US1618501A - Automatic feeder of mill-waste fuel for domestic heating plants - Google Patents

Description

Feb.` 22, 1927. l I",6l8,501

'L T WOODRUFF AUTOMATIC FEEDER 0F MILL WASTE FUEL FOR DOMESTIC HEATING vPLANTS Filed July 26, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 #We/77ans: /Jaad Z' Wand/'Uff Ftb. 22', 1927. 1,618,501

l. 1'. wooDRu-r-Fj AUTOIATIC FEEDER 0F HILL WASTE FUEL FOR DOMESTIC HEATING PLANTS Filed July 26, 19.26l 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 hive/17ans:

a ha r wauw/f 1,618,501 Feb. zz. 1927. L T WOODRUFF UQIATIC FEEDER OF lHIM.. WASTE FUEL FOR DOMESTIC HEATING PLANTS Filed July 26, v1926 4 Sheets-She'et 4 Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

UNITED 's'rn'rns ISAAOT. WOODRUFF, or PORTLAND, OREGON.

AUTOMATIC FEEDER OE MILL-WASTE FUEL FR DOMESTIC HEATING PLATS.

Application filed uly 26,

The ect of my device isto providesuitable mechanism adapted for application to furnaces and fire boxes primarily for use as domestic heating units. The device consists Y primarily of a feeding hopper ladapted to being raised and lowered by a lever mechanis'm to facilitate thereilling of the same, the primary hopper, having suitable mechanism disposed in the bottom thereof to shut io off the flow of fuel therefrom during'the re? filling process. A secondary hopper is disposed immediately below the primary hopy per and in registering alignment therewith 'and is secured to the furnace door in such a i5 manner thatas the furnace door is opened about its hinged support the secondary hopperis carried out ofregistry with the primary hopper. Y t l A furthervobjectof my invention consists in supporting the primary hopper aboutlink f supports in such a manner that the primary hopper may be lowered to .facilitate-the fillingof the samej My new and improved device is intended primarily for usevin the burning of saw mill waste, hog fuel and saw-dust. Fuel of this character is loose and notcompact, and is 'rathervoluminous in its generaly characteris-v tics andrequiresv a primary hopper of substantial magnitude to hold a suflicient quantity to obviate constant attention.

Y Still further objects of my invention consist in theplacing of a flow damper in the primary. hopper thatl is adapted to manual manipulation for the purpose of regulating the flow of ,the material thereapast and into the fire boX.

Additional objects of my invention consist in the placing Within the fire box of grate mechanism adapted to permit of the entrance of air through the base of the mass of* fuel during the burning of the same to facilitate the combustion of the fuel and t0 create a live fire at all times.

Additional objects of my invention consist in providing means whereby the fuel to be consumedis deposited centrally of the burning area. v

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, the essential elements of Vwhich are set forth in the appended claims and a preferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter shown with `reference tothe draw- 192s. serial No. 125,100.

ings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings Fig. l is a side elevation of the assembled device, the hopperk container is shown in full line position in place ready for use. The same is shown in dotted position as Vbeing lowered and adapted for being filled with a new supply of fuel. .v

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1. f

Fig. 3 is a side elevation partiallyinsection, illustrating the device 1n place upon a furnace and illustrating the application of the same. 1 L y Fig. 4 is a cross sect-ion view, taken Ion line ll-lldof Fig. 8, looking in the direction indicate Fig. 5 isa top plan view, of a plate tobe inserted withinthe furnace wherein the fur-v nace is designed for. hard fuel, as coal or wood,- and is designed to prevent'the fuel falling through the grates of the ordinary furnace. A rim disposed on the underside ofthe plate raises the plate free fromthe grate disposed therebetween.

Fig. l6 is a sectional side elevation of a preferred form of embodiment of myv device illustrated in position upon the furnace,

adapted for use of hard fuel orwfor mill waste fuel.

y Fig. Tis a cross section view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction indicated.

Fig. 8 is a front` elevation of a furnace .havingV one-of'my Vnew and improved devices attached theretol and in po'sitionfor` use.

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the same mechanism illustrated in Fig.'8, with the front kdoor of the furnace open and the lower mechanism of my device in position for the' inspection of the inside of the furnace,or for the admittance of fuel into the fire box.

Fig..l0 is a perspective view of a new and improved draft and grate mechanism adapted to facilitate the -burning of fuels of the character intended for use in my device. The same shown removed from the fire box.

Like reference charactersl `refer to like vparts throughout the several views.

The furnace shell is shown at l, having an interna-l lfire .box 2disposed within the shell structure. y Grates of the `usual and ordinary type are shown at 3. If the fire box is of the circular type, or in certain furnace structures, I have found that best results are obtained when l place within the furnace and disposed immediately above the grate a plate l, as illustrated in detail in Fig. 5. I, place a series of holes (l, through the plate to facilitate the passing of air therethrough during' the burning process to facilitate the even passage of air through the fuel duringr the burning of the fuel. Mill waste fuel, or the so-called hog fuel islg'enerally delivered directly from the mill to Nthe user thereof and carries a large percentage of moisture and is more or less coinpact and it therefore becomes quiteessontial to facilitate r nnbustion. This is best, accomplished by providing;l means for the admittance of air throiugh the fuel mass evenly over the fuel area.

