IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND BOILERS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND BOILERS."-A com-
munication from abroad by Frederick Augustus Woodson, of Selma,
Alabama, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th April 1871.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND BOILERS,"
a communication, to be as follows:-
'-
This Invention consists, first, in a furnace in or by which the volatilo
matters or gases are separated from the ponderable constituents of the
fuel, and reunited with a fresh supply of air at the point of greatest
heat, or at the place of ignition or burning point.

page_text: It consists, secondly, in a steam boiler in which a longitudinal
circulation of the water is maintained, whereby a more uniform tem-
perature is kept up, increased quantity of steam generated, and at a
great saving of fuel.
And it consists, thirdly, in combining with the circulating boiler a
"mud box" or reservoir for receiving and retaining all the heavy
impurities in the water whilst the filtered water returns to the boiler,
and from which box the mud or sediment can be drawn off or blown out
with but little loss of steam.
In the furnace are curved or inclined grate bars, the lower or under
section of which may be made to "dump" so as to clean out the fire-
box. This furnace is preferably surrounded by a water space, and over
the fire there is a water leg that serves also as a fire-bridge, inasmuch as
the fuel fed in may extend in height up to and even somewhat above
the under side of this water leg. The draft enters underneath the
grate, and the air to be reunited with the gases driven off in the fire-
box and mingled therewith to promote intense combustion, may pass
(some of it) through the fuel, whilst other portions passing up between
the grate bars and front of the furnace may go over, and uniting with
the volatile gases produced in the fire-box will effect intense combustion.
The burning gases and the heat therefrom pass through the flues and to
the exit which connects with the stack or chimney. At the rear of the
fire-box the incandescent coal as well as the burning vapors or gases
are in contact with a second water leg or water space, and in this leg,
as in the first one, steam is most rapidly generated and rises, and so
draws the circulation of the water to these most densely heated parts,
and brings the water that is more remote from the fire in contact with
the more highly heated sheets or flues, and equalizes the temperature
throughout the boiler. The water circulates through the boiler longi-
tudinally, and is so brought from the rear and cooler part of the boiler
to the front and hotter portion thereof. If the circulation were around
the boiler and not longitudinally in or through it, the water would move
around in zones or belts without changing their position in relation to
the fire, and some portions of the water would be much colder than
other portions, and the steam would generate at only certain parts of
the boiler. The longitudinal circulation keeps up great uniformity in the
temperature and in the generation of steam, and with great economy of
fuel. At the rear of the boiler a pipe or passage leads from the interior

page_text: of the boiler down into a mud box or reservoir, and from this mud box
and near its top a horizontal pipe or passage extends forward and
connects with the second water leg, so that the water circulates through
the passages and mud box. In this mud box all the sediment in the
water will settle and will be blown off through the stop-cock, which
when opened allows two jets of steam to rush into the mud box and
through the said opening, namely, one jet from or through the leg, and
another through the passage, so that the blowing out of the mud or
sediment is but the work of a moment, and without any appreciable
waste of steam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th October 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special license that
I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, my exe-
cutors, 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 FURNACES AND BOILERS," a communication to me from abroad by
Frederick Augustus Woodson, of Selma, Alabama, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Robert Lake, my exccutors 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

page_text: same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
monthis next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 :-
This Invention consists, first, in a furnace in or by which the volatile
matters or gases are separated from the ponderable constituents of the
fuel and reunited with a fresh supply of air at the point of greatest
heat, or at the place of ignition or burning point.
It consists, secondly, in a steam boiler in which a longitudinal circu-
lation of the water is maintained by means of flues and water spaces,
whereby a more uniform temperature is kept up, increased quantity of
steam generated, and at a great saving of fuel.
And it consists, thirdly, in combining with the circulating boiler a
"mud box" or reservoir for receiving and retaining all the heavy
impurities in the water, whilst the filtered water returns to the boiler,
and from which box the mud or sediment can be drawn off or blown out
with but little loss of steam.
In the furnace are curved or inclined grate bars, the lower or under
section of which may be made to "dump" so as to clean out the fire-
box. This furnace is preferably surrounded by a water space, and over
the fire there is a water leg that serves also as a fire-bridge, inasmuch as
the fuel fed in may extend in height up to and even somewhat above
the under side of this water leg. The draft enters underneath the grate
and the air to be reunited with the gases driven off in the fire-box,
and mingled therewith to promote intense combustion, may pass (some
of it) through the fuel, whilst other portions passing up between the
grate bars and front of the furnace may go over and uniting with the
volatile gases produced in the fire-box will effect intense combustion.
The burning gases and the heat therefrom pass through the flues and to
the exit which connects with the stack or chimney. At the rear of the
fire-box the incandescent coal as well as the burning vapors or gases are
in contact with a second water leg or water space, and in this leg as in
the first one steam is most rapidly generated, and rises, and so draws the
circulation of the water to these most densely heated parts and brings the
water that is more remote from the fire in contact with the more highly

page_text: heated sheets or flues, and equalizes the temperature throughout the
boiler. The water circulates through the boiler longitudinally and is so
brought from the rear and cooler part of the boiler to the front and
hotter portion thereof. If the circulation were around the boiler and
not longitudinally in or through it the water would move around in
zones or belts without changing their position in relation to the fire, and
some portions of the water would be much colder than other portions,
and the steam would generate at only certain parts of the boiler. The
longitudinal circulation keeps up great uniformity in the temperature and
in the generation of steam and with great economy of fuel. At the rear
of the boiler a pipe or passage leads from the interior of the boiler down
into a mud box or reservoir, and from this mud box and near its top a
horizontal pipe or passage extends forward and connects with the second
water leg, so that the water circulates through the passages and mud
box. In this mud box all the sediment in the water will settle and be
blown off through the stop-cock, which when opened allows two jets of
steam to rush into the mud box, and through the said opening, namely,
one jet from or through the leg and another through the passage, so
that the blowing out of the mud or sediment is but the work of a
moment and without any appreciable waste of steam.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
5 Witness,
CHAS. J. Gooch.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)