Improvements in or connected with Furnaces for Heating Steam Boilers or for other purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1890-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1891
Improvements in or connected with Furnaces for Heating Steam
Boilers or for other purposes.
I, HUGH CHRISTIE PATERSON, of 15, Camden Gardens Uxbridge Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of my invention is to provide furnaces for heating steam boilers or
for other purposes with means whereby smoke is consumed and fuel economized.
According to my invention I provide means whereby when fuel is supplied to the
fire air is admitted to above the fuel in such a way that it becomes properly
diffused in the furnace and mixed with the products of combustion and then
together with the products of combustion comes into contact with heated surfaces
arranged in front of the fire-bridge, the supply of air being reduced or cut off after
a time (either by hand or automatically substantially as hereinafter described)
when the smoke due to refiring ceases or practically ceases in the furnace. The
valve for admitting air after the furnace door has been closed is automatically
opened by opening the furnace door and may be closed or partly closed by hand
or automatically when the furnace door is closed, by any convenient means for
example a box containing mercury may be employed which when the door is opened
is turned into such a position that the mercury passes quickly to one side of a
diaphragm in the box and then when the door is closed the mercury returns slowly
through a passage in the diaphragm the change in position of the mercury causing
the box to turn on its centre so that when it has fully returned the box closes the
air way or allows a valve to fall to close it. I also provide in the mouth of the
furnace a deflector for the purpose of diffusing or conducting air admitted to
the furnace over or onto the fuel which deflector may be a simple plate or as I
prefer a hollow or box-like chamber or channel communicating with the air outside
the furnace through which channel the air passes onto the fuel.
The accompanying drawings represent arrangements according to this invention.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section. Figure 2 a front elevation. Figure 3 a
transverse section and Figure 4 a plan of an apparatus provided with means for
automatically opening and closing the air admission valve or passage to the
furnace.
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a front elevation and longitudinal section of the
mouth and door of a furnace shewing means for automatically opening the air
admission valve but which valve must be closed by hand and Figure 7 shews the
hollow deflector which may be used in combination or not with my other
improvements.
.
Referring to Figures to 4 the door A has in it an air way a in which is an
axis d on which is mounted the mercury box E provided with a projection e which
when the box is in the position shewn in Figure 2 allows a flap or valve to fall to
close the air-way a through the door but when the door is opened the projection g
fixed on the axis d is caused by the bar or rod h to turn up the mercury box so
that the mercury flows quickly towards what was the higher end of the box and at
the same time the flap or valve f is by the rod or projection e on the mercury box
raised so as to open the passage for air through the furnace. When the door is
closed the mercury flows back slowly until the box assumes the position shown in
Figure 2 and the flan or valve again closes. The mercury flows back slowly
enough to allow time for air to be supplied during the time smoke arises from the
new charges of fuel. The mercury box by being situated in the air passage is

page_text: kept cool by the ingoing air passing round it and it can be operated by hand by
the handle when so desired..
In the arrangement shewn in Figures 5 and 6 the flap or valve is opened
automatically when the furnace door is opened by the rod or bar h acting on the
projection on the axis d so as to cause the projection or rod e to raise the flap or
valve and thus open the passage a through the door.
When the furnace door is closed the projection g will not be acted on by the
rod and consequently the flap will remain open but can be closed by means of
the handle i to any extent required the axis being fitted with sufficient friction
to retain the flap in any position to which it may be moved.
J is an air deflector which may be perforated if desired and can be turned down
or up to deflect the air more or less directly down onto the fuel or among the
products of combustion in the upper part of the furnace. It has for this purpose
arms centered on an axis and provided with a handle j' by which the deflector
can be operated from outside the furnace. The deflector J may be made hollow
or tubular as shewn in Figure 7 and may be formed by two plates fixed in the
mouth of the furnace at the required angle and distance apart and made to com-
municate at its front end with the external air either by the air passage a in the
door or otherwise. The air entering this hollow or tubular deflector or channel
at the front end thereof passes therefrom at the inner end in a highly heated
condition and is diffused over the top of the fuel whereby a very perfect com-
bustion of the fuel is effected. K Figs. 1 and 2 is an arch with perforations
therethrough. This arch is situated in front of the bridge L. The air and
products of combustion which pass together under the arch K and through the
openings therein, being intimately commingled, become further heated and burned.
There may be one two or more arches K in front of the bridge if so desired. In
the case of locomotive or like boilers where there is no bridge the arch or arches
is or are arranged in front of the tube plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:―
1st. In furnaces a door with an air way through it receiving air at its lower part
and delivering it into the upper part of the furnace under a deflector by which the
air is diffused and the air and products of combustion pass together under an
arch K (or arches) in front of the bridge or in front of the tube plate in the case
of locomotive and like boilers where no bridge is used so that smoke is prevented
or consumed before it can pass over the bridge or through the tubes substantially
as hereinbefore described.
2nd. In furnaces a door with a passage, as described, for air through it and with
a device which causes the valve in the air way to open when the door is opened
and to thereafter close when a predetermined time has clapsed substantially as
hereinbefore described.
3rd. In furnaces a door with a passage for air, as described, through it and a
device for causing the air passage to be opened automatically when the door is
opened and to remain open after the door is closed until closed by hand and means
for closing the said passage by hand substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
4th. In furnaces an arch or arches (perforated or not) situated in front of the
bridge, or in front of the tube plate where no bridge is employed, substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
5th. In furnaces the arrangement and combination of parts constituting the air
supply door and regulator and a perforated arch or perforated arches sub-
stantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
6th. In furnaces a hollow or tubular deflector in the month of the furnace and

page_text: communicating with the external air so that air is caused to enter and pass through
the deflector,and be diffused over the fuel substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of October 1900
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.