Improvements in Furnaces Applicable to Steam Boilers, Gas Retorts, and the like.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 10th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 20th Dec., 1887
Improvements in Furnaces Applicable to Steam Boilers, Gas
Retorts, and the like.
I, JOHN ARMITAGE DRAKE of the firm of Jonas Drake and Son, Francis Street
Halifax Yorkshire Gas Engineers do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES APPLICABLE TO STEAM BOILERS, GAS RETORTS, AND
THE LIKE," to be as follows:-
My invention consists in the application of a new means or method of generating
heat in or for steam boilers, baking ovens, calcining kilns, blast furnaces, gas retorts,
and other bodies requiring great and continuous heat and this I propose to do without
the ordinary furnace which has hitherto (in regard to steam boilers) been made within
the flue or fire box.
In carrying out my invention I construct the furnace of fire bricks, slabs, or tiles
outside the boiler or some little distance away therefrom, but the fire brick furnace is
in connection with the fire box of the boiler, which fire box I preferably line with
fire bricks having a rib or bar formed on the underside thereof so that the whole
surface of the brick is not in contact with the metal of the fire box but instead thereof,
only the rib of the brick, in which case there is an annular space between the bricks
and the fire box, which allows for the passage of air and for the expansion and con-
traction of both the fire box and the bricks.
The furnace is an enclosed one with an aperture to introduce the coke or other fuel,
which aperture is closed when the furnace has been charged, so that the fire can burn
at a low temperature.
Sliding or other form of doors are made near the base of the furnace to admit what
I choose to term the primary air, which air after traversing through suitably arranged
flues in order to take up surplus heat which would otherwise radiate away, enters under
the fire grate and through the perforations therein, and up through the fuel, such
primary air being converted thereby into carbonic oxide gas.
Atmospheric air which I choose to term secondry air, is admitted to the furnace
throug a door or grate at a point near the base of the furnace and after traversing
through and along another series of zig zag or suitably arranged flues, is allowed to

page_text: enter the furnace at a point above or beyond the top of the fuel, and to combine with
the carbonic oxide gases, when combustion takes place, producing thereby a great
amount of heat, which is immediately utilized and passes forward through the bricked
fire box of the boiler, or other body requiring heat. The admission of primary and
secondary air is regulated and controlled by suitably arranged doors or valves.
This method of generating heat and supplying same to steam boilers or other bodies
requiring heat will be found very economical and effective, as a high temperature can
be maintained with a small consumption of fuel, the burning away of the boiler plates
will be very much lessened as the flames are preferably kept from contact with the
plates, and little or no smoke will be made, rendering thereby the use of long and
expensive chimnies unnecessary.

page_text: Improvements in Furnaces Applicable to Steam Bollers, Gas
Retorts, and the like.
I, JOHN ARMITAGE DRAKE, of the firm of Jonas Drake & Son, Francis Street,
Halifax, Yorkshire, Gas Engineers, 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 :-
My invention consists in the application of a new means or method of generating
heat in or for steam boilers, baking ovens, calcining kilns, blast furnaces, gas retorts,
and other bodies requiring great and continuous heat, and this I propose to do on the
generation or gaseous fuel principle, making the carbonic oxide gases from coke in the
producers or furnaces hereinafter described.
Such being the nature and object of my invention, I will now proceed to describe
the same more fully, and for that purpose make reference to the accompanying sheets
of drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is cross-sectional elevation of a furnace, taken through
the line in Fig. 2, whilst Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the line F in Fig. 1,
both illustrations being sections of a furnace constructed according to my invention
and applied to an ordinary two-flued steam boiler. a is a furnace divided at the top
by a partition or mid-feather b, both of which are in connection with flues c in com-
munication with the flues of the steam boiler d. This furnace is self-contained and
is composed of fire bricks or slabs of suitable size and shape for the purpose of
receiving and retaining heat arising from the furnace and furnace gases. Fig. 3 is
sectional plan taken through the line A of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is sectional plan
taken through the line B of Figs. 1 and 2, and Fig. 5 is another sectional plan taken
through the line C of Figs. 1 and 2; the several plans being shown for the purpose of
more clearly indicating the several arrangements of flues employed in the construction
of my improved furnace. Atmospheric air, which I choose to term the primary air,
enters underneath the furnace grate at e, and after passing through the series of flues,
shewn more clearly in plan view Fig. 3, passes up, through the furnace bottom or grate
bars f, and up through the fuel, such primary air being thereby converted into carbonic
oxide gas.
Openings are also made in the front of the furnace at g (see plan view
Fig. 4) for the introduction of atmospheric air, which I choose to term secondary air,
which, after passing through and along a series of flues h, enters the furnace at a point
above or beyond the top of the fuel, as shewn at i, which immediately combines with
the carbonic oxide gas, when combustion takes place, producing thereby a great amount
of heat, which is immediately utilized, and passes forward through the brick fire box,
of the boiler, or other body requiring heat. The admission of primary and secondary
air is regulated and controlled by suitably arranged doors or valves placed at the
entrance of the apertures through which the air enters.
The fire boxes are preferably lined with fire bricks of a peculiar construction, as
shewn at Fig. 6, having a bar or ribj formed on one side thereof, which rib or bar
comes into contact with the inner side of the boiler flue, as shewn at cross-section

