IMPROVEMENTS IN FUEL ECONOMISERS AND APPARATUS FOR PROMOTING ECONOMY IN THE CONSUMPTION OF FUEL IN FURNACES, AND FOR LESSENING THE EMISSION OF SMOKE THEREFROM
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Elson, of the Vulcan Iron Works, Blue
Pitts, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FUEL ECONOMISERS AND APPARATUS
FOR PROMOTING ECONOMY IN THE CONSUMPTION OF FUEL IN FURNACES, AND FOR
LESSENING THE EMISSION OF SMOKE THEREFROM."
Sealed the 28th September 1875, and dated the 30th March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Elson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th March 1875.
I, SAMUEL ELSON, of the Vulcan Iron Works, Blue Pits, near Man-
chester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FUEL ECONOMISERS AND
APPARATUS FOR PROMOTING ECONOMY IN THE CONSUMPTION OF FUEL IN FURNACES,
AND FOR LESSENING THE EMISSION OF SMOKE THEREFROM," to be as follows:-
:-
My Invention relates to the fuel economisers employed in connection
with steam generators to absorb and utilise a portion of the heat still

page_text: In order to remedy some defects in this arrangement I now pass bolts
through the said bars and the intermediate scraper at intervals in the
length thereof, the holes in the scraper being slotted so as to permit the
said scraper to have a little "play" or freedom.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patont,
filed by the said Samuel Elson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
ELSON, of the Vulcan Iron Works, Blue Pits, near Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Elson, Her special license that
I, the said Samuel Elson,my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Samuel Elson, 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 FUEL ECONOMISERS AND
APPARATUS FOR PROMOTING ECONOMY IN THE CONSUMPTION OF FUEL IN FURNACES,
AND FOR LESSENING THE EMISSION OF SMOKE THEREFROM," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Elson, by an instru-
ment 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Elson, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 to the fuel economisers employed in connection

page_text: with steam generators to absorb and utilise a portion of the heat still
remaining in the gases after they have left the generators, and consists
in the first place in causing air to circulate through the said economisers
in lieu of water and in employing the air heated by such means to pro-
mote the combustion of the gases generated in the furnaces of the said
generators or in other furnaces to which my said Invention may be
adapted.
I force air by means of a pump or fan, or by other suitable means,
into and through the economiser, and I convey the air heated thereby to
the furnace or furnaces, and I permit the air to flow through an aperture
or apertures in or near the bridge, and to mingle with the gases generated
within the furnace, or I admit the air to any part of the furnace, which
may be considered most suitable.
I prefer to employ an apparatus to regulate the supply of air and to
gradually diminish the same in a similar manner as heretofore when
admitting cold air to the furnace.
The form of economiser which I consider most suitable is the one for
which Her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-
third day of August, in the year One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
one, have been granted to me.
A remaining part of my Invention consists of improvements in econo-
misers in which the said bottles are employed. A tube which I employ
to convey the fluid into the bottle extends nearly to the bottom of the
said bottle, and it has previously been difficult to remove any obstruction
from within the said tube. I now screw the outer end of the said tube
into the supply pipe or into a nut screwed therein, and I form an opening
in the said pipe opposite to the end of the said tube, and I provide the
said opening with a screw cap or removeable cover so that the said tube
can be unscrewed and be withdrawn through the said opening. I have
employed a thin scraper supported by two spiral metal bars to scrape the
outer surface of the bottle.
In order to remedy some defects in this arrangement I now pass bolts
through the said bars and the intermediate scraper at intervals in the
length thereof, the holes in the scraper being slotted so as to permit the
said scraper to have a little “
play or freedom.
"
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I have

