Improvements in Furnaces for the Better Economisation of Fuel and the Consumption of Smoke, and in Boilers or Apparatus for Generating Steam and Heating Water.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 27th July, 1889-Accepted, 5th Oct., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Furnaces for the Better Economisation of Fuel and
the Consumption of Smoke, and in Boilers or Apparatus for
Generating Steam and Heating Water.
We, JOHN HILTON of 19 Queens Road, Oldham, Clothier, EPHRAIM JACKSON of
102 Library Lane, Oldham, Mechanic, and GEORGE COLLINS HILTON of 19 Queens
Road aforesaid, Clothier do hereby declare the nature of our said invention to bo
as follows:-
As applied to a Steam boiler furnace say in a Lancashire Boiler we dispense with
the usual bridge and enclose the rear end of the furnace as hereinafter described.
We employ an exhaust fan to induce a draught through the furnace and down
between a set of hollow fire-bars filled with water into the back part of the ash-pit
from whence a communication opens to the exhaust fan and chimney. In this
manner an intense heat is produced at the back of the furnace and the products of
combustion in passing directly through the highly incandescent fuel lying upon the
fire bars thus became thoroughly consumed.
In performing our invention we divide the ash-pit into two separate chambers by a
division wall running across from side to side. Upon this wall a double set of
longitudinal tubes are laid the lower set serving as air passages into the furnace and
passing through a hollow fire-clay casing forming the back of the furnace and
there extending over and opening direct into the furnace chamber above the fire
these air tubes taking their supply of air from the outer atmosphere in front of the
boiler. Immediately above these air tubes we arrange a set of hollow fire bars
connected at their front extremities with a cast iron casing which in turn is in
communication with the water space of the boiler and at their back extremities
such fire bars open into another similar casing which communicates with the boiler
by a pipe by preference carried up into the steam space. The fire-clay back of the
furnace is carried down beneath the level of the air tubes where a spaco is left for
the products of combustion to pass into the rear part of the boiler flue under the
influence of the exhaust fan.
The front of the ash pit is fitted with an adjustable door so as to regulate the
admission of air if it be desired to supplement the supply entering through the
before mentioned air tubes.
The action of the improved apparatus is as follows-The fresh fuel is first fed on
to the front part of the hollow fire bars and the exhaust fan being in operation it
soon becomes incandescent. In this state it is pushed back in the furnace on
the back part of the hollow fire bars covering the second chamber of the ash pit.
The exhausting action of the fan induces the air to enter the furnace through the
air tube before mentioned in a highly heated state and the products of combustion
are at the same time drawn down through the incandescent fuel and between the
hollow fire-bars into the chamber below and thus on their way to the chimney
become thoroughly consumed giving off their heat within the furnace.
In some cases and as applied to hot water boiler furnaces we employ a cistern of
water to keep the hollow bars cool and in other cases we employ a door way in the
fire clay back so as to open a communication with the chimney in case of first
lighting the fire. And in case of a chimney shaft affording a sufficient draught we
disp
ispense with the fan and depend upon the chimney alone.
Our improvements are also applicable to externally fired steam boilers and to the
furnaces of hot water and other, analogous apparatus.
J. G. WILSON,
Agent for Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Furnaces for the Better Economisation of Fuel and
Consumption of Smoke, and in Boilers or Apparatus for
Generating Steam and Heating Water.
We, JOHN HILTON of 19 Queen Road, Oldham, Clothier, EPHRAIM JACKSON
102 Library Lane, Oldham, Mechanic and GEORGE COLLINS HILTON of 19 Queen
Road aforesaid Clothier do hereby declare the nature of our said invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
As applied to a steam boiler furnace say in a Lancashire boiler we dispense with
the usual bridge and enclose the rear end of the furnace as hereinafter described.
We employ a set of hollow fire bars filled with water, over the back part of the
ash-pit which is suitably enclosed and whence a communication opens to an exhaust
fan or to the chimney direct whilst a set of air tubes are provided for supplying air
in a highly heated state to the upper part of the furnace.
