AN IMPROVED SMOKE-CONSUMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF INTRODUCING THE COAL OR FUELINTO IT
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Constant Joseph Guffroy, Merchant, of
No. 3, Duke Street, Adelphi, Westminster, County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED SMOKE-CONSUMING APPARATUS, AND
AN
Sealed the 13th July 1860, and dated the 24th January 1860.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Charles Constant Joseph
Guffroy at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 24th January 1860, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
CONSTANT JOSEPH GUFFROY, Merchant, of No. 3, Duke Street, Adelphi,
Westminster, County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED SMOKE-
CONSUMING APPARATUS, AND ALSO AN IMPROVED METHOD OF INTRODUCING THE COAL
OR FUEL INTO IT," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the
ethe
same, and have made solemn declaration that I verily believe myself to bet
true and first Inventor thereof..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Constant Joseph Guffroy, do
hereby declare, that the following Complete Specification under my hand and
Beal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, reference being had to the
Price 87

page_text: Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say:-.
The arrangement is applicable without any essential modification to the
furnaces of all forms of boiler, tubular or otherwise, whether marine or land,
fixed or portable,to the fire grate of locomotives, to the ovens ofglass workers,
cementing furnaces, or in a word, for any purpose, 'industrial or domestic. It
can also be adapted for any kind of solid fuel, however composed, or for the
use of fluid or viscious combustibles by mixing them properly with other
materials of a solid nature.
I now proceed to the description by way of example of the said Invention
as applied to the furnace of two fixed boilers of fifty-horse power, the Drawings
for which, to a scale of one-tenth the actual size, are annexed, and to explain
its mode of action. Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the above furnace; Fig. 2, a
plan in perspective of the fire grate and dead.plate; Fig. 3, a longitudinal
vertical section through a-b, Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4, a cross vertical section
through -y, Figure 3; Fig. 8, a vertical section, parallel to the face of the
lining, to the apron or furnace face, through e-d, Figure 3; Fig. 9, horizontal
section of the apron and its lining through c-g, Figure 8; Fig. 10, vertical
section of the dead plated between the supply troughs, shewing its position
over the outer ends of the bars c; Fig. 11, example of an oblong shovel,
which serves to introduce the fuel into the troughs; Figs. 12, 12bis, 12tor, plan
and sections of the elevator v.
The greater portions of the furnace through which the air enters are
composed of longitudinal bars c, of whatsoever form, supported at their
extremities by the cross bearers 8, 8. Between these long narrow gratings
and resting on the same bearers 8, 8', are placed one or more troughs, which
may be made of cast or wrought-iron or steel, or in one or more parts; these
troughs have their sides raisedeven with the top of the grate, but their lengths,
-breadth, and depth, (all or either) may-vary according to the requirements of
their application, but they are closed at the bottom sides, and inner end, and
open at the outer, at which, by means of the oblong shovel u, the fuel is
introduced; they are also open at the top, whereby the fuel introduced is lifted
by the elevators v up to the top of the grate inside the furnace. At the inner or
"bridge" end of the furnace, the bottom of these troughs curve up so as to
form an inclined plane p, terminating at its summit by a flat step i; at the
outer front end they are prolonged under the dead plated, and their mouths a
widened, and thus projecting beyond the front of the furnace, are there
supported by meams 8", cast in one piece with (or attached to) the apron or
furnace face. Over the opening of each trough there is hung a hook r, upon

