IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Brown Wilson, of the City of Edinburgh,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES."
Sealed the 8th May 1866, and dated the 2nd December 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Brown Wilson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd December 1865.
I, EDWARD BROWN WILSON, of the City of Edinburgh, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES,"
to be as follows, that is to say:
This Invention relates to certain improvements which are, applicable to
several varieties of furnaces, but more particularly to such as are used for.
puddling and boiling iron, as well as for the raising of steam.
In carrying this. Invention into practice the furnace bottom on which the
fuel rests is made of cast or malleable iron, or other equally suitable material,
and at some distance below the plate above mentioned (which for the sake of
distinction is called the first plate,) a second plate is placed, the two sides being
closed by the brickwork of the furnace. Thus an air conduit is formed, into
which air is admitted just above the cleaning-out doors or otherwise; but it is
preferred to utilize the waste gases, which generally are carried off up the
chimney, by conducting them along the sides of the furnace between the brick-
work and an outer casing leading into the afore-mentioned conduit to bo

page_text: conducted into an upper chamber. The upper part of the furnace is sloped,
and in one side of the slope a perforated plate is placed for the passage of air
into the incandescent fuel. In the front of the perforations another plate is
situated with openings in it, which are closed by means of doors, for examining
the state of the chamber or introducing a bar into the fuel. With the perforated
plate and outer plate just referred to a hot air chamber is formed, from which
the heated air or gas passes into the incandescent fuel. The opposite side or
back of the furnace is sloped in a direction reverse to the front, and may be
faced with bricks fluted vertically to facilitate the descent of the fuel. The
action of the furnace is as follows:-The air, or gas and air combined, ascends
through the conduit into the chambers, and passes by means of the perforations
downwards into the incandescent, fuel, whence it escapes to heat the operating
chambers or flues.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,, filed
by the said Edward Brown Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th May 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
BROWN WILSON, of the City of Edinburgh, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the 29th year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward
Brown Wilson, Her special license that I, the said Edward Brown Wilson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Brown Wilson, my executors, administrators, or 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
FURNACES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward
Brown Wilson, my executors or administrators, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Brown Wilson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to certain improvements which are applicablé to
several varieties of furnaces, but more particularly to such as are used for
puddling and boiling iron, as well as for the raising of steam.
In carrying out this Invention into practice the furnace bottom on whichi
the fuel rests is made of cast or malleable iron, or other suitable material,
and at some distance below the plate above mentioned, which for the sake of
distinction I call the first or fuel plate, a second plate is placed, the two sides
being closed by the brickwork of the furnace; or if preferred the sides may
be closed with metal plates, as also the sides of the fuel chamber, thus
forming an air chamber between these plates and the outside plates com:
municating with the chamber described below. These metal side plates inay
be fluted, corrugated, or made in segments, and the first and second plates
may be hung on hinges, so as to open into the ash-pit, or doors may be placed
therein. An air conduit is thus formed, into which air is admitted above the
cleaning-out door or doors, or otherwise; as, for instance, by the well-known
plans of bringing the air from the chimney end, passing it under the bottom
of the furnace, as also past the sides and through the flame bridge, and if
desirable using the waste gases passing away through the chimney by any
well-known plan. The upper part of the furnace is sloped, and in one side
of the slope a perforated plate or grating is placed for the passage of air into
the incandescent fuel; or the perforations may be formed by segments, or an
open space may be left, or an open space and perforations may be combined
if desired. In the front of the perforations there is placed another plate having
openings in it, which are closed by means of a door or doors. By the com-
bination of the perforated plate and outer plate first referred to a hot-air
chamber is formed, from which the hot air passes into the incandescent fuel:
If the conduit plate be dispensed with the air may enter into the chamber.
just described in any manner found most convenient; as, for example,
through the doors, or at any desired part of the chamber. The opposite side
or back of the furnace is sloped in a direction reverse to the front, or it may
be vertical, and may be faced with bricks fluted vertically. The action of the
furnace is as follows:-The air ascends through the conduit into the chamber,.
and passes by means of the perforations downwards into the incandescent fuel;
whence it escapes in order to heat the operating chamber or flues. A hopper

page_text: to contain fuel for. a périod may sometimes be placed on the top of this
description of furnace, and air may also be sometimes admitted at or about
the flame bridge, or above the bridge through the roof, and if desirable the
air may be heated by any well-known plan, or air may be admitted by per-
forations or bars at the bottom of the inclined fuel bank.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall
refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheets of Drawings, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corresponding
Figures..
Fig. 1 on Sheet 1 of my Drawings represents a longitudinal vertical
section of a puddling furnace, constructed according to my Invention; Fig. 2
is a corresponding sectional plan of the same; Fig. 3 is a half transverse
section and end elevation of the front or feeding end of the furnace, and
Fig. 4 is an elevation of the opposite end thereof.
In these Figures, A represents the puddling chamber ofthe furnace, and B
the fuel or combustion chamber; the bottom or hearth of the puddling
chamber is composed by preference of a cast-iron bed plate C and cast-iron-
sides D, D, which are lined in the usual manner; the bottom of the fuel or
combustion chamber consists of a cast-iron plate E built or fitted into the side
walls of the furnace, and forming a sloping fuel bed; F is a top or hanging
bridge in the fuel chamber, for the purpose of retaining the fuel in bank,
and Gis a bottom bridge between the puddling chamber and the fuel chamber
for the same purpose. At the upper end of the sloping fuel bed there is
fitted an air grid grating or perforated plate H for admitting hot air to the
fuel, which fuel is supplied from the coal hopper I, kept air-tight by the close
fitting lid K, a band hole L being formed at the neck of the hopper for
facilitating the loosening of the coal at that part where found requisite; M is
the ash chamber, provided with a hand hole N for loosening the clinkers, and
with clearing doors O. Beneath the sloping fuel bed there is fitted the
inclined plate P, which may be built or fitted into the side walls, and forms
an conduit Q to the hot-air chamber R, whence the air passes through
the grid or perforated plate H down into the fuel. The air for supporting
combustion primarily enters the furnace by the regulating valve or damper S,
thence passes along the conduit T immediately beneath the sole plate of the
puddling hearth, whence it derives a certain amount of caloric; it then passes
in front of the ash chamber and enters the conduit Q, where its temperature
becomes considerably elevated before finally entering the fuel chamber through
the openings at H. The front of the furnace is provided with doors U

