IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE ARRANGEMENTS AND CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES AND OTHER FIRE-PLACES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Julien Billiard, of 20, Red Lion Square, in thé
County of Middlesex, Importer of Foreign Goods, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE ARRANGEMENTS AND CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES AND
OTHER FIRE-PLACES."-A communication.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Julien Billiard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th April 1857.
I, JULIEN BILLIARD, of 20, Red Lion Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Importer of Foreign Goods, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENTS AND CONSTRUCTION OF
FURNACES AND OTHER FIRE-PLACES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the arrangement and construction
of furnaces and other fire-places for the supply of fuel thereto, whereby the
distillation of the fuel is effected before it reaches the fire grate, and the
combustion of the gases evolved ensured. In applying these improvements
to the furnaces of steam boilers, the furnace bars or grate is of the ordinary
description, and furnished with a fire door for stoking purposes, with tho
exception of feeding on the fuel. The fuel is supplied by two curved channels
leading from the sides of the fire up through the brickwork. These channels

page_text: are curved or otherwise formed to conduct the fuel with as much freedom as
possible towards the fire; to facilitate which, and also to permit the desired
effects to be produced on the fuel for the perfect working of this Invention,
these fuel channels are much enlarged as they approach the fire. The
supply passages for the fuel are conducted in close proximity to the flues
leading from tho furnace, and by preference separated therefrom only by a
plate of iron, which permits the transmission of heat to the fuel in furtherance
of its distillation. Hopper mouths at the top of the flue channels receive the
fuel, which openings are closed to prevent gas or smoke arising therefrom.
The furnace being lighted, and the fuel channels kept constantly filled, the
fuel by its own gravity will tend towards the fire, and in its passage thereto
it becomes heated and distilled so far that before it actually arrives on the
furnace bars the gases are for the most part evolved. The products of this
distillation, having no other escape, pass over the fire in the furnace, and
this being always in an incandescent state, they are thoroughly consumed.
Small doors are made through the brickwork into the fuel channels for the
purpose of poking and assisting the passage of the fuel into the furnace when
required. These doors are at all other times-kept closed to exclude air.
I am aware that furnaces have before been fed by channels from above,
but such channels being simply used for the conduct and convenience of
supplying coals or other fuel, whereas the object of this Invention is to effect
the distructive distillation of the fuel in those channels before the fuel reaches
the fire bars or grate, whereby the fuel acquires a red heat or nearly so before
it passes into the firo grate, the furnace fire in which is thereby constantly
kept in an incandescent state. Furnaces or fires other than steam boiler
furnaces may be similarly fed, and the distillation of the fuel effected in the
supply channels, as described, so as to supply the fire-place with fuel partially
consumed, and in a state which maintains at all times an incandescent fire,
whereby the consumption of the gaseous products evolved is effected, as
herein-before described. The arrangements of the supply and distilling flues
will depend somewhat upon the arrangement of the furnaces or fires to which
this Invention is applied.
This Invention is also applicable to stoves for domestic use. For instance,
I form a fuel channel behind the back of the grate with a supply opening at
the top. This channel widens towards the bottom, and is kept full of fuel,
and is closed at top by a suitable door. The fuel is thus heated by contact
with the back plate. An.opening is formed on a level with the fire above the
bottom of the grate for the fuel to pass into the grate, in which it is assisted
by poking if necessary. The lower part of the fuel channel is curved at the

page_text: bottom to conduct the fuel forward. The fuel is thus distilled before it reaches
the grate, and the gases evolved are consumed by passing through the fire,
which by this means maintains an incandescent state. Small escape apertures
are made into the chimney for the escape of non-combustible gases or
products.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Julien Billiard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th October 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JULIEN
BILLIARD, of 20, Red Lion Square, in the County of Middlesex, Importer of
Foreign Goods, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Julien Billiard, Her special licence that I, the said Julien Billiard,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Julien Billiard, 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
THE ARRANGEMENTS AND CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES AND OTHER FIRE-PLACES,"
a communication, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Julien
Billiard, 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 Julien Billiard, do hereby declaro
the nature of the 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-.
This Invention relates to improvements in the arrangement and construction