page_text: Fig. 7, which is taken through the line E in Fig. 2, so that the whole surface of the
brick does not come into contact with the metal of the fire-box, but instead thereof
only a rib of the brick, in which case there are annular spaces & between the boxes and
the bricks, as at Fig. 7.
Fig. 8 is a section through the line D in Fig. 2, shewing a double-lined brickwork
flue between the furnace and the boiler.
This method of generating heat and supplying same to steam boilers and other bodies
requiring.heat will be found very economical and effective, as a high temperature can
be obtained by a small consumption of fuel; the burning away of the boiler plates will
be very much lessened, as the flames, are kept from contact with the plates, and no
smoke will be made, rendering thereby the use of long and expensive chimneys
unnecessary.
On Sheets 4 and 5 I have shewn a modified form of constructing furnaces of brick-
work to be employed in connection with steam boilers, Fig. 9 of such Drawings being
a cross-section through the line H of Fig. 10, whilst Fig. 10 is longitudinal section
through the line F of Fig. 9, and in order that the peculiar arrangement of flues may
be more clearly shewn, Fig. 11 illustrates a section of a furnace taken through the
line A of Figs. 9 and 10, where apertures are employed, shewing the means of com-
munication between one set of flues and another. Fig. 12 is a cross-section through
the line B of Figs. 9 and 10, and Fig. 13 is also a section taken through the line C of
Figs. 9 and 10. In this caso atmospheric air enters underneath the grate in the one
case, and above the furnace grate in the other case, as previously explained, where the
primary and secondary airs blend together for the purpose of producing combustion,
the fuel entering into the furnace through the hopper m, such arrangement of furnace
being well adapted to generating heat for supplying steam boilers or other bodies
requiring intense heat.
On Sheet 6, at Figs. 14 and 15, I have shewn another modified construction of
furnace, and whilst the arrangement of flues is somewhat different to that already described,
the furnace gases and secondary air meet at a point above the fuel, so as to produce
combustion for heating purposes. The same letters of reference marked on the
Drawings indicate the same furnace and flues as those already described.
The Drawing on Sheet 7 illustrates another construction of furnace, Fig. 16 being
cross section and Fig. 17 longitudinal section. In this case the furnace is built under
the steam boiler d, but divided therefrom by a partition or arch p. The furnace gases
intermingle and ignite as previously explained, and pass through the flues of the
boiler, and through flues formed at each side thereof, so that the said gases impinge
on a great surface of the boiler plate.
?'
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
Firstly. The construction and arrangement of brickwork furnaces for heating steam
boilers and other bodies, arranged outside or underneath the boilers, substantially in
the manner shewn and described, in the several drawings hereto annexed.
Secondly. The construction of bricks or slabs as shewn at Fig. 6, when used for
lining the inner side of boiler flues, in manner substantially as herein shewn and
described.
Dated thie 0th day of Novembar 1887
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.