IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF DENSE SMOKE BEING EMITTED FROM THE CHIMNEYS OF STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES, AND FOR ECONOMISING THE FUEL CON- SUMED IN SUCH FURNACES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Stell, of Brunswick Street, Keighley, in
the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR THE PREVENTION OF DENSE SMOKE BEING EMITTED FROM THE CHIMNEYS OF
STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES, AND FOR ECONOMISING THE FUEL CON-
SUMED IN SUCH FURNACES."
Sealed the 8th July 1873, and dated the 11th January 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Stell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th January 1873.
I, SAMUEL STELL, of Brunswick Street, Keighley, in the County of
York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-'
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF DENSE SMOKE BEING EMITTED FROM
THE CHIMNEYS OF STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES, AND FOR ECONOMISING THE
FUEL CONSUMED IN SUCH FURNACES," to be as follows:-
It is well known that in order to prevent dense or black smoke from
issuing from furnaces it is necessary to admit an additional quantity of

page_text: air, or it may be steam and air into the furnaces immediately after
stoking or feeding of fuel in order to consume the extra quantity of gas
and smoke evolved at such time, and that by such gas and smoke being
consumed by inflammable combustion the temperature of the flues is
raised higher than otherwise would be the case if such extra gas and
smoke were allowed to escape unconsumed.
It is also well known that after such gas and smoke ceases to be
evolved the fire assumes an incandescent state, and that such extra
quantity of air, if not then shut off, causes the temperature of the flues
to be reduced, thereby requiring the furnaces to be fed oftener than
would be necessary if such extra quantity of air were shut off imme-
diately after such gas and smoke abated or ceased to be evolved.
My Invention relates to means by which this regulation or stoppage
of the supply of air to the furnaces may be self-acting. For this purpose
the extra quantity of air required for the combustion of the extra gases
and smoke is admitted through an aperture or apertures at the front part
of the furnaces, say at the door; or it may be at the back part or the
bridge or other convenient part of the furnace that will admit of the
extra quantity of air being brought in contact with the gases and smoke
produced by the combustion of the fuel to cause their inflammable
combustion, and these apertures have flaps or valves capable of closing
them, and which are opened between the opening and closing of the
furnace doors so as to admit the largest amount of air to pass on to tho
fresh fuel immediately the furnace door is closed. This extra quantity
of air does not require to be shut off until the fuel ceases partially or
wholly to evolve gases and smoke, and the fire becomes incandescent.
In order that this shutting off of the supply of air may take place at
the required time I apply to the flues of the furnaces a metallic rod, cord,
wire, or other connection capable of ready expansion by heat and con-
traction by cold, such metallic connection being connected by lever
apparatus to the valve apparatus to close the same at the time
referred to.
The combustion of the oxtra gases in the furnaces will cause the flame
to extend along these flues, and thereby raise the temperature and cause
the expansion of the metallic connection to the flaps, valves, or covers,
but which will not effect such air passages whilst such connection is
expanding. So soon however as the fuel in the furnaco becomes incan-
descent and the flame ceases to extend along the flues the metallic

page_text: connection contracts by cooling in temperature, and in contracting acts
upon the covers to the air passages to close them at the required time,
thus preserving the heat obtained in the flues longer than would be the
case if the air were not shut off when required.
Such expanding and contracting connection in the flues may have an
indicator applied to it to indicate the extent of heat in such flues, and
thus act as a pyrometrical apparatus.
.
By one arrangement this metallic connection is connected to a spring
or weighted rod, and that rod is connected to the lever apparatus so as to
slip on or through it without affecting it during expansion, but so soon
as contraction begins click or lever pressure operates to produce contact
between the parts so as to effect the closing of the air passages.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Stell in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 9th July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
STELL, of Brunswick Street, Keighley, in the County of York, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-sixth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Samuel Stell, Her special license, that I,
the said Samuel Stell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or.
such others as I, the said Samuel Stell; 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 APPARATUS FOR THE
PREVENTION OF DENSE SMOKE BEING EMITTED FROM THE CHIMNEYS OF STEAM BOILER
AND OTHER FURNACES, AND FOR ECONOMISING THE FUEL CONSUMED IN SUCH FURNACES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Stell,.
.

