IMPROVEMENTS IN DIRECT-ACTING GAS FURNACES AND PRODUCERS."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Smith Casson, of Round Oak Works, Brierley
Hill, in the County of Stafford, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DIRECT-ACTING GAS FURNACES AND PRODUCERS."
gas as also
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Smith Casson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th December 1881.
RICHARD SMITH CASSON of Round Oak Works, Brierley Hill in the County of
Stafford. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DIRECT ACTING GAS FURNACES AND PRODUCERS."
This Invention relates to that class of furnaces used for the generation of
to the method and arrangement of parts by which a hot blast is obtained maintained
and utilized. It further relates to certain details by which advantageous results may
be obtained in a puddling or other furnace used in conjunction or combination with
the gas producer furnace. The Invention consists of the arrangement and com-
bination of parts hereinafter described which are principally improvements on the
Invention for which I obtained Letters Patent No. 243 dated the 21st January
1876. The gas generator chamber is formed with an inwardly inclined front
supplied at or near its base with suitable grate bars between which the air to
support combustion, enters from a closed chamber, which in its turn is supplied
with air by means of a pipe connected with a fan or other blast, and provided with
a suitable valve by which the quantity of air admitted and consequently the
volume of gaseous fuel produced, may be accurately regulated. When using certain
kinds of fuel the closed chamber may be omitted and the air allowed to pass
directly to the grate bars. Above the inclined front is placed the hopper or feed
in such a position that the fuel will fall on said incline and gradually sink down to
the furnace bottom. The hopper may have one or more openings into the furnace
and these are fitted with valves by which the fuel may be fed to the furnace as
required. At a suitable distance above said valves I place a second series of valves,
which will be closed when the lower valves are opened to prevent the fuel in the
hopper and to a certain extent, the air (when closed, tops are employed) from
passing into the furnace. By the alternate working of these valves the furnace
[Price Gd.1

page_text: may be dosed with regulated quantities of fuel, with the admission of but small
quantities of air. The hopper itself is made preferably of large size in order to
hold sufficient fuel for 12 to 24 hours of working. The chute of said hopper is so
inclined as to automatically feed the gas producer furnace (when the valves are
open) without manual labour. Opposite the inclined front I place a series of round
or oval air pipes made of metal or refractory material around which the gases in
the generator can freely circulate. These pipes are supplied with air through
suitable boxes or channels at the bottom of the generator, through which air, or
blast under pressure is forced by means of a fan or blower. The blast after being
heated sometimes to as much as 650° F. is conducted from the heating pipes
through suitable channels preferably along the sides of the gas flue to the fire
bridge where it meets the gaseous fuel and supplies the necessary oxygen for
combustion, it being caused to pass through compressed openings preferably upon
both sides of the stream of gases passing over from the producer. Above the fire-
bridge and over the hot air channel I place sand or other non conducting material
for the purpose not only of preventing the radiation of heat and the consequent
cooling of the blast but also to keep the combustion chamber as hot as possible.
To prevent the intimate contact of moisture with the producer I provide an outer
wall or casing separated from the producer proper by a suitable air chamber or by
a non conducting lining or casing, the same arrangement being also utilized to
prevent moisture coming in contact with the hot air channels. The heat produced
by the combination and combustion of the gaseous fuel and heated blast is so great
that when it is used in a reverberatory or puddling furnace, great difficulty is
experienced in getting the usual cast iron doors of the furnace to stand for any
lengthened period. For puddling furnaces I_make_the_said-doors-reversible-with-a-
rabbling hole at the top which when the door is closed is not exposed to the direct
action of the furnace heat. When the lower rabbling hole is melted or worn at its
edges the entire door may be reversed and the fresh rabbling hole used.
reverberatory furnaces the flanges of the door upon which the brickwork rests are
rapidly melted and worn away, and to obtain a longer life for said door I cast it
with flanges on both sides so that when one side is worn out I can remove the
bricks and by reversing and lining the other side, get a double life out of the door
with but a slight increase in the weight of metal originally employed.
In

