IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Tuxford, of 106, Upper Thames Street, in
the City of London, Merchant, and George William Hills, of Mortlake,
in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FURNACES."
Sealed the 3rd September 1860, and dated the 10th March 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Tuxford and;
George William Hills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 10th March 1860.
We, WILLIAM TUXFORD, of 106, Upper Thames Street, in the City of'
London, Merchant, and GEORGE WILLIAM HILLS, of Mortlake, in the County
of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES," to be as follows:-
These improvements in furnaces consist in substituting for metalic fire-bars
a bed of perforated bricks, formed of suitable description of earth, and of con-
venient dimensions to fit the furnaces, the perforations to be made at suitable
distances. The bricks can be made of any desired thickness, but we prefer,
for the sake of convenience, to make them of three inches in thickness, and to
place them in layers of threo exactly over each other, by which means air
passages of nine inches in length are obtained; this concentration of the

page_text: atmosphere causes a strong draught of cool air to pass immediately into and
through the fuel, which greatly assists the combustion, thereby causing a
saving of fuel, and consequently reducing considerably the quantity of smoke
which naturally arises with an imperfect combustion. The air passages.
(perforations) of the bricks may be made square, oval, octagon, or any other
shape, and of any suitable size, but we prefer to make them round, and of the
dimensions of about two inches in diameter for the two bottom layers, whilst
the openings in the top brick or bricks will be about two inches at bottom,
and reduced gradually to about one inch and a half at the top, so that the
cinders in falling through may not remain in the orifice, but fall direct into
the ash-pan.
In order to fully secure the bricks in their proper position, tongues may be
moulded in them, with corresponding slots for their reception in the bricks
immediately under.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Tuxford and George William Hills in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 7th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
TUXFORD, of 106, Upper Thames Street, in the City of London, Merchant,
and GEORGE WILLIAM HILLS, of Mortlake, in the County of Surrey, Gentle-
man, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,.
the said William Tuxford and George William Hills, Her special licence
that we, the said William Tuxford and George William Hills, our executors,,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Tuxford
and George William Hills, our 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN FURNACES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said William Tuxford and George William Hills, or one of us, our executors

page_text: or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or one of our,
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 George William Hills, on behalf of
myself. and the said William Tuxford, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to bo
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
that is to say :-
These improvements in furnaces consist in substituting for metallic fire-bars,
bricks or slabs made of any kind of fire-resisting earth. We make our bricks
or slabs of any suitable length and width to suit the dimensions and form of
the furnace, and these bricks or slabs will contain a sufficient area of per-
forations in accordance with the requirements for a convenient draught. The
thickness of the said bricks or slabs which will be most convenient in case of
breakage we prefer to make of three inches, and to place them in layers of
three, exactly over and upon each other, so as to make the perforations
correspond, by which means air passages of nine inches are formed, such air
passages (perforations) having a diameter of two inches for the two lower
layers, whilst the perforations in the top layer will be two inches at bottom,
and reduced gradually to one inch and a half at top, in order to prevent as
much as possible the choking of the said air passages by the falling of the
ashes or other matters. The bricks or slabs may be made with tenons and
slots, in order, if required, to secure them better together. The perforations
may be made in any other shape and size than the above described, provided
the area thereof be properly maintained. The supports upon which the said
bricks or slabs may be placed can be made in any suitable manner. The
object of our Invention is to concentrate the cool feed air into the narrow
passages (perforations) which are formed as already mentioned, thereby
causing a strong draught of air to pass into the fuel, whereby a better com-
bustion, and accordingly a saving of fuel, is obtained.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, we would observe, in
conclusion, that we do not confine or restrict ourselves to the precise details
or arrangements which we have had occasion to describe, as many variations
may be made therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features

page_text: of our Invention; but what we consider novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is the substitution for metallic fire-bars of a bed of perforated
bricks or slabs formed of and applied as already described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George William Hills, have hereunto
set my hand and seal this Seventh day of September, in the
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
year
of
Witness,
GEO. WHITE.
GEO. W. HILLS. (L.s.)