page_text: of furnaces and other, fire-places for the supply of fuel thereto, whereby the
distillation of the fuel, is effected before, it reaches the fire grate, and, the
combustion of the gases evolved. ensured. In applying these improvements
to the furnaces of steam boilers, the furnace bars or grate is of the ordinary
description, and furnished with a fire door for stoking purposes, with the
exception of feeding on the fuel. The fuel is supplied by two curved channels
leading from the sides of the fire up through the brickwork. These channels
are curved or otherwise formed to conduct the fuel with as much freedom as
possible towards the fire, to facilitate which, and also to permit the desired
effects to be produced on the fuel for tho perfect working of this Invention,
these fuel channels are much enlarged as they approach the fire. The
supply passages for the fuel are conducted in close proximity to the flues
leading from the furnace, and by preference separated therefrom only by a
plate of iron, which permits the transmission of heat to the fuel in furtherance
of its distillation. Hopper mouths at the top of the fuel channels receive the
fuel, which openings are closed to prevent gas or smoke arising therefrom.
The furnace being lighted, and the fuel channels filled, the fuel by its own
gravity will tend towards the fire, and in its passage thereto it becomes heated
and distilled so far that before it actually arrives on the furnace bars the
gases are for the most part evolved. The products of this distillation, having
no other.escape, pass over the fire.in the furnace, and this being always in an
incandescent state, they are thoroughly consumed. Small doors are made.
through for the purpose of poking and assisting the passage of the fuel into
the furnace. when required. These doors are at all other times kept closed to
exclude air.
I am aware that furnaces have before been fed by channels from above,
but such channels being simply used for the conduct and convenience of
supplying coals or other fuel, whereas. the object of this Invention is to effect
the destructive distillation of the fuel in those channels before the fuel reaches
the fire bars or grate, whereby the fuel acquires a red heat or nearly so before
it passes into the fire grate, the furnace fire is thereby always kept in an
incandescent state. Furnaces or fires other than steam boiler furnaces may
be similarly fed, and the distillation of the fuel effected in the supply channels,
as described, so as to supply the fire-place with fuel partially consumed, and
in a state which maintains at all times an incandescent fire, whereby the
consumption of the gaseous products evolved is effected, as herein-before
described. The arrangements of the supply and distilling flues will depend
somewhat upon the arrangement of the furnaces or fire-places to which this
Invention is applied.

page_text: This Invention is also applicable to stoves for domestic use. For instance,
I form a fuel channel behind the back of the grate with a supply opening at
the top. This channel widens towards the bottom, and is kept full of fuel,
and is closed at the top by a suitable door. The fuel is thus heated by
contact with the back plate of the stove. An opening is formed on a level
with the fire above the bottom of the grate for the fuel to pass into the grate,
in which it is assisted by poking if necessary. The lower part of the fuel
channel is curved at the bottom to conduct the fuel forward. The fuel is thus
distilled before it reaches the grate, and the gases evolved are consumed by
passing through the fire, which by this means maintains an incandescent state.
Small escape apertures are made into the chimney for the escape of non-

