IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO STEAM-BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES FOR THE COMBustion of Liquid or PulveriZED FUEL
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO STEAM-BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES
FOR THE COMBustion of Liquid or PulveriZED FUEL." A communication
from abroad by William Dhu Dickey, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th November 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO STEAM
BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES FOR THE COMBUSTION OF LIQUID OR PULVERIZED
FUEL." A communication from abroad by William Dhu Dickey, of the City and
State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to the construction and arrangement of a steam boiler and
its connections, whereby pulverized or fluid fuel may be advantageously burned
for the generating of steam and other purposes.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a steam boiler with my improved attachments
for generating steam connected therewith, and Figure 2 is a central vertical section
of one of the said attachments detached from its connection with the boiler.
A represents a steam-boiler and A¹ its tubular flues; A is the fire-place or
furnace; As, the steam-dome, and A an inclined bridge or abutment in the fire
place, whereby the flame is deflected upward; A represents a combustion-chamber,
which is formed behind the said bridge in front of the flues.
B is a steam-super-heater, consisting preferably of a metal pipe, coiled or otherwise
bent upon itself so as to obtain a considerable length thereof within the fireplace,
and arranged within and preferably at the top of the fire place A2, where it may
be heated by the fire in the latter; B' is a pipe leading from the steam-space of

page_text: the boiler (preferably from the dome A³) to the superheater, and provided with a
steam-cock a; B' is a steam-pipe leading from the superheater B to the steam
discharge-nozzle C, more fully hereinafter described; D is a water-tank and D'a
pipe leading from the said tank into the pipe B¹, and provided with a water
cock a¹; E is a conical hood or air-conductor attached at one end to the front of
the boiler so as to enclose the door-way opening into the fire-place or furnace.
The other end is preferably provided with a revolving damper or register, whereby
apertures in the said end may be closed or opened for the admission of air.
Openings b, b', are also made in the body of the hood near the boiler, provided
with a door or damper. El is a conical air conductor projecting around and
inwards towards the door way or front opening of the fire-place. This conductor
serves to deflect the air that enters the openings 6, 61, into the flame, while it also
acts to cause the steam which is discharged from the nozzle C and rushes into
the fire-placo, carrying with it the fuel to draw air in through the said
openings b, b¹.
C¹ is a steam and air discharge nozzlo arranged within the hood E, as shown in
Figure 1. The steam nozzle C is arranged concentrically within this nozzle C'.
C is the steam entrance or inlet passage to the nozzle C, and is designed to be
connected with the steam pipe B'; C³ is a similar passage for the connection of
the said pipe B2 when it is desired to make such connection on the top of the said
nozzle C, or this passage may be fitted with a cap to be removed and permit the
steam entering the inlet passage C² to be discharged for the purpose of blowing out
any sediment or other obstruction that may lodge or accumulate in the nozzle C;
C is an air entrance passage, and C³ an air pipe leading into the same; F is an air
blower, and C an air pipo or conductor leading therefrom, and connected to the
pipe C. The conductor Co opens into the open air, as at c, and is provided with
two air cocks a³ and a³, one on each side of the pipo C³.
G is a fuel discharging nozzle, and G' a pipe leading thereto and connected there-
with, and provided with a cock a. When fluid or liquid fuel is to be burned this
pipe G¹ is connected with and leads from a can or tank H containing such fuel, which
may consist of petroleum or any of the liquid hydrocarbons. When pulverized fuel is
to be used the nozzle G is connected with a blower by a suitable conductor, and
provision.is.mado for introducing such fuel into the said blower or conductor, so
that it may be impelled into and through tho said nozzle G.--The nozzles C.and G
are so arranged relatively to each other that their axes are at an angle to each
other, as shown in the Drawing, so that steam and air discharged from the
nozzle C¹ will pass across the end of the nozzle G, whereby the fuel, whether
fluid or pulverized, as it issues from the said nozzle G will be atomized if
fluid, or scattered if pulverized, and impelled into the fire-place or combustion
chamber.
