US1165792A - Stoking mechanism for furnaces. - Google Patents

Description

W. McCLAVE. STOKING MECHANISM FOR FURNACES. APPLICATION FILED mm 22. 3913.

1,165,792.. Pat-elm Dec. 28, 1915.

El wuawto'a "WILLIAM IIICCLAVE, OF SCRAN'ION, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO IVfcCLAVE-BRQOKS 'JQMPANY, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA,

STORING MECHANIS A conroa'arion or rnnnsrnvania. i

M roe ronnaons. l l

i,- W Lino,

Application filed March 22,

To all arr/20m it may concern:

Be it known that l, lViLLLut McC AvE, a citizen of the United States, and resident cf Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented oer tam new and useful Improvements in Stoking Mechanism for Furnaces; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to mechanism for feeding distributing and handling the fuel, usually grades of more or less comminuted coal, the objects of the invention being to provideapparatus which will be semi-automatic in operation and with which the fuel will be distributed in a manner best calculated to promote combustion and pre vent the escape or discharge of any of the solid particles capable of being consumed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a. structure in which the fuel on the supporting surface of the grate is readily accessible for being broken up or handled by bars or instruments in the hands of the firemen without disturbing the relationship or operation of the automatic portions of the apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structure in which the automatic fuel feeding mechanism may be operated with a minimum of power and with mechanical appliances of exceedingly simple character, the whole arrangement being so designed as to materially reduce the cost of manufacture and at the same time permit of the operation of the stoking mechanism by ordinary unskilled labor so as to obtain a maximum efficiency.

Referring to the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion er a steam boiler furnace embodyinga stoking mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a. detail view showing the preferred construction of the apron angle plate mounted in the wall at the rear end of the grate. and with which the rocking section cooperates.

Like letters of reference in the figures ind cate the same parts.

The stoking mechanism of the present inlention- 1s shown nconnection \Vloil a fur- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented i258, i915.

1913. Serial No. 756,19".

nace in which the combustion c lumber pro- ]ects in front of the forward end of the boiler with a secondary Zcombusticn'chamber immediately in rear thereof andbeneath the forward end of the boiler, communication with the main combustion chamber being through a suitable opening in an intermediatewall i i. The top of the combustion chamber in the particular furnace adopted for illustrating the invention is conveniently 1n the form of an arch E having passages b therethrough for supplying heated air, but it will be understood. that in so far as the present invention is concerned the particw lar construction of the combustion chai-nber,

aside from the parts immediately associated with the stoking mechanism and to be now described, may be varied indefinitely and made to accord with any :known approved or desired practice.

The fuel supporting surface or, rate" proper is referably composed of fixed grate bars C inclined inwardly'and supported at their ends by transverse bearer-bars D and D. Each grate bar has bolted thereto, separate grate sections 0 provided-with hori-' zontallv extending shelf-like 1 fuel supporting ledges c, the end faces; of which" conform to the inclination of the grate bars. At their rearlower ends the-grate bars are formed to interlock with the bearer bar D" and at their forward ends they extend through openings in a downwardlyv extending flange (Z of the bearer ibar D and are retained by transverse pins or similar fastening devices as shown. This'type of grate, while preferred, it is obvious may be varied considerably and other known types substituted therefor either having fixedwbars or movable bars as in known practice, but in accordance with the present invention the fuel supporting surface of the grate is inclined at an angle which is slightly less than the angle of rest of the fuel tobe burned thereon; that is to say, the fuel, resting on the grate surface will not normally travel down said surface by gravity alone, but :will travel down said surface as a bodyjifaas sisted slightly by power or pressure applied thereto, or if the angle oil-inclination; is

slightly increased, as for example, by-the accumulation of material on the upper portion of the grate, the superposed material will travel by gravity and again restore the angle by accumulation on the lower portion ofthe grateftlius maintaininga body of 'fuel of substantially uniform thickness over the instrument ately over said grate;

. having an rocking lever is connected by-a link or con- .9-

, fuel feeding periods and they may be left j position indicated in I discharge opening of the hopper is wide the-position The fuel of the grate surface or plate H cause the Whole grate surface and forming a body which may be advanced bodily down the grate surface by pressure applied to itsalp-' per or forward end. p

' At the forward end of the furnace and above the plane of the grate there is provided a hopper E into which the fuel to be fed is dumped and from which it escapes through a discharge opening controlled by a segmental oscillatory valve or gate F the fuel supporting or controlling portion of which is in the form of :1 segment of a cylinder, as shown at 7. When turned to the full lines inFig. 1, the

open and the valve or gate is ,in position to close an opening or passageway G through which a bar or instrument may be introduced parallel withthe grate surface for manipulating the fuel on said surface should the condition of the fire require such manipulation, or in case a thorough cleaning of the fire is required. The passage is normally closed by a downwardly swinging door 9 adapted to be raised when the bar or is introduced and under such conditions the gate or valve F is swung to indicated by the dotted line. dropping from the hopper E is received by a' fuel supporting surface or plate H which forms-an upward continuation surface in the plane of said surfacc,'and working on this-fuel receiving is-a reciprocatory pusher or feeder K, said'pusher or feeder K operating iinmediatelybelow the passage G and being adapted to advance the fuel dropping from the hopper in a direction which is parallel to the surface of the grate and immedithere being no break in the plane of movement such'as would fuel to pile up or interfere with its movement as a body down the entire' supporting surface. For operating the pusher or feeder K a simple mechanism well-adapted for handling or operating the pushers ofa whole battery of furnaces consists of a rock shaft L arm I connected withthe pusher by a link 3 and a second arm m connecteda link m with a rocking lever m Thenecting rod m with an eccentric strap sur roundin aneccentric m By th s mechanism the pushers the in continuous operation. and the fuel supplied to them controlled by the manipulation of the valves or ates F.

