IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Johanny, of the City of Vienna, in the
Empire of Austria, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES."
Sealed the 9th July 1858, and dated the 29th April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Johanny at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 29th April 1858.
I, ROBERT JOHANNY, of the City of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION 07 FURNACES," to be as follows:-
The furnace is closed, and has a door or opening through which the
fuel is introduced. The grate.or fire-bar portion is formed by steps, the
bars being placed at different degrees of elevation. The flue marked A
in the accompanying Drawing receives the gases generated in the
furnace. It commences immediately above the layer of fuel which is
in a state of incandescence, and extends upwards beyond the top of
the furnace. Atmospheric air is supplied to the flue A by means of the
flue marked B, which commences below the grate or fire-bars, passes
through the layer of burning fuel, and projects into the flue A..
The operation of the furnace is as follows:-As soon as the layer of
burning fuel is formed in the furnace as high as the mouth of the flue A,
[Price 8d.]

page_text: and the flues A and B becoming heated at the same time, the con-
sumption of the smoke commences. The layer of fuel which is imme-
diately over the one in a state of combustion begins to distil and
disengage gases, which are received by the flue A, and become heated
a second time, in which state they unite above the mouth of the flue B
with the atmospheric air and are consumed.
The following are amongst the properties and advantages possessed
by furnaces constructed in accordance with this Invention. The fire
does not vary in intensity, the volume of gas supplied being constantly
the same, and regulated by the dimensions of the flue A, perfect com-
bustion is produced whatever fuel may be used, while the consumption
of the latter is consequently economised, and descriptions of fuel inferior
to those usually employed may be burned. The furnaces of locomotive
engines constructed on these principles would emit no sparks from the
chimnies, and the furnaces of stationary steam engines and steamboats
made. upon similar principles would no longer require lofty chimnies,
the smoke being more perfectly consumed than is ordinarily the case.
A perfect account of the quantity of fuel consumed can be kept.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Johanny in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
JOHANNY, of the City of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Robert Johanny, Her special licence that I, the
said Robert Johanny, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Robert Johanny, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Johanny,

page_text: my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Johanny do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the descriptions herein-after
contained, and the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked. thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention consists principally in the employment and arrange-
ment of the closed fire hearth, and of the tubes herein called respectively
the fire tubes and air tubes, as herein-after mentioned.
Figures I., II, and III. in the Drawings hereunto annexed exhibit
these three particulars, united as they are required for a small furnace.
In Figure I., T represents the fire door through which the fuel is
introduced; r, the grate; M, the fire tube; n, the air tube; p, a partition
plate closing the fire hearth; t, the door of the ash box. The fire tube
M commences at a distance of three to five inches above the grate, and
terminates without the fire hearth, and reposes by means of a margin or
edge on the partition plate p. The air tube n rests on the fire-grate
in a suitable aperture, and terminates in the fire tube M. Both the
fire and air tubes may be of any convenient section, that is to say, either
circular or angular. The proportion of the two tubes to each other is
approximately as one to three in the diameter, or one to seven in the
section.
Figures IV., V., and VI. in the annexed Drawings represent the above-
mentioned particulars united in the manner necessary in the construc-
tion of a large furnace. The advantages and power of the furnace may
be increased to any desired extent by arranging. several of the fire
tubes M side by side with their respective air tubes n, as represented
in Figure V. The like effect may be also obtained by dispensing with
the separate fire tubes and employing in lieu thereof a single trunk or
flue of corresponding capacity, as represented in Figure VI., the com-
bined air tubes being retained.
I will now describe the mode in which the combustible materials are
employed and arranged-The bed of coals on the grater having been

page_text: reduced to a state of incandescence so that the air tube n is entirely
surrounded thereby, the same also reaching to the end, or margin, or
edge of the tube M. The fuel or combustible materials employed
should be placed on the bed of incandescent coal, which will cause the
same to distil and produce smoke, the same being carried off through
the fire tube M after it has penetrated the bed of incandescent coal
touching the end of the same. During its passage through the incan-
descent coals, the smoke is decomposed into combustible gas, and which
burns as a light gas flame upon coming in contact with the atmospheric
air above the mouth of the air tube n. The bed of coal on the grate is
simultaneously reduced to ashes by its coming in contact with the atmo-
spheric air, and thereby so much warmth is evolved as to render the
fuel or combustible materials superimposed thereon incandescent, thus
compensating by the heat evolved by the latter, for the decrease in the
amount of heat produced by the lower bed of coals consequent upon its
reduction to ashes.
Figures VII., VIII, IX., X., and XI. illustrate my Invention when
applied to a stove. T represents the fire door; r, the door of the ash
box; and S, a damper serving to regulate the supply of air to the fire.
In this arrangement the air allowed to enter by the damper S travels
round the heated sides of the fire box, thereby becoming highly calorified
before it enters the air tube n. The fire bars constituting the grate lie
in a conical fire kettle or cavity, the same bearing the air tube n, above
which is placed the fire tube, the latter hanging in the partition plate p.
Figures XII., XIII., and XIV. represent the principles of my Inven-
tion applied to the furnace of a steam boiler. T is the fire door, for
the purpose of introducing the fuel; G is a damper for the admission of
air into the space below the grate; t is the door of the ash box, and S
a valve to regulate the supply of air for the air tubes n. Below the
ash box is a tube or channel composed of iron plates E and F, the
object thereof being to heat the air which is to burn in the air tubes
on its way to the same through the iron plates E and F, which are
heated by the ashes falling thereon; the fire grate is of the usual form,
and rests on its bearings. Two bars are fastened in the rear of the
grate, the same being intended to bear the air tubes, the same bars
being provided with suitable flanges. The fire tube is arranged in the
following manner:-Above the fire grate and at a suitable distance
from the bridge, there is an iron bearer properly fastened, on which the

page_text: brickwork, consisting of fire-proof bricks, is raised and connected above
to the boiler.
The following are among the properties and advantages possessed by
furnaces constructed in accordance with the principles of my Invention.
An equal intensity of the fire is kept up, the volume of gas supplied
being constantly the same, and regulated by the dimensions of the fire
tube or tubes, perfect combustion is produced whatever fuel may be
employed, while the consumption of the latter is economised and
descriptions of fuel inferior to those usually employed may be burned.
The furnaces of locomotive engines constructed upon these principles
would emit no sparks from the chimneys, and the furnaces of stationary
steam engines and steamboats made upon similar principles would no
longer require lofty chimneys, the smoke being more perfectly con-
sumed than is ordinarily the case. Another advantage resulting from
my Invention is that a perfect account of the quantity of fuel consumed
can be kept.
Having thus described and explained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would observe
in conclusion that I do not claim all the several and distinct parts of
the arrangements herein-before mentioned as being novel and original,
neither do I confine or restrict myself to the precise details or arrange.
ments which I have described or referred to, inasmuch as variations
may be made therefrom without deviating from the principles or main
features of the said Invention; but what I consider novel and original,
and therefore claim as my Invention, are, the arrangement and con-
struction of furnaces as herein-before particularly mentioned and set
forth, or any mere modifications thereof, for the purposes aforesaid, or
for any purposes to which furnaces so constructed are applicable.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Johanny have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
W. A. ASHWORTH.
ROBERT JOHANNY. (L.S.)