IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONSUMING SMOKE AND SAVING FUEL IN THE FURNACES OF STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ball Ball, of Carisbrooke Lodge, St. John's Road
East, Putney, in the County of Surrey, Public Accountant, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONSUMING SMOKE AND SAVING
FUEL IN THE FURNACES OF STEAM BOILERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ball Ball at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th October 1880.
JOHN BALL BALL, of Carisbrooke Lodge, St. John's Road East, Putney, in the
County of Surrey, Public Accountant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
CONSUMING SMOKE AND SAVING FUEL IN THE FURNACES OF STEAM BOILERS."
The object of my Invention is to create more perfect combustion in the furnaces
of locomotive, marine, and other boilers, thereby obviating the waste of fuel and
consuming the smoke. With this object I construct in the bottom of the firebox
an apparatus as hereinafter described, which sends a strong current of air into and
through the whole fire box above the fire, which current mingling with the
unconsumed gases, smoke, and other products of combustion which are making
their escape through the boiler, causes a most perfect combustion and thereby
effects a great saving of fuel, while at the same time it consumes the smoke. The
apparatus consists of two parts made of boiler plate or other suitable material,
extending from side to side of the fire box. The part against the end of the
fire box consists of a curved plate strongly fastened to the back and side plates
with openings allowing the water in the boiler freely to circulate inside the curved
plate, or I can make this curved plate to be only fastened to the back plate of the
fire box, in which case the openings allowing free circulation of the water would
be only made through the end plate, and if required I could fill in the ends beyond
this curved plate against the sides plates of the fire box with fireclay. The other
part is an upright containing water, which is allowed free circulation into the
boiler through the ends of the upright, which are connected with the sido plates of
the firebox. These two parts are so placed that the lower edges thereof are level
or thereabouts with the fire-bars, which are cut shorter therefor, and form together
a tuyère shaped entrance for the draught of air. The curved plate gradually,
diminishes the distance between the two parts, till at the upper edge of the upright,

page_text: it forms a narrow longitudinal aperture directing the current of air across the top
of the fire, or I can arrange for several apertures at different levels. The shape of
this narrow aperture can be cither straight, level, or curved in any manner as I
may determine. The bottom of this tuyère shaped entrance for the air is fitted
with binged plates or dampers so as to regulate the amount of air that is allowed
to pass through and enter the firebox. I can place this apparatus across either or
both ends of the firebox, and in marine or other boilers if there is not sufficient
draught I can use any suitable fanning appliance.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Ball Ball in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st February
1881.
JOHN BALL BALL, of Carisbrooke Lodge, St. John's Road East, Putney, in the
County of Surrey, Public Accountant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
CONSUMING SMOKE AND SAVING FUEL IN THE FURNACES OF STEAM BOILERS."
My Invention relates to the furnaces of steam boilers, especially to those of
locomotive and marine engines, and it has reference more particularly to
improvements in the methods of construction of such furnaces, described and
shewn in the Specification and Drawings of the Letters Patent granted to Henry
Schallclm, dated 27 May 1873, and numbered 1902.
The object of my Invention is to effect in the furnaces or fireboxes of locomotive,
marine, or other boilers, more perfect combustion of the fuel and gases than
has heretofore ordinarily been the case, so as to lessen the waste of fuel and
prevent the production of sinoke without reducing the steam generating capacity
of the boiler. It consists more especially in novel methods of constructing and
arranging the parts of the apparatus by which the desired results are obtained, so
that they serve themselves also as generators for the production of steam.
In order to put my Invention in operation, assuming that it is applied to the
firebox of an ordinary locomotive engine, I construct in the bottom of such firebox
at its forward end an apparatus consisting of two parts made of iron, steel, copper,
or other suitable material, and extending from side to side of the firebox. One
such part is attached to the forward end or tube plate of the inner firebox, and
consists of a plate, the lower edge of which is rivetted or otherwise attached to the
lower edge of the tube plate, whilst the upper edge is curved gradually back, so
that the space between this curved plate and the forward or tube plate of the
firebox increases up to a height at or near the level of the fuel in the firebox; [it is
then bent forward, and its upper edge is rivetted or otherwise attached to the
tubeplate below the level of the tubes in the tubeplate. The lateral vertical
edges of this curved plate are bent or flanged. over, and are also rivetted or
otherwise attached to the tube plate of the inner firebox, or the edges aforesaid