On the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 represents a side sectional view and Fig. 2
a sectional plan view of the furnace end of a double flued Lancashire boiler having
our improvements applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same boiler
taken across the line a-b in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view taken
across the line c-d.
Similar letters of reference are used to denote similar parts in all the views.
In performing our invention we divide the back part of the ash-pit from the
front by a division plate a running across from side to side and so constituting a
heating chamber a¹. In or above this plate a the front ends of a double set of
longitudinal tubes are supported, the lower set of these tubes b, which are of large
area opening at their back extremities into a hot air fluo c constructed in a hollow
fire-clay casing d which forms the back wall of the furnace and which at the top
extends over whilst the hot air flue c itself opens into the furnace chamber above
the fire.
These are tubes b, b thus pass through the upper part of the heating chamber a¹ and
take their supply of air from the outer atmosphere from the ash-pit y in front of
the boiler.
Immediately above these air tubes we arrange a set of tubular or hollow fire-
bars e, e connected at their front extremities to a cast iron or steel casing which
in its turn is in communication with the water space of the boiler through the
branch pipe g but which may if desired be carried up to near the water line as
indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. At their back extremities these hollow fire-
bars e, e open into another cast-iron or steel casing which communicates with the
boiler by an upright pipe i hy preference carried up and terminating just below
the ordinary water level as illustrated and protected at its outlet by an overhanging
canopy. We thus obtain a full and constant circulation of water through the
hollow fire-bars and prevent the same becoming burnt out or injured by the great.
heat. The fire-clay back of the furnace c is carried down beneath the level of the
air tubes b, where an arch or a spacej is left for the products of combustion
to pass into the rear part of the boiler flue k under the influence of the exhaust fan
or chimney draught.
The front division plate a is fitted with an adjustable door a² so as to regulate
the admission of air if it be desired to supplement the supply entering through the
before mentioned air tubes and for cleaning out the heating chamber a¹.
The action of this improved apparatus is as follows:-
The fresh fuel is first fed on to the ordinary fire-bars in front of the furnace it
soon becomes incandescent. In this state it is pushed back in the furnace on to the
hollow fire-bars e, e which practically forin a second furnace.
Instead of ordinary fire-bars in front as illustrated-they also may be substituted
by hollow fire-bars..

page_text: By the action of the exhaust fan or the draught of the chimney we thus not
only induce a draught through the front fire-bars u into the furnace and down
between the hollow fire-bars e, e into the chamber a' below but by admitting heated
air through the air tubes b, b as aforesaid we materially assist combustion and
produce intense heat within the furnace and by passing the products of
combustion directly through the highly incandescent fuel lying upon such hollow
fire bars we still further ensure the same becoming thoroughly consumed.
The exhausting action of the fan or the chimney draught induces the air to enter
the furnace through the air tubes b b in a highly heated state and the products of
combustion are at the same time drawn down through the incandescent fuel and
between the hollow fire-bars e, e into the heating chamber a¹ and thus on their way
to the chimney such products become thoroughly consumed giving off their heat within
the furnace.
Our improvements although only herein-before described and illustrated with
reference to Lancashire boilers are equally applicable to externally fired boilers and
other steam generator furnaces.
As applied to the fire-places or furnaces of hot water-boilers, bakers ovens &c. we
employ a cistern of water connected to the casings fand h by to and fro circulating pipes
to keep the hollow bars cool and in these cases we employ a doorway in the fire-clay
back so as to open a communication with the chimney in case of first lighting the
fire. We wish it to be understood that we make no claim to forming a supple-
mentary furnace at the back of a steam boiler furnace and between the hollow
fire-bars of which the products of combustion are drawn downwards by mechanical
means or by the draught of the chimney save and except when used in conjunction
with air supply tubes for heating air and supplying same to the furnace as
aforesaid.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
In steam boiler and other furnaces the employment of a set of hollow fire-bars kept
filled with water and between which the products of combustion are drawn downwards
into a heating chamber on their way to the chimney in combination with a set of air
supply tubes passing through such beating chamber and supplying heated air to the
furnace through a hollow fire clay back substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Office, 55, Market Street, Manchester, Agent for the Applicants.