IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND BOILERS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Ellis, of Coatbridge, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FURNACES AND BOILERS."
Sealed the 21st October 1870, and dated the 5th May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Ellis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th May 1870.
56
I, THOMAS ELLIS, of Coatbridge, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FURNACES AND BOILERS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This furnace is constructed externally similar to the ordinary type of
puddling furnaces. The grate is enclosed with air-tight fitting doors; all
the apertures for the admission of air to the bridge and flue jambs are
also closed, so that no air is admitted to the grate or bottom bridge,
jamb, or back wall plates except by the means herein-after provided. At
the fluc end of the furnace about the flue bridge an aperture is made,
through which a volume of air from a blast fan is made to pass; this

page_text: air is driven by the force of the fan under the bottom plates around the
jamb and back wall plates, from which it takes up all the heat which is
being given off by the plates above mentioned; it is then passed by a
suitable aperture at the fire bridge into the grate, producing combustion
of the fuel therein. By a suitable valve a quantity of the hot air is
allowed to enter the furnace through the bridge, which is made hollow
for that purpose and which in mixing with the gases from the fire grate
produces an intense heat and consumes the smoke. The waste heat of
the furnace instead of passing up a stalk in the ordinary way is made
to pass by suitable connections through a vertical tubular boiler, by
preference made with a tapered shell with an internal flue; the flue is
fitted with tubes crossing each other at an angle of about 45°. These
tubes are not put directly across the flue, but have a dip sufficient to
produce perfect circulation of the water. This arrangement is equally
applicable to heating furnaces generally.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Ellis in the Great Scal-Patent. Office on
the 3rd November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
ELLIS, of Coatbridge, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Thomas Ellis, Her special license that I; the said
Thomas Ellis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Thomas Ellis, 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 FURNACES, AND BOILERS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Ellis, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
"
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page_text: 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 Thomas Ellis, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
he performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to improvements in furnaces and boilers,
the furnaces comprised under it are constructed externally nearly similar
to the ordinary type of puddling furnaces. The grate is enclosed with
air-tight fitting doors, all the apertures for the admission of air to the
bridge and flue jambs are also closed so that no air is admitted to the
grate, or bottom bridge, jamb, or back wall plates except by the means
herein after provided. At the flue end of the furnace, about the flue
bridge, an aperture is made through which a supply of air from a blast
fan is made to pass, this air is driven by the force of the fan under the
bottom plates, around the jamb and back wall plates, from which it
takes up all the heat which is being given off by the plates above-
mentioned, it is then passed by a suitable aperture at the fire-bridge
into the grate, producing combustion of the fuel therein. By a suitable
valve a quantity of the hot air is allowed to enter the furnace through
the bridge, which is made hollow for that purpose, and which in mixing
with the gases from the fire-grate produces an intense heat and consumes
the smoke. The waste heat of the furnace instead of passing up a
stalk in the ordinary way is made to pass by suitable passages through a
vertical tubular boiler, by preference made with a tapered shell with an
internal flue, the flue is fitted with tubes crossing each other at an angle of
about 45° (forty-five degrees). These tubes are not put directly across the
flue but have a dip sufficient to produce perfect circulation of the water.
This arrangement is equally applicable to heating furnaces generally.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood
I now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or
manner in or under which the same is or may be used or practically
carried into effect, that is to say :--
On Sheet 1 of the Drawings hereunto appended, Figure 1 is a front
elevation of an improved puddling, furnace and steam boiler as con-

