IMPROVEMENTS IN STOVES OR HEATING APPARATUS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomson, of Dalkeith Gardens, in the
County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STOVES OR HEATING APPARATUS."
Sealed the 9th October 1857, and dated the 20th April 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
April 1857.
I, WILLIAM THOMSON, of Dalkeith Gardens, in the County of Mid Lothian,
North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOVES OR HEATING APPARATUS," to be as follows, that is
to say :-
This Invention relates to the employment and use of gas for heating water
in such an effective and economical manner, as to render the heating apparatus
judiciously available for heating or warming buildings of all kinds.
Under one modification of the apparatus used in carrying out these im-
provements, the stove is in the form of a vertical cylindrical pillar, having a
flat expanded circular top, the gas burner. being in the base portion of the
pillar or column. The gas burner rests on the floor or base of the stove, and
the flame is covered over by a hollow conical chamber, the truncated apex of
which extends upwards into the external water chamber or column of the
stove. In the centre of this water column is an internal column or tube
of smaller diameter forming the hot air space. This tube has a closed

page_text: bottom end, with a lateral aperture for conducting cold air into it through the
annular water space between the outside of the inner tube and the inside of
the outer one or column. The upper end of the central tube is quite open,
the hot air being discharged by it through the flat expanded top of the stove
into the apartment to be warmed. The expanded top of the pillar is supplied
with water by an opening on the top, the water thus supplied finding its way
down into the annular space between the two columns or tubes. Small
openings are formed in the upper part of the hollow cone surrounding the gas
flame, and from these openings helical tubes are wound upwards round tho
inner tubo through the annular water space. These helical tubes are joined
at the top into a lateral discharge duct leading to a chimney, by which the
waste hot air is carried off. The effect of this arrangement is, that the heat of
the gas flame, after acting upon the water in the bottom of the boiler or water
column, is still further economised by causing the vitiated air and the results of
combustion to pass through a series of tubes immersed in water, in escaping
to the chimney. In this way not only is all the available heat economised
or put to practical use, but the noxious matters arising from the gas are all
effectually got rid of.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Thomson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th October 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMSON, of Dalkeith Gardens, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,
Gentleman, send grooting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Пer beirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Thomson, Her special license, that I, the said William
Thomson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Thomson, my executors, administrators, or 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
STOVES OR HEATING APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that 1,

page_text: the said William Thomson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, 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 William Thomson, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the employment and use of gas for heating
water in such an effective and economical manner, as to render the heating
apparatus judiciously available for heating or warming buildings of all kinds.
Under one modification of the apparatus used in carrying out these im-
provements, the stone is in the form of a vertical cylindrical pillar, having a
flat expanded circular top, the gas burner being in the base portion of the
pillar or column. The gas burner rests on the floor or base of the stone, and
the flame is covered over by a hollow conical chamber, the truncated apex of
which extends upwards into the external water chamber or column of the
stove. In the centre of this water column is an internal column or tube of
smaller diameter, forming the hot air space. This tube has a closed bottom
end, with a lateral aperture for conducting cold air into it through the annular
water space between the outside of the inner tubo and the inside of the outer
one or column. The upper end of the central tube is quite open, the hot air
being discharged by it through the flat expanded top of the stove into the
apartment to be warmed. The expanded top of the pillar is supplied with
water by an opening on the top, the water thus supplied finding its way down
into the annular space between the two columns or tubes. Small openings
are formed in the upper part of the hollow cono surrounding the gas flame,
and from these openings helical tubes are wound upwards round the inner
tube through the annular water space. These helical tubes are joined at the
top into a lateral discharge duct leading to a chimney, by which the waste hot
air is carried off. The effect of this arrangement is that the heat of the gas
flame, after acting upon the water in the bottom of the boiler or water column,
is still further economised by causing the vitiated air and the results of com-
bustion to pass through a series of tubes immersed in water, in escaping to
the chimney. In this way not only is all the available heat economised or
put to practical use, but the noxious matters arising from the gas are all
ellietually rot rid of.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several illustrative Figures on the explanatory
Sheet of Drawings, which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of show-
ing certain modifications under which my improvements may be judiciously
carried out in practice.
Figure 1, on the illustrative Drawings, is a complete external elevation of
one modification of my improved stove or heating apparatus, arranged in a
plain non-ornamental form, suitable for heating greenhouses, churches, and
other buildings where an ornate style is not particularly required; Figure 2 is
a vertical section of the stove corresponding to Figure 1; Figure 3 is an
external elevation of a stove suitable for heating dwelling houses, and for other
similar purposes.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 on my Sheet of Drawings, the main external.
casing of the stove is a plain iron cylinder A, fitted into and supported by the
base B resting on the floor. The lower part of the base is made hollow, and
forms a chamber C, perforated all round for the admission of atmospheric air,
for the purpose of supporting the combustion of the gas at the burners D.
This cold air supply passes from the base chamber C through small per-
forations in the base plate E of the actual stone cylinder A. This base plate
may or may not form a part of the conoidal heating chamber F, containing
the gas burners, which are supplied with gas by the lateral branch pipe G
rassed through the base chamber C. Within the main cylinder or column A
of the stove, and concentric with it, is a metal cylinder I of smaller diameter,
forming the hot air chamber. This internal hot air chamber is quite open at
its upper end I, where it is suspended from the top of the external cylinder by
a flange for the escape of the heated air, whilst its bottom end J is closed. It
is supplied with cold air, for the expulsion of the heated air within it, by tho
lateral branch K passed through the outer cylinder, and opening up a com-
munication between the internal cylinder and the atmosphere. The conical top
of the gas heating chamber F is perforated to receive the lower open ends of
one or more spiral or helical tubes L. These tubes are wound round upon the
outside of the inner cylinder H, passing up through the annular water space
between the exterior of this cylinder and the interior of the main cylinder A,
and they are joined to form a single exit duct by a lateral branch M passing
off to the chimney. The annular water space is supplied with water, as may
be required, through the top aperture N, whilst a gunge cock is fitted at O
for the adjustment of the water level; the discharge of water from the boiler
portion of the stove is effected by the lateral stop-cock P near the bottom.
Figure 3 is an elevation of a more ornate class of stove or heater, fitte:

page_text: with an ornamental top, cap, or cover, through which the heated air escapes
into the apartment to be warmed; but its internal arrangement is similar to
that already described herein, with reference to Figures 1 and 2 on my Sheet
of Drawings. The economical effect of this arrangement is, that whilst the
direct heat of the gas burners is usefully applied in heating the water at the
lower part of the annular column in the stove, through the medium of the
conoidal chamber F, the heat is still further economised by passing tho
vitiated air and the products of combustion from the burner chamber through
the mass of water in the annular chamber, thus enabling these currents to
impart their otherwise waste heat to the water prior to escaping to the
chimney. In this way a large body of water is kept in a heated state at a
low cost, whilst the apartment in which the stove is placed is thus well and
pleasantly warmed.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describo
or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of my Invention; but what I consider to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by tho
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of stoves or heating
apparatus, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of producing artificial heat by means of hot
water, gas stoves, or heating apparatus, wherein the heated currents, arising
from the direct combustion of the gas, aro caused to pass by suitable tubes or
ducts through the water contained or connected with the stove.
Third, the application and use, in hot water gas stoves or heating apparatus,
of tubes or ducts for the conveyance of the products of the combustion of gas
through the water, for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven.
WILLIAM THOMSON. (L.S.)