IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CON- SUMING SMOKE
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hopkinson and John Dewhurst, both of
the Mayfield Print Works, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CON-
SUMING SMOKE."
Sealed the 10th September 1858, and dated the 1st May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hopkinson
and John Dewhurst at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 1st May 1858.
We, WILLIAM HOPKINSON and JOHN DEWHURST, both of the Mayfield Print
Works, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONSUMING
SMOKE," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for consuming
smoke. For these purposes the furnace is divided in the middle in a direction
from back to front, but the partition does not come completely to the front, a
space being left for the passage of the smoke and products to pass from one
compartment of the fire-place or furnace over the well-ignited fuel in the other
compartment. At the back end of the furnace or in the bridge there are
two slides or dampers, each capable of closing one of the compartments, into
which the fire-place or furnace is divided. These slides or dampers are each
actuated by a bell crank, to one end of which the damper or slide is attached
by a connecting rod, and to the other end of such bell crank a rod is attached.
Previous to feeding either compartment with coal, the slide or damper of that

page_text: compartment is raised so as to close the outlet at the back end of the furnace,
by which all the products will pass to the front end of the compartment, and
then over the well-ignited fire in the other compartment, and so on alternately.
It may be stated that it is not new to divide a furnace into two compartments
for such purposes; the novelty consists in the peculiar combination of apparatus.
When applying the Invention to locomotive, boiler, and such like furnaces
where tubes are used, the fire-box is divided into two compartments by a
suitable midfeather with passages through it, and slides or shutters are used to
close the further ends of one half of the tubes; the fuel is applied alternately
to the two compartments, and the smoke or products arising in one compart-
ment of the fire-box after coaling will pass through the midfeather, and thence
over the fire in the other compartment, and through the tubes of such other
compartment.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Hopkinson and John Dewhurst in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 29th October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
HOPKINSON and JOHN DEWHURST, both of the Mayfield Print Works,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers," send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
William Hopkinson and John Dewhurst, Her special licence that we, the said
William Hopkinson and John Dewhurst, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said William Hopkinson and John Dewhurst,
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
CONSUMING SMOKE," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
William Hopkinson and John Dewhurst, 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

page_text: 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 we, the said William Hopkinson and John Dewhurst,
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 improvements in apparatus for consuming
smoke. For these purposes the furnace is divided in the middle in a direction
from back to front, but the partition does not come completely to the front, a
space being left for the passage of the smoke and products to pass from one
compartment of the fire-place or furnace over the well-ignited fuel in the other
compartment. At the back end of the furnace, or in the bridge, there are two
slides or dampers, each capable of closing one of the compartments into which
the fire-place or furnace is divided. These slides or dampers are each actuated
by a bell crank, to one end of which the damper or slide is attached by a con-
necting rod, and to the other end of such bell crank a rod is attached previous
to feeding either compartment with coal; the slide or damper of the compart-
ment is raised so as to close the outlet at the back end of the furnace, by
which all the products will pass to the front end of the compartment, and then
over the well-ignited fire in the other compartment, and so on alternately. It
may be stated, that it is not new to divide a furnace into two compartments
for such purposes; the novelty consists in the peculiar combination of apparatus.
When applying the Invention to locomotive, boiler, and such like furnaces
where tubes are used, the fire-box is divided into two compartments by a
suitable midfeather with passages through it, and slides or shutters are used
to close the further ends of one half of the tubes, the fuel is applied alternately
to the two compartments, and the smoke or products arising in one compart-
ment of the fire-box after coaling will pass through the midfeather, and thence
over the fire in the other compartment, and through the tubes of such other
compartment.
And in order that our said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

page_text: it is set; c, the furnace; d, the partition of fire-brick, by which the furnace is
divided in the middle in the direction from back to front; e is the fire door;
fis the space between the end of the partition d and the fire door e; 9, 9, are
two slides or dampers, each capable of closing one of the compartments into
which the furnace is divided; these slides or dampers are capable of sliding
up and down in a metal frame built into the bridge; they are actuated by
means of rods h, h, which are jointed to arms i, i, on the axes j, j, and these
axes also carry other levers k, k, connected to the slides or dampers by the
rods 1, 1; m, m, are counterpoise weights on the levers k, k, so as to balance
the slides or dampers. In working the apparatus the fire on one side of the
partition is fed when the fire on the other side of the partition is bright, and
immediately before feeding the slide or damper at the end of the compartment
to be fed is raised, the smoke and products generated pass in part round the
end of the partition by the space f, and in part through the apertures 1*, 1*, in
the partition; sometimes in place of making apertures *, *, through the
partition d, we increase the dimensions of the spaces f. Where the furnace
is wide we sometimes dispense with the space faltogether; if there are two
doors in the frame, we bring the partition completely to the front and put in
a few more apertures, but the arrangement shewn in the Drawing is that
which we prefer.
Figure 3 is a transverse section, and Figure 4 is a longitudinal section, of
similar apparatus applied to the form of boiler known as the Butterley boiler;
the description already given of Figures 1 and 2 is also applicable to these
Figures.
Figure 1, Sheet 2, is a transverse, Figure 2 is a longitudinal section,
Figure 3 is a front view, Figure 4 is a plan in section of apparatus arranged
according to our Invention and applied to a two-flued boiler. This arrange-
ment differs in its details from those before described; a, a¹, are the two
flues, in one end of each of which a furnace is constructed in the usual
imanner. In each of the flues beyond the bridge a damper 6 is fitted, turning
on an axis b¹, and having an arm c fixed to it; this arm is attached to a rod d,
passing through an opening formed for it under the bridge; the rod d is jointed
at d', and passes to the front of the furnace, and by means of it the damper
can be opened and closed at pleasure. When the damper is closed as it is
before feeding the furnace, and until the fire has burnt bright as before
explained, the smoke and products pass by the passages e, e, into the other
furnace, and over the ignited fuel contained in it.
Figure 5 is a transverse section; Figure 6 is a longitudinal section;
Figure 7 is an end view; and Figure 8 is a plan in section of a single flued

page_text: boiler with apparatus applied to it arranged according to our Invention. The
construction of the apparatus is so similar to that shewn at Figures 1, 2, 3,
and 4, Sheet 1, as to be readily understood from the description of those
Figures already given, and the parts are marked with corresponding letters.
The main difference consists in that the partition d in place of being of fire
brick is of wrought iron and hollow, it forming part of the water space of the
boiler.
Figure 1, Sheet 3, is a side view partly in section of a locomotive boiler
having apparatus combined with it arranged according to our Invention;
Figure 2 is a transverse section taken at the line A, A, Figure 1; Figure 3
is a plan in section; and Figure 4 is another transverse section of the same.
In this arrangement the fire box is divided into two parts by a midfeather a,
with a number of openings through it, and in the smoke box are two dampers
b, b, for closing the end of the tubes, each damper corresponding with the
tubes which communicate with one division of the fire box; the dampers
are mounted on axes, and are worked by external rods c, c.
Figure 5, Sheet 3, is a front view partly in section; Figure 6 is a longitu-
dinal section; and Figure 7 is a portion of a plan in section of a marine boiler
with apparatus applied to it arranged according to our Invention. The
construction of the several parts is so clearly shown by the detail Drawings,
Figure 8, 9, 10, and 11, and the general arrangement is so similar to others
before referred to, that a detailed description is unnecessary.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Hopkinson and John Dewhurst,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-seventh day of
August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
eight
Witness,
J. W. WESTON,
WILLIAM HOPKINSON. (L.S.)
JOHN DEWHURST.
(L.S.)
of the City of Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster,
Attorney-at-Law.