IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONSUMING SMOKE
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Botterill, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Dyer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONSUMING
SMOKE."
Sealed the 24th October 1866, and dated the 2nd May 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Botterill at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd May 1866.
I, JOHN BOTTERILL, of Leeds, in the County of York, Dyer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
CONSUMING SMOKE," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in fixing cast-iron or other pipes in the flue, fire-
box, or other most convenient part of the furnace. The pipes or passages are
so constructed as to admit air at one end at the opening; at the other end or
outlet is attached a hollow box or chamber to receive the air after it has passed
through the pipes or passages, or the pipes may be let into a hollow part of
the bridge of the furnace. The air traversing through the pipes or passages
becomes heated to a very high temperature. The hollow box or chamber is
constructed as near to the back of the bridge as is convenient, and the top

page_text: is provided with grates the width of the furnace. When the bridge is used
for the purpose grates are provided at the top or other suitable part of the
bridge; when the heated air therefore ascends through the grates either of
the box, or chamber, or hollow bridge it will be diffused in such a manner as
to come in contact with the whole volume of carbon passing over the bridge
and convert it into flame before it can reach the chimney bottom.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Botterill in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BOTTERILL, of Leeds, in the County of York, Dyer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Botterill, Her special licence that I, the said John Botterill, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Botterill, my
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 I, the said John Botterill,
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 Botterill, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention of "Improvements in Apparatus for Consuming Smoke"

page_text: relates to a novel mode of arranging cast-iron or other pipes or air passages
in combination with an air chamber or hollow bridge placed in the flue, fire-
box, or other most convenient part of the furnace where it may be exposed to
the heat of the fire, the object of the Invention being to admit heated air to
the fire-box and cause it to commingle with the combustible gases evolved
from the fuel for the purpose of more effectually burning the same. In
adapting the Invention to locomotive engines the air supply pipes or passages
are so constructed and arranged as to admit the air at either end so that in
whichever direction the engine is travelling the air will be conducted to heat-
ing apparatus, and will be supplied under pressure to the fire-box, in which it
will commingle with the combustible gases. In connection with these air
pipes or passages is a hollow box or chamber to receive the air after it has
passed through the pipes or passages; or the pipes may be let into a hollow
part of the bridge, or be adapted to or placed contiguous to the bridge of the
furnace, as will be hereafter more fully explained. The air in traversing
through the pipes or passages and the hollow box or chamber becomes heated
to a very high temperature, and when it enters the fire-box and commingles
with the heated combustible gases and smoke it will effectually consume the
same, and thereby greatly economize the fuel.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1, Sheet I., represents a longitudinal
vertical section through the fire-box of a locomotive boiler, Fig. 2 being a
transverse vertical section of the same constructed according to my improve-
ments, or having my Invention adapted thereto. It will be seen that the
Invention mainly consists in the use of an air chamber or hollow bridge B
made of cast or wrought iron or other suitable material, and placed across the
furnace A, just under the open ends of the tubes. K of the boiler. This
chamber or bridge is supplied with air by the tubes, pipes, or passages C at
each side of the fire-box or furnace A. The pipes or passages C are supplied
with air through an opening or valve D when the engine is running first, or at
another opening E when the tender is running in front. These supply pipes
run along the bottom of the ash-pan N until they meet at L, at which point
there is a dividing piece or deflector which is carried up a short distance
vertically for the purpose of deflecting the air upwards and causing it to ascend
through the pipes C into the hot air chamber or bridge B. If preferred a
tumbler valve may be used instead of the deflector. This valve will be placed
vertically, and must be properly balanced so that whichever way the engine
s running the air on entering the horizontal pipes or tubes d or e will act
upon the valve and throw or force it over in the proper direction, thereby

