charging or stirring the fire, the latch is alone unhooked and the door with its
regulator f turns from bottom to top on its axis c. Sight holes o, o, made in the
door p admit of easily following all the phases of combustion and to conform there-
with the position of the damper without the necessity of opening the door. It may
here be repeated that the weight of the register should slightly exceed that of the
total weight of the door p and its regulator f so as to automatically move these two
organs bound together by the latch g, the result being that when the register
and regulator are alone manœuvred the equilibrium is disturbed as the weight of
the door is missing. This drawback is remedied (which causes greater or less shocks
according as the door is more or less heavy) by special precautions, such for example
as making the shaft i by means of spring blades like a carriage spring, but
preference is given to the arrangements shown by Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. In Figs.
3 and 4 the false door f is suppressed. The chain m passes through the hole 71 of
the register, Fig. 2, divides in two parts, one end being attached to the rack q and
the other to a shaft s articulated to the door p and sliding in the rack q forming a
box. A latch t pivoting on the axis s gears with the teeth of the rack q and makes
these two parts solid. When it is required to work the damper without opening
the door the latch t is rocked, and the rack liberated lets the damper descend; or by
drawing the rack the register ascends. The register or damper can therefore be
worked without the door, but when the latter is opened the register draws the
whole, the rack q and the shaft s.
The most convenient disposition is that shown by Figs. 5 and 6. On the door p
is bolted a small drum z which may be more or less long or large, and hollow if
requisite to admit of after rising, to more or less bear the weight of the door. On
this small cylinder a spiral projection may be made, ', for isolating the chain in
winding and so prevent the entanglement of the links. This chain which winds
in one or more turns round the drum c, according to the necessary adhesion, divides
in two portions m, m³, one, m, is attached to the register, the other, m', moves in
any direction and bears the counterweight y. The register and counterpoise y are
perfectly equilibrious, and both unite to balance the door, or at least to move it by
an excess of weight strictly sufficient. The piece of chain m' of the counterweight
in the vicinity of the door bears a stop which limits the course of the register.
This stop, unable to pass the space open between the drum x and door p, limits the
descension of the register, and led to its station, Figs. 5 and 6, opposes itself to any
tendency of the door's opening without embarrassment to the register whose
ascensional course is determined by a stay placed either inside or outside its
slides.

page_text: Action of the System.-In working the register, alone in one direction or
the other, one draws on one or other of the parts m or m¹ of the chain. When the
register ascends the counterweight y descends, and inversely without there ever
being any rupture of equilibrium between them. To open the door the latch d is
struck, the weight of the door and the counterweight draw the door along and cause
it to make a rotary movement, the register is lowered in proportion. In closing
the door this is drawn, or both parts of the chain are simultaneously drawn, until
it is locked by the latch d, the register is raised. It has been mentioned that the
drum may turn on an axis if practice requires it, and the two parts of chain m, m³,
may be furnished with two stops 2, one to limit the ascent and the other the descent
of the register. In Fig. 7 the door p opens in turning on the vertical axis c, and is
kept closed by the latch d. It is connected with a counterweight by means of a
chain u.
The counterweight v here is substituted for that shown, Figs. 5 and 6, as
in the present case (Fig. 7) the door cannot of itself act as a balance to the register r,
and counterpoise y. The counter weight v placed at the side of the furnace is under
the eye and hand of the fireman, and receives on its drum x the chain m, m¹;
all the rest is shown in the arrangement Fig. 6, and the action does not differ ;
working the register without touching the door is effected by drawing one or other
of the chains m, m³, and when the door is opened the counterweight v solicited by
the counterweight y and the register ascends, and consequently allows the descent
of the register.
Finally, I claim as my Invention,-
1st. The novel method of establishing a permanent connection between the
dampers of flues and the doors of furnaces and generators of steam and all kinds of
furnaces (the door turning on an axis horizontally placed) by means of a regulator
admitting of manoeuvring the register with or without opening the door, as described
and represented in the Figures 1 and 2.
2nd. The improved arrangement shown by the Figures 3 and 4 which establishes
the same connection, procures the same results, and always maintains the relations
of equilibrium which should of necessity exist between the weight of the register
and that of the door.
3rd. The novel method of establishing the permanent connection of the register
of the chimney and the door of the furnace of steam generators and other furnaces,
this door pivoting on the horizontal axis or opening by a vertical slide by means of
a system continually in equilibrium, and which consists in connecting the door at
different points with a chain which bears suspended at one end, the register and
at the other a counter weight, both in equilibrium and acting simultaneously
for governing the opening of the door, as described and represented, Figs. 5
and 6.
4th. The novel method of establishing a permanent connection of the register and
the door, the latter pivoting on a vertical or inclined axis or opening by a slide
either horizontal or inclined by means of the same stable equilibrium, but adding
thereto a counterweight as auxiliary which is a substitute for the weight of the
door used in the Figures 5 and 6, and is inactive in the disposition, Fig. 7.
whole as specified in entirety and in detail with the faculty of modification in
accordance with the multiple applications to which the system is applicable.
The
In witness whereof, I, the said Ernest Poindron, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and seventy nine.