Improvements in or relating to Furnaces.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1892-Accepted, 9th July, 1892
Improvements in or relating to Furnaces.
I, ALEXANDER ANDERSON of 12 Bright Street, Monkwearmouth, Sunderland
in the County of Durham Boiler Builder do hereby declare the nature of this
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 has reference to improvements in or relating to furnaces, whereby
economy in fuel is effected by the consumption of a greater part of the gases and
products of combustion in the manner hereinafter explained.
Various methods have been tried by way of introducing air at the furnace
bridges and through the side walls or fronts and arches of furnaces all with
improved results as compared with the ordinary systems of firing.
By my invention herein I adopt the system of introducing air to the furnace
through channels contiguous to the furnace itself but also improve upon these
channels by greatly increasing their heating surface and it is the method thus
adopted and its application to furnaces that forms the subject of this invention.
.
I will fully explain my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which Figure 1. shows a longitudinal section, Figure 2. an half end vertical
section on line wc in Fig. 1. and an half end elevation and Figure 3. an half plan
and an half plan on line y z in Fig. 1, all three figures representing an
ordinary brickwork furnace of for example the forge and mill or puddling type,
and I would have it understood that although I am about to describe my invention
as applied to this forge and mill or puddling type of furnace, yet it is equally
applicable to other types of furnaces, and where any kind of furnace is not herein
specified, my meaning is that the application of my invention herein to that furnace
is of so obvious a nature that description thereof is considered unnecessary.
Referring to the drawings it will be seen that channels c are formed in the
masonry whereby air can enter the said channels, traverse them and find exit
contiguous to the furnace bridge, the advantages accruing to which are too well
known to need further description here.
.
Hitherto these channels have been formed in practically straight lines from point
to point except where the conformation of the furnace has necessitated a turn and
the result of this construction of course has been to warm or heat the air traversing
the same to a certain extent prior to its delivery near the furnace bridges.
Now it is well known that the hotter the air is when commingling with the
hydrocarbon gases from the furnaces the better are the results obtained as regards
economy and to obtain the desired increase in temperature I greatly increase the
heating surfaces of any given length of channel contiguous to a furnace and I
obtain this increased heating surface by a special conformation or design of
brickwork without substantially altering the original length measured along the
centre line of the channel.
In the Figures, the furnace f is shown arched with 9-inch ordinary bricks on
which the specially formed bricks are laid so as to form the horizontal zigzag
channels shown in the drawings.
These are then covered with ordinary brickwork.
Similarly the end of the furnace is built up with the specially formed bricks 6 so
as to form the vertical zigzag channels shown, the vertical communicating with the
horizontal channels at the junction of the end wall with the arch of the furnace.
In the special bricks 6 illustrated, each side of the triangle shaped formation
measures 3 inches.
The brick is 9 inches long.
I

page_text: Therefore the increased heating surface obtained by this particular design of
brick as applied to air channels contiguous to furnaces is 25 per cent.
The bricks may be curved or corrugated to effect the same purpose.
The result in practice is to proportionately increase the temperature of the air,
to consume more fuel in the form of smoke or gases which would have been
otherwise wasted and to consequently reduce the general expenditure on fuel.
These
In the drawings care bricks fitting into the air entry apertures a.
bricks can be slid backwards and forwards to regulate the amount of air entering.
I do not confine myself to the precise shape or arrangement of brick shown in
the drawings, viz. :—the brick with two diamond shaped formations placed with
regard to its opposite brick so as to form a zigzag formation or channel, because
the shape of the channel and the amount of heating surface on the brick may
be somewhat varied nor do I confine myself to any particular arrangement of
channels around a furnace.
The channels are to be built in zigzag or interrupted formation in the particular
method and positions most easily obtained in any particular case and in the case of
iron or steel flue-furnaces where no brickwork exists for the purpose of forming
such channels, then I carry the air along the inside of the flue contiguous to the
fire in iron boxes or flues constructed of zigzag shape or with internal baffle plates
arranged to effect a similar result.
The air in this case may be admitted to the boxes or flues and issue therefrom
as shown in the Specification of my Patent No. 1568887.
As will be understood the zigzag formation impedes the velocity of the air which
in contact with the increased heating surfaces produces the economical results
above mentioned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improvement in furnaces consisting in the provision of increased heating
surfaces in the channels or flues through which air is admitted to the furnace or
bridge by means of the special design or construction forming zigzag or interrupted
hot air conduits substantially as herein set forth.
2. In furnaces a combination of bricks arranged in relation to each other so as
to form one or more zigzag channels or channels having interrupted surfaces
either in the side walls, end walls, crowns or any of these substantially as and for
the purposes herein set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1892.
A. CRAWHALL CHAPMAN,
3, St. Nicholas Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Patent Agent.