page_text: closing one pipe and opening the other. By this arrangement the air-supplying
part of the apparatus will be self-acting, but if desired the tumbler valve may
be actuated by means of a long rod and handle L, as shewn in the Figures.
It will be seen that the supply pipes are so arranged that whichever way the
engine may be running the air will be directed upwards. The vertical pipes C
on each side of the furnace are carried through the grate bars G and through
the fire, as shewn in the Drawing. The pipes are protected to a little abovo
the height of the actual fire by the bricks or quarries F, which are made of
fire-clay. The air in passing through the heated pipes. C, C, into the air
chamber or bridge B will be raised to a very high temperature, and on passing
ont at the opening H will be diffused in the fire-box in such a manner as to
come in contact with the whole volume of the smoke or combustible gases
before they pass over the air chamber or bridge B. These gases will thereby
be converted into flame before entering into the tubes K of the boiler. When
the engine is at rest the damper or valve M may be occasionally closed, and
in order that air may be admitted into the pipes C holes are out in the damper
or valve M the size of the openings D, so that when the damper is closed
it will not prevent air from entering the opening D.
In the event of it being necessary to shut the steam off suddenly in locomotive
engines the great draught produced by the arrangement herein set forth might
cause a counter draught below the fire outwards from the fire-grate, and burn
the engineer or others on the engine. In order to prevent this counter draught
I attach an arm or bar of iron to the damper which shuts the entrance of the
fire-grate. This arm or bar is to be connected to the lever which shuts off the
steam, and if desired this connection may be so made that the arm or har may
be attached to or detached from the shut-off lever at pleasure. By thus
connecting this arm or bar to the damper, and also connecting it with the
lever which shuts off the steam the same movement of the lever which would
shut off the steam would simultaneously close the damper. This arm or bar should
be kept connected to the lever whenever the engine is running at speed, and
may be detached from the lever whenever the engine is stationary or engaged
in shunting.
Fig. 3, Sheet II., is a longitudinal vertical section of a stationary
boiler and furnace, with my Invention adapetd thereto. In this instance air
is admitted to the ash-pit in the usual manner, and passes from thence along
the air tubes E, which are placed in the flue behind the fire bridge. A return
pipe D conducts the air to the air chamber B, which is fixed in the bridge
and is provided with holes to allow the heated air to issue in thin streams or

page_text: jets, and thus commingle with the heated vapors and gases arising from the
fuel. The back plate of this hot air chamber is bent over so as to direct the
air back into the fire-box, so that it may perfectly commingle with the
cumbustible gases. It will be seen that by this arrangement the air before it
issues from the chamber B will be highly charged with caloric, as it will in its
passage along the pipes D and E absorb a good deal of the heat from the
incombustible gases in the flue.
Fig. 4, Sheet III., represents a longitudinal vertical section, and Fig. 5 a
plan view of a marine boiler and furnace constructed on the same plans that
shewn in Fig. 3 for a stationary boiler. The air passes in through the ash-pit, and
after circulating through the pipes D and E in the flue behind the bridge enters
the hot air chamber B, from which it issues through the long slots made in
the top thereof, and is directed among the gases by the curved plate at the
back edge of the chamber.
Fig. 6, Sheet II., is a longitudinal section of a marine boiler and furnace
in which there is no fire-bridge. In this instance the box or chamber B
extends along the back of the flue, and its exit openings are so arranged that
the heated air as it issues will be intimately mixed with the combustible gases
from the fire.
I would here remark that in order to effectually and economically consume
all the combustible gases evolved from the fire it is essential that the
air to support combustion in the flues should be heated to a high temperature,
otherwise the gases will not be burnt. It has often been proposed to allow
air from the ash-pit to pass up through passages in the bridge, but I have
found that in so doing the air will not have time to take up sufficient heat, and
that unless the channels or passages through which the air passes are exposed
to the full heat of the fire or flame from the furnace, or unless these channels
be of considerable extent, the air will not become sufficiently heated to effect
the desired object.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Apparatus for
Consuming Smoke," and having explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I would remark that by means of the above-described novel
arrangement and construction of parts for supplying heated air to the fire-box
and flues I am enabled to effectually consume the smoke and combustible
gases evolved from the fuel, and therefore to greatly economize the fuel and
at the same time raise steam more rapidly than heretofore. Sparks or flame
will also be prevented from issuing from the funnel. What I claim as new
in the above-described improvements is, the combination or arrangement of

page_text: parts herein set forth for supplying heated air to the fire-box or furnace for the
purpose of assisting in consuming the smoke and combustible gases evolved
from the fuel.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Botterill, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the First day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Signed and sealed in
the presence of
JAB. WM. HAMILTON RICHARDSON,
Solicitor,
Leeds.
JOHN BOTTERILL. (L.B.)