page_text: of that end of the furnace marked A, Figure 1; and Figure 3 is an
elevation of the back part of the furnace, that is to say, of the side
directly opposite to Figure 1.
On Sheet 2 of the annexed Drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal
section of the said puddling furnace and steam boiler; Figure 2 a
horizontal section of the furnace on the line a, a, Figure 1; and Figure
3 a horizontal section of the boiler on the line b, b, Figure 1; whilst
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, are severally detailed views of
different parts of the apparatus and are herein-after more particularly
referred to. On all the Figures on Sheets 1 and 2 corresponding parts
are indicated by the same letters of reference. The puddling furnace
illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is constructed
externally substantially similar to the ordinary type of puddling
furnaces, and the fire-grate A. (shewn at Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 2,)
is provided with two air-tight doors B and C respectively, as more
particularly shewn in end elevation at Figure 2, Sheet 1. Of these
doors that marked B encloses the opening through which the furnace
grate is cleaned, for which purpose the door is withdrawn by means
of the weighted chain C passed over the pulley D, and fastened at one
end to the door B, as shewn at e, Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 1, whilst the
ash-pit E of the furnace is enclosed by the door C, as more particularly
seen in longitudinal section at Figure 1, Sheet 2. At the opposite end
of the furnace a vertical boiler F of the form shewn on the appended
Sheets of Drawings is situated, and the boiler is provided with a flue G
extending upwards through its centre, the lower end of which flue is in com-
munication with the flue I of the furnace, as shewn at Figure 1, Sheet 2.
Through the flue G the waste heat from the furnace is caused to pass,
thereby generating steam in the boiler F, and thus effecting an economy
of fuel. The boiler F is also provided with a number of tubes J
extending in several directions through the flue G, as more particularly
seen at Figure 3, Sheet 2, and these tubes are laid at a sufficient angle
to ensure perfect circulation of the water in the boiler. The lower end
of the boiler F is supported on an iron frame K, shewn more particularly
in detail at Figure 4, Sheet 2; the frame being carried on the tops or
upper ends of four standards or pillars L, as shewn. At the flue end of
the furnace an aperture is formed and provided with a pipe or duct M,
shewn at Figures 1, Sheets 1 and 2, through which a currant of air is

page_text: caused to pass from a rotary steam fan situated, by preference, between
the pillars L, but for the sake of more complete elucidation shewn in
detached view at Figure 5, Sheet 2. Steam to actuate the fan is
supplied from the boiler F, through the pipe or passage N, situated at
the upper part thereof, as shewn at Figure 1, Sheet 1, and on the blast
from the fan being caused to pass through the duct or passage M¹ it
circulates under the bottom plates O of the furnace, shewn at Figures
1 and 2, Sheet 2, of the Drawings, and also around the jamb and back
wall plates Q and R respectively, from which it takes up all the heat
being given off therefrom, and is thence passed into the fire-grate through
a suitable aperture r formed in the fire-bridge P, as indicated by the
arrows at Figure 1, Sheet 2. The quantity of air so admitted to the
fire-grate is regulated by a valve shewn in detail at Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9,
Sheet 2. The aperture in the fire-bridge P is divided into a number of
cells or ports x, as shewn in plan at Figure 6, and the quantity of air
passing through these ports or cells is determined by adjusting the
valve Y so that the wide parts s thereof (shewn at Figure 7) are caused
to cover a larger or smaller portion of the said port x. The valve is
actuated by an attendant drawing outwards or pushing inwards the hand
wheel, attached by means of a spindle to the valve and projecting
to the outside of the furnace, as shewn at Figure. 1, Sheet 1, of the
accompanying Drawings.
•
In lieu of supplying the air to the furnace in the manner above set
forth it may be conducted through the passage T, shewn in longitudinal
section at Figure 1. Sheet 2, the entrance to which passage is shown
closed by the hanging or flap valve V. When it is desired to supply
the air to the furnace through the passage T the valve V is turned
in the valve box so as to close the entrance to the passage M³ as
shown in dotted lines at Figures 1 and 12, Sheet 2, by means of the
handle X, shown at Figure 1, Sheet 1, and in detached view at
Figure 10, Sheet 2. The air on being admitted to the furnace through
either of the passages herein-before specified admixes with the gases
from the fire grate, and producing intense heat thereby consumes the
smoke.
It is to be here understood that though the improvements which
constitute this Invention are shewn applied to a puddling furnace they
are equally applicable to other furnaces, such, for example, as relicating,
boiling, and scrap furnaces, and in licu of placing a steam boiler at the

page_text: flue end of the furnace, as herein-before described and shown on the two
Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, the boiler may be dispensed with,
and the waste heat and products of combustion conducted from the
furnace to a stalk or chimney in the usual manner; and it is further to
be understood that I do not confine myself to employ the steam boiler
in connection with puddling furnaces, as such boiler is equally applicable
to other purposes, nor do I confine myself to the particular arrangement
of passages herein-before described and shown on the accompanying
Drawings for supplying the blast to the said furnaces, as such, arrangement
may be modified.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be
used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion
that what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
First. The special arrangement and construction of combined furnace
and steam boiler herein-before described and shown on the appended
Sheets of Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The combination of a fan in conjunction with furnaces,
having air passages or ducts passing under and round the bottom,
fire-bridge, jamb, and back wall plates for the purpose of heating
the air before it is conducted into the fire-grate, as herein-before set
forth.
Third. The arrangement and construction of vertical steam boiler
herein-before described and shown on the two explanatory Sheets of
Drawings hereunto annexed, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Ellis, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of November One thousand
eight hundred and seventy.
THOMAS TAT Tra
('O'IT)