page_text: which to rest the handle of the elevator during the introduction of coal into the
troughs. The "elevators" shewn in Figure 12 and in section by Figure 12bis
are double-faced, flat, and hollow, of the same width as the bottom of the
troughs, and of the same length as the fire grate; the thickness must be
proportionate to the length, so as to ensure rigidity in use; the thickness shewn
(about ths of an inch) or quite enough for a length of say four feet; one
extremity is flattened to a wedge shape, the other terminates in a long arm
and cross handle.
I (generally) construct these as follows:-I take two rods of iron about
Taths by ths of an inch in section and the length of the grate; these rods
I unite at one, two, or three places of their length by cross rods, and at one
of the extremities by a wedge-shaped piece of iron, and at the other by a piece
terminating in the handle; the cross pieces should be securely rivetted to the
rods with screw rivets. For each of the faces of this frame throughout its
length and breadth except for the 1 or 2 inches of the wedge extremity I
propose (to use) sheet iron of about 4th inch in thickness, rivetted securely
with sunk rivets, as shewn (by dots) in Figure 12bis. I can also form my
elevators of flat tubes (drawn), as shewn in section at Fig. 12ter, with which
it would suffice to insert the cross rods in the middle, as also the two plates at
the extremities with the handle. These fire grates may be placed either hori-
zontally or inclined, but it is better that they should be inclined. The dead
plate d (Figure 3) is also inclined even more thau the grate,and should be close
upon the top of the troughs; it has feathers sharp below underneath, coin-
ciding with the sides of the troughs and increasing their height,also at the top
projections (Figures 2 & 3) between the troughs, to complete the apron.
Behind the fire bridge m (Figs. 2 & 3) is a cavity, intended to receive the
clinkers from the furnace which the stoker throws over the fire bridge, instead
of taking them out at the furnace door; this cavity is large enough to contain
all the clinkers formed during a day's work; it communicates with the ash-pit
k by means of a large high door l, from whence the stoker clears out the
clinkers; the side walls of this cavity are built up from the bottom in a curved
(or inclined) forin, so as to cause the clinkers to slide of their own accord to
the front of the door as fast as they are withdrawn. In order to ensure the
solidity of the bridge m, I enclose the upper part (Figs. 2 and 3) between two
pieces of cast iron, the first, n, is a sort of curb or edging, with its extremities
fixed into the side walls, having in its upper face deep recesses n', which I fill
with fire clay; the second piece is a plate q, supported by the bearers and
rising about seven inches above the same, and from three to four inches above
the bars and troughs; the ends of this plate are also let into the side walls.

page_text: This plate besides strengthening the bridge also prevents the adhesion of the
clinkers; the back of it is made hollow between it and the bridge by vertical
bars, shewn by the dotted lines (Fig. 3.) To complete this arrangement for
the getting rid of the clinkers I have added a new form of furnace front, as
shewn in elevation by Fig. 1, and in section by Figs. 3, 8, & 9. The doors b
are only of the size strictly necessary for the introduction of the stoking tools;
the fuel is introduced and the clinkers withdrawn by other and different open-
ings. The framework of the furnace front situated between the doors is lined
with fireproof material contained between vertical and lateral projections cast
upon the front plates; these materials may be either of bricks, as in Fig. 8,
or of pounded fire-brick and clay, as in Fig. 9. In cases where it may be
objectionable or impossible to construct the receptacle for the clinkers behind
the fire bridge, and that therefore they must be removed through the front of
the furnace, the arrangement as shewn in elevation by Fig. 5, and by longitu-
dinal vertical section in Fig. 6 is employed. In this arrangement one or two
of the doors, according to whether the furnace has three or four troughs, are
sufficiently large to allow of the withdrawal by them of the clinkers. When
necessary that a workman should enter the interior by withdrawing the screw
bolts which hold on the door jambs a, these and the doors attached can bo
removed, and a large opening obtained in the present design equal in width to
the three doors and intermediate jambs altogether.
The best manner to light the fire so as to produce in doing so but a very
trifling amount of smoke, and at same time very quickly to bring it up to a
very great heat, with which will be combined great economy of fuel and a
complete combustion of smoke, is as follows:-After having filled the troughs
-with-fuel-sufficiently above the level of the fire grate.for.such fuel.to.fall.over
-to-the-right-and-left,-so-as-to-cover-about-half_the_surface of the bars, tho
stoker places the material for lighting the fire upon the grates, and having
lighted them here and there, he supplies then more and more with fuel by
raising it from the troughs, which (as exhausted) he recharges in the manner
I will presently describe. The fire is not in full activity until it is one bed
of incandescent coke, of which the thickness over the grates varies from 4 to 8
inches (or thereabouts),at the same time that above the troughs this thickness
of glowing coke continually lifted up by the successive charges, reaches a
height of from 8 to 12 inches. Between the charges the elevators lie at the
bottom of the troughs under the last supply of coal introduced, and pushed
up to the foot of the inclines, when the necessity of a fresh charge arises,
which generally takes place when the upper layer of fuel in the troughs is
ignited, and the lower layer in process of distillation the stoker pushes forward

