IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FURNACES OF STEAM GENERATORS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO FURNACES FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Horrocks, of Eccles, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FURNACES OF
STEAM GENERATORS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO FURNACES
FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 23rd January 1874, and dated the 30th July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Horrocks at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
80th July 1878.
I, JAMES HORROOKS, of Eccles, in the County of Laneastét, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
FURNACES OF STEAM GENÈRATOES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
FURNACES FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows :—
My Invention relates principally to furnaces to be employed in con-
nection with steam boilers or generators, but is also applicable to
furnaces to be otherwise employed; and my said Invention has for
its chief objects to lessen the production of smoke, and to effect an
economy in the consumption of fuel.

page_text: When applying my said Invention to the generation of steam I
construct a combustion chamber which is supplied at intervals with
fuel, and is formed with inlet openings fitted with valves or shutters
for regulating the admission of air, and with an outlet, or with two
or more outlets or flues for the conveyance of the flames or heated t
gases to the steam generator; and I provide the said combustion
chamber with an opening or with openings at or near the upper
part, through which the fuel is introduced into the said chamber, and
with an opening or with openings at or near the lower part through
which the ashes may be removed as often as may be required; and 1
I fit doors or covers to the said openings. The outer casing of the
said chamber may be formed of metal, and be lined with fire-bricks,
or with any other suitable lining, the feed openings for fuel being at
or near the top of the chamber, so that the fuel may be introduced
through a hopper, or be delivered directly from trucks or wagons. 1
When at work the gases from the " green or unburnt fuel are
compelled to descend through the incandescent fuel, whereby the pro-
duction of smoke is prevented or lessened.
°
"
The rate of combustion may be regulated by increasing or lessening
the admission of air, either by hand or by self-acting means governed 2
by the varying pressure of steam, or otherwise governed, or partly
governed by hand and partly by self-acting means.
It is intended that the said combustion chamber shall have a large
capacity so as to require replenishing with fuel only at comparatively
long intervals.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Horrocks in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HORROCKS, of Eccles, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
3

page_text: •
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Horrocks; Her special license
that I, the said James Horrocks, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Horrocks, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE FURNACES OF STEAM GENERATORS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO FURNACES FOR OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition, amongst
others, that I, the said James Horrocks, by an instrument in writing,
under my hand and seal, should particularly 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 James Horrocks, 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 and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My Invention relates principally to furnaces to be employed in con-
nection with steam boilers or generators, but is also applicable to
furnaces to be otherwise employed; and my said Invention has for
its chief objects to lessen the production of smoke, and to effect an
economy in the consumption of fuel.
When applying my said Invention to the generation of steam I
construct a combustion chamber which is supplied at intervals with
fuel, and is formed with inlet openings which may be fitted with
valves or shutters for regulating the admission of air, and with an
outlet, or with two or more outlets or flues for the conveyance of
the flames or heated gases to the steam generator; and I provide
the said combustion chamber with an opening or with openings at
or near the upper part through which the fuel is introduced into the
5 said chamber, and with an opening or with openings at the lower
part through which the ashes or scoria may be removed or discharged.
The outer casing of the said chamber may be formed of metal, and

page_text: be lined with fire-bricks or with any other suitable lining, the feed
openings for fuel being at or near the top of the chamber, so that
the fuel may be introduced through a hopper or be delivered directly
from trucks or wagons. When at work the gases from the " green
or unburnt fuel are compelled to descend through the incandescent fuel,
whereby the production of smoke is prevented or lessened.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I
have caused a Sheet of illustrative Drawings made to a scale of about
one-sixteenth of the full size to accompany this Specification, the said
Drawings being marked with letters of reference, similar marks indi-
cating corresponding parts in the various Figures.
Referring in this place to the said Drawings Fig. 1 represents a
vertical section of a furnace for supplying heat to a steam generator,
and Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line A, A, in Fig. 1.
The outer shell of the furnace is principally composed of four castings
a, b, c, d, formed with flanches by means of which they are bolted
together, the three upper castings being cylindrical in form. Distance
blocks e, e, are placed in the upper joints between the flanches of the
cylindrical castings, and the bolts which secure the said castings together
pass through the said blocks. The inner ends of the said blocks sustain
a series of vertical bars f, f, which are designed to support the lining
g in position. The said lining is composed of fire-clay blocks or lumps
which are moulded to suitable shapes, so as to form a cylindrical lining
when arranged together. An air space between the outer shell and
the inner lining extends entirely around the said lining, excepting 1
where interrupted by the exit passage h, and the opening ; and the
spaces between the blocks e, e, form openings for the inlet of air
into the said air space. The blocks of which the said lining, or the
greater part thereof, is composed are perforated with a number of air
passages, as seen in Fig. 1, and in the case of one block only in a
Fig. 2. The said lining is erected upon a plate or casting k in which
is formed an opening towards which the inner surface of the lower
part of the lining slopes so as to facilitate the discharge of ashes or
scoria. An exit passage or flue h serves to establish a communication
between the furnace and the internal flues of a boiler or steam generator, g
indicated by m. The end of the said passage nearest to the furnace is
inclined downwards and into the furnace, in order that any slag or