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 Samuel Stell, 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 in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
It is well known that in order to prevent dense or black smoke from
issuing from furnaces it is necessary to admit an additional quantity of
air, or it may be steam and air into the furnaces immediately after
stoking or feeding of fuel in order to consume the extra quantity of gas
and smoke evolved at such time, and that by such gas and smoke being
consumed by inflammable combustion the temperature of the flues is
raised higher than otherwise would be the case if such extra gas and
smoke were allowed to escape unconsumed.
It is also well known that after such gas and smoke ceases to be
evolved the fire assumes an incandescent state, and that such extra
quantity of air, if not then shut off, causes the temperature of the flues
to be reduced, thereby requiring the furnaces to be fed oftener than
would be necessary if such extra quantity of air were shut off imme-
diately after such gas and smoke abated or ceased to be evolved.
My Invention relates to means by which this regulation or stoppage
of the supply of air to the furnaces may be self-acting. For this purpose
the extra quantity of air required for the combustion of the extra gases
and smoke is admitted through an aperture or apertures at the front part
of the furnaces, say at the door; or it may be at the back part or the
bridge or other convenient part of the furnace that will admit of the
extra quantity of air being brought in contact with the gases and smoke
produced by the combustion of the fuel to cause their inflammable
combustion, and these apertures have flaps or valves capable of closing
them, and which are opened between the opening and closing of the
furnace doors so as to admit the largest amount of air to pass on to the a
fresh fuel immediately the furnace door is closed. This extra quantity
of air does not require to be shut off until the fuel ceases partially or

page_text: The action of the air may be aided by a jet or jets of steam.
0
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a front view and Figure 2 a side view of parts of a
boiler and furnace with apparatus arranged according to my Invention.
Figure 3 represents parts separately.
letters indicate corresponding parts.
In each of the views the same

page_text: A represents the boiler; B, the brickwork or setting thercof. E is the
internal tube or flue for the fire-place and passage of the products of
combustion therefrom. C is the fire-box door. I is a small rocking
shaft supported to turn in bearings carried by the door C, and having
affixed to or formed on it arms G and F. The arm F is jointed by a
hinged joint at about the middle of its length, so that when the door C
opens the jointed end allows the arm F to pass the end of the lever J,
but when the door C shuts the arm F rests against the lever J, the hinge
piece being formed to turn only one way. D is a trap door under the
bridge at the back of the fire to let in the air beyond the bridge. W is
a connecting rod from the door D to the arm G. m is a metallic wire
or rod fixed at one end in the side fluc at X, and at its other end to a
chain n, which is passed over a small guide pulley o and then coiled
round the pulley V. The pulley O is capable of turning loosely on the
projecting stud P standing out from the brickwork. N is a weight to
the end of the chain n to keep the wire or rod stretched. The pulley V
is fixed to the friction disc or pulley K, which is capable of turning
loosely on the stud standing out from the brickwork. L is a stationary
index plate fixed at the end of the stud r. R is a spur wheel fixed on
the friction disc or pulley K, and the teeth of which take into the teeth
of the small pinion S. This pinion S is fixed at one end of the shaft T,
at the other end of which is fixed a pointer U. The lever J is formed
open to receive the disc K within it, and the fulcrum of this lever J is
the axis of the disc K. Y is a friction click carried by the lever J, and
which only clicks when the wire m is contracting. d is a fixed stop for
the lover J to rest against. M is a counterpoise weight in order that
when the click is released the lever J may go against the stop d.
When the wire or rod m contracts by the flues getting cool after the
smoke from the fire-place has been consumed it acts by the chain n to
turn the disc K, when the disc K acts on the click V to cause it to lower
the outer end of the lever J until it gets below the arm F of the rocking
shaft H, and allows it to drop and close the trap door D, thereby shutting
off the air through that passage. The spur wheel R being fixed to the
disc K works the pinion S on the shaft T, and consequently it works the
pointer to indicate when the flues are hot or cool. The disc K is con-
ținually turning on its axis as the wire or rod n expands or contracts,
but the lever J is only moved when the wire is contracting.
The con-
necting rod W which connects the trapdoor D is jointed to the arm G

page_text: immediately under the centre of the hinges of the fire-door C, so that
whether the fire-door C is opened or shut it does not affect the trap-
door D. The trapdoor D is opened when the fire-door C is shut by the
arm F catching and resting against the lever J, or it may be opened by
hand by pulling the arm F so as to catch the lever J after the door is
shut.
Figures 3 and 4 show by a front view and plan the lever J and parts
thereof without the index plate or heat indicator.
Figures 5, 6, and 7 show another method of working the lever J. In
this caso A, A, are friction plates, which are caused to nip against the
lever J by the two springs B, B, with sufficient pressure to work the
lever J. The weight m just balances the lever J, and the weight N is
sufficiently heavy that when the wire is expanding and the lever J is
against the stop & the friction plates slip on the lover J and allow the
wire to be kept stretched.
Having thus described my Invention and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details shown and described, as these may
be varied without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention,
but what I claim is the arranging or combining parts for the prevention
of dense smoke being emitted from the chimneys of steam boiler and
other furnaces, and for economizing fuel consumed in such furnaces by
the use of a rod, cord, or wire, or such like suitable connecting means
applied in the flues, and acting substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Stell, have hercunto set
my hand and scal, this Fourth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
SAMUEL STELL. (L.S.)