IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES AND STOVES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Tatem Rich, of No. 430, Library Street,
Philadelphia, in the United States of America, at present residing
at the Charing Cross Hotel, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES
AND STOVES."
Sealed the 7th March 1871, and dated the 23rd September 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Tatem Rich at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd September 1870.
I, JOHN TATEM RICH, of No. 430, Library Street, Philadelphia, in
the United States of America, at present residing at Charing Cross
Hotel, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES
AND STOVES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to improve the combustion in steam
boiler and other furnaces and stoves. For this purpose I place above
the back ends of the fire-bars of the furnace an arch of fire-brick at a

page_text: distance above the fuel which is resting on the bars, and just below this
arch I introduce divided streams of air into the furnace to mingle with
the flames and gases arising from the fuel. The divided streams of air
entering just below the arch, which is in a highly heated state, become
highly heated as they enter the furnace, and rapidly enter into com-
bustion with the gases. The fire-brick arch extends back to within a
short distance of the front of the furnace, so that the gases as they arise
from the fuel are directed towards the front of the furnace, where they
rise over the arch to pass away through the flues or tubes of the boiler.
As the gases pass towards the front end of the arch they are met by
heated streams of air from the front of the furnace. To effect this a
short arch of fire-brick is placed across the front of the furnace just
above the fire-door, and divided streams of air are introduced below this
arch both at the sides of the furnace and through the fire-door. This
arch is inclined downwards so as to give a downward direction to the
currents of air entering below it, and deflect them so that they come
below the arch which is over the back ends of the fire-bars. All the
currents of air which enter the furnace above the fire-bars are thus
prevented from passing in a straight course from the point at which they
enter to the flues or tubes of the boiler, and so time is given for ensuring
their perfect mixture and union with the gases to be burnt. The arch
over the back end of the fire-bars starts from the back end of the furnace
on a level with the top of the bridge, and inclines upwards, whilst the
front arch starts from the front of the furnace just above the fire-door,
and inclines downwards, its lower end being below the top end of the
back arch, and the products of combustion pass through the space left
between the two. The fire-bars may either be continued to the front of
the furnace so as to come below the front arch, or the fuel below this
arch may rest on a dead plate, so that the space below the arch shall
form as it were a retort, where the more volatile portions of the fuel are
driven off and combined with the heated currents of air introduced above
the fuel, as above described.
In order to illustrate my Invention I have shewn in the Drawings
annexed a locomotive boiler and an ordinary cylindrical boiler furnace
arranged in the manner described.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of a locomotive boiler. In this
Figure, a are the fire-bars; b, the bridge at the back of the furnace;
c, the arch above the back end of the fire-bars; d, the arch at the front

page_text: of the furnace; e are the orifices through which streams of air are
admitted below the arches. Each orifice has in front of it a perforated
rose of metal; this is secured, as shown in the Drawings, by a stem
passing from the centre of the back of the rose through the orifice and
through a bar at the back thereof, and by a nut screwing on to its rear
end. is a hollow fire-door through which small orifices are made for
admitting divided streams of heated air; g are the boiler tubes..
At Figure 2 is shown a furnace for heating an ordinary cylindrical
boiler. In this Figure the same letters of reference are used for indi-
cating like parts to those shewn in Figure 1. In the arrangement shewn
in this Figure a dead plate a* is placed below the arch at the front of
the furnace in place of the fire-bars being continued to the front of the
furnace, as in Figure 1. Steam jets h, h, may when desired be employed
to accelerate the speed at which air enters the furnace through the
orifices e, e.
At Figure 3 is shown a closed cylindrical stove with my improvements
applied to it. A dome of fire-brick a is placed above the fuel in the
stove, and an opening or openings b, b, are formed through this dome at
the front of the stove, through which the products of combustion pass
to the outlet flue c; d, d, are orifices through which finely divided
streams of air are supplied to the stove just below the dome; e are the
|fire-bars, and ƒ a dead plate in front thereof.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Tatem Rich in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
TATEM RICH, of No. 430, Library Street, Philadelphia, in the United
States of America, at present residing at the Charing Cross Hotel, in
the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Tatem Rich, Her special licence that