page_text: scoria which may form in or enter into the said passage may tend
inwards towards the outlet . A discharge opening n, represented as
being closed by means of a movable block o, and communicating with
the said exit passage, is provided for the discharge of any fuel or scoria
3 which may pass the point p in the said flue. An opening q, which is
closed by means of a plate or door r during the working of the furnace,
is formed in the roof of the said exit passage in order that the working
of the furnace may be inspected, and that when necessary tools may
be introduced into the passage to remove accumulations of scoria or
other obstructions to the satisfactory working of the furnace. An
opening is formed in the front of the furnace, and is fitted with a
door which is or may be closed or partly closed during the ordinary
working of the furnace, the said opening furnishing means whereby
the working or condition of the furnace may be inspected, and serving
for the introduction of. tools at times when the opening & may have
become obstructed by scoria, or clinkers, or other accumulations.
The fuel represented by s would be introduced through the open
top of the furnace in the example, but if considered to be desirable
the said top may be fitted with a removable cover, or with a door
or with doors capable of being closed after each supply of fuel, or when-
ever it is desirable to check the combustion of the fuel.
I have not considered it to be necessary to represent any hopper or
other means for supplying the furnace with fuel, as the manner in which
such supply may be effected will be readily understood.
When the furnace is charged with fuel, as represented in Fig. 1,
and the fire therein is in its ordinary working condition, air will flow
through the spaces between the blocks e into the air space between
the metal shell and the lining, and thence through the perforations
in the said lining into the fuel. The air which enters the upper part
of the furnace will flow downwards and will mingle with the gases
which are being generated from the fuel, and the mingled air and
gases will enter the lower part of the furnace in which an intense
heat is maintained by the combustion of the fuel and of the said
gases. A further supply of air is entering the said lower part of the
furnace, the result being that the gases generated from the fuel and
all the combustible constituents of the fuel are entirely consumed
within the furnace, and converted into intensely heated gases which

page_text: flow through the flue or passage h into the internal flue of the
boiler m.
In the example the passage is divided at H into two branches,
each of which enters a flue in the boiler, but this arrangement may
be modified according to circumstances, and in some cases two or 5
more passages may be substituted for the one passage h, and may
proceed to one boiler, or to two or more boilers. As the fuel is con-
sumed it sinks in the furnace, and fuel is added at the upper part of
the furnace from time to time.
I have found the combustion of the fuel to be so perfect that when 10
using ordinary "engine coal" the incombustible constituents of the
fuel flow from the opening in the form of slag or melted scoria.
The furnace is erected over a pit which contains water in which is
reflected the opening 2, so that the condition of the said opening can
be seen, and whenever it is seen to be requisite the said opening‍ is 15
cleared or opened by means of a hooked rod or other suitable tool.
The inlet of air may be regulated by inserting blocks or stopping
picces in any of the inlet openings between the blocks d, or shutters or
doors may be fitted to the said openings.
Although I have represented the furnace as applied to a steam 20
generator, I do not propose to confine the application thereto, as the
said furnace may be adapted to be otherwise employed, as herein-before
mentioned.
Instead of employing perforated blocks to form the lining, ordinary
fire-bricks or solid blocks may be used, spaces being left between the 25
said bricks or blocks to admit air; also, the furnace may be square or
otherwise than circular, in cross section, as may be preferred.
I am aware that previously to my said Invention vertical furnaces
in which combustible gases have been generated have been employed,
but what I consider to be the important feature of my Invention is 30
that the combustible gases are both generated and consumed, and all
the combustible constituents of the fuel are also consumed within the
furnace, under what I consider to be the most favourable conditions
for obtaining complete combustion, that is to say, under the conditions
of an intense heat, and the admission of a sufficient quantity of air to 35
effect such combustion.
D

page_text: Having now fully described and illustrated the nature of my In-
vention, and means which I have adopted when carrying the same
into practical effect, I would in conclusion have it to be distinctly
understood that I do not claim herein the use of the perforated blocks,
but have petitioned for further Letters Patent which will embrace the
use of the said perforated blocks, and that what I claim herein is, the
general construction and arrangement of furnace, and the manner of
working the same, substantially as set forth and indicated herein-before,
and by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Horrocks, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
fone
Signed and sealed by the said
James Horrocks, in the
presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
JAMES HORROOKS. (L.s.)
Agent to the Patentee,
8, Princess Street,
Manchester.