Year: 1886

page_text: I, SAMSON Fox, of the Leeds Forge, New Wortley, Leeds, in the County of
York, Engineer and Ironmaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has for object the economical production and utilization for heating
purposes of gases of various calorific intensities and chemical composition.
The apparatus comprises two parts which may be combined under one framing,
or may be separate as may be deemed convenient to the purpose for which it is to
be used..
The first part is constructed with a chamber of any convenient cross-section and
preferably deep in comparison to its horizontal area, it is provided with a grate or
bed of refractory material having interstices for the passage of blast, below the
grate or bed is a chamber into which cinder may run and which also forms an
ashpit. Pipes or passages for conveying air and steam to the lower part of the
apparatus pass through the wall of the ashpit. The upper part of the above
described chamber is provided at a convenient distance below its mouth with a
port for carrying off the gases produced.
Around the head of the chamber is a channel to receive a flange or fillet or rib
projecting downward from the lid.
The channel is filled with sand or other material as luting. Thus with the
exception of the pipes or passages conveying air and steam to, and the port way
for conveying gases from the chamber it is practically hermetically sealed. In
certain cases I apply a cup and cone with inverted bell dipping into a similar
channel, particularly where it is advisable to exclude air as much as possible from
the top of the chamber. The above described chamber or generator may be
attached to, or be near to, or comparatively remote from the hearth or furnace or
fire, the connection being made by air tight jointed pipes or culverts. The whole
is lined with refractory material through or around which passages are arranged
for conveying the blast and steam to the fuel so that they may become heated or
superheated by heat taken from the highly heated refractory lining.
With such apparatus, by varying the amounts of air and steam blown into the
fuel, gas may be produced, the combustion of which will give flame of either an
oxidizing, a neutral or a reducing nature.

page_text: The second part of the apparatus, namely that for utilizing the gases obtained
from the generator or producer, is constructed to suit special work, or for general
smithing operations, such as welding, flanging, finishing, bossing, re-heating,
ordinary blacksmiths' work, crucible or pot melting, annealing, cementation,
rendering malleable, roasting, calcining, firing, production of glass, drying cement
and manufacture of malt or other purpose for which clean heat of considerable
intensity under perfect control is required.
The furnaces are so arranged that the heat may be developed at and directed
towards the particular point at which intensity is required, and this is effected by
inserting gas and air ports in such positions, and inclining them in such directions
as shall best accomplish the object by producing combustion in very close proximity
to the object to be heated, as distinguished from the ordinary plan, according to
which the highest temperature is just around the blast pipe nozzle, the object to
be heated being in many cases two or three feet from it, as in the case of flanging
and welding tires where owing to the high temperature required a considerable
mass of fuel lies over the blast pipe. As examples of construction, the two forms
of fires named are very suitable for a flanging fire. I provide a brick pit of suitable
length, width and depth according to the flanges to be turned and introduced into
the walling gas and air passages and ports opening at suitable intervals both
vertically and longitudinally, each series of passages being connected by pipes to
the gas culvert and main blust pipe, so that one, two or more series may be put in
operation as may be desired or necessary for the work to be performed, whether a
large or small area is to be beated. For welding I provide a comparatively shallow
brick lined trough into which gas is led from the culvert and a blast pipe or pipes
directed towards the joint to be welded.
For a smith's hearth I provide instead of the ordinary open forge with its mass
of more or less impure fuel, a closed brick chamber in which a stream or streams
of gas and air is or are projected directly on to the object to be heated.-In certain
cases where it is desired to maintain a heat of considerable intensity for a long
period it will be advisable to use two or more generators and working them so
that a constant supply of gas of very high calorific power may be maintained.
Dated this 4th day of Ton 1888

page_text: .Improvements. in Apparatus for Generating or Producing and
Utilizing, Gases.
I, SAMSON Fox, of the Leeds Forge, New Wortley, Leeds, in the County of
York, Engineer and Ironmaster, 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:-
.My invention has for object, the economical production and utilization for
heating purposes of gases of various calorific intensities and chemical composition,
and my apparatus is such that these different kinds or qualities of gases can be
produced with proper regulation in one and the same apparatus and even from
very low qualities of fuel such as are in some places regarded as waste or practically
useless, and, there may be produced a heating medium practically free from smoke
and such as will not be liable to injuriously affect. metals.
The apparatus which can be constructed in various forms, comprises under each
modification, two parts, which may be combined under one, framing, or may be
separate as may be deemed convenient to the purpose for which it is to be used.
The first part is constructed with a chamber of any convenient cross section and
preferably deep, in comparison to its horizontal area, it is provided with a grate of
refractory material having interstices for the passage of blast, below the grate or
bed is a chamber into which cinder may run, and which also forms the ashpit.
Pipes or passages for conveying air and steam to the lower part of the apparatus
pass through the walls of the ashpit. The upper part of the above described
chamber is provided at a convenient distance below its mouth with a port for
carrying off the gases produced. In my provisional Specification, I referred to the
use of a channel around, the head of the chamber to receive a flange, or fillet or rib
projecting downward from the lid, the said channel being filled with sand or other
material as, luting in order that, with the exception of the pipes or passages
conveying air and steam to, and the portway, for conveying gases from the chamber,
it should be practically hermetically sealed and thus exclude air as much as possible
from the top of the chamber. But although in some particular cases this method
of sealing may be desirable I find that the cup and cone arrangement also referred
to in my Provisional Specification furnishes in most cases, without. the said sand
lute, a sufficiently effective sealing.
This method is hereinafter described and illustrated. The above described
chamber or generator may be attached to, or be near to, or comparatively remote
from the, hearth, or furnace or fire, the connection being made by air-tight jointed
pipes or culverts. The whole is, lined with refractory material through or around
which passages are arranged for conveying the blast and steam to, the fuel so that
they may become, heated or superbeated by heat taken from the highly. heated
refractory lining.
With such apparatus, by varying the amounts of air and steam blown into the
fuel, gas may, be produced, the combustion of which will give flame of either an
oxydizing, a neutral or a reducing nature, as will be readily understood by a
competent person,

