US2352092A - Stoker apparatus - Google Patents

Description

J 1944- R. A. FORESYMAN ,0

STOKER APPARATUS I I Filed Feb. 6, 1943 2 Sheets-Shet 2 F: I

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I "I 'I' I WI 1' "3. I M I 55 H L; v I n Q i i WITNESSES j INVENTOR W m a I :3 h g 3, Roasn'r R.F3nesmm ATTORNEY Patented June 20, 1944 STOKER APPARATUS I Robert A. Foresman, ProspectPark, Pa.,"assignor to Westinghouse Electric& Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa a corporation 7 of Pennsylvania,

Application February 6, 1943, Serial N8.'474,915

6 Claims. (01.: 74-586).

adjusting mechanism for such secondary rams.

Another object of the invention is to provide secondary ram stroke-adjusting mechanism capable of infinite adjustments between zero stroke and maximum stroke.

These and other objects are effected by the invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a secondary ram and the driving means therefor, together with stroke-adjusting mechanism embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a, transverse sectional view taken along the line II--II of Fig. 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, but with the crosshead shown in elevation; and,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the stroke-adjusting mechanism of Fig. 1. p

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, there is shown a stoker I inclined downwardly and rearwardly'from the furnacefront wall II and comprising a plurality of spacedapart rows of tuyeres l2, providing therebetween spaced retorts l3, each adapted to have fuel'fed thereto from the hopper [4 through the ram bOX' l5 by reciprocation of the ram I6. Reciprocatory motion is imparted to the ram through the gear box l8, receiving power from any suitable source (not shown) and operating through the eccentric l9 and the connecting rod 20.

A conventional secondary ram structure 22 positioned within the retort [3 provides for movement of fuel rearwardly therealong, the secondary ram having 'reciprocatory motion imparted thereto by the driving rod 23 positioned below the bottom of the retort. A pair of driv-' tudinally therein.

ing links 24 provides for transmission of motion from the connecting rod 20 to the driving rod 23 through the novel stroke-adjusting mechanism 25 comprising the present invention.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, there are shown a pair of spaced parallel housing members 21 and 33 are clamped between the bosses 29 and the.

structural members 32 and serveto bracethe structure.

I The spaced housing members 21 and 28 have grooves 36 formed in their opposed faces for the reception of guide members 31 slidable longi- Each guide member .31 is provided with a circular recess 38 for reception of the cylindrical trunnions 39 of the crosshead 4l.'|, with the result that the crosshead is supported for pivotal movement about the longitudinal axes of the trunnions 39 and for bodily sliding movement longitudinally of the grooves 36 in the housing members 21 and 28. I

v The driving links 24 are provided at their rearward ends with circular openings 42 adapted to receive the trunnions 39 of thecrosshead with the drivinglinks positioned between the crosshead proper and the guide members 31. It will be. apparent that this arrangement provides for reciprocation of the crosshead 40 upon reception of the connecting rod 20 and the associated driving links 24. The forward ends of the driving links are provided with elongated slots 43 slidably receiving a headed pin 44 carried by the depending'arm 45 of the connecting rod 20, the elongated slot and pin providing a lost motion connection providing for lesser travel of the drivingf links v24 than of the connecting rod 23.

'The'cr'osshead 40 is provided with a centrallylocated cylindrical bore 41 adapted to slidably receive an externally-threaded portion'48 at the forward or upper end of the driving rod 23.

It will be apparent that the construction described above provides aself-aligning structure resulting in free sliding action of the crosshead with respect to the driving rod 23, regardless of minor misalignments of the housing members and associated. parts.

, Sliding movement of the crosshead with respect to the threaded portion of the driving rod is limited in an upward or forward direction by a split key collar 49 provided with a radial, inwardly-extending flange 50 adapted to be po-, sitioned within a circumferential groove 5! formed adjacent'the end of the driving rod, the retaining collar 52 embracing the segments of the split key collar 49 and retaining them in assembled relation with respect to the end of the driving rod 23.

Sliding movement of thercrosshead 49 with respect to the rod 23' in a rearward direction is limited by the nut 55, threadedlymounted on the threaded portion 48 of the driving rod and movable therealongwhen rotated with respect thereto.

The threaded portion 48 of the driving rod 23 is of such length that with the nut 55 moved rearwardly as far as possible, the latter will be out of engagement with the crosshead throughout reciprocation of the latter. It will be apparent that, by moving the nut 55 forwardly, for example, to the position illustrated in Fig. .3, the crosshead 40 will engage the nut during its rearward movement and acting through the nut will impart rearward motion to the driving rod 2-3. During the return stroke of the crosshead it will first slide upon the threaded portion of the driving rod until it engages the split key collar 49, whereupon during the remainder of its return stroke it will move the driving rod forwardly. If the nut 55 is adjusted toward the forward end of the threaded portion of the driving rod so that the crosshead 46 engages both the split key collar 49 and the nut 55 simultaneously, the entire motion of the crosshead will be imparted to the driving rod to give maximum movement to the secondary ram structure. Thus it will be apparent that the motion of the secondary ram may be given an infinite number of adjustments ranging from zero to maximum stroke.