page_text: may be curved back and rivetted or otherwise attached to the side plates of the
inner firebox, instead of the tube plate as hereinbefore mentioned. A water tight
space is thereby formed between the curved plate and the tube plate aforesaid,
or between the curved plate and the side plates and tube plate, as herein before
described, and a sufficient number of openings are made through the tube plate so
that the water tight space described is in communication with the water space
round the fire box. If necessary I can fit stays, which may be tubular, through the
outer fire box and the carved plato described, so as to stay the two plates
together.
The other part of my improved apparatus consists of a hollow midfeather, vertical,
or nearly so, and fixed in a transverse position across the firebox, its ends communi-
cating with the side water spaces round the firebox. By the arrangements above
described the water in the boiler is allowed freely to circulate through the
midfeather and inside the curved plate. The upper edge of this midfeather is
arranged parallel with, but a short distance from, the bent back edge of the curved
plate hereinbefore described, so that a narrow aperture is left between the two
edges, through which any air entering from below passes, and is directed into the
flame, smoke, and gases from the fire before they reach the tubes, and in this way
the combustion of the fuel is rendered more perfect, and the production of smoke is
prevented. The upper edges of the aforesaid midfenther and curved plate and the
narrow aperture above described may be made horizontal across the firebox, or may
be made to curve down at the sides, but I make them preferably to curve up at the
sides, so that the steam generated inside the midfeather and curved plate the more
freely escapes.
The lower edges of the curved plato and of the transverse
midfeather herein before described are arranged so as to be at or near the level of
the firebars, which are shorter therefore than usual, and they form together a
gradually decreasing air channel or tuyère shaped passage for a draught of air
admitted between them at their lower edges, where I arrange one or more binged
adjustable plates or dampers, by which the air is caught and directed into the
passage, and by which the quantity of such air can be regulated as described. The
ends of the air space described between the midfeather and the curved plate afore-
said may be fitted with firebrick if required.
Having thus particularly described iny Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, in order to clearly explain the same I refer to the accompanying
Drawing in illustration of my Invention, as applied to the firebox of an ordinary
locomotive engine.
Figure 1 is a vertical_longitudinal section of the lower part of a firebox con-
taining my apparatus; Figure 2 is a trausverse elevation of the forward end of the
firebox and of my apparatus; Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal sections of the firebox
and of my apparatus, taken at X, Z, in Figure 1. The letters are the same in each
of the Figures. A, A, are the plates of the outer firebox; B is the forward or tube-
plato of the inner firebox hereinbefore described; C is the curved plate, rivetted or
otherwise attached to the lower edge of the tube plate B, and curved back to the
point D, where it is bent forward and is rivetted to the plate B at E, below the
level of the tubes F, as herein before described. G, G, are the openings through the
plate B to allow free circulation of the water, as herein before described. In Figures
2 and 3 the lateral vertical edges of the plate Care shewn flanged over and rivetted
to the plate B; and in Figure 4 they are shewn curved back and rivetted to the
side plates of the inner firebox, as herein before described. H is the vertical hollow
midfeather hereinbefore described, extending across the inner firebox, to the sides of
which it is rivetted, as shewn at I. K is the narrow aperture left between the
bent back edge of the plato C and the upper edge of the midfeather H, as herein-
before described. This narrow aperture K. may be made horizontal, as K 1, in
Figure 2, or may be curved down at the sides, as K. 2 in the saine Figure, or may be
curved up at the sides, as K 3 in the same Figure, as hereinbefore described. Lis
the adjustable plate or damper, turning upon hinges at M, hereinbefore described,

page_text: and operated by a lever N. O, O, is the firebrick fitted into the ends of the air
channel P, as hereinbefore described.
The action of my apparatus therefore is as follows:-The air entering through
the front of the ashpan R is caught by the plate L, and is directed upward through
the tuyère shaped passage P, and eventually is forced through the narrow aperture K
into the flame and smoke and gases rising from the fuel burning upon the firebars S.
By adjusting the moveable damper L, the quantity of air thus admitted can be
regulated or entirely cut off. Two or more sets of the apparatus as hereinbefore
described may be used, admitting a corresponding number of narrow currents of air
into the firebox, the upper edges of the apertures being at the same or different
levels, and each apparatus may be situated in any desired position in the firebox.
Or instead of a single narrow aperture several apertures at different levels may
be used. In marine or other boilers, in cases where there is not sufficient draught
to force the air through the tuyère shaped passage, blowing or other machinery or
apparatus may be used for the purpose aforesaid of so forcing in the air.
It will be seen that by my improved apparatus, as described and shewn, one or
more currents of air are introduced into the firebox in such a manner as to assist
and perfect the combustion of the fuel and gases, and to prevent the production of
smoke, whilst at the same time my apparatus does not interfere with the steam
generating capacity of the boiler, parts of the apparatus through which air is
admitted being hollow and filled with water, which is exposed to the hottest part
of the fire.
Having thus particularly described and clearly explained my Invention, I claim
the bent plate and hollow midfeather, the space within both communicating with
the water space of the boiler, and forming together a channel, through which air is
directed into the firebox, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described
and declared and shewn in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ball Ball, have hereunto set my band
and seal, this Twenty fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
HART & Co.,
28, New Bridge Street,
London, E.C.
JOHN B. BALL. (L.S.)