page_text: I, the said John Tatem Rich, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Tatem Rich, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 STEAM BOILER AND
OTHER FURNACES AND STOVES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Tatem Rich, 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 John Tatem Rich, 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:-
The object of this Invention is to improve the combustion in steam
boiler and other furnaces and stoves. For this purpose I place above
the back ends of the fire-bars of the furnace an arch of fire-brick at a
distance above the fuel which is resting on the bars, and just below this
arch I introduce divided streams of air into the furnace to mingle with
the flames and gases arising from the fuel. The divided streams of air
entering just below the arch, which is in a highly heated state, become
highly heated as they enter the furnace, and rapidly enter into com-
bustion with the gases. The fire-brick arch extends back to within a
short distance of the front of the furnace, so that the gases as they arise
from the fuel are directed towards the front of the furnace, where they
rise over the arch to pass away through the flues or tubes of the boiler.
As the gases pass towards the front end of the arch they are met by
heated streams of air from the front of the furnace. To effect this a
short arch of fire-brick is placed across the front of the furnace just
above the fire-door, and divided streams of air are introduced below this
arch both at the sides of the furnace and through the fire-door. This
arch is inclined downwards so as to give a downward direction to the
currents of air entering below it, and deflect them so that they come.

page_text: below the arch which is over the back ends of the fire-bars. All the
currents of air which enter the furnace above the fire-bars are thus
prevented from passing in a straight course from the point at which they
enter to the flues or tubes of the boiler, and so time is given for ensuring
The arch
their perfect mixture and union with the gases to be burnt.
over the back end of the fire-bars starts from the back end of the furnace
on a level with the top of the bridge, and inclines upward, whilst the
front arch starts from the front of the furnace just above the fire-door,
and inclines downwards, its lower end being below the top end of the
back arch, and the products of combustion pass through the space left
between the two. The fire-bars may either be continued to the front of
the furnace so as to come below the front arch, or the fuel below this
arch may rest on a dead plate so that the space below the arch shall
form as it were a retort where the more volatile portions of the fuel are
driven off and combined with the heated currents of air introduced above
the fuel, as above described.
In order to illustrate my Invention I have shown in the Drawings
annexed a locomotive boiler and an ordinary cylindrical boiler furnace
arranged in the manner described.
Figures 1 show sections of a locomotive boiler furnace. In these
Figures a are the fire-bars; b, the bridge at the back of the furnace;
c, the arch above the back end of the fire-bars; d, the arch at the front
of the furnace; e are the orifices through which streams of air are
admitted below the arches. Each orifice has in front of it a perforated
rose of metal; this is secured, as shown in the Drawings, by a stem
passing from the centre of the back of the rose through the orifice and
through a bar at the back thereof, and by a nut screwing on to its rear
end. is a hollow fire-door through which small orifices are made for
admitting divided streams of heated air; g are the boiler tubes.
At Figure 2 is shown a furnace for heating an ordinary cylindrical
boiler. In these Figures the same letters of reference are used for
indicating like parts to those shown in Figures 1. In the arrangement
shewn in these Figures a dead plate a* is placed below the arch at the
front of the furnace in place of the fire-bars being continued to the front
of the furnace, as in Figures 1. Steam jets h, h, may when desired be
employed to accelerate the speed at which air cnters the furnace through
the orifices e, e.

page_text: At Figures 3 is shown a closed cylindrical stove with my improvements
applied to it. A dome of fire-brick a is placed above the fuel in the
stove, and an opening or openings b, b, are formed through this dome at
the front of the stove, through which the products of combustion pass
to the outlet flue c; d, d, are orifices through which finely divided
streams of air are supplied to the stove just below the dome; e are the
fire-bars, and fa dead plate in front thereof..
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim
is,-
(1st.) The construction of a furnace or stove substantially in the
manner herein described, so that the volatile portion of the fuel shall be.
thoroughly admixed with heated air in finely divided jets.
(2d.) Placing the apertures for the admission of air directly under
the arch or deflector for the purpose of insuring the proper heating of 1
the air.
(3d.) The air seperators or rosettes constructed as herein described
and manner of attaching same.
(4th.) The dead plate when in combination with the arches, air-
inducting passages, and seperators.
(5th.) The employment of arches b and c at the back and front of a
steam boiler or other furnace together with air inlets, substantially in
the manner herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Tatem Rich, have hereunto.
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of March, in the year of 2
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.