page_text: towards the furnace, and are at this point lined with fire bricks or other
refractory materials to resist the heat of the fuel. at this point. Coals thus
fed into the hopper mouths of P, P, will descend these channels, which are
always kept full, or nearly so, and in their descent will be gradually heated,
first by the heat of the brickwork, then by the heat passing through plates R
from flues L, whereby it will be slightly distilled; from this point it will be
more and more subject to the destructive distillation produced by the heat of
the furnace, on reaching which it has attained a state of incandescence. This
action and progress of the coal causes all the gases to be evolved therefrom,
which having no other escape are compelled to pass through the incandescent
part of the fuel and over the furnace, which by these means maintains at all
times a bright incandescent state, thereby thoroughly consuming those gases,
and preventing the escape of any smoko or combustiblo gas to the chimney.
By this arrangement the generation of the gases is gradual and regular, and
need never be such that the incandescent part of the fuel in the channels P
and in the furnace will be insufficient for its consumption, care being taken
that the proportions of the furnace and channels are such as will effect the
desired result. S, S, are small doors opening into the channels P, P, near
the lower part, in order to insert a poker or instrument to assist the fuel
forward into the fire at that point which will be necessary on account of the
fuel arriving at that point incandescent and in a state of coke, in which
state its own gravity will not have sufficient influence in pressing it forwards
into the furnace. These doors, however, are at other times kept closed, so also
is the channel P, P, by their covers, to prevent the ingress of air at those
points. The extent to which the red heat of the furnace extends into the supply
channels P, P, will depend somewhat on the amount of incandescent fuel
maintained in the furnace. The channel, however, should be so regulated and
formed that it does not so far extend as to interfere with the free passage of
the fuel and down the channels towards the furnace. The furnace door is only
required to be opened for the purpose of stirring and regulating the fire to
keep it properly distributed throughout the fire surface, and to regulate the
supply eutering from the sides by the supply channels P, P, and the amount of
incandescent fuel on the bars H. On the top of the boiler I build a receptacle
T for the coals, whore they are convenient for being filled into the channels
P, P, and at the same time keep the boiler warm, and are further partially
heated before being filled into the chaunels P, P. P¹ is a partition dividing
the exit of the channels P, P, into compartments, which is merely for strength-
ening the brick work at this point, where it is subject to great heat and also to
considerable wear and tear. The heat and incombustible products of com

page_text: bustion pass by the flue I, under the boiler, through return flue K, and back
by flues L, any escape thence takes place by flue L' (see Fig. 3) to the
chimney; U is a damper in the flue L' to regulate the draught, as in
ordinary.
Although I have represented a flue boiler having the supply of fuel
arranged and conducted according to this Invention, it will be readily under-
stood that the same can be carried out with any other description of boiler,
whether set in brickwork or not, in which the supply channels can be formed
either in metal, and as a part of the boiler, or in the brickwork, as part of the
setting, and that the same may be applied to furnaces applied to other
purposes than heating steam boilers.
V, V, V, are flue doors as usual; the other parts of the boiler setting will
not require any further description, being of the ordinary character.
In Figs. 7, 8, and 9 this Invention is represented as being applied to a
stove or domestic fire. Fig. 7 is a front view, Fig. 8 a back view, and Fig. 9
a transverse vertical section of the same. a, a, is the inclined front of the
stove, through the upper part of which there is an opening b, enclosed by a
door c, which opens into the fuel channel d, which is kept full of coals up to
the angle e, or nearly so. This channel is formed in the back of the stove,
and increases in size downwards, so as to afford room for the expansion of tho
fuel, and prevent its sticking in its descent. The door c is furnished with
check pieces ff, which, with the door, when open form a shoot for the fuel,
as at Fig. 9. 9, 9, is the grate which receives and supports the incandescent
fuel, which may be somewhat extended or contracted in size by drawing it out
or causing it to recedo backwards, as seen dotted in Fig. 9. The action of
the heat of the fire on the fuel contained in the channel of supply d is
precisely similar to that herein-before described with reference to the boiler
furnace. It will be observed that the lower part of channel d terminates in
a curved part h, which conducts the lower fuel forwards on to the grate g,
the weight of the fuel above having the effect of so advancing; the lower fuel
may be assisted by the poker if necessary. The coals being distilled in d, the
gases have no other escape than downwards through the incandescent part of
the fuel in d and on the grate, and are thereby thoroughly consumed, any
escape thereof towards the chimney being thus intercepted. Passages for the
draught are formed at i, i, on each side of the channel d into the chimney k.
The heat of the fire in grate g playing directly on the back plate 1 of the
stove produces the necessary distillation of the fuel in d, which is further
assisted by contact of the incandescent fuel in grate 9 & with the fuel in d,

page_text: by which means the fuel in d attains an incandescent state or nearly so before
it emerges into the fire of the grate g.
In witness whereof, I, Julien Billiard, have hereunto set my hand and.
seal, this Twenty-seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane, London.
JULIEN BILLIARD. (L.S.)