IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE COMBUSTION OF SMOKE IN FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Scott Burkitt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th September 1869.
I, RICHARD SCOTT BURKITT, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE COMBUSTION OF SMOKE IN FURNACES
OR FIRE-PLACES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to a mode of conducting or admitting
heated air into an air chamber behind the bridge of the furnace in such
a way that it is brought to bear directly upon the unconsumed carbon
and combustible gases in the smoke, and to cause their immediate com-
bustion or conversion into flame.
Secondly. To the peculiar form and construction of the apparatus
employed for such purpose.
Thirdly. To a method of and apparatus for the elimination or absorp-
tion of the carbonic acid gas (which is so deleterious to animal and

page_text: TUS passing on into
He
vegetable me), and for the prevention of
atmosphere with the heated air and other unconsumed products of
combustion.
In carrying out my Invention I propose to use hollow fire-bars, the
admission of air to the front end of which is regulated by an air door
placed below the ordinary fire-door and actuated as herein-after described.
The inner ends of the fire-bars lead into a hollow plate or box formed
with an inclined plane at the back of and below the ordinary bridge,
the said inclined plane being furnished with perforations or openings
provided with a damper, and arranged in such a way as to direct the
heated air upwards to meet the smoke and unconsumed gases passing
over the bridge, and which are at this point deflected downwards to meet
the heated air by means of a fire-brick arch formed inside the flue for
that purpose. At a certain distance behind the bridge (say about one-
third the remaining length of the flue) I build a wall or screen of
fire-clay or other suitable material, having openings or perforations all
over its surface for the passage of the gases and other products of com-
bustion, and beyond this again I have a second screen of fire-clay or
other material of a dished or conical shape, having only a central
opening; and in some instances I propose also to use a third perforated
screen of fire-clay or other material similar to the first. The object of
these perforated fire-clay screens is that any unconsumed carbon or
inflammable gas that may have escaped from the hot-air chamber in
passing in a divided state through these screens (which will become
red hot) shall be inevitably consumed, and thus entirely prevented from
passing off into the atmosphere in the form of smoke. The air door is
connected to the damper in the hot-air chamber and also to the fire-door
by a catch or otherwise in such a way that the opening of the fire-door
to supply fresh fuel shall also open the air door and damper to admit
heated air to the air chamber; but the closing of the fire-door leaves
the air door and damper open, and they are closed gradually by any
suitable hydraulic, pneumatic, or spring apparatus hitherto known and
employed for such or similar purposes. After the smoke has been con-
sumed the hot air on its passage to the chimney passes over a tank of
water and under or through a spray or shower of lime water, which will
eliminate or absorb the carbonic acid gas and leave nothing but pure
heated air to pass off by the chimney. In places where it is not con-

page_text: venient or desirable to erect a tall chimney the requiste amount of
draught may be created by means of a fan worked by the engine or
otherwise.
It will be evident that a slight modification of my Invention is also
equally applicable to ordinary and other fire-places.