IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES, AND IN THE CONSUMP- TION OR PREVENTION OF SMOKE
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES, AND IN THE CONSUMP-
TION OR PREVENTION OF SMOKE."-A communication from Edme Lambert,
of Troyes, in the Empire of France, Merchant.
Sealed the 30th January 1855, and dated the 16th August 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition on the 16th
August 1854.
I, WILLIAM JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES, AND IN THE
CONSUMPTION OR PREVENTION OF SMOKE," a communication from Edme Lambert,
of Troyes, in the Empire of France, Merchant, to be as follows:-
be
This Invention relates to the so arranging the details of steam boiler and
other furnaces, that, by the aid of a fan or exhausting or blowing apparatus,
whatever smoke or unconsumed gases may be passed off from furnace may
consumed or turned to economical account in the furnace itself by a subsequent
application therein. As the smoke or current of unconsumed gaseous matter
passes off from the furnace at the further end or discharge outlet in the usual

page_text: manner, it is received into a pipe or conveying duct, which has in its line or in
connection with it a fan blower or exhauster, this blower being employed for
the purpose of re-conveying the gaseous current into the front of the furnace
for final and complete combustion. A furnace fitted up in this manner may be
worked with little or no aid from a chimney, preserving an excellent draught,
and very greatly economising the consumption of fuel. In fact, if a chimney is
employed, it need only be put to use prior to the generation of the working steam
on starting; when fully at work the chimney connection may be cut off. The
fan receives its gaseous supply on both sides from two curved branch pipes, so
arranged that a proportion of atmospheric air shall be mingled with the passing
smoke. This combined or compound aeriform current is then carried forward
and passed through the furnace wall, and thence up through the bars into
the incandescent fuel upon them. The spindle of the fan is tubular, and
has a stream of cold water passed through it to keep it cool and in good
working order.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th February 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and of
Glasgow, North Britain, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by 1Ier Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Ier reign, did,
for Herself, Ier heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William
Johnson, Her special license that I, the said William Johnson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Johnson, 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 IN THE CONSUMPTION
OR PREVENTION OF SMOKE," a communication from Edme Lambert, of Troyes,
in the Empire of France, Merchant, upon the condition (amongst others)

page_text: that I, the said William Johnson, 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 Johnson, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, 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 :-
The said Invention relates to the so arranging the details of steam boiler
and other furnaces, that, by the aid of a fan or exhausting or blowing appa-
ratus, whatever smoke or unconsumed combustible gases may be passed off
from the furnace may be consumed or turned to economical account in the
furnace itself by a subsequent application therein. As the smoke or current
of unconsumed gaseous matter passes off from the furnace at the further end
or discharge outlet in the usual manner, it is received into a pipe or conveying
duct, which has in its line or in connection with it a fan blower or exhauster,
this blower being employed for the purpose of re-conveying the gaseous
current into the front of the furnace for final and complete combustion. A
furnace fitted up in this manner may be worked with little or no aid from a
chimney, preserving an excellent draught, and every greatly economising the
consumption of fuel. In fact, if a chimney is employed, it need only be put to
use prior to the generation of the working steam on starting; when fully at
work the chimney connection may be cut off. The fan receives its gaseous
supply by a curved branch pipe, so arranged that a proportion of atmospheric
air shall be mingled with the passing smoke. This combined or compound
aeriform current is then carried forward and passed through the furnace wall,
and thence up through the bars into the incandescent fuck upon them. The
spindle of the fan is tubular, and has a stream of cold water passed through it
to keep it cool, and in good working order.
And in order that the said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the explanatory Figures on the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto attached.
Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings is a transverse vertical section of a steam
boiler furnace, shewing the adaptation thereto of the improved smoke-con-
suming apparatus; Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the boiler, and
through the flue leading to the chimney. The furnace A and boiler B may be

page_text: constructed according to any of the plans at present in use.
The flames and
gases pass along the flues C, which conduct them to the chimney stalk at D.
Into this chimney is introduced the end of a pipe E, leading to a blowing and
exhausting fan F, and this fan draws the smoke and gases, and discharges
them along the pipe G, which conducts them into the ash-pit H, so as to cause
them to pass again through the fire. The fan is driven by means of the
pulleys I upon its spindle J, and this spindle is hollow, to allow a stream of
cold water to pass through it from the cistern K,. in order to prevent its
becoming too much heated. The fan is set in and out of gear by means of
the lever L for shifting the driving belt. When the fan is in action, 'the
passage of the smoke up the chimney D is cut off by the dainper M. A small
space is left at N, between the end of the pipe E and the fan F, in order that
a portion of atmospheric air may be drawn into the fan along with the gases
. from the furnace, this supply of atmospheric air being needed to carry on the
combustion in the furnace. By means of the apparatus just described a
current is made to circulate through the furnace A, the flues C, the pipe E,
the fan F, and the pipe G, which last communicates with the ash-pit H, whence
the current again passes through the furnace, and so on, continuously. In this
manner the smoke and gaseous matter which leaves the flues C without being
consumed is again conducted through the furnace until it is entirely consumed
and has given out all the heat derivable from its combustion. To allow of the
gradual escape of incombustible gaseous matter, a pipe a is made to open up a
communication between the ash-pit and the external atmosphere; and a similar
provision is made for this gaseous discharge from the furnace itself by the pipe
b, opening into each side of the furnace.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the 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 describe or refer
to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from the
principles or main features of the Invention; but what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of apparatus to be applied
to furnaces for the purpose of consuming or preventing smoke, as herein-before
described.
the
Second, the system or mode of consuming or preventing smoke, by causing
gases from furnaces to be conveyed a second time or oftener through the

page_text: furnace by means of exhausting and blowing apparatus, as herein-beforo
described.
Third, the system or mode of conducting the gases from furnaces along with
fresh atmospheric air beneath the fire bars so as to pass again through the
furnace, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Johnson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
W JOHNSON.
(L.S.)