The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-01-06 00:00:00

POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of this society was
held at eight o'clock last night, in the Royal Institution,
Colquitt-street, Mr. Thomas Edwards in the chair. The
subject for discussion was Mr. S. O'Regan's " Smoke
Prevention Furnaces."

Mr. O'Regan described, with the aid of diagrams, the
principle of his patent. It is very simple. By an inge-
nious contrivance, a well regulated supply of rarified air
is directed on the gases, causing immediate combustion,
and the total sconsumption of smoke. "To accomplish
this," says Mr. O'Regan's circular, " air is admitted
through a chamber attached to the furnace door; the
dead plate also admits air through a series of slots ; the
fire bars are moved by means of a joggle shaft, the waved
bars longitudinally, and the intermediate or grooved or
plain bars transversely. For marine engines a most
advantageous arrangement is made by the introduction of
a slide or clinker plate placed between the bars and hollow
bridge, which, in place of pulling out the ashes at the
furnace mouth, admits of their being dropped at the back,
thereby preventing the working parts of the engine from
being injured. It also admits air in front of the bridge (a
great advantage for tubular boilers), the hollow bridge
again rarifving the air to such a degree, without reducing
the heat of the furnace, that it produces perfect combus-
tion and causes the total prevention of smoke ; generating
thirty per cent. more steam than in the ordinary furnace.
The advantage for limited boilers cannot be over-
rated, especially for marine engines on long vo3ges."—
Mr. O'Regan dwelt particularly on the advantages of his
marine steam-engine, boilers, and furnaces, in their
application to sea-going steamers. He stated that his
patent had been lately fully tested at the works of Mr.
Hick, of Bolton. The trial was made by Mr. Hick and
his partner in his (Mr. O'Regan's) absence, and they so
approved of it that they recommended it to all their
friends. Mr. Hick was also a government surveyor, and
through his report Mr. O'Regan expected to have his
patent introduced into the government steamers.

Mr. Charles Wye Williams expressed himself rejoiced
at the success described by Mr. O'Regan as attending his
patent, but denied that there was anything original in it.
He maintained that there was nothing in Mr.
O'Regan's patent which he (Mr. Williams) had not many
years since patented, and which any manufacturer might
now use without payment of any royalty, despite of Mr.
O'Regan's patent to the contrary. He wished Mr.
O'Regan every success, but he also wished the public to
understand that there was nothing new in Mr. O'Regan's
patent, and that any one might use it without his per-
mission. In conclusion Mr. Williams described Mr.
O'Regan's asking for royalty for the use of his patent, as
" an attempt to extort money under false pretences."
Mr. O'Regan denied that Mr. Williams's patent was the
same as his. Mr. Williams's admitted cold air, he
admitted hot air, and there lay the advantage of his
patent. That was well known to Mr. Williams, but he
had not the honour or the honesty to admit it. It was an
attempt to plunder him of his property.
Mr. Williams replied, and then there came a rejoinder
from Mr. O'Regan, and after a very warm discussion,
both gentlemen acting on the principle of their patents,
generating no smoke and keeping their " fires " at full
blast, thanks were voted to Mr. O'Regan for the manner
in which he had brought a subject, of such importance to
the public at large, before the society.
The meeting then separated.