AN IMPROVEMENT IN CON-- STRUCTING THE FIRE BOXES OF LOCOMOTIVE STEAM BOILERS."
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Atkinson Longridge, of Fludyer Street,
Westminster, Civil Engineer, and Thomas Richardson, of Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, Chemist, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN CON--
STRUCTING THE FIRE BOXES OF LOCOMOTIVE STEAM BOILERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Atkinson Longridge
and Thomas Richardson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 9th October 1856.
We, JAMES ATKINSON LONGRIDGE, of Fludyer Street, Westminster, Civil
Engineer, and THOMAS RICHARDSON, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Chemist, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN CON-
STRUCTING THE FIRE BOXES OF LOCOMOTIVE STEAM BOILERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in constructing the fire
boxes of locomotive steam boilers. For this purpose, the front part of the fire
box is brought forward or extended at a point above the fire bars, so as to
produce an internal shelf below the fire door, but above the fire bars. The
front of the fire box is made double as heretofore, in order to form part of the
interior capacity of the boiler, and such is the case with that portion which
constitutes the shelf or internal projection. The fire door or front of the fire
box is perforated, in order to supply air to the coal placed on the shelf or
internal projection, to aid in consuming the products evolved from the coal

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Atkinson -Longridge and. Thomas Richardson in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
ATKINSON LONGRIDGE, of Fludyer Street, Westminster, Civil Engineer, and
THOMAS RICHARDSON, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said,
James Atkinson Longridge and Thomas Richardson, Her special licence
that we, the said James Atkinson Longridge and Thomas Richardson, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said James
Atkinson Longridge and Thomas Richardson, our 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN CONSTRUCTING THE FIRE BOXES OF LOCOMOTIVE
STEAM BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James
Atkinson Longridge and Thomas Richardson, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our or, their hands and seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 calender months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
1
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas, Richardson, on behalf of
myself and. the said James, Atkinson Longridge, 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:-.
This Invention has for its object an improvement in: constructing the fire
boxes of locomotive steam boilers. For this purpose, the front part of the fire

page_text: box is brought forward or extended at a point above the fire bars, so as to
produce an internal shelf below the fire door, but above the fire bars. The
front of the fire box is made double as heretofore, in order to form part of the
interior capacity of the boiler, and such is the case with that portion which
constitutes the shelf or internal projection. The fire door or front of the fire
box is perforated, in order to supply air to the coal placed on the shelf or
internal projection, to aid in consuming the products evolved from the coal
placed on the shelf; by this arrangement or construction, the coal will be
coked on the shelf or internal projection, before it is moved on to the fire on
the fire bars.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Drawing shews a longitudinal section of part of a locomotive steam
engine boiler, the tubular flues not being shewn. A, represents the ordinary
fire box, having the fire bars a, a, as is shewn; c is a water space which
divides the fire box from the compartment B of the fire box, and forms a
bridge to the shelf d, on which the coking of the coal is performed; the whole
of this shelf may be formed into a water space, provided that there be sufficient
air openings through the door, and through the front of the fire box, but it is
preferred to make the shelf d, only partly a water space, and partly of a
perforated shelf, or it may be of bars tolerably near together. On this shelf
the fresh coal is fed from time to time, and the fireman only removes the well
coked fuel into the compartment A from the compartment B of the fire box.
In commencing to use this form of fire box, the fire is first lighted with coke
in the compartiment A of the fire box, and fresh uncoked coal is placed on the
shelf d, and as the same becomes well coked, it is by the fireman passed from
the compartment B into the compartment A of the fire box.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Richardson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
THOMAS RICHARDSON. (L.S.)
JA G. JONES.