IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hermann Wedekind, of Great Tower Street, in
the City of London, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FURNACES." -A communication from abroad by C. Bülowius, of
Bochum, Empire of Germany, Engincer.
Scaled the 16th, November 1875, and dated the 2nd September 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hermann Wedekind
•
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd September 1875.
I, HERMANN WEDEKIND, of Great Tower Street, in the City of
London, Engincer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES," a communication to me from abroad by
C. Bülowius, of Bochum, Empire of Germany, Engineer, to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to gas furnaces to be employed for metal-

page_text: lurgical and other purposes, and consists more particularly in the
application to such furnaces of a peculiar combustion chamber, into
which currents of air and gas are introduced, and where they are mixed
together so as to cause a combustion which commences at the point
where the gases are intermixed, and gradually increases towards the
outlet into the working chamber of the furnace.
0
The gas (which may be obtained from any suitable generator situate
at any required distance from the furnace) is introduced through a valve
and suitable flues to the lower part of the combustion chamber, which
chamber is filled with layers of fire-bricks placed one above the other in 1
alternate positions. Two air valves are employed for the introduction of
air to be mixed with the gas, one of which causes air to pass into the top
part of the chamber through suitable flues and openings, whereas the
other air valve causes air to pass into the lower part of such chamber
independently of the above arrangement for the top part. The air from
the valve for the lower supply is conducted from the front wall round
the chamber and underneath the fire-bridge, and enters the combustion
chamber through openings at the bottom; or, if preferred, the air may
bc conducted directly into the chamber from the side.
The apparatus operates in the following manner :-If the gas valvo
and the air valve for the upper supply are opened, combustion takes
place in the top part of the chambers. The temperature is comparatively
low at this point, where the gas and air are intermixed, but the bricks
become slightly heated, thus increasing the temperature of the the mixture
gas and air on its passage, and enabling it to burn in the more distant
layers of bricks at a greatly increased temperature.. A small portion of
the mixture of gas and air, the temperature of which is being gradually
increased, thus burns in the more distant part of the chamber, and the
heat accumulates until ultimately the whole mixture enters the furnace
at an intense white heat.
If the number of bricks are increased, the temperature increases in
proportion, and any given clevated temperature may be obtained by
varying the number of bricks amongst which the gases required for the

page_text: for the lower supply, by opening or closing which the whole of the
lower space of the chamber, or only a portion of this space, may be
utilized as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Hermann Wedekind in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd March 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HERMANN
WEDEKIND, of Great Tower Street, in the City of London, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
39th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Hermann Wedekind, Her special
license that I, the said Hermann Wedekind, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Hermann Wedekind,
my executors, administrators, or 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 FURNACES," a communication to me from abroad by C.
Bülowius, of Bochum, Empire of Germany, Engineer, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Hermann Wedekind, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, 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 Hermann Wedekind, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained

page_text: in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say :-
The said Invention relates to gas furnaces to be employed for metal-
lurgical and other purposes, and consists more particularly in the
application to such furnaces of a peculiar combustion chamber, into
which currents of air and gas are introduced, and where they are mixed
together so as to cause a combustion which commences at or near the
inlet where the gases are introduced and intermixed, and gradually
increases towards the outlet into the working chamber of the furnace.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the two Figures on the annexed Shect of Drawings, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in both the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a longitudinal
section of a furnace constructed according to one modo of carrying out
this Invention, and Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same.
A is the combustion chamber filled with layers of fire-bricks placed
'one above the other in alternate positions, into the lower part a of which
chamber the gas is introduced through a valve B and passages C. D, D¹,
are valves for the introduction of air to be mixed with the gas, one of
which, videlicet, that D, causes air to pass into the top part 6 of the
chamber through flucs E and openings c, whereas the other air valve,
'videlicet, D¹, causes air to pass into the lower part a of such chamber
quite independently of the above arrangement for the top part. The
air from the valve D¹ is conducted from the front wall d through flues F
round the chamber and underneath the fire-bridge G, and enters the
combustion chamber A through openings e, e, at the bottom; or, if
preferred, the air may be conducted directly into the chamber from
the side.
.
The apparatus operates in the following manner :-If the gas valve B
and the air valve D are opened, combustion takes place in the top part b
of the chambers. The temperature is comparatively low at this point,
where the gas and air are introduced, but the bricks become slightly
heated, thus increasing the temperature of the mixture of gas and air on

page_text: combustion is commenced at or near the inlet into the combustion
chamber, such combustion being gradually increased and the tem-
perature intensified during the passage of the gaseous mixture towards
the outlet from the combustion chamber, substantially as herein before
chamber, such combustion being gradually increased and the tem-
perature intensified during the passage of the gaseous mixture towards
the outlet from the combustion chamber, substantially as herein before
descrived.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hermann Wedekind, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, the First day of March,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hermann Wedekind, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, the First day of March,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
HERMANN WEDEKIND. (L.S.)