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Richard Smith Casson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th June 1882,
'
RICHARD SMITH CASSON of Round Oak Works Brierley Hill in the County of
Stafford. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DIRECT ACTING GAS FURNACES AND PRODUCERS,'
"
This Invention relates to that class of furnaces used for the generation of gas as
also to the method and arrangement of parts by which a hot blast is obtained,
maintained and utilized. It further relates to certain details by which advan-
tageous results may be obtained in a puddling or other furnace used in conjunction
or combination with the gas producer furnace. The Invention consists of the
arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described which are principally
improvements on the Invention for which I obtained Letters Patent No. 243
dated 21 January 1876 and to clearly explain the same reference is made to the
accompanying Drawings which form part of this Specification.
The gas generator chamber A is formed with an inwardly inclined front B
supplied at or near its base with suitable grate bars C between which the air to
support combustion enters from a closed chamber which in its turn is supplied with
air by means of a pipe b connected with a fan or other blast, and provided with a
suitable valve by which the quantity of air admitted and consequently the volume
of gaseous fuel produced may be accurately regulated. When using certain kinds
of fuel the closed chamber may be omitted and the air allowed to pass directly to
the grate bars. Above the inclined front is placed the hopper or feed D in such a
position that the fuel will fall on said incline B and gradually sink down to the
furnace bottom. The hopper may have one or more openings into the furnace and
these are fitted with valves d. d. by which the fuel may be fed to the furnace as
required. At a suitable distance above said valves I place a second series of
valves which will be closed when the lower valves are opened to prevent the
fuel in the hopper and to a certain extent the air (when closed tops are employed)
from passing into the furnace. By the alternate working of the valves dd d' d'
the furnace may be dosed or fed with regulated quantities of fuel with the
admission of but small quantities of air. The hopper D is made preferably of large
size in order to hold sufficient fuel for 12 to 24 hours of working. The chuto or
neck of said hopper is so inclined as to automatically feed the gas producer furnace
(when the valves are open) without manual labour. Opposite the inclined front I
place a series of round or oval air pipes E E made of metal or refractory material
around which the gases in the generator can freely circulate. A protecting firo
brick wall of about 4" thick is built about a foot in front of the air pipes E E and
is provided with apertures so as to allow the gas to get through and play around the
pipes. The object of this wall is to prevent any sudden or intense heat from melting
said pipes. These pipes are supplied with air through suitable boxes or channels e
at the bottom of the generator, through which air or blast under pressure is forced
by means of a fan or blower.
The blast after being heated sometimes to as much as 650° F. is conducted from
the heating pipes E through suitable channels F preferably along the sides of the
gas flue to the fire bridge G where it meets the gaseous fuel and supplies the
necessary oxygen for combustion it being caused to pass through compressed
openings preferably upon both sides of the stream of gases passing over from the
producer. Above the firebridge G and over the hot air channel F I place sand or
other non-conducting material H for the purpose not only of preventing the
radiation of heat and the consequent cooling of the blast, but also to keep the

page_text: combustion chamber as hot as possible. To prevent the intimato contact o
moisture with the producer I provide an outer wall or casing separated from the
producer A by a suitable air chamber A¹ or by a non-conducting lining or casing,
or a wrought iron tank may be employed and the same arrangement being also
utilized to prevent moisture coming in contact with the hot air channels. When
small furnaces are used I may carry the blast under neck and bottom or sides of
the furnace as shown in the lower left hand Figure of the Drawings, for the purpose
of heating it but this form I do not consider so efficient as that before described.
The heat produced by the combination and combustion of the gaseous fuel and
heated blast is so great that when it is used in a reverberatory or puddling furnace I
great difficulty is experienced in getting the usual cast iron doors of the furnace to
stand for any lengthened period. For puddling furnaces I make the said doors
reversible with a rabbling hole at the top which when the door is closed is not
exposed to the direct action of the furnace heat. When the lower rabbling hole is
melted or worn at its edge the entire door may be reversed and the fresh rabbling
hole used. In reverberatory furnaces the flanges of the door upon which the
brick work rests are rapidly melted and worn away, and to obtain a longer life for
said door I cast it with flanges on both sides so that when one side is worn out I
can remove the bricks and by reversing and lining the other side get a double life
out of the door with but a slight increase in the weight of metal originally
employed. Or if preferred the doors may be made reversible as for puddling
furnaces. It is evident that the same arrangement of air heating may be adapted
with but slight modification, to any description of producer.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and how the same may be
practically employed what I claim and desire to secure.by-Letters-Patent is
1st. The application and use in direct acting gas or other furnaces of hot air blast
arranged substantially as hereinbefore described.
2nd. In directing acting gas furnaces the application and use of pipes or channels
around which the gases freely circulate and in which the blast is heated substan-
tially as set forth.
3rd. In direct acting gas furnaces the application of large hoppers or feed
chambers governed by suitable valves which when operated are adapted to
automatically, feed the gas producer without other manual labour substantially as
specified.
4th. Indirect acting gas furnaces the application and use of an outer wall or
casing and a sand or other non-conducting cover or casing adapted to prevent
moisture from reaching the producer or hot air channels and to prevent the radiation
of heat substantially as described.
5th. In reverberatory or puddling furnaces supplied with hot blast the application
and use of the improved form of doors substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said Richard Smith Casson have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty ninth day of June in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
Signed, sealed and delivered
in the presence of
JOSEPH TURNER
Round Oak
Brierly Hill.
Signed, sealed and delivered
in the presence of
JOSEPHI TURNER
Round Oak
Brierly Hill.
RICHARD SMITH CASSON. (LS.)