Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Boilers and other analogous purposes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 19th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Boilers and other analogous
purposes.
We, JOHN ARTHUR YEADON, of 4 Albion Place, Leeds, Engineer, and
WILLIAM ADGIE, of 68 St. Mark Street, Leeds, Accountant, both in the County
of York do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our present invention is connected with our previous Patent of November 29,
1889, No. 19183, as hereinafter described; and consists in the application or
combination of the above Patent or any parts of it for the purpose of producing
gas for heating boilers or other analogous purposes.
We are fully aware that there is no novelty in merely heating boilers by gas
instead of coal and that already in many places the waste gases from blast
furnaces and coke kilns, which were formerly allowed to escape into the air, are
now utilised for this and other purposes. We are also aware that attempts have
been made from time to time to heat boiler furnaces with gas distilled or generated
from coal with fixed retorts in the ordinary way; but hitherto none of these
latter attempts have proved commercially successful on account of cumbrousness
and cost of the plant and the expense of the labour required to work it.
It is now generally admitted by practical engineers that the present methods of
firing boilers with coal, even with the most approved appliances, are not satisfactory
when we compare the heating power actually obtained with the heat producing
qualities contained in the coal itself. Large sums of money have also been spent
and many inventions brought out for the purpose of thoroughly and efficiently
consuming the smoke which is generated where boilers are fired with bituminous
coals. Theoretically the most satisfactory way of solving these difficulties is to
heat the boilers by gas instead of coal, if such gas can be produced from the coal
in a simple and inexpensive manner. By our invention we claim to be able to do
all this and to prevent any emission of smoke in the process.
In our Patent of November 29, 1889, we describe our revolving gas retort by the
use of which the coal can be mechanically and continuously fed into the retort,
where it is distilled, the gas generated, and the cinders discharged, without any
loss of gas or admission of air, and without any hand labour for stoking the
retort. These revolving retorts (or any fixed retort) can be heated by gas instead
of a coke fire as in the ordinary way. Our present invention is for the combination
of the revolving retort described in our first Patent, to be heated preferably by
gas and the application of the gas thus produced for the purpose of heating boilers
or other analogous purposes.
In carrying out our invention, we arrange for the coal to be delivered into any
suitable bunker or hopper, from which it can fall direct or be raised by elevators
or other apparatus, into the feed hopper of the revolving retort. We also make
any suitable arrangement by which the quantity of coal to be distilled, and con-
sequently the amount of gas to be produced, can be regulated as required. Any
motive power can be employed for driving the retort and elevators, but we prefer
having a separate and independent engine for more fully controlling the necessary
quantity of coal to be distilled and gas to be generated.
As stated above, we preferably heat our retort by gas, as described. In working,
our retorts can be so arranged that there is always a pressure of gas inside sufficient
to force itself onward through the ascension pipe whence it can be conveyed direct
into the combustion chamber under the retort or into the furnaces of the boiler;
or it can be drawn by an "exhauster" and forced forwards as required. The cinders
produced in the retort after the distillation of the coal, are delivered into a water

page_text: sealed cistern, from whence they can be raised continuously by suitable elevators
or other apparatus. By our process all the heating properties can be extracted
from the coal whilst passing through the retort; whilst the gas thus produced is
conveyed into the combustion chamber under the retort, or into the boiler furnaces,
each of these being fitted up with suitable apparatus and regulating valves for the
admission of the gas and sufficient air for the efficient combustion of the same.
The size and number of our retorts are regulated by the number and sizes of
the boilers to be heated; suitable means being provided by which the quantity of
gas to be generated can be increased or decreased as required by regulating the
number of revolutions of the retorts or the quantity of coal fed into them. By our
process no smoke can be emitted, as all the coal is converted into gas, the retorts
and boilers are heated with gas, which undergoes thorough combustion by the
admission of sufficient air for the same. The whole process can thus be made
mechanical and automatic; all hand labour is reduced to a minimum or dispensed
with the arrangement, construction and working of the retorts and connections
are simple and inexpensive; and we purpose carrying out our invention substantially
as above described.
Signed this Twelfth day of January 1892.
JOHN ARTHUR YEADON.
WILLIAM ADGIE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Boilers and other analogous
purposes.
We, JOHN ARTHUR YEADON, of 4, Albion Place, Leeds, Engineer, and
WILLIAM ADGIE, 29, Ash Grove, Hyde Park, Leeds, Accountant, both in the
County of York, 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 :-
Our present invention is connected with our previous Patent of November 29
1889 No. 19183; and consists in an improved system of heating boilers with gas
generated in a revolving retort.
We are fully aware that there is no novelty in merely heating boilers by gas, as
waste gases from blast furnaces and coke kilns have already been used for that
purpose. We are also aware that several attempts have been made to heat them
with gas distilled or generated from coal with fixed retorts. Hitherto these have
proved commercially unsuccessful; our invention is for the purpose of making gas
for heating boilers at a commercial profit.
It is now generally admitted by practical engineers that the present methods of
heating boilers with coal, even with the most approved appliances, are unsatisfactory
when we compare the heating power actually obtained with the heat producing
qualities contained in the coal itself. Large sums of money have also been spent
& many inventions brought out for efficiently consuming the smoke generated where
boilers are fired with coal. By our invention we claim to be able to heat boilers
without any emission of smoke, by gas generated in a revolving retort, and that in
such a way as shall be commercially successful.
In our Patent of November 29 1889 we describe our revolving retort for the
continuous distillation of coal and generation of gas. By heating these retorts
themselves with gas, we can dispense with both stokers and firemen. Our present
invention is for the combination of our revolving retort, as therein described,
preferably heated by gas, and the application of the gas thus produced, for the
purpose of heating boilers and other analogous purposes.
In the accompanying plans,
On Sheet No. 1, Fig. 1 shows the front elevation and Fig. 2 the longitudinal

