US1270171A - Mechanical stoker. - Google Patents

Description

H. E. KLEFFEL.

MECHANICAL STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-16.191].

Patented JUNO 18, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W/ III/718151. 5

H. E. KLEFFEL.

MECHANICAL STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15. Ian.

Patented June 18, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS H. E KLEFFEL.

MECHANICAL STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1911.

lafmltud June 18, 1918.

4 SHEETS- -SHEET 3.

H. E. KLEFFEL.

MECHANICAL STOKEH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16. m1.

1 ,270, 1 7 1 Patented J 11110 18, 191&

4 SHEETS -SHEET 4.

HARRISON EDWARD KLEFFEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MECHANICAL STOKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1918.

Application filed November 16, 1917. Serial No. 202,374.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRISON E. KLEF- FEL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and,State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Mechanical Stoker, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion.

This invention relates to steam boilers or similar furnaces and has particular reference to mechanical stokers or means to introduce the fuel.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a mechanism whereby the fuel may be introduced from a single hopper or point and more evenly distributed along the fire bed than has been ossible heretofore.

Another object o the invention is to improve the connections between the feeder mechanism and the movable grate devices whereby both sets of these devices may be operated simultaneously and from a single source of power.

With the foregoing and other objects in View the invention consists in the arrange- -ment and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a vertical central longitudinal section indicating my improved device.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a is a sectional detail on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the plunger; and

Figs. 6 to 9 are transverse sectional details on the corresponding lines of Fig. 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings I indicate as an illustration of the preferred embodiment of my invention, its application to a standard form of steam boiler furnace having a front wall 10, a rear wall 11, a base or floor 12, side walls 13, a series of water tubes 14, a fresh air channel 15 along the center of the base and ash pits 16 at the sides.

At the front of the furnace is arranged an open topped hopper 17 from or through which the fuel is fed or delivered into the fire pot. The bottom of the hopper communicates with a tubular member 18 pro viding a fuel channel leading upwardly and rearwardly along the center of the furnace. The tubular member 18 may be regarded as comprising a throat portion 18 having an open outer end in which is fitted a feeder block portion 19 of a rigid plunger having a long tapered tongue portion 20 within the furnace. The throat portion 18 is in dicated as comprising a plain bottom 21, vertical side walls 22 and an angularl y shaped top or roof portion 23. This roof portion as well as the sides and bottom projects through the front wall 10 and is unbroken cxcept where the lower end of the hopper communicates therewith. The feeder block 19 conforms in shape and size to the inner surface of the throat portion 18 in which it is adapted to be reciprocated by any suitable power devices, not shown, but communicated thereto through a shank 24 having a series of rack teeth 25 formed thereon. The tongue portion 20 of the plunger is tapered toward the rear end, the upper surface of'the tongue being substan tially horizontal while the bottom of the tongue is inclined upwardly toward the rear providing the taper in a vertical direction,

while the side walls and tongue converge toward the rear constituting the taper thereon in a transverse horizontal direction. The extreme rear end of the tongue is V-shaped ()l.\})0lllt0(l and is preferably supported upon a" -shaped guide block 26. It will be noted from Fig. 1 that the bottom edge or surface of the tongue 20 is in alinement with the bottom portion of the throat 18 and hence is parallel to the axis of the shank 2-1. The vertical taper of the tongue therefore corresponds substantially to the upward inclination of the bottom of the fuel channel. It will be seen therefore that when the plunger is reciprocated forwardly bringing the rear end of the block '19 in front of the outlet from the hopper to admit a quantity of coal into the fuel channel the top surface of the ton no will approach the bottom of said channe Furthermore when the plunger is forced rearwardly and upwardly the block 19 will act positively against the mass of coal admitted behind it and force the same rearwardly through the throat 18 and at the same time the tongue HlElSSUED will be lifted while it glides rearwardly and upwardly along the inclined bottom of the fuel channel, and thus the coal, in repeated reciprocations of the plunger, will be forced upwardly due to the rise of the plunger and rearwardly and laterally through the distributing retorts or channels due to the rearward taper of the plunger. The degree of taper will, of course,.be designed according to the length of the fire box and the degree of inclination of the fuel channel.

The guide block 26'supporting the rear pointed end of the tongue 20 serves to hold the plunger from lateral vibration and more particularly serves to prevent the fuel from working beneath the rear end of the tongue.

The main retort or fuel channel is shown best in Fig. 3 and constitutes a longitudinal gutter-like structure 27, the bottom of which comprises only a'pair of guide rails 28 supporting the tongue 20 having bearing flanges 29. The reciprocating tongue therefore constitutes the real bottom of the fuel channel or retort 27. These flanges, as shown in Fig.

2, are approximately parallel at their outer edges and serve to hold the coal from dropping through the space between the rails 28. Laterally of the rails the bottom of the fuel channel extends upwardly and merges along rounded lines 30 into the downwardly inclined main fuel supporting walls 31. It will be noted that while the top surface of my tongue or 1 lunger 20 is horizontal and always parallefto the top of the grate, the upward and rearward taper of. the plunger provides that the cross-sectional area of the retort is substantially the same at all points throughout its length, and yet its sides are approximately parallel. On opposite sides of the center of the fuel channel are rovided series of draft trunks 32 which pro ect well upward and inward toward the vertical central plane of the retort as shown in side elevation' in Fig. 3 and in section in Fig. 3 The top of each of these air trunks 32 is provided with outwardly inclined slits 33, the planes of the several slits of each trunk bem arranged fan-shaped or toward the vertica at the upper or central end of each trunk. Air is admitted freely through the bottom of the trunks from the main central air chamber 34 communicating with the draft channel 15. Portions of the coal pushed upwardly and laterally b the tongue 20 of the plunger pass upwar ly between ad acent trunks 32 of the same series. Thus the fuel is formed into a relatively thin bed extending over the fuel channel, air trunks and slotted walls 31 approximating the form indicated by the dotted line 35 in Fig.3. The ashes or other solid products of combustion accumulate laterall of the mound of fuel ap- .proximating the orm indicated at 36. These products of combustion may be delivered downwardly into the ash pits 16 by opera- 40, each having a handle, or its equivalent,

at 41 at the front end of the furnace to control the position thereof.