page_text: appended hereunto a Sheet of Drawings marked with letters of reference,
to which Drawings I will now refer.
Fig. 1, drawn to a scale of about one quarter of an inch to the foot,
is a plan representing an economiser; Fig. 2, drawn to a larger scale,
represents a vertical section; and Fig. 3, a front clevation of the portions
of a boiler which are necessary to the illustration of the first part of my
Invention.
In Fig. 1 a, a, represent the sections of the economiser now well known
in connection with my name.
The said sections are arranged vertically
within a chamber A, which is connected with the exit flues of two steam
boilers or generators B, B, the fitting and arrangements being in all
respects such as I should adopt when using the apparatus to heat feed
water. In the example I force air into the inlet pipe b, and the said air
is caused to circulate through the range of sections, as in cases when
water is to be heated, and the heated air is conveyed by the pipe c to the
boilers.
The arrangement of the sections and of the flues and other parts may
be varied to suit special circumstances and requirements, and also econo-
misers other than the one known as "Elson's Economiser" may be
adapted to the purposes of this part of my Invention.
The sections supplied with air may be employed in company with other
sections supplied with the water which is used to feed the boiler or
boilers if such an arrangement be desired. The pipe c would com-
municate with branch pipes leading to the furnaces of the boilers, one of
the said branch pipes being represented by d in Figs. 2 and 3. The said
pipe conveys the heated air to a pipe or passage e within the fire-bridge,
from which air is allowed to issue in a stream or in streams in the
direction indicated by the arrows. The heated air is thus caused to meet
the current of gases flowing towards the bridge, and by mingling there-
with furnishes a supply of oxygen without greatly lowering the tem-
perature of the said gases, whereby the combustion of the gases is
promoted and the tendency to the formation of black smoke is
lessened.
In the example a valve, a section of which is represented by Fig. 4, is
fitted to the air pipe at f. The valve g is fixed on a spindle, which is
fitted to revolve in the covers or ends of the valve chamber h, and on the
outer end of the said spindle is fixed a ratchet wheel i, with which

page_text: engages a pawl mounted on a lever j, to which a vibrating movement is
imparted by means of an excentric %, which is fixed on a revolving
shaft. The said valve is thus caused to revolve slowly until it is in
position to close the passage for the flow of air, when a pin or projecting
finger on the ratchet wheel raises the said pawl, and the rotation of the
valve ceases until the next opening of the door m by the fireman. The
said door is connected by means of a double-jointed rod n with a second
lever o, which is also fitted with a pawl, which engages with the said
ratchet wheel. When the said door is opened the lever o is moved back,
and during the closing of the door is drawn forwards, thereby rotating
the ratchet wheel, whereby the valve is opened to some extent, and the
aforesaid pin or finger is moved past the pawl on the lever j, and the slow
rotation of the valve recommences. The supply of air may thus be
admitted to the furnace during a suitable interval after the addition of
fuel to the furnace, and may then be caused to cease until the furnace is
again supplied with fuel.
This arrangement for regulating the supply of fuel being only given as
an example other arrangements for effecting the same object may be
employed if preferred.
Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the second part of my Invention.
In Fig. 5 a represents the upper part of one of the bottles or sections of
an "Elson Economiser," and may also represent one of the sections in
Fig. 1. The said section is formed with a closed bottom, as is usual, and
is connected with the double pipe b, in which are formed two passages
for water or air, as the case may be, the lower passage communicating
directly with the neck of the section a, the tube p furnishing a com-
munication between the upper passage and the lower end of the section.
The upper end of the tube p is screwed into a bush 7, which is screwed
into the partitions between the two passages. The tube p may be ground
or turned to fit tightly into the bush if preferred. An orifice closed
by means of a screwed cap t is formed in the crown of the upper
passage. It will thus be seen that after removing the said cap the tubo p
may be readily withdrawn through the said orifice, and be subsequently
replaced in position. In the foregoing description I have supposed the
section a to be vertical, but it may in some cases be horizontal or
inclined.
In Fig. 6 a represents a portion of the shell of one of the aforesaid
sections; u is a scraper in section; v, v, are the supporting bars; and w

page_text: is a bolt which passes through the said scrapers and bars, the hole in the
said scraper being elongated, as represented, so as to permit an amount
of freedom of action on the part of the said scraper, the "tightness" of
the bolts being suitably adjusted. The bolts are situated at intervals in
the length of each scraper.
Having now fully described and indicated the nature of my said
Invention and means whereby the same may be carried into effect, I
would in conclusion have it to be understood that I claim,-
First. The employment of air heated and applied substantially as and
for the purposes herein-before set forth and indicated.
Secondly. The arrangements for heating and supplying air, substan-
tially as and for the purposes set forth and indicated herein-before and
by the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. The arrangement substantially as and for the purpose herein.
before set forth and indicated, and as illustrated by Fig. 5 of the
accompanying Drawings.
And, lastly. The employment of scrapers and supporting bars bolted
together, as and for the purpose herein-before set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Elson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-five.
Signed and sealed by the said
Samuel Elson in the pre-
sence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent to the Patentec,
3, Princess Street,
Manchester.
SAMUEL ELSON. (L.S.)