page_text: opening into the hot-air chamber R, and with other doors V opening into
the ash-pit; W is the neck of the puddling chamber formed by the bridge G,
and X is the neck of the flue which leads to the ordinary chimney. The fuel
chamber is or may be provided with a hole Y for testing the beat of the
furnace, and the puddling chamber is furnished with a cinder tapping hole Z
and a stopper hole Z.
Fig. 1 on Sheet 2 of my Drawings represents a partial front elevation and
transverse section of a slightly modified arrangement of my improved furnace
as applied to the generation of steam, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical
section of the same.
K is an air inlet leading into the top of the furnace chamber H, the air
having been previously heated by being collected in the air chamber e, which
it enters direct from the atmosphere. The fuel is supported or kept back by
the inverted bridge A, and rests upon the sloping fuel plate C; it is fed into
the furnace from the coal hopper D, which is provided with a tight-fitting lid
or cover. E is a hand hole in the neck of the hopper to facilitate the loosening
of the coal when requisite. The fuel as it is consumed gradually descends
the inclined fuel plate C, and drops into the ash chamber F, whence the ashes
are removed through the ash door G. The air to support combustion enters by
the front of the furnace, and passes between the plate S and the fuel plate C,
along the air duct K' leading to the hot-air chamber L, from which latter the
air enters the fuel chamber through the grid or grating I in a highly heated
condition. V, V, are doors opening into the hot-air chamber and grating I;
B is an ordinary fire-bridge built across the flued of the boiler. This arrange-
ment of furnace with very slight modification is equally applicable to the
boilers of portable locomotive and marine engines.
Fig. 1 on Sheet 3 of my Drawings represents a sectional elevation of part
of a reverberatory furnace of a slightly modified arrangement constructed in
accordance with my Invention, and Fig. 2 is another modification thereof,
also adapted to a reverberatory furnace. In both these Figures the same
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts to those illustrated by
Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, Sheet 1, of my Drawings herein-before referred to.
The fuel in both these modifications rests upon an inclined fuel bed E, which
I have represented as being protected at its lower end by a covering of fire-
clay or bricks e. Beneath the fuel plate E there is fitted the plate P, as
before described, and between this plate P and the fuel plate E I introduce
an inclined plate E¹, which forms two air conduits Q and Q¹, the one leading
from the ash-pit V to the hot-air chamber R, and the other Q¹ returning
immediately underneath the fuel plate E to the lower part of the furnace.

page_text: The fuel is introduced at the opening K, which is provided with a lid to
regulate the supply of or exclude air. In Fig. 2 the grating or perforated
plate extends in- front of the air conduit Q¹, and is fitted with a hinged
door H¹ for regulating the draught.
Figs. 3, 4, and 5 on the same Sheet of Drawings represent sectional
elevations of three other arrangements of steam boiler furnaces. In Figs. 3
and 4 a contracted aperture I at the upper end of the sloping fuel platė-C
serves to admit the air direct from the external atmosphere. In Fig. 3
I have shewn the fuel plate as capable of being let down upon hinges at c,
with a view to the ready removal of the fire when requisite, suitable catches
being employed for supporting the plate when the fuel is required thereon. In
Fig. 4 I have represented a second inclined plate S situate beneath the fuel
plate, and forming a hot-air conduit into the lower portion of the furnace.
D is a lid or cover fitted on to the feeding mouth for the purpose of regulating
the admission of air at that part. The rest of the letters in both these
Figures (Figs. 3 and 4) indicate corresponding parts to those similarly
lettered in Figs. 1 and 2 on Sheet 2 of my Drawings.
Fig. 5 (Sheet 3) is a somewhat similar arrangement to the reverberatory
furnace (Fig. 2) on the same Sheet, but applied to a steam boiler. The
parts in this Figure which correspond to the arrangement (Fig. 2) are
indicated by corresponding letters of reference. H¹ is a closed plate at the
top of the sloping fuel plate E; Q & Q are air conduits; R is the hot-air
chamber; R is a hot-air conduit, shown in dotted lines, built in the side
walls, and opening into each side of the upper part of the fuel chamber by the
lateral openings F¹.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the application and use of an inclined metal plate for carrying the
fuel in furnaces, arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for
the purposes herein-before described.
Second, the application and use of the hot-air chamber provided with a
door or doors for supplying the burning fuel with a current of hot air, arranged
and operating substantially as herein-before described.
Third, the application and use of a grid or grating or perforations com-
municating between the hot-air chamber and the burning fuel, arranged and
onerating substantially as herein-before described.

page_text: . Fourth, the application and use of the air conduit or conduits leading to the
hot-air chamber, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Brown Wilson, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of May, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
EDWP B. WILSON. (L.S.)