IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS AND FURNACES FOR THE CONSUMPTION OF SMOKE
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hugh Rigby, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS AND
FURNACES FOR THE CONSUMPTION OF SMOKE."
Sealed the 1st December 1863, and dated the 4th June 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hugh Rigby at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th June
1863.
I, HUGH RIGBY, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS
AND FURNACES FOR THE CONSUMPTION OF SMOKE," to be as follows:-
In an ordinary boiler having two internal flues, each provided with a furnace
at the front end, I supply the fuel to one furnace at the time that the other
furnace is in its hottest condition. The smoke from this newly-fed furnace
passes along its corresponding internal flue, then down at the back, and returns
along a bottom flue to near the front end; the smoke then rises and passes
along a side flue, and across the back of the boiler to another side flue com-

page_text: municating with a smoke chamber at the front of the boiler; the smoke from
this chamber passes into the other furnace, in which the fuel is in a highly
ignited and glowing condition, the great heat of which converts the smoke
into gas and consumes it. The internal flue of this furnace communicates
with a bottom flue and then with a side flue to the chimney. The two
furnaces are fed alternately, and by employing suitable dampers, worked by
hand or power, the flues and passages are made to correspond with each other.
This arrangement is varied, when desired, by causing some of the brick flues
to be changed for flues passing through the boiler.
In some cases a midfeather may be passed along a single internal tube,
and thereby form two flues, acting the same as two separate tubes; and
this system of alternate feeding and returning the smoke over a glowing
fire may also be applied to boilers, having three or more internal flues and
furnaces.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Hugh Rigby in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd December 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HUGH
RIGBY, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Hugh Rigby, Her special license that I, the said Hugh Rigby,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Hugh
Rigby, 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
STEAM BOILERS AND FURNACES FOR THE CONSUMPTION OF SMOKE," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Hugh Rigby, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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

page_text: 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 Hugh Rigby, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
This Invention consists in improved arrangements of the furnaces and flues
of steam boilers, for the purpose of insuring the consumption of smoke and
economy of fuel.
The manner in which my Invention is to be performed will be clearly
understood, by referring to the figures and letters on the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a transverse elevation of a boiler, connected
with one arrangement of my improved furnaces and flues; Fig. 2, a transverse
section of the flues, with the boiler removed; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section
at the line A, B, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4, a plan of the flues, with the boiler
removed.
The boiler shewn in the Drawing is of the ordinary construction, having
two internal flues, each provided with a furnace at the front end; but in order
to obtain the greatest advantage that can be derived from my improved
system, I supply the fuel to one furnace at the time that the other furnace is
in its hottest condition. a, represents the shell or casing of the boiler; b, c,
the furnaces; d, e, the internal flues; and f, the external brickwork containing
my improved system of flues. Supposing the boiler to be in working order,
and the furnace b, in its hottest condition, it is then the time to charge the
furnace c with fuel. The smoke from the newly-fed furnace c passes through
its corresponding internal flue e, then down a short back flue g, and returns
through a bottom flue h to near the front end of the boiler; the smoke now
rises and passes along a side flue i, from whence it again rises and passes
through the flue k across the back of the boiler to another side flue / com-
municating with a smoke chamber or passage m, at the front of the boiler,
and the smoke from this chamber passes directly into the furnace 6 in which
the fuel is in a highly glowing and ignited condition, the great heat of which
converts the smoke into gas, and consumes it. The internal flue d of this
furnace 6 communicates by a short back flue n with a bottom flue o and then
with a side flue p leading to the chimney.
In course of time the last-mentioned furnace 6 will require a fresh supply
of fuel, and the furnace c, which was last charged, will be in its hottest condi-
tion, and the operation just described will be reversed; but before charging

page_text: the furnace b, a door or damper q is placed in the side flue p to shut off its
communication with the chimney, and a door or damper removed from the
side flue i, to allow it to lead to the chimney, the cross flue k being at the
same time closed by a damper. When the furnace 6 is supplied with fuel
the smoke passes through its corresponding internal flue d, then down the
short back flue n, and returns through the bottom flue o to near the front end
of the boiler; the smoke now rises and passes along the side flue p, from
whence it again rises, and passes through the flue s, across the back of the
boiler, to the side flue t, communicating with a smoke chamber or passage u
at the front of the boiler, from which chamber the smoke passes directly into
the furnace c, the heat of which converts the smoke into gas, and consumes it.
The internal flue e of this furnace communicates by the short back flue g with
the bottom flue h, and then with the side flue i leading to the chimney.
When the furnace c again requires fuel, the positions of the dampers q and r
are reversed, and the cross flues is closed by a damper, and the cross flue k
opened; and after the furnace has been charged the smoke follows the
course first described. Thus the two furnaces are fed alternately, and the
smoke from the newly-fed furnace passes over the glowing fire of the other
furnace, by which means the smoke is consumed, and there is great economy
of fuel.
My improvements in the furnaces consist in placing the furnace bars in a
curved line, instead of placing them straight, and also placing them much
lower than hitherto adopted. The said bars are shewn at v, Fig. 1, and
it will be readily perceived that there can be much more substance or
body of fire, and that the heat from the ignited fuel will impinge upon the
sides of the furnace at more favorable angles than with the old method,
and thereby greatly increase the evaporation of the water, and the economy
of fuel.
The arrangement of flues before described may be varied, when desired, by
causing some of the brick flues to be changed for flues passing through the
boiler; and in some cases a midfeather may be passed along a single internal
tube, and thereby form two flues, acting the same as two separate tubes, and
this system of alternate feeding and returning the smoke over a glowing fire,
may also be applied to boilers having three or more internal flues and furnaces,
and the dampers in all cases may be worked by hand or power.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be under-
stood, that I claim the improvements in the flues and furnaces of steam

page_text: boilers, as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hugh Rigby, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Signed, sealed, and delivered,
by the within-named Hugh
Rigby, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
HUGH RIGBY. (L.S.).