For the purpose of operating the movable grate bars 37 mechanically and automatically, I provide a rock shaft '42 journaled transversely across the front of the furnace and having a pinion 43 meshin with the rack teeth 25 above described. t each reciprocation of the shank 24 the teeth thereof will rotate the rock shaft 42. At the ends of the rock shaft are beveled gears 44 meshing with corresponding gears 45 secured to the front ends of short shafts 46 arranged in axial alinement with the grate shafts 38 and adapted to be clutched thereto by any suitable type of clutch indicated generally at 47 and each under the control of the operator throu h a hand lever 48. ,If the movable grate are 37 are to be operated at each reciprocation of the plunger obviously the clutches 47 will be held connecting the shafts 38 and 46, but ifeither of the grate bars is to be stopped the operator will shift the clutch accordingly but without interfering with the action of the plunger and feederprojects above the tongue portion 20 abuts squarely against the body of coal received from the hopper and hence this portion of the feeder block acts positively to force the coal into or toward the furnace. Irrespective, therefore, of the condition of the'coal in the fuel channel 27 each time the block 19 is reciprocated forwardly there will be an additional amount of coal' received back of the block- 19 and on-the next rearward reciprocation the bulk of this coal just received will'be forced rearwardly, pushing in turn any previously admitted coal back or above it. Even though the top surface of the tongue is not inclined downwardly toward the rear the coal will nevertheless be actuated rearwardl due to the lateral taper of the tongue. is indicated at 49 I may provide fins or ribs extending transversely across or along the upper curved surface of the tongue which will serve not only to strengthen and stifi'en the tongue, but also as'positive pushing means to facilitate the of the coal.

I claim:

1. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a grate structure having-a central retort, the top of which is horizontal and the bottom of which is provided with upwardly and rear distribution rearwardly inclined flanges but being otherwise open, and a plunger arranged in said retort whose top is parallel to the top of the retort and whose bottom is upwardly inclined and cooperating with said flanges constitutes the real bottom for the retort. v 2. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a retort having rigid walls and a top arranged in a horizontal plane but whose bottom. is open, and a reciprocating plunger in saidretort, the top of the plunger being parallel to the top of the retort while the bottom thereof is inclined upwardly andrearwardly and constitutes the closure for the retort bottom. 7

3. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a suitably arranged retort from which extend laterally a plurality of branch retorts the tops of which are in substantially the same horizontal plane, the walls between the adjacent branch retorts constituting air trunks, and a reciprocatingplunger in the main retort serw'ng when reciprocated to convey the coal upward and rearward along the main retort and laterally from the main retort into the branch retorts.

4. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of arigid grate construction provided with a central retort from the opposite sides of which extend series of branch retorts, the top 'of the wall structures between adjacent retorts of the same series being hollow constituting air trunks and having their tops extended upward and inward toward the vertical central plane of the main retort, and

a a reciprocating plunger in the main retort,

the top of theplunger being parallel to the tops of said trunks while the bottom thereof is upwardly and rearwardly tapered wherebythe top. of the plunger will e moved'toward and from the plane of the tops of the trunks coincidentally with the reciprocations thereof.

5. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a ri id grate structure including a main retort rom which extend a series of lateral branch retorts, the wall structure between adjacent branch retorts constituting a r trunks the tops of which lie in the same horizontal plane, and a plunger in the main retrunks which extend upward and inward toward the central plane of the main retort, the top surface of each of said trunks being provided with transverse slits arranged in a series of fan shaped planes, the uppermost slits lying in planes nearest vertical, and a reciprocating plunger located in the main retort, said plunger being tapered rearwardl whereby at each rearward reciprocation t ereof coal will be forced upward and rearward along the main retort and laterally into and through the branch retorts, the distribution being substantially equal in all directions.

7. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a ri id grate structure having a main retort with substantially parallel side walls and open bottom defined by parallel upwardly inclined sup orting flanges, said side walls being bro en and establishing communication between the main retort and a series of branch retorts on each side of the main retort, the walls between adjacent branch retorts constituting upwardly projecting air trunks the tops of which are in the same horizontal plane, and a plunger reciprocating in the main retort and supported upon said flanges thereby constituting a bottom for the main retort, said plunger having a substantially straight upper surface parallel to said horizontal plane while the bottom thereof is inclined upwardly and rearwardly, the body portion of the plunger being tapered rearwardly and yet provided with parallel edge flanges cooperating with said supporting flanges.

8. In a mechanical stoker, the combination with a main fixed ate having a central retort and a series of branch retorts extending laterally therefrom on either side, the top of the rate along the main retort being horizontal ut inclined laterall therefrom along the branch retorts, a mova 1e dumping grate member along the bottom edge of each inclined portion of the grate, a reciprocating plunger in the main retort serving to convey the fuel upward and rearward along the same and simultaneously laterally along the branch retorts, and means to mechanically operate the movable grate members from and simultaneously with the reciprocations of the plunger.

HARRISON EDWARD KLIFFEL.

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