.l have found in the -lire box.` as illustrated in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. that a tiltingl secondary grate :fi` will also facilitate combustion and at the saine time will maintain a lire tire at all times Within the lire box. In other types of furnaces l have found that bestresults are obtained when a girate strueture, as illustrated in Fig. (l, Fig. 7, and Fig.` 10, is used. An elongated grate 7, is placed centrally of the ,tire box having a substantially horizontal central section 8, and liaving disposed at either side of the central section slopingside Aialls 9, and having-` an upwardly inclined grate surface 1l),`t`lisposed at the forward end thereof; a second grate surface 11, is disposed therebeneath,` best results beine' obtained when the air passages 5l through the side Walls. pass through in a substantially horizontal alignment. Disposed immediately below thelpolnt ot discharge from the feeding lioppe andinside the fire door entrance, I place a rearwardlyv inclined grate surface 12.`ha\fing a rather coarse serios of slots 13. The object of grato surface 121 is two-fold lirst, to facilitate combustion and second to distribute and'deposit the mass of fuel to be used as nearly centrally of the fire box as possible by gravity means. The primary hopper 1l.` must be of substantial volume because of the character of fuel to be consinned"Without the constant attention of refilling. A shutoltl slide le, is disposed through the base of the hopper to prevent the `free flow offuel therefrom during the filling" process or during such time that the secor'ldaijT` feeding` hopper may be swung fro`1n^out `of registry-with the primary hop per." i There an extremely loirhre room ceiling` is encountereth or where `the tire box door is extreinelyhigh. or for other reasons it may be necessary to raise `and lower the primary hopper 14:, during the filling process, or at other times. This is" accomplished by;l supporting the hopper 1s, about the linl: supports 17; and` infhinged relationship therewith; An operating lever 18, is directly secured to the shaft 19, and as the lever 18 is lowered, the hopper is "first raisedsutliciently to release the same `beyond the central position and as the lever further lowered, the hopper is then moved forward and lowered at the same time, as is illustrated in the dotted position, illustrated in Fig. 1. rlhe shaft i9 is journaled in the bracket support 20. A link 21 connects the operating lever 1'8 with the link 17. The link 17 is liournalod about the journal shaft 22,Whieh is .supported about the laracketnim 23. A

sccoi'ulary hopper2el is secured to the fur nace door and is adaptedto be swung therewith, as the furnace door is opened o1" closed. As the furnaeedoor is openedor closed, the secondary hopper is swungl into and out of registry with the priniaryfeedingl hopper. il shaft 2li,` is disposed across the secondary l'iopper and an operating lever secured thereto.` The operating loyer has a detent `disposed thereupon and adaptcdto register' Withthe quadrant28. also secured to the cross shaft 2G, lis a feed ingr damper 2S) that is adapteditobe manipulated, and raised or lowered through the action" of 'the operating lever 275 A shield plate 30 placed `directly above the damper 29 and at such an angle asto facilitate the deposit ofthe fuel tliereujfion with as little resistance as possible.` The raising and low-` crine' of the feeding `damper 29 `regulates the: freedom of lloW of the fuel into the `tire box; l have found that best `results areobtained when the side walls and the front Wallsof the primary hopper are inclined to a eommon point and would moet at a coininon point if extended. (lombustionis further regulated by the placing of anair inletpipe :il in the lire box. i 1lllhile the form of iiieohanism herein `shown and described iu admirably adapted to fulh lill the ottici-ls priniarily stated; it is to bo` understood that it is not intended toconfine the invention to the one "foriilof enibodiment herein shown and describedg* aslitis suscep tible of embodiment in various forms, all coming; within the scopcof the claims which follows: i i

lllliat 4l cl aim :w-

l. ln combination in a new and improved automate? feeder of mill Wasteffuel for do meetic heating plants ofa primaryhoppen means for raisiirm` and loweriirg,r said" primary hopper, a slidable eut olf disposed `across-the base o'tthe priniary hopperpa secondary hopper disposed in registering* alignment with the primary hopper andadaptedlto heini;y .invano into and out ofregistryivit-h the primary hopper, a feedingldainper disposed lin thesecoudary hopperwand an oper-` ating levf and a quadrant adapted to man ual manipulation `to regulatethe feeding damper. i f

2. In eoml'iination `in a aiew and` improved automatic feeder of mill waste fuel for domestic heating plants, of a primary hopper having sloping front and side walls, lever means for raising and lowering said primary hopper, a slidahle out off disposed across the hase of said hopper, a secondary hopper secured to the furnace door of the furnace, in registering alignment with the primary hopper, and adapted to being swung into and out of registry with the primary hopper, a feeding damper adapted to manual manipulation disposed within the secondary hopper and means adapted to maintain the feeding damper in placed position.

3. In combination in a new and improved automatic feeder of mill waste fuel for domestic heating pla-nts of primary and secondarv hoppers in registering` alignment with each other, independent means for swinging either of the hoppers out of alignment and registry with the other, damper regulating means disposed in each hopper, grates adapted to deposit the'fuel as fed suhstantially centrally of the fire boX of the fur-- nace and a secondary grate rearwardly inclined disposed above the primary grates of the furnace. I

4. In combination in a new andimproved automatic feeder of mill waste fuel for domestic heating plants of primary and secondary feeding hoppers in registering alignment with each' other, independent means for moving either of the hoppers out of registry with the other, means disposed in each hopper adapted to restrict the flow of fuel therefrom, grate means disposed at the point of discharge from the secondary hopper adapted to deposit the fuel substantially centrally of the lire box and a grate'liaving a substantially horizontal central section having sloping sidewalls and horizontal draft slots disposed central of t-he fire looX.

5. In combination in a new and improved automatic feeder of mill waste fuel for domestic heating plants of primary and seoondary feeding hoppers in registered alignment with each other, independent means for moving either of the hoppers out of registry with the other, a damper regulator disposed in' each hopper and an elevated grate section disposed within the 're hoX at the point of discharge of the fuel from the secondary hopper into the fire box.

ISAAC T. WOODRUFF.

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