The nozzle C projects across the air entrance passage C, so that steam issuing
from the said nozzle C into and through the nozzle C₁ will act to draw the air in
through the said passage C. The nozzles C and G are each' preferably provided
with a spindle valve, as shewn at h and h¹, for regulating the discharge from the
nozzles. These valves are rendered adjustable by screw threading a portion of
their bodies, which screw threaded portions work in female screw threaded portions
in or connected with the rear ends of the nozzles, as clearly shown in Figure 2.
The nozzles C¹ and G are preferably made of a single piece of metal, being
connected by a web G. This construction ensures their permanent proper relative
position and adjustment. The nozzle C is made of a soparate piece screwed into
the nozzle C, as shown in Fig. 2.
It is absolutely essential for producing the desired result that the nozzles G
and C shall open into the atmosphere, so as to discharge the steam, air, and fuel
directly into the combustion chamber, without the interposition of any enclosing
conductor between them and the said chamber; it has been found by experiment.

page_text: that any such conductor prevents complete combustion and lessens the auxiliary aid
to combustion derived from decomposition of the steam.
The particular form or construction of the steam generator is obviously not
important, so long as it is adapted to have combined with it the attachments herein
described, and to the generation of steam therein by the fire produced by the com-
bustion of the fuel discharged from the nozzle G and impelled into the combustion
chainber by the steam and air issuing from the nozzle C¹.
The operation of the above described apparatus is as follows:-
For the purpose of starting the fire the cock a is kept closed and the cock a' is
opened, allowing the fuel to flow down from the tank H into the nozzle G; at the
same time the blower F is set in motion, the cock a being shut and the cock a³
open. The current of air that will be thereby discharged from or through the
nozzle C will atomize or scatter, as the case may be, the liquid or pulverized fuel
issuing from the nozzle G and impel it into the fire place A³ and the combustion
chamber A. This operation is to be continued until a head of steam is raised in
the steam boiler. When this result is attained the blower may be stopped and the
cock a² opened. The cock a being then also opened, the steam from the boiler will
pass through the pipe B' into and through the super-beater B, and thence through.
the pipe B to the nozzle C and out of the nozzle C¹, drawing after it air through
the passage C, whereby the fuel issuing from the nozzle G is driven forward into
The com-
the fireplace, and atomized or scattered in the combustion chamber.
bustion taking place in the presence of superheated steam intimately commingled
with the comminuted fuel, such steam will be to a greater or less extent decomposed,
and the resulting. hydrogen will act as an auxiliary fuel. A supply of air to
support the combustion is insured by the action of the steam issuing from the
nozzle C drawing the air in through the passage C', and impelling it with the.
steam through the nozzle C¹.
The superheater B will be heated upon starting the fire by the action of the
blower some time before a head of steam can be raised in the boiler. As soon as
it becomes sufficiently heated to superheat the steam the cock a² may be opened
and water from the tank D allowed to flow down through the pipe D' into the
pipe B and into the superheater B, where it will be quickly converted into super-
heated steam, which will be discharged from the nozzlo C. When this result is.
attained the blower may be stopped, the cock a³ closed, and the cock a² opened, as.
the operation will then bo continued and the discharge into tho combustion
chamber secured until a head of steam is raised in the boiler.
.'
The bridge wall A* serves to deflect the flame and heat upon the superheater and
the surface of the boiler over the fireplace, thereby ensuring the desired superheating.
of the steam; it also becomes itself intensely heated, and will instantaneously
ignite the inflowing current of fuel if from any cause the flame should become
extinguished while the apparatus is in operation. It is important that the bridge
should be inclined backward, as represented, in order to give the flame and heat
the proper direction, and not obstruct too much their movement towards the
fire flues.
When in starting the fire air is forced by the blower into the nozzle C¹ it will,
unless prevented, back up into the nozzle C, and the force of the current of the air
from the nozzle C¹ will be thereby destroyed or materially diminished. By turning
in the spindle valve h¹ the nozzle C may be closed while the blower F is in
operation, the said spindle being turned back to open the orifice when steam is
raised and let on to the said nozzle C.
