IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF AND MODE OF SUPPLYING FUEL TO FIRE GRATES, STOVES, AND THE FURNACES OF LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL. SPECIFICATION left by Charles Lamport at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th May 1865.
I, CHARLES LAMPORT, of Workington, in the County of Cumberland, Ship
Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF AND MODE OF SUPPLYING FUEL TO FIRE GRATES,
STOVES, AND THE FURNACES OF LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER STEAM BOILERS," to be as
follows:-
The object of my Invention is to supply fuel for consumption on the under
side of the fire. The fuel is forced up by a piston or partition working in the
segment of a cylinder and attached to a strong axle, or rather it is fitted into
a slot therein, and is capable of being drawn through such axle so as to pass
it from one side to the other thereof. The cylinder may be likened to half
the cover of an ordinary air fan, and the piston to one of the blades of the fan
loosely inserted through a slot in the axle and easily drawn through. When
the piston attains to the level of the grate bottom, which is over one half of
the cylinder, and all the fuel has been forced up into the fire, the annular
cylinder or receptacle is again filled with fuel until it reaches the under side
of the piston. The piston is then drawn through the slot in the axle to the
other side thereof, the fire above being sustained by the fresh fuel, and is then
again by a lever or wheel work attached to the axle pressed upon the fuel,
which in consequence is forced up, under, and into the fire when required, and
the process of repletion is repeated at pleasure. The area of the half cylinder
attached to the grate is considerably smaller than that of the grate bottom,
the difference being made up of the grating for the admission of air. As the

page_text: fuel is forced up in the centre of the grate it becomes coked, the gas evolved
being burnt by passing through the hot cinders. The coke falls over on all
sides and meeting the air supply through the grating is consumed. The fire
therefore is composed of an outer ring of coke burning in the air draught
thro' the grating, and an internal mass of fresh coal distilled and coked by
the surrounding heat.
In connection with this arrangement for the supply of fuel I adopt a
circular fire grate, open on all sides, and suitable for the middle of large
rooms, the smoke and heated air being carried off by a descending flue, or
upwards by pipes through a dome or cowl-like cover capable of being raised
or lowered to suit the state of the fire or to prevent smoking from side
currents or through draughts in a room. The same arrangement can also be
applied to any common grate or to the grate of any ordinary stove.
In the case of locomotive and other steam boilers the arrangement for the
supply of fuel as described may be substituted by the employment of a bent
or inverted syphon pipe, one end of which is attached to the centre of the
furnace underneath, and the other end projecting in front before the common
'door to receive the fresh coals. When the supply pipe is filled pressure is
applied to the surface of the coals at the outer end by means of a screw or
lever attached to a cover, which aided by the weight of the fuel in the longer
arni of the pipe forces the coals into the middle and under side of the fire.
To reduce the friction in some cases I propose to employ a supply pipe of a
square form, and attach a series of rollers of small diameter on the flat side or
bottom over which the coals are more readily propelled.