Im- PROVEMENTS IN BURNING OR CONSUMING SMOKE, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Rae Wilson Smith, of Glasgow, in
the County of Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN BURNING OR CONSUMING SMOKE, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR
"
Sealed the 14th February 1873, and dated the 7th December 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Rae Wilson
Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 7th December 1872.
I, WILLIAM RAE WILSON SMITH, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNING OR CONSUMING SMOKE, AND IN
Apparatus EmploYED THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say :-
.
This Invention, which relates to improvements in burning or con-
suming smoke, and in apparatus employed therefor, consists in applying
horizontal air tubes to the furnace or fire-box as the case may be.
These

page_text: tubes are preferably situated above or on a level with the fire-bars, and
on reaching the bridge they are then turned backwards, entering into a
closed space at the front end of the hollow fire-bars, by means of which
hollow fire-bars heated air or steam is conveyed to the bridge and
delivered to the products of combustion passing off from the fuel by
openings either at the top, sides, or back thereof. A blowing fan or
steam jet is or may be used for blowing or drawing air or steam through
the apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Rae Wilson Smith in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 7th June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
RAE WILSON SMITH, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in
the 36th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Rae Wilson Smith
Her special license that I, the said William Rae Wilson Smith, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Rae Wilson Smith 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 BURNING OR CONSUMING
SMOKE, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Rae Wilson Smith, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particu-
larly 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

page_text: 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 William Rae Wilson Smith, 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, reference being had to the ac-
companying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
..that is to say :-
My said Invention, which relates to improvements in burning or con-
suming smoke, and in apparatus employed therefor, consists in applying
horizontal air tubes to the furnace or fire-box as the case may be. These
tubes are preferably situated above or on a level with the fire-bars, and
on reaching the bridge they are then turned backwards, entering into a
closed space at the front end of the hollow fire-bars, by means of which
hollow fire-bars heated air or steam, or both, is or are conveyed to the
bridge and delivered to the products of combustion passing off from the
fuel by openings either at the top, sides, or back thereof. A. blowing fan
or steam jet, or both, is or are or may be used for blowing or drawing
air or steam through the apparatus.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I.
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say:―
On the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended the apparatus for
burning or consuming smoke, as constructed in accordance with my said
Invention, is illustrated in conjunction with the furnace end of a hori-
zontal boiler, which is shewn in vertical section at Figure 1, in
horizontal section at Figure 2, in transverse section on the line a, b,
Figures 1 and 2, at Figure 3, and in end elevation at Figure 4.
As shewn by these Figures, air tubes A are inserted into the furnace
or fire-box B of the boiler, which tubes are by preference situated above
the level of the fire-bars C, but they may also be situated on the same
level with the fire-bars, or in any other convenient position. The tubes
A on entering the furnace or fire-box B, are continued towards
the bridge D, on reaching which they are turned backwards and

page_text: •
communicate at their inner extremities with a closed space or chamber
E, into. which the front end of the fire-bars O are introduced, as more
particularly seen at Figure 1. The air on its passage through the tubes A
becomes heated, and is in that state conveyed from the space or chamber
E through the fire-bars C, which are made with channels or passages
through them to the hollow bridge D, and is delivered therefrom
through openings c, formed either at the top of the bridge, as shewn at
Figures 1 and 2, or at the sides or back thereof, to the smoke. and
products of combustion passing off from the fuel in the furnace or fire-
box B, which are thereby burned or consumed.
The air tubes A at their outer extremities are connected to a tube F,
communicating with a blowing fan G, as shewn at Figure 4, for blowing
or drawing air through the apparatus, or in lieu of such arrangement a
steam jet may be employed to induce a current through the tubes A,
space or chamber E, fire-bars C, and bridge D; or a blowing fan and steam
jet may be used jointly.
Instead of employing heated air to promote the combustion of the
smoke at the bridge D, steam superheated by being passed through the
tubes A may be employed for that purpose. One or more doors may be
situated in the front of the space or chamber E in order to facilitate
cleaning operations by passing a brush or other instrument into and
through the chamber and hollow fire-bars.
It is to be here understood that although I have for the sake of
illustration shewn my Invention on the accompanying Drawings as
applied to the furnace or fire-grate of a horizontal boiler, I do not limit
or confine myself to employ my said Invention in conjunction with the
furnaces or fire-grates of boilers, whether horizontal or otherwise, as it is
equally applicable for employment in effecting the burning or consuming
of the smoke or products of combustion proceeding from furnaces or
fire-boxes generally:
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe
in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement or construction of apparatus

page_text: for consuming smoke in furnaces, as herein-before described, or any
mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Rae Wilson Smith, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of June One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
'WILLIAM RAE WILSON SMITH. (L.S.)