page_text: section of a boiler with the pipe connections, by means of which the gas and air
are mixed in the suitable proportions before entering into the furnaces or flues of
the boiler for combustion.
On Sheet 2, Fig. 1 shows the front elevation, of the boiler, and Fig. 2 the front
elevation of the revolving retort L, rotating on the rollers N N, and having an
ascension pipe M for the exit of the gas produced also the connecting pipe K
conveying gas made in the revolving retort to the pipe G wherein it is mixed with
a suitable proportion of air preparatory to entering into the furnaces for
combustion.
In carrying out our invention, we combine our revolving retort L with any
suitable mechanical arrangement whereby the quantity of coal to be distilled (and
consequently the amount of gas to be produced) can be regulated as required ;.
using any motive power for driving the same, and preferably heating our retort
with gas. We apply the gas thus produced, either crude or purified, for the
purpose of heating boilers instead of with coal as in the ordinary way. By means.
of our revolving retort, the whole of the heating properties of the coal can be
extracted. The gas thus produced can be conveyed into any suitable combustion.
chamber in front of the boiler furnace; or, as we prefer it, mixing it first with a
suitable quantity of air and then conveying this mixed air and gas direct into the
furnace of the boiler. By referring to accompanying plans, we show how this is.
done. A is a boiler, having two flues B B. In each of these flues (or under the
boiler if preferred) we erect a suitable combustion chamber D, the front of which
is fitted with a fire door & frame E. Thro' the centre of this fire door we insert a
pipe extending a little way into the combustion chamber; to this we connect a
pipe G, continuing say some 20 or 30 feet from the combustion chamber and open
at the end H to the atmosphere, but having a valve, or other mechanical arrange-
ment at that inlet to regulate the admission of the right quantity of air.
Within a few feet of this inlet air end we connect a pipe K, of smaller diameter,
to the pipe containing the gas produced by the revolving retort L. This inlet gas.
pipe is also fitted at K with a valve to regulate the proper proportion of gas to be
used. The furnace front is so constructed that no air or gas can enter into the
combustion chamber D except through the pipe F, or other suitable orifice.
The continuous action of combustion draws the air and gas through the main
feed pipe G into the combustion chamber D at the inlet F: the regulating valves
at H and K adjusting the proper proportions and quantity of air and gas as found
most suitable for combustion and heating, and which become thoroughly mixed
together as they pass through the main feed pipe G into the combustion
chamber D.
The number and dimensions of our revolving retorts can be regulated by the
number and size of the boilers to be heated; suitable means being provided
whereby the quantity of gas to be generated can be increased or decreased as
required by regulating the number of revolutions of the retorts or the quantity of
the coal fed into them.
By our process no smoke can be emitted as all the coal is converted into gas,
the boilers being heated with gas which undergoes thorough combustion by the
admission or addition of sufficient air for the purpose.
The whole process can thus be made mechanical and automatic; all hand labour
is dispensed with or reduced to a minimum; the arrangements for the connections,
mixing of the gas & air, and conveying them into the combustion chamber of
the boiler are simple & inexpensive, & we propose carrying out our invention
substantially as above described.
Having now therefore described & particularly ascertained the nature of our
invention, & in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The use or combination of our revolving retort & the gas produced in the
same for heating boilers or other analogous purposes.

page_text: 2. The use or application of the above whether such retorts be erected outside
of the boilers or in the flues of the same.
Dated this 12th day of October 1892.
JOHN ARTHUR YEADON.
WILLIAM ADGIE.