At the-lower end 0 the grate and between said end and the wall A there is arranged a section preferablyjournaled to on a rotary drive segmental sections-n, the movement of the rocking section being controlled by an operating bar or link P extending out to the front: ofthe furnace :andat its inner end jointed to a downwardly extending arm 70 on the rocking section.

I For cooperation with the rearwardly extending fuel supporting and dumping portions of the rocking section, the, wall A is provided with a segmental downwardly extending apron Q usually mounted on or built into the wall by means of a rearwardly extending top flange or portion Q, and in order to overcome the injurious effects due to the growing of the metal or its expansion and contraction, the apron itself is sub-di vided into relatively short sections by slots" or openings g, (see Fig. 2) which slots or openings extend back into thetop flange Q" a suificient distance to accomplish the desired end and at the same time leave the rear portion of the flange Qfintegral so that the whole apron may be positioned and held in proper relation to the wall and rocking section. To give additional strength the sub divided portions of the apron'may'be connected with the top portion or flange Q'by bracket webs 0 e The rocking section and the. "apron are so proportioned and arranged that the rocking sections may distance before ,therearwardly extending portions it pass beyond the lower edge of the apron when the segmental portions n extend a considerable. distance above the plane of 1B 0 be oscillated a considerable the surface of the' grate, whereby without dumping the fuel, ashes,

etc., the portion of the-mass of fuel at the lower end (Tf'the grate may be worked rearwardlyand upwardly so as to accumulate a considerable body above the rocking section, where it is in position,

for the fuel particlesnottheretofore consumedgto be consumed." Airis admitted o'win to the factthat the fuel passing down off 0 the grate willibe'brokenup and elevated above the general-plane of the fuel on I the grate, and by movement'of the rocking section it may be dumped into the-gash pit for subsequent removal; i it The breaking .up and shi'ng back of the friehpassing down off 0 the grate is an important ste in the operation'of the mechanism, for, maybe fed without dumping the grate, and the complete consumptionof the fuel particles. is practically assured beforethe necessity for dumping the same into the ash pit arises Furthermore whenthe dumping takes place the body of fuel on the grate further or moreextended y such manipulation fresh fuel is held by resting against the peripheries of the segmental projections.

In the operation of the stoking mechanism, the fuel fed from the hopper and advanced by the pusher progresses over the grate surface in a layer which is successively subjected to the various stages of distillation, coking and consumption progressively, each stage taking place in a portion of the combustion chamber best calculated for the effective combination of the various elements to secure perfect combustion; that is to say, the gaseous elements driven off during the distillation period are at the top of the combustion chamber where they are immediately commingled with highly heated air entering through the arch and the solid fuel particles remaining in the fuel travel down over the grate and are supplied with air from the ash pit in, the usual way through the openings in the grate, and through the openings in the rocking section at the lower end of the grate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a stoking mechanism for furnaces, the combination with the combustion chamber, grate mounted in an inclined position therein means for supplying fuel to and advancing the same down over the surface of the grate and a fixed rear wall for arresting the progress of the fuel at the lower end of'the grate, of a rocking section at the lower end of the grate having a segmental extension forwardly of its axis and a normally substantially horizontal dumping 8X7 tension in rear of its axis extending into proximity to the rear wall, and means whereby said rocking section may be oscillated to move the segmental extension upwardlv, break up the fuel advanced onto the rocking section from the grate and pile the fuel against the rear wall Without dropping the same into the ash pit or by a further movement of said rocking section discharge such material into the ash pit.

2. In a stoking mechanism for furnaces, the combination with an inclined grate and means for supplying fuel to and advancing the same down over the surface of said grate, of a reciprocatory rocking section for receiving the material discharged from the grate, and a fixed apron adapted to cooperate with said rocking section having a curved face, said rocking section being provided with an upwardly extending forward portion and a rearwardly substantially flat portion whereby when the forward portion projects upwardly above the plane of the grate surface, the lower rearward portion does not immediately dump the fuel.

3. In a stoking mechanism for furnaces, the combination with a grate mounted in an inclined position with means for supplying fuel to and advancing the same down over section may be oscillated to move the segmental projection above the plane of the surface of the grate and pile the fuel and ashes in proximity to the rear wall without permitting material to be discharged past the rearwardly extending projection.

4. In a stoking mechanism such as described, the combination with the inclined grate, means for supplying fuel to and advancing the same down over the surface of the grate and a rocking section onto which the material passes from the grate, said rocking section having an upwardly extending forward portion and a substantially flat rearward portion, of a fixed apron having a fuel supporting curved face concentric to the arc of movement of the rearward portion of the rocking section, said apron having vertical slots in its face whereby the growth of the metal is compensated for.

5. In a stoking mechanism such as described, the combination with the inclined grate, means for supplying fuel to and ad- WILLIAM MoCLAVE.

Witnesses:

ALEXANDER S. STEUART,

THOMAS DURANT.

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