The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-05-23
SMOKE COULD BIB
ABOLISHED HERE

From the Philadelphia Record.
An invention which will certainly attract
much attention at the Manufacturers ex-
position, where it will be shown next fall.
is ecleggs smoke consuming device, ex-
hibited before a number of engineers from
the American Pipe Manufacturing COM
pany, yesterday morning. The inventor Is
David Clegg, well-known engineer of this
city. who has perfected his device after
ten years of study and experiment and
who personally conducted yesterdays ex-
hibition in the rear of the establishment
at Thirty-second and Walnut streets.
The device itself is a very simple one,
and was connected with a fan to provide
the necessary draft. 1t consist of a set of
three iron compartments connected with
the fan, and also with two pipes, one OF
which draws the unconsumed gases from
the furnace into the compartments, where
they are mixed with steam and air, and
are then forced through the other pipe un-
derneath the fire CRATE, where they supply
both draft and a combustile material.
Soft coal was used by Mr.. Clegg In his
exhibition. An ordinary smokestaek was
first connected with the furnace, and
clouds of smoke poured out as the fuel
was piled on the crate. The fan had been
started in the meantime, and the smoke
stack was removed as the device was
put in operation. For a second the black
smoke poured from the furnace, but sud-
denly 1t ceased altogether, and cap was
adjusted over the aperture. This did not
affect the blaze in the least, and the heat
in the furnace reached the temperature OF
Mt H.
of smoke issued from the exhaust chimney,
although a moist gas, devoid of all COM
bustile properties, was forced out. Hand
kerchiefs held over the opening were not
soiled in the least
The claim Of the inventor is that he has
simply succeeded in consuming all the COM
bustile gases which usually escape through
the smokestack, and that, after supplying
them with the needed oxygen, a draught
Is applied to the blaze, which does not dis
turb the fire. One of the most interesting
features of the exhibition was shown by
Inventor Clegg to illustrate how carefully
tho draught had been computed A strip of
tissue paper was placed on the Goals. but
the delicate ash retained its form here al
though 1t was blown to atoms when re-
moved to the air.
O-SSo
apparatus is not only intended to make
smokeless fire, but to save the fuel rs
well, and they declare that fully 90 per cent
of coal Is saved by their device. TO show
the economy of his invention Mr. Clegg
opened the furnace door after the fire had
been blazing for an hour, and it was seen
that part of the coal on top had not been
touched One of the visitors removed some
of the blazing fuel, and, after submerglng
1t In water, it was found that high grade
OF coke still remained, very rich in combus-
tible matter. 81
The clever inventor claims that smoke
cannot be destroyed after once produced,
and his device differs from all other So
called smoke consumers In that smoke is
eliminated by producing flame and a de-
vice which burns all combustible matter
in the fuel leaving nothing which can pass
off as smoke or gas.
Mr.. Clogg has slight change in his de-
vice for use on locomotives, and he declares
that the natural resistance of air on a rum
ming engine will supply part of the needed
draft for his apparatus.
The engineers at yesterdays exhibition
were surprised at the utility and perfection
of the device, and another test is expected
to be given in the near future
An interested spectator at previous ex-
hibition of Mr.. Clegg's device was Thomas
Pray, the well known contracting and con-
sulting engineer of Boston. In his report
on the device he says: "It is really COM
bustion not only Of smoke, but also of near
ly all that is possible to consume of the
gases Certain it is that the rejected heat
passed into the room during the major part
of the day, and not single cinder could
be seen or found. This test settles the fact
unequivocally that Mr.. Clegg has succeed
ed in burning chestnut, range and bitumin-
Gus Goals with small difference of reali-
zed efficiency" Tn speaking of the use
of Clegg's device on locomotives, Mr.. Pray
says: sit will surprise railroad men, It
does not in any way detract from the COM
nand of the whole capacity of the boiler:
1t does not stifie or choke the draft. and
IL cannot fill up the front end with cinders
as large as can pass through the tubes, for
these cannot be made If the device is in
use. In running a train if more steam is
wanted, 1t can be had by allowing the ac-
cess of more air into the Device