IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR ECONOMISING FUEL
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Bell, of Honley, near Huddersfield, in
the County of York, Engineer and Ironfounder, for the Invention
of "IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR ECONOMISING FUEL."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Bell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th December 1870.
I, ANDREW BELL, of Honley, near Huddersfield, in the County of
York, Engineer and Ironfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR ECONOMISING FUEL,"
(to be as follows) :-
This Invention has especial reference to apparatus for economizing
fuel, technically known as "Green's economizer," patented by Edward
Green & an³, dated 25th October 1861, No. 2671, used for heating the feed
water of boilers or superheating steam for motive power or for other
purposes, which apparatus consists of a series of vertical or inclined pipes

page_text: fixed at both ends or top and bottom respectively to other pipes placed
horizontally or at right angles thereto, and the whole series fixed within
the flue leading from the boiler to the chimney. Water or steam passed
through these pipes becomes heated by the waste heat from the furnace
of boiler circulating amongst them, but the smoke or soot accumu-
lates on their surfaces and prevent full effects of the heat on the water
or steam with the pipes. To remove the soot or prevent its accumu-
lation travelling scrapers are applied to the upright pipes but not to the
horizontal, whereby some of the heating effects are lost.
Now my improvements consist in the construction and use of a spiral
or corkscrew form of pipe of any desirable length and diameter of coil.
I place in the flue in an upright or vertical position one, two, or more
of such spiral coils and connect them by the usual means, the joints
being at the top and bottom of each coil alternately. In the centre of
each coil is an upright shaft which may be either round, square, or
angular in section, and which is supported in a footstep at the bottom
end, and at the top end in a suitable bearing. Rotary motion is given
by worm and wheel gear from a horizontal shaft above, which shaft is
provided with a self-acting reverse motion. On each shaft is a boss
having one two, or more arms carrying scrapers fitting around the pipes
in such manner as to be able to slide thereon, and when motion is com-
municated to the shafts the boss and arms propel the scrapers along the
pipes, the boss sliding on the shaft. The scrapers having arrived at one
end of the pipes are caused to return by the reversed action of the
driving shaft. Thus the scrapers are caused to travel backward and
forward from end to end of the pipes, and which are thereby effectually
cleansed from all soot and other impurities which, collecting thereon,
cause a considerable loss of heat and consequently waste of fuel.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in
the thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Andrew Bell, Her special
licence that I, the said Andrew Bell, my exccutors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Andrew Bell, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS
OR APPARATUS FOR ECONOMIZING FUEL," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Andrew Bell, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Andrew Bell, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying Sheet of Drawings (that
is to say):-
This Invention has especial reference to apparatus for economizing
fuel, technically known as "Green's economizer," used for heating the
feed water for boilers, or superheating steam for motive power, or for
other purposes, which apparatus consists of a series of vertical or
inclined pipes fixed at both ends or top and bottom respectively to other
pipes placed horizontally or at right angles thereto, and the whole series
fixed within the fluc leading from the boiler to the chimney. Water or
steam passed through these pipes becomes heated by the waste heat
from the furnace of the boiler circulating amongst them, but the smoke
or soot accumulates on their surfaces and prevents the full effects of the
heat on the water or steam within the pipes.. To remove the soot or.
prevent its accumulation, travelling scrapers are applied to the upright

page_text: pipes but not to the horizontal, whereby some of the heating effects
are lost.
Now my improvements consist in the construction and use of a spiral
or corkscrew form of pipe of any desirable length and diameter of coil.
I place in the flue in an upright or vertical position one, two, or more
of such spiral coils and connect them by the usual means, the joints
being at the top and bottom of each coil alternately. In the centre of
each coil is an upright shaft, which may be either round, square, or
angular in section, and which is supported in a footstep at the bottom
end and at the top end in a suitable bearing. Rotary motion is given
by worm and wheel gear from a horizontal shaft above, which shaft is
provided with a self-acting reverse motion. On each shaft is a boss
having one, two, or more arms carrying scrapers fitting around the
pipes in such manner as to be able of sliding thereon, and when
motion is communicated to the shafts the boss and arms propel the
scrapers along the pipes, the boss sliding on the shaft. The scrapers
having arrived at one end of the pipes are caused to return by the
reversed action of the, driving shaft. Thus the scrapers are caused to
travel backward and forward from end to end of the pipes, and which
are thereby effectually cleansed from all soot and other impurities,
which collecting thereon cause a considerable loss of heat, and
nts of fual

page_text: gearing H, H', H*, from the shaft I, which is driven by belt J from any
source of power. The wheels H¹ and H are loose on the shaft, and
there is a slide clutch K turned or driven by the said shaft, which by
means of a lever L carried on a stud in a bracket M can be placed in
gear with either of the said wheels, so that the shaft E, and consequently
the shaft B, can be turned right or left. The bracket M also carries
upon a stud a worm wheel N, to which is fixed two arms O and O¹. On
brackets P is supported a shaft S, which receives motion by strap T
from the shaft I, and on this shaft is a worm U, which gears with the
wheel N. When the clutch is in gear with the wheel H¹ motion will be
given to the wheel N in the direction of the arrow which will bring the
arm O into contact with the lever L, and thereby operate upon and force
the said lever to slide the clutch into gear with the other wheel H³,
when the motion of the shafts E and B, as well as the wheel N will be
reversed, and when the arm 0¹ comes into contact with the lever L the
clutch will be moved out of gear with the wheel H³ and into gear again
with the wheel H'; thus the motion of the shafts B will be alternately
and self-actingly in different directions. On each of the said shafts B,
which are square, there is a boss with three arms W, each arm being
provided with a scraper or ring X to fit easy on the pipe, and the boss
fitting loose on the shaft.
It will now be readily seen that as the shafts B rotate they will cause
the scrapers to travel along the pipes until reaching top or bottom, when
the arms being suitably arranged for the purpose will reverse the
motion, and so on, the scrapers will self-actingly be travelled over the
surfaces of the pipes, and thereby keep them free from soot. There is
also provided in the bottom of the flue a box or soot chamber Y for the
soot to fall into as the scrapers remove it from the coils. It will also be
seen that by this arrangement of the pipes or coils a very extensive
heating surface is obtained, insomuch as that the whole of the pipes or
coils are exposed to the full current of heat, whereas in "Green's
economizer" the pipes being arranged in rows the front or first pipes
split the current of heat and shelter or prevent the other pipes from
receiving the full force thereof. Now by my arrangement the greatest
part of the waste heat from the furnace is utilized in heating the feed
water for the boiler, and which may be used for other purposes.
Having thus fully described the nature of the said Invention, and
shewn by Drawings in what manner the same is or may be performed or

page_text: carried into practical operation, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein set forth and shewn by the
Drawings; but what I claim as of my Invention is, the construction,
application, and use of one or more coils of spiral or corkscrew form of
pipes placed in the flue of furnaces for heating water, superheating
steam, or other purposes, and the construction and method of working
scrapers for keeping the said pipes clear of soot in manner substantially
as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Bell, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Twentieth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.