To provide for convenient adjustment of the nut from a point that is readily accessible, there is formed about the periphery of the nut 55 'a row of teeth 56, forming, in effect, a gear. A driving gear 51 and an idler gear 58 are mounted in a gear casing 56 which also encloses the gear teeth 56 formed on the nut, the idler gear 58 meshing with the driving gear 51 and the teeth 56 on the nut, with the result that rotation of the driving gear results in corresponding rotation of the nut.

In order to prevent rotation of the gear easing and its enclosed train with respect to the threaded portion of the driving rod 23, while at the sam time permitting longitudinal travel of the casing and train, there is provided a shaft 6| which is square in cross section and is slidably received through a square opening 62 extending through the driving gear 51, axially thereof. The shaft BI is provided with trunnions 63 and 64 rotatably mounted in bearings 65 formed in spacer plates 66 secured to opposite ends of the housing members 21 and 28 by bolts 61. It will be noted that the spacer plates 66 are provided with a second set of bearings 66 concentrically opposed to the bearings 65, with respect to the vertical centerline of the mechanism, whereby, if desired, the square shaft 6| may be mounted at the other side of the vertical centerline.

The forward end of the square shaft 6| is connected, through a universal joint 69, with an operating rod extending forwardly and terminating with suitable manual means, such as the handwheel ll, located .at a point readily accessible to an operator during operation of the stoker.

While the invention has been shown in "but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled .in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit "thereof, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Stoker mechanism comprising a ram-Ope ating member including an externally threaded portion adjacent one end: a nut inthreaded engagement with said threaded portion and P O- viding an abutment; means providing Spaced p allel guides at opposite sides of the threaded portion; a crosshead closely surrounding said threaded portion and slidable longitudinally thereon into and out of engagement with the abutment on said nut; guide blocks supporting said crosshead and being slidably supported by the spaced parallel guides; means providing a stop on the ram-operating member at the side of the crosshead opposite to the nut, whereby movement of said "crosshead along said operating member is limited in one direction by said stop and in the other direction by the nut; means for imparting reciprocatory motion to said crosshead; and means whereby the nut maybe rotated on the threaded portion to vary its position longitudinally of the ram-'operatingrmember.

2.. Stoker mechanism comprising a ram-operating member having a threaded portion; a nut on said portion and providing an abutment;

spaced parallel guides at opposite sides of the threaded portion; guide blocks slidably supportedlby said guides; a crosshead supported by said guide blocks and having an opening therethrough slidably receiving the threaded portion; a stop member carried by the ram-operating member at the side of crosshead .opposite the nut, wherebymovement of the crosshead along said operating member is limited in one direction by said stop and in the opposite direction by said nut; means whereby reciprocatory motion may be imparted to said crosshead; and-means for rotating the nut on the threaded portion to vary its position longitudinally of the ram-operating member.

3. Structure as specified in claim '2, wherein the means for rotating the nut comprises teeth formed about the periphery of the nut, a housing enclosing the toothed portion of said nut, atrainof meshing gears within said housing with the last gear of said train meshing with the teeth of said nut, and means for rotating the first vgear of the train and for preventing rotation of the housing.

4. Stoker mechanism comprising a ram-operating member having a, threaded portion; a nut on said portion providing a first abutment; a stop on themember providing a second abutment spaced from the first abutment longitudinally of the member; a crosshead slidably mounted on the ram-operating member between said first and second abutments and adapted, when moved in one direction, to engage the first abutment and impart motion to the ram-operating member and, when moved in the opposite direction, to engage the second abutment and impart motion to the ram-operating member in said opposite direction; means providing spaced parallel guideways at opposite sides of the ram-operating member; guide members slidably supported in said guideways and supporting the crosshead; means for imparting reciprocatory motion to said crosshead; and means for selectively varying the po sition of the first abutment longitudinally of the ram-operating member, said means comprising gear teeth formed about the periphery of said first abutment, gear means by which said abutment may be rotated relative to the threaded portion of the ram-operating member, and means for operating said gear means.

5. Structure as specified in claim 4, wherein the first abutment may be moved along the threaded portion of the ram-operating member a distance equal to the travel of the crosshead,

whereby th travel of said ram-operating meme iber may be selectively varied from zero to an amount equal to the travel of the crosshead.

6. Stoker mechanism comprising a ram-operating member; a pair of abutments carried by and spaced longitudinally of said member; a crosshead slidable along the ram-operating member between said abutments and adapted, when moved in one direction, to engage one of the abutments and impart motion to the ram-operating member and, when moved in the opposite 10 direction, to engage the other abutment and impart motion to the ram-operating member in said

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