IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Proctor, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING
FUEL TO BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES."
Sealed the 22nd April 1879, and dated the 29th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Proctor at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th October 1878.
" IMPROVE-
JAMES PROCTOR, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer.
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES."
This Invention relates to further improvements in apparatus aforesaid for which
Letters Patent were granted to me dated the Third day of June, A.D. 1875, No.
2047, and consists,―
Firstly. Of improved construction and application of spring employed for
operating the door or flap for throwing in the fuel.
Secondly. Of improved apparatus by the use of which the spring employed for
purpose aforesaid is charged with varying degrees of power, according to the distance
of throw of fuel required, without the use of winged tappets as heretofore employed
for such purpose.
Thirdly. To improved apparatus for charging the spring, and for regulating and
varying the length of throw by intercepting and curtailing the action and power of
the spring employed.
The improved spring is constructed in the form of an open spiral cone, and so
applied that the shaft to be operated thereby is central or concentric therewith.
The action of the spring when being charged is a coiling upon itself and around its
axis, and an uncoiling in reverse direction again around its axis when giving of its
power by expanding.
For charging the spring I employ arms or a disc to which are attached studs and
antifriction runners of varying lengths; these act upon inclined step surfaces, and

page_text: as one or other of the steps are acted upon by the studs and runners so is the
spring charged, more or less, and-the-fuel-thrown-nearer-to-or-further beyond the.
dead plate of the furnace.
Another construction of apparatus consists in the use of a knuckle-jointed arm of
a rocking lever which, during its forward movement, is rigid, and acts upon a stud
and runner so as to charge the spring until the runner and knuckle arun clear each
other, whereon the spring rebounds and acts as usual.
In the return motion of the lever the knuckle joint admits of the end of the
lever referred to folding under the stud and runner, so resuming its original position
-and-ready-to-repeat-the-operation-described. There is also a second lever, one end
of which is from time to time acted upon by studs, so as to raise or move and
interpose its other end between the buffer aud buffer seat, and thereby curtail the
action of the spring, and so determine the length of throw of fuel accordingly.
The object of replacing the winged tappets by contrivances, as above described,
is to simplify the parts of the apparatus, and not because of any want of utility
in the Invention described in the Specification of the Letters Patent referred
to, such Invention having in practise proved of great utility and commercial value.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Proctor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th April
1879.
"IMPROVE
JAMES PROCTOR, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer.
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES."
This Invention relates to further improvements in apparatus aforesaid for which
Letters Patent were granted to me dated the Third day of June, A.D. 1875,
Number 2047, and consists,--
Firstly. Of improved apparatus by the use of which the spring employed for
purpose aforesaid is charged with varying degrees of power, according to the distance
of throw of fuel required, without the use of winged tappets as heretofore employed'
for such purpose.
Secondly. To improved apparatus for charging the spring, and for regulating and
varying the length of throw by intercepting and curtailing the action and power of
the spring employed.
For charging the spring I employ arms or a disc to which are attached studs and
antifriction runners of varying length; these act upon inclined step surfaces, and
as one or other of the steps are acted upon by the studs and runners so is the
spring charged, more or less, and the fuel thrown nearer to or further beyond the
dead plate of the furnace.
There is also a second lever, one end of which is from time to time acted upon
by studs so as to raise or move and interpose its other end between the buffer and
buffer seat, and thereby curtail the action of the spring, and so determine the
length of throw of fuel accordingly.
The object of replacing the winged tappets by contrivances as above described
is to simplify the parts of the apparatus, and not because of any want of utility in
the Invention described in the Specification of the Letters Patent referred to, such
Invention having in practice proved of great utility and commercial value.
Such being the nature and object of this my said Invention in order that the
same may be fully understood I have hereunto annexed two Sheets of Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1 partly in section.
For charging the spring A I employ arms or a discs B to which are attached studs C
and antifriction runners of varying lengths; these act upon inclined step surfaces 1
and 2 of the lever C' attached to the shovel shaft G, and as one or other of the steps
are acted upon by the studs and runners C so is the spring A charged more or less
without the aid of tappets, as heretofore, and the fuel is thrown nearer to or further
beyond the dead plate of the furnace.
Another construction of apparatus for a like purpose is shown at Figs. 3 and 4,
Sheet 2, in which the arm 1 of the rocking lever E operated from shaft K,
eccentric L, and connecting rod M. during its forward movement acts upon the lever
arm F, which is attached to the shovel shaft G, so charging the spring A by partly
turning the said shaft around its axis, whereon the notched end of the holding
catch H will engage with the lever arm F and hold it in the position just described,
giving time for the fuel to descend to the shovel, and time for the return or back-
ward movement of arm D when the runner thereon will act upon the upper arm of
the holding catch H (see Fig. 4), "knocking off" the same, and releasing the lever F
and spring A and the fuel will be thrown into the furnace.
The arm J acts in like manner upon parts F, G, H, for the supply of fuel to the
other flue.
Another construction of apparatus for varying the throw of spring and fuel is
illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6. N is a lever, the end P of which is from time to time

page_text: acted upon by stud R, so as to raise and interpose the end S between the buffer T
-and-buffer-coat-W, thereby-curtailing-the-action-of-the-spring-A-and-so-varying-the-
throw of the fuel. The stud-plate X is-operated by the catch Y through the
motion of the ratchet wheel R¹."
Having thus fully described the nature and object of this my said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be performed or carried into
practical effect, I would have it understood that I lay no claim to any of the parts
referred to or described when considered separately; what I do claim is,
Firstly. The combination of arms or disc wheel B, stepped lever C¹, the latter
operated by studs-1,-2,-(or-the-equivalent-of-the-studs-1-and-2)-in-manner-and-for-
purpose described.
Secondly. The combination of rocking lever D, J, lever arm F, and holding
catch H, in manner and as illustrated and described.
Lastly. The combination of interposing lever N, S, buffer T, and stud plate R, as
described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Proctor, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
Witness,
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Patent Agent,
Halifax & Blackburn.
JAMES PROCTOR. (L.S.)