I- PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Carter, of Mottingham Lodge, Eltham,
in the County of Kent, Gentleman, for the Invention of "I-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES.”
Sealed the 20th July 1853, and dated the 21st January 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Carter at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st January 1853.
I, GEORGE CARTER, of Mottingham Lodge, Eltham, in the County
of Kent, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES" to be as
follows:-
It consists, firstly, in dividing the ash pit of an engine boiler or
other furnace into front and back compartments; secondly, in provid-
ing independent inlets for the air to each compartment adjusted by
suitable regulators; and, thirdly, in sometimes setting the back range
of fire bars at right angles with the front set. By these arrangements
bituminous coal may be burnt in such furnaces under circumstances
the most favourable to effect perfect combustion.

page_text: For the better understanding of my said Invention I shall proceed
to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed, remarking that the same
letters of reference apply to the same parts in each.
Fig. 1. is à longitudinal section of a common waggon boiler A, and
its furnace B, having the dead plate at C, and two sets of fire bars D, E.
The bridge is at F, as usual, and above it springs a fire-brick arch G.
The ash pit is divided into the fore part H, and the back part I, by a
cast iron or brick partition J, and the fore part is closed or partially
closed by the iron plate K, having appropriate doors or valves to admit
atmospheric air to this front ash pit; the back ash pit I, is also sup-
plied with a valve door or other means at M, for admitting air.
Fig. 2, is a front view of the plate K, represented with an air
regulator I.
Fig. 3, is a front view of a cast iron partition J, for the central divi-
sion of the main asli pit.
..
.
Having thus described one mode of. carrying out my Invention, I
would observe that a 'furnace of this description must be fired by first
pushing the coked incandescent fuel backwards from C, D, towards E,
keeping the entire set of bars E, completely covered therewith, and
supplying every fresh charge of fuel over C, D, only, so that the fuel
which has ceased to give out impure gas shall be supplied with air
from the ash pit I, by the air inlet M, and the fresh gas producing
fuel shall be seperately supplied with air from the ash pit H, entering
at the air valve I. By this arrangement the impure coal gas of the
furnace B, passing from C, and D, over the red hot fuel E, becomes
considerably heated, and this hot gas meeting with the atmospherical
oxygen passing upwards from I, through the bars and fuel E, is then
in condition highly favourable for the complete combustion of all the
gaseous products of the fuel, by which will be attained increased
temperature, effective evaporation, and the prevention of smoke.
My Invention may be considerably modified in the mode of dividing
the asli pit, and the modes of admitting the air to the several parts,
which any workman may effect, to accommodate the principle of my
improvements to marine and other boilers, and to furnaces requiring
such modifications to suit their construction or locality. For single

page_text: furnaces the back bars E, may be set the reverse way, & a seperate
ash pit door provided to enable the fireman to rake the bars from the
side, instead of the front. Sometimes also the ash pit H, may require.
to have a false bottoni or air passages to admit air to the back part I..
But in these and other portions of the arrangements I do not confine
myself to any particular dimensions or situation of the same.
I do not claim any of the ordinary parts of furnaces as being the
subjects of my Invention; but what I especially claim is, viz.:.
First, dividing the ash pits of furnaces at or about the centre.
And, second, supplying each division of an ash pit so constructed.
with atmospheric air by independent and regulated inlets.
:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Carter in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 21st July 1853.
TO ALL TO. WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
GEORGE CARTER, of Mottingham Lodge, in the County of Kent, Gen-
tleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three,
in the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs.
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said George Carter,.
Her special licence that I, the said George Carter, executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Carter, executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully night
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle. of Man, an In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Carter, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly

