IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-PLACES AND PASSAGES FOR AIR OF AIR FURNACES, BY WHICH (WITHOUT MACHINERY) THE INTENSITY OF THE FIRE IS INCREASED, A SAVING OF FUEL EFFECTED, AND THE SMOKE CONSUMED
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Vandeleur, of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich,
in the County of Kent, Major in the Royal Artillery, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-PLACES AND PASSAGES
FOR AIR OF AIR FURNACES, BY WHICH (WITHOUT MACHINERY) THE INTENSITY
OF THE FIRE IS INCREASED, A SAVING OF FUEL EFFECTED, AND THE SMOKE
CONSUMED."
Sealed the 25th May 1858, and dated the 28th November 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Vandeleur at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th November 1857.
I, ARTHUR VANDELEUR, of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, in the County of
Kent, Major in the Royal Artillery, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-PLACES AND PASSAGES
FOR AIR OF AIR FURNACES, BY WHICH (WITHOUT MACHINERY) THE INTENSITY OF
THE FIRE IN INCREASED, A SAVING OF FUEL EFFECTED, AND THE SMOKE CONSUMED,"
to be as follows:-
I propose to alter the fire-places of the present air furnaces and the parts
adjacent thereto, whether such furnaces be reverberatory, puddling, reheating,
scrap, or of other description. The fire grate I propose to leave in its present
position and of its usual size, but instead of allowing the roof to run horizon-

page_text: tally or to have a single reverberator, as at present, the whole length of
the furnace, I intend it to take a curve from above the bridge in a circula
direction towards the fire grate till it reaches about six inches below the level
of the bridge; the distance of the lowest point of this curve from the bridge
will be somewhat greater than the space between the bridge and the roof.
The height of this point from the fire grate will vary from twelve to twenty-
four inches, from thence the roof will incline upwards at an angle of somo
sixty-five degrees or thereabouts, and again curve over (when about its former
height) to abut on the end wall of the furunce. Instead of enclosing the
fire-place with quite perpendicular walls, I propose to incline that furthest
from the bridge at fifty degrees or thereabouts; near the centre of this wall
the firing hole is usually situated, or it may be placed in a line with the
centre of the sloping wall, but iu one of the side walls an air passage will be
constructed, taking from the lowest convenient level to the roof of the furnace
above the aforesaid sloping wall; such passage to be of proportionate size to
the rest of the furnace, and to be regulated by a damper. A damper will be
also fitted to the ordinary ash-pit, through which latter the chief part of tho
nir necessary to assist the combustion of the fuel will pass. The action of
the furnace constructed on my plan will be as follows:-The fire being
lighted, should at first be fed with half burnt coal or coko till a thorough hot
fire up to the reverberatory arch (before mentioned) is maintained, coal or
other ordinary fuel is then thrown on to somo ten inches depth. The damper
which closes the air passage being opened, a double current of air will instantly
rush through the fire, both from the ash-pit up through the red fire, and from
the air passage down through the green coal (the smoke and heated gases
from the green coal) being thus forced or drawn through the red fire which
will retain and consume the solid particles of carbon which would otherwiso
escape, and yet will allow the gaseous products to pass which are converted
into flame before they reach tho bridge; caro should be taken never to allow
the fire to fall below the reverberatory arch, as otherwise the furnace will
smoke. The sloping wall will urgo the fresh fuel gently forward to supply tho
place of that which shall have been consumed in the reverberator, and between
it and the bridge, so as to save the labour of constantly urging the fuel forward.
with a stoking rod. With certain modifications I propose to apply my im-
provements to the furnaces of marine and locomotive engines.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Arthur Vandeleur in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th May 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
VANDELEUR, of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, in the County of Kent, Major
in the Royal Artillery, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight bundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Arthur Vandeleur, Her special licence that I, the said Arthur
Vandeleur, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Arthur Vandeleur, 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-PLACES AND PASSAGES FOR AIR OF AIR
FURNACES, BY WHICH (WITHOUT MACHINERY) THE INTENSITY OF THE FIRE IS
INCREASED, SAVING OF FUEL EFFECTED, AND THE SMOKE CONSUMED," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Arthur Vandeleur, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 Arthur Vandeleur, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the samo is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, on
which Figure 1 shews a side elevation of my improved furnace; Figure 2 a
longitudinal section; Figure 3 an end elevation; Figure 4 a plan in section ;
and Figure 5, cross section through firing door. a being the bridge of the
furnace; b the roof; c the feeding hole; d the damper; and e the sloping
wall (similar letters of reference are used to denote corresponding parts at
each of the above-mentioned Figures respectively). I alter the fire-places and
parts adjacent thereto of air furnaces of the ordinary description, whether such
.