When the apparatus above described is in full operation, with highly superheated
steam acting to atomize or scatter and impel the fuel into the combustion chamber,
and at the same time a rapid current of atmospheric air is drawn in by the steam
to support combustion, rapid. combustion is effected and a very intense heat
produced.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my

page_text: foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,-
First. The combination with the fire space of a steam boiler of a steam super-
heater located in the said fire space, a steam pipe leading from the steam space in
the boiler to the said superheater, and provided with a cock, the nozzle C, a steam
pipe leading from the said superheater to the said nozzle, the nozzle G arranged
relatively to the nozzle C, the fuel holding tank and the conductor provided with a
cock, and leading from the same to the nozzle G, the nozzle C, and air inlet
passage C' arranged relatively to the nozzle C, the said nozzles C' and G being
arranged relatively to the fire space to discharge steam, air, and fuel directly into
the said fire space without any intervening conductor, all as above described with
reference to the accompanying Drawing and for the purpose set forth.
Second. The combination with a fireplace of the nozzles C, C¹, and G, and the
hood within which the said nozzles are located, and by which they are supported,
so that liquid fuel issuing from the nozzle G will be atomized and projected by
steam issuing from the nozzle C directly into the said fireplace without passing
through any intervening conductor, all as above set forth and for the purpose
described.
Third. The combination with a fireplace of the nozzle C and nozzle C¹, the
former located concentrically within the latter, an air inlet passage to the nozzle C',
a steam conductor leading into the nozzle C, the nozzle G arranged relatively to
the nozzle C', and a fuel supply conductor leading into the nozzle G, whereby
liquid fuel issuing from the latter may be atomized and projected into the fireplaco
by steam issuing from the nozzle C¹, and at the same time air will be drawn into
the nozzle C by the action of the steam, and will be mingled with the inflowing
current of steam and fuel before they reach the combustion chamber in the fire
place, all as above described and for the purposo specified.
Fourth. The combination with the fireplace of a steam boiler of a steam super-
heater located in the upper part of said fireplace, the steam nozzle C and fuel
nozzle G, whereby fluid fuel issuing from the nozzle G may be projected into the
fireplace by steam issuing from the nozzle C and the backwardly inclined bridge
wall, whereby the flame caused by the combustion of said fuel will be deflected
onto said super heater or towards the upper part of the said fireplace, all as above
set forth and for the purpose described.
Fifth. The combination of the boiler, the fireplace, the steam superheater, the
steam pipe B provided with the stop cock a, the water tank, and the pipe D¹
leading into the pipe B¹, and provided with the stop-cock a', all as above set forth
and for the purpose described.
Sixth. The combination of a fireplace, a steam superheater located in the said
fireplace, a water or steam supply, and a pipe leading therefrom to the said heater, 4
the nozzle G, and a pipe leading to a liquid fuel supply, the nozzle Carranged
relatively to the nozzle G, the air blower and air conductor C leading from the
said blower to the nozzle C, and provided with a stop cock a³, all as abovo
described and for the purpose specified.
Seventh. The nozzle C, the blower, the conductor leading from the said blower, 4
and provided with the stop-cock a³, the pipe C leading from the pipe C to the
said nozzle C, the open end c of the said conductor and the stop-cock a between
the pipe C and the said open end, all combined to operate in the mauner and for
the purpose herein described.
Eighth. The nozzle C', the nozzle Ċ located concentrically within the same, the 5
blower, and the conductor leading from the said blower to the nozzle C¹, the
nozzle C being provided with the spindle valve, whereby the said nozzle may be
closed when the said blower is in operation to prevent the air from backing into
the said nozzle C, and inay be opened when the blower is stopped and steam let
into the said nozzle C, all as above set forth and for the purpose described.
5
Ninth. The combination with the fireplace of the hood E provided with the

page_text: conical conductor E' projecting towards the said fireplace, the air openings b, b²,
and the nozzles C and G, arranged within and supported by the said hood, and
the pipe connections of the said nozzles, all as above described for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
WM. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)