CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF CONSUMING SMOKE AND ECONOMIZING FUEL
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PLATT, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Eleventh day of January, in the tenth year of Fler reign, and in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, did, for
Herself, Her heirs, give and grant unto me, the said John Platt, Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John
Platt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and such others as I, the
said John Platt, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, and Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed,
my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF CONSUMING SMOKE
AND ECONOMIZING FUEL;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that
J, the said John Platt, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Platt, do declare that the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and ascertained
in and by the Drawings hereto annexed and the following explanation thereof
(that is to say):-
My Improvements in the method of consuming smoke and economizing
fuel are applicable principally to the furnaces of steain boilers, and consist,-
Firstly, in the application of a valve or damper to admit air into the main
flue, between the furnace and the chimney, at proper intervals, so as to stop
the great draft through the furnace, which damper is opened or closed by the
action of the steam gauge in connection with the boiler.
Secondly, in admitting a current of air into the ash-pit when necessary,
which is also regulated by the steam gauge aforesaid.
Thirdly, in causing the said steam gange to stop or start the feeding
apparatus when required.
And fourthly, in so forming and arranging the fire bars as always to have a
thin red fire at that end of the furnace nearest the bridge, for the purpose of
consuming the smoke as it passes over it from the fresh fuel.
In the Drawing accompanying these Presents, I have shewn my improve-
ments as applied to the furnace of an ordinary tubular steam boiler, similar
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts of mechanism in all the
Figures.
In Sheet 1, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the apparatus, and
Figure 2, a front view of the same, being drawn to a scale of about three
inches to a foot. a, a, is the main framing supporting the casing b, b, of the
steam gauge, the inner cylinder c, c, being suspended by the pressure of the
steam, and counterbalanced by the lever and weight d, d. The
space between
the two cylinders being packed with water or other suitable fluid, steam is
admitted from that boiler to the interior of the inner cylinder c, c, by the pipe e,
and the cylinder is so balanced, that any variation in the pressure of the steam
will cause the cylinder c to rise or fall, and by means of the upright rod f,
actuate the bent lever g, and thus slightly alter the position of the excentric
rod ; the excentric rim or clip i, *, is so formed (see sectional Figure 3) that
only one edge at a time can be in gear with the excentrick, which is caused
to revolve by means of the worm wheel being actuated by the worm m upon
the upright shaft n, which shaft is driven by a band from the feeding apparatus
passing around a pulley at its upper end, or in any other convenient manner.
The excentric rod is suspended from the ceiling by a chain or cord h*, and
being connected to the shaft o by the lever p, rod q, and lever 1, as the excentric

page_text: & revolves, it will cause the shaft o to perform part of a revolution, either in
one direction or the other (according to which side of the rim i, i, is in gear
with the excentric), thus vibrating the levers, which being connected by the
rod t to the valve in the main flue, will open or close that valve as required.
The connection of the apparatus with the boiler, furnace, and flues is shewn in
Sheet 2, Figure 1 being a longitudinal section, and Figure 2 a plan view of a
tubular boiler and furnace, with my apparatus attached thereto, and drawn to
a scale of about half an inch to a foot. A is the brickwork supporting the
boiler B, and C is the main flue leading to the chimney. This flue communi-
cates to the atmosphere by the upright flue D, which is opened or closed by
the valve or damper E, which is connected by the rods and levers t to the
screws; is an overflow pipe to convey off the superfluous water from the
stean gauge, and v is a pipe for blowing the steam through to clear the
passages. It will be seen that when the inner cylinder c of the steam gauge
rises (owing to the increased pressure of the steam), the lever g will throw the
side *, of the excentric clip or rim into gear with the excentrick, and thus,
by means of the rods and levers aforesaid, open the valve E, and allow the
draft of the chimney to draw the air down the flne D, and consequently
diminish the draft through the furnace. When the steam is too low, the valve
E is closed by the action of the steam gauge, and the second part of my Inven-
tion comes into operation. The ash-pit F is closed, and has a flue G connecting
it with the fan or blower H, or with any convenient apparatus for causing a
current of air. The flue q is furnished with a valve I, which is opened or closed
by the vibration of the shaft o being connected to it by the lever wand rod k,
or the rod K may be made to stop the fan H, instead of closing a valve in the
flue G. The vibration of the shaft o, consequent upon the rising and falling of
the cylinder c of the steam gauge, also throws the strap which drives the feeding
apparatus on to the fast or loose pulley, (so as to stop and start the feeding at
proper intervals,) by means of the lever x upon the shaft o, which carries the
strap fork or guide y; z is the driving shaft of the feeding apparatus, and 1, 2,
are the fast and loose pulleys. The peculiar form and arrangement of the
fire bars is seen at Figure 1, Sheet 2. L, M, are the fire bars; the end, M.,
being raised, so that there is always a thin red fire at that end which will con-
sume the smoke that passes over it from the fresh fuel.
Having now described the nature and object of my said improvements in the
method of consuming smoke and economizing fuel, together with the manner
of carrying the same into practical operation, I wish it to be understood that I
claim as my Invention,-
Firstly, the method of causing the increased pressure of the steam to admit

page_text: air into the main flue between the furnace and the chimney, thereby in a great
measure stopping the draft of the furnace.
Secondly, I claim the method of admitting a current of air into the ash-pit,
when necessary, for the action of the steam gauge.
Thirdly, I claim the method of causing the said steam gauge to stop and
start the fuel feeding apparatus when necessary.
And, fourthly, I claim the peculiar form or construction of the fire bars, as
shewn in the Drawings annexed and above described, for the purposes of con-
suming smoke and economizing fuel.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Platt, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Ninth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
Inrolled the Tenth day of July, in the year above written.