page_text: the elevator until its end sliding up the incline p rests on the step at the top i,
then raising the front end he suspends the handle upon the hook ; the last
charge thus becomes raised in the furnace to the level of the grates under a
bed of glowing coke, where it completes its distillation and ignition. Under
the elevator thus elevated to the level of the fire grate, and sustained at one
end by the step i and at the other by the hook r, the trough is empty and
ready to receive a new charge of fuel. This the stoker introduces by means
of the long shovel u, then unhooking the elevator he gives it a quarter turn
and withdraws it sideways through the fuel just introduced as far as the edge
of the trough, and again slides it along the bottom of the trough beneath the
coal as far as the foot of the inclined plane p, where it remains until the next
charge.
It will be clear that my troughs form a kind of retort in which takes
place a great portion of the distillation of the coal or other fuel, and which by
the raising of their contents, supply to the whole surface of the furnace the
bed of coke with which it is covered, and in which at the same time the
mingling and combustion of the inflammable gases produced by the distillation
and of the air entered through the bars is accomplished.
It is important to observe that my furnace, although the combustion in it is
more completo, requires a less excess of air, and that, therefore, the fluo
opening may be much less than with ordinary furnaces. I can dispense with
the inclined plane p in the troughs, and raise the ends of the elevators on to
the step i by two other means. The first is shewn by the longitudinal vertical
section, Fig. 6, the step (or resting place) i is retained, but the incline is
removed, with the exception of a slightcurve upwards of about an inch or an
inch in the bottom of the trough to the foot of the step. At the time of the
charge the stoker takes bold of the handle of the elevator, which (as before)
lies at the bottom of the trough under the coal, lifts and suspends it to the
hook r;
it is shewn in this position in Fig. 6; then the stoker by means of
the rod z slides the moveable rest o (Fig. 6) along the bottom of the trough,
upon which, having unhocked the elevator, he fulcrums it so that its farther
extremity rises up to the level of the step i, upon which, having lodged it by
pushing it slightly forward, he relifts it to and again suspends it upon the
hook. The raising of the preceding charge of fuel into the fire being thus
achieved the stoker withdraws the fulcrum (or rest) o, refils the trough with
fresh coal, and replaces the elevator under this new charge by pushing it along
to the foot of the step i, and there leaves it till the next charge. With long
furnaces, in order not to strain the elevator too much at the moment of
leverage, the fulcrum o can be furnished with, a sort of bed more or less

page_text: edges of the same, resting upon the edges of the troughs and ends of the fire-
bars; e, upper ribs (or feathers) to the fire or dead plate, intended to secure
the fire bricks which are encased by them; e', under projections to the said
plate, coinciding with the sides of the troughs a'; g, receptacles for the clinkers
behind the bridge; h, the boilers; i, rest or step at the top of the inclined
plane pj, wall plate or girder, with its ends let into the walls placed over the
doors to support the masonry; k, ash-pit; í, door from the ash-pit into the
receptacle for the clinkers; m, fire-bridge; n, curb or edging with recesses n¹,
secured into the side walls behind the bridge; o, a moveable fulcrum for the
elevator, furnished with a rod handle; o¹, the axis of the fulcrum rest o;
p, inclined planes at the farther end of the troughs upon which the elevators
slide in being raised; 9, cast-iron plate placed upon the inner bearer s, behind,
and rising higher than the bars and troughs; 7, hooks hanging over the orifices
of the troughs, upon which to suspend the handles of the elevators; s, s', inner
and outer bearers of the fire-bars; s", an outermost bearer for the troughs,
cast with furnace front or apron; t, lateral and vertical projections cast with
the apron, retaining the fire-proof material, which protects it from the excessive
heat; u, long shovel for introducing fuel into the troughs; v, the elevators
for lifting the fuel in the troughs; x, moveable door jambs, fixed to the apron
by screws; y, an elbowed lever for the purpose of lifting the inner end of the
elevator to the top of the resting step i; z, the rod handle of the moveable
fulcrum o.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Constant Joseph Guffroy, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
CHARLES CONSTANT JOSEPH GUFFROY: (L.S.)
T. BRIGNOLES.