page_text: The second part of the apparatus, namely, that for utilizing the gases obtained
from the generator or producer, is constructed as may be required either to suit
special work or for general smithing operations, such as welding, flanging, finishing,
bossing, reheating, ordinary blacksmith's work, crucible or pot-melting, annealing,
cementation, rendering malleable, roasting, calcining, firing, production of glass,
drying cement and manufacture of malt, or other purpose for which clean heat of
considerable intensity under perfect control is required.
The furnaces are so arranged that the heat may be developed at and directed
towards the particular point at which intensity is required, and this is effected by
inserting gas and air ports in such positions, and inclining them in such directions
as shall best accomplish the object by producing combustion in very close proximity
to the article to be heated, as distinguished from the ordinary method or plan,
according to which the highest temperature is just around the blast pipe or nozzle,
the object to be heated being in many cases two or three feet from it, as in the
case of flanging and welding fires where owing to the high temperature required
a considerable mass of fuel lies over the blast pipe.-For a flanging fire I provide a
brick pit of suitable length, width and depth according to the flanges to be turned,
and introduce into the walling gas and air passages and ports opening at suitable
intervals both vertically and longitudinally, each series of passages being connected
by pipes to the gas culvert and main blast pipes so that one, two or more series
may be put in operation as may be desired or necessary for the work to he
performed, whether a large or small area is to be heated.
For welding I provide a comparatively shallow brick-lined trough into which
gas is led from the culvert, and a blast pipe or pipes directed towards the joint to
be welded.
For a smith's hearth I provide instead of the ordinary open forge with its mass
of more or less impure fuel, a closed brick chamber in which a stream or streams of
.gas and air is or are projected directly on to the object to be heated. In certain
cases where it is desired to maintain a heat of considerable intensity for a long
period it will be advisable to use two or more generators, working them so that a
constant supply of gas of very high calorific power may be maintained.
In the annexed drawings are illustrated examples of construction, in which like
letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur, all the figures being in sectional
elevation.
Fig. 1, represents an arrangement of generator and furnace for welding tubes,
plates or other articles.
Fig. 2, represents an arrangement adapted for flanging boiler flues, and plates
and the like.
Fig. 3, represents an arrangement for re-heating, and faggotting, by altering the
proportions of the chamber of the furnace, this form is applicable to cementation,
rendering malleable, roasting or calcining.
Fig. 4, represents an arrangement of apparatus with a hearth shewn in cross
section suitable for ordinary blacksmith's work.
Fig. 5, illustrates an arrangement for use in pot-melting.
In each case A, is the generator, B, the grate, C, the ashpit, D, the nozzle of
the air blast, E, the nozzle of the steam pipe, F, the gas eduction port, G, the
sealing on the generator top, provided with cup and cone arrangement H, for
charging the generator with fuel, I, I, are passages built in the refractory lining or
walls of the generator, forming a helical passage through which air for supporting
the combustion of the fuel is heated in its course to the nozzle D.-K, is the
furnace or hearth which can be constructed in one or other of the forms shown or
otherwise to suit special requirements and is connected with the port F, in the
generator by the passage L.-Air ports M, are inserted in the passage L, for the
purpose of supplying air for the combustion of the gas formed in the generator.
The quantity of air is regulated by a valve or cock N, and the ports are inclined
at an angle to the gas port for the more perfect mixing of the gas and air in the

page_text: combustion passage L;-0, 0¹, are cleaning out doors; P, is the main blast pipe ;
Q, the steam pipe.
In working such apparatus a fire is first kindled in the generator A; the fuel
being brought to incandescence throughout, carbonic oxide being formed, steam is
then turned into the chamber below the fire and by the decomposition of the
vapour hydrogen gas is given off with some carbonic oxide and carbonic acid.
The hydrogen and carbonic oxide now burn at the mouth of the furnace with
great intensity and by opening the valve N, air is admitted through the ports M,
to the gas in the combustion chamber L, causing it to ignite in that chamber and
the heat to be applied to the article under treatment in any direction in which the
gas is directed on to the same. As it gets hot by the combustion of these mixed
gases, and a very intense heat being desired, the air blast through the nozzle D, is
cut off and only the hydrogen and carbonic oxide formed by the decomposition of
the steam are burnt, producing a flame of higher calorific power, practically free
from nitrogen.
By varying the proportion of the air admitted by the valve N, the flame may
be rendered neutral, oxidizing or reducing at will.
In the cases of re-heating, smithing, pot-melting and so on, where it is necessary
to have the furnace full of flame I provide a stack with damper so that the outflow
of gas may be checked as may be found needful for the article being heated or the
work to be done.
In conclusion I would have it understood that I do not bind myself to the exact
configuration of the various parts shown in the figures used to explain my invention,
as it is obvious that the same may be varied without departing from the nature
of my invention, and that the application of the gases is dependent on the
circumstances of the work to be done.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is
Apparatus substantially as described with reference to the annexed drawings for
generating or producing and utilizing gases.
Dated this 10th day of September 1880.
Witness
THOB E. CRAVEN, C.E., Fel. Inst. Patent Agents,
24, Victoria Chambers, Leeds.
SAMSON FOX,