page_text: furnaces be reverberatory, reheating, scrap, or of other description, as follows:-
The fire grate of small furnaces, that is to say, of those which have a fire
grate area of not more than nine square feet, I leave in its ordinary position
and of its usual size, but those which have an area of more than nine squaro
feet, I alter according to the plan shewn in the Drawing hereunto annexed,
namely, by making the lower portion of the fire grate, or that nearest to the
bridge a, to run in a horizontal direction or nearly so, the centre to be inclined
at an angle of forty-five degrees, and the upper portion to be also horizontal
or nearly so; then instead of allowing the roof to run horizontally the whole
length of the furnace, or to have a single reverberator, as at present, I allow
the roof to take a curve from above the bridge a, till it reaches about six
inches below the level of the bridge. The distance of the lowest point of this
curve from the bridge a, should be somewhat greater than the distance between
the bridge and the roof b. The height of this point of the reverberatory arch
from the fire grate will vary from twelve to eighteen inches, which latter it
should not exceed; from thence the roof should incline upwards at an angle
of forty-five degrees or thereabouts for about fifteen inches, it should then tako
a perpendicular direction upwards for about twelve inches, and then curvo
over to abut on the end wall of the furnace. Instead of enclosing the fire-place
with four perpendicular walls, I encline the wall furthest from the bridge at
fifty degrees or thereabouts. The firing hole c may be placed in either side
wall with the sill about six inches above the level of the lower edge of tho
reverberatory arch. An air passage should be constructed from the lowest
convenient level to the roof of the furnace above the aforesaid sloping wall e,
such passage to be of proportionate size to the rest of the furnace (as shewn
in the Drawing); it should be built of brick and regulated by a damper d.
The ash-pit should be made to enter from the side and be of large size, as
through this the chief part of the air necessary for the combustion of the fuel
must pass.
The action of furnaces constructed on this plan will be as
follows: The fire being lighted, should at first be fed with half burned coal
or coke till a thorough hot fire up to the reverberatory arch is obtained, coal
should then be thrown on to some ten inches in depth; the sloping wall e
will urge the fuel gently forward to supply the place of that which shall have
been consumed under the reverberator and between it and the bridge, so as to
save the labor of constantly urging the fuel forward with a stoking rod; care
should be taken never to allow the fire to fall below the reverberatory arch, as
otherwise the furnace will smoke. The damper which closes the air passage
being opened, a doublo current of air will immediately set in through the fire,
namely, through the ash-pit up through the red fire, and from the air passage

page_text: down through that portion of the green coal adjacent to the reverberator.
The latter in its passage downwards will draw the smoke and heated gasses
from the green coal down with it through the red fire, which will retain the
solid particles of carbon, which would otherwise escape, until consumed,
and yet will allow the gaseous products to pass, which are converted into flame
before reaching the bridge.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be carried into practical effect, I would here observe
that I do not intend to restrict myself to the exact arrangements shewn in the
Drawing hereunto annexed, as the relative proportions and disposition of parts
may be varied or modified without in any way departing from the principle of
my Invention, which I declaro to be and I claim the peculiar reverberatory
arch above described and shewn in the Drawing. The air passage from the
back of the furnace, the peculiar fire grate for large furnaces, and the general
arrangement for making the air pass down through the green coal, causing the
consumption of smoke and increasing the intensity of the fire as herein-before
described and illustrated in the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and
forming part of this my Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Vandeleur, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
THOMAS POWER,
ARTHUR VANDELEUR. (L.S.)
Major Roy. Artill.
Butler to James Molony, Esq.,
Kiltaccon.