page_text: 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 George Carter, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:
It consists, firstly, in dividing the ash pit of engine boiler or other
furnaces into front and back compartments; secondly, in providing
independent inlets for the air to cach compartment adjusted by suitable
regulators; thirdly, in sometimes setting the back range of fire bars
at right angles with the front set; and, fourthly, in limiting the width
of the flues passing around or through boilers.
For the better understanding of my said Invention I shall shall now
proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed, in which the
same letters of reference apply to like parts throughout.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, is a longitudinal section of a steam boiler and furnace
having my improvements applied thereto. A, is a cylindrical boiler;
B, the furnace; C, the dead plate; D, the front set of fire bars;
and E, the back bars. The fire bridge is, as usual, at F, and above it
springs a fire-brick arch G. The ash pit is divided into the fore part
H, and the back part I, by a cast iron or brick partition J, and the
fore part is closed or partially closed by the iron plate or door K, :
having regulated apertures, as at L, to admit atmospheric air to this
front ash pit. The back ash pit I, is also supplied with a regulated
air aperture M, for admitting atmospheric air to this second or back
ash pit, independent of the air supplied to the front ash pit N, the flues
narrow and deep.
Figure 2, is a front view of the plate or door K, represented with
the air regulator L.
Figure 3, is a front view of a cast iron partition J, for dividing the
main ash pit.

page_text: I recommend that the flues of steam engine and other boiler fur-
uaces, instead of being made from nine to eighteen inches wide,
varying with the dimensions of pans and boilers around which they
circulate, should not exceed six inches, or about one third the cus-
tomary width, being proportionably reduced according to the number
or smallness of the furnaces employed, but the deeper.they can conve
niently be made the better; my object being to compress and spread
the heated air therein against the sides of the vessel to be heated
thereby, instead of allowing such heated air to occupy the top of the
flues, as bappens when the flues are unnecessarily wide. This applica-
tion of narrow deep flues applies to all furnaces employed for heating
or evaporating liquids, and may therefore be adopted in constructing
the internal. flues of marine boilers.
.
Having thus described one mode of carrying my Invention into
ellect, I would observe that a furnace constructed according to BIY
improved arrangement must be fired by first pushing backwards the
coked incandescent fuel of the previous charge from C, D, towards E,
keeping the entire set of bars E, completely covered therewith, and
supplying every fresh charge of fuel at and over C, D, only, so that the
fuel which has ceased to give off impure gas shall be supplied with air
from the back enclosed ash pit I, by the regulated air inlet M, and the
fresh gas producing fuel shall be seperately supplied with air from
the ash pit H, entering at the air valve L. By this arrangement the
impure coal gas of the furnace B, passing from C, and D, over the red
hot fuel E, becomes considerably heated, but not decomposed, and this
hot gas meeting with the atmospherical oxygen passing upwards from
I, through the bars and fuel E, is then in a condition highly favourable
for the complete combustion of all the gascous products of the fuel, by
which means will be obtained increased temperature, effective evapora-
tion, and the prevention of smoke.
My Invention may be considerably modified in the mode of dividing
the ash pit, and admitting the air to the several parts to accommodate
the principle of my improvements to marine and other boilers, and to
various descriptions of furnaces requiring such modifications to suit any
peculiarities of construction, object, or locality. For single furnaces

page_text: the back bars E, may be set at right angles to the bars D, and a
seperate ash pit door provided at the side E, of the furnace to enable the
fireman to rake the back bars with facility. Sometimes also the ash
pit F, may require to have a false bottom or other air passage or
passages, as for Cornish or for marino boilers, to admit air to the back or
second ash pit I. But in these and other portions of the arrangements
I do not confine myself to any particular dimensions or situation of the
several parts, which must vary according to circumstances.
And I do declare that what I claim as my improvements are,
nainely-
First, dividing the ash pits of furnaces transversely at the centre or
thereabouts.
Second, supplying each division. of ash pits so constructed with
atmospheric air by independent and regulated inlets. .
And, third, in constructing the flues narrow and deep, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Carter, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of July, in the year
of our Lord 1858.

page_text: LONDON: Printed by GRORGE RDWARD FYRB and. WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE
Printers to the Queen's most Excellem Majesty. 1853.