IMPROVEMENTS IN SMITHS' HEARTHS AND OTHER LIKE FURNACES."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Wilson, of Handsworth, in the County of Stafford,
Mechanical Engineer, for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN SMITHS'
HEARTHS AND OTHER LIKE FURNACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Wilson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th November 1881.
16
ALFRED WILSON, of Handsworth, in the County of Stafford, Mechanical Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN SMITHS' HEARTHS AND OTHER LIKE FURNACES."
My Invention has reference to such smiths' hearths and other like furnaces as
are heated by the combustion of gaseous fuel, such as is produced by the imperfect
combustion of coal or coke, in a chamber or generator which has a limited supply
of air, the essential product of the said imperfect combustion being carbonic
oxide.
My said Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of the said
furnaces in the following manner :-
The chamber or hearth in which the mixture of atmospheric air and gas from
the generator burns is of a size and shape dependent on the particular purpose to
which the furnace is to be applied.
The gas from the generator is conducted preferably to the summit of the hearth
or chamber, and enters it at its rear end. By means of a throttle or other valve
the quantity of gas passing into the hearth or chamber may be regulated. In the
channel through which the gas from the generator passes to the hearth or chamber
a pipe opens conveying atmospheric air. This pipe terminates in a cone or other
valve, by which the quantity of air mixed with the gas from the generator can be
regulated. The atmospheric air is supplied under pressure by a fan or other
blowing machine, and being delivered in the middle of the current of combustible
gas, the mixture when ignited constitutes a large blow pipe flame by which the
hearth or chamber and its contents are heated. The products of combustion leave
the hearth or chamber preferably by openings at its sides, and before passing to

page_text: the chimney traverse a flue through which either the pipes conveying the com-
bustible gas or those conveying the blast of air, or both, pass. The gas or air or
both are thus heated by the waste heat before they are burned, and an increased
heating effect is obtained by their combustion; or the air and gas may be heated
by an independent furnace.
Where a series of furnaces is employed arranged in a row a single main connected
with the fan or blowing machine, and a single main connected with the generator,
may be laid at the back of the hearth and preferably below the ground level. Branch
pipes from these mains conduct the air blast and combustible gas to the hearths by
the arrangements already described.
The gas generator I employ is of the ordinary kind and constitutes no part of
my Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th May
1882.
ALFRED WILSON, of Handsworth, in the County of Stafford, Mechanical Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN SMITHS' HEARTHS AND OTHER LIKE FURNACES."
My Invention has reference to such smiths' hearths and other like furnaces as
are heated by the combustion of gaseous fuel, such as is produced by the imperfect.
combustion of coal or coke, in a chamber or generator which has a limited supply
of air, the essential product of the said imperfect combustion being carbonic
oxide.
My said Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of the said
furnaces in the following manner :-
The chamber or hearth in which the mixture of atmospheric air and gas from
the generator burns is of a size and shape dependent on the particular purpose to
which the furnace is to be applied.
The gas from the generator is conducted preferably to the summit of the hearth
or chamber, and enters it at its rear end. By means of a throttle or other valve
the quantity of gas passing into the hearth or chamber may be regulated. In the
channel through which gas from the generator passes to the hearth or chamber a
pipe opens conveying atmospheric air. This pipe terminates in a cone or other
valve by which the quantity of air mixed with the gas from the generator can be
regulated. The atmospheric air is supplied under pressure by a fan or other
blowing machine, and being delivered in the middle of the current of combustible
gas, the mixture when ignited constitutes a large blow pipe flame by which the
hearth or chamber and its contents are heated. The products of combustion leave
the hearth or chamber preferably by openings at its sides, and before passing to
the chimney traverse a flue through which either the pipes conveying the com-
bustible gas or those conveying the blast of air, or both, pass. The gas or air or
both are thus heated by the waste heat before they are burned, and an increased
heating effect is obtained by their combustion. Or the air and gas may be heated
by an independent furnace.
Where a series of furnaces is employed arranged in a row a single main connected
with the fan or blowing machine, and a single main connected with the generator,
may be laid at the back of the hearth and preferably below the ground level.
Branch pipes from these mains conduct the air blast and combustible gas to the
hearths by the arrangements already described.
The gas generator I employ is of the ordinary kind and constitutes no part of
my Invention.
I will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the
manner in which my Invention is to be performed.
Figures 1 and 2 represent vertical sections taken at right angles to one another
of a smith's hearth or other like furnace constructed according to my Invention ;
Figure 3 is an elevation of that part of the hearth or furnace situated above the
ground level, and Figure 4 is a plan of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a horizontal section.
of the furnace taken on the line a, b, Figure 1.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawing.
c is the hearth or chamber of the furnace having a sliding door; d, a front by
which access is gained to it. In the said hearth or chamber c the mixture of
atmospheric air or blast and gas is supplied and burnt; e is the main gas pipe in
communication with a gas generator of the ordinary kind; f is a vertical branch
pipe by which the gas is conducted to the summit of the hearth or chamber c, and
enters it at its rear end (see Figures 1 and 2). The gas traversing the main e is
heated, as herein after explained, and the quantity of gas passing to the hearth or

page_text: chamber may be regulated by a sliding (or other) valve g in the branch pipe f. In
the head of the chamber c, and in the axis of the passage by which the gas is
supplied to the said chamber, is the pipe or valve case h for conveying the heated
blast of air to the hearth. This pipe or valve case h is in communication by
means of the pipe i with the air main (see Figure 1). The upper part of the
hearth a where the currents of gas and blast mix is contracted as represented
for ensuring the effectual mixing of the said gas and blast. The atmospheric air
is supplied to the main k under pressure by a fan or other blowing machine.
In the pipe or valve case h is a cone valve m by which the quantity of air which
mixes with the gas from the generator may be regulated. The position of the said
valve m in the pipe or valve case h is adjusted by the arrangement of parts best
seen in Figure 3.
The stalk of the valve m projects through the top of the pipe or case h, and to
the said stalk a lever n is jointed. A connecting rod p on the opposite end of the
lever n terminates at its lower end in a screw, upon which the screwed boss of the
hand wheel works, the said hand wheel being capable only of a rotatory motion.
By turning the hand wheel q in one or other direction, the connecting rod p is
raised or lowered, and the position of the valve m adjusted in its case so as to
regulate the amount of air passing through it into the hearth or chamber c.
The heated blast of air is delivered into the middle of the current of the heated
combustible gas supplied by the pipe f, and the gaseous mixture when ignited
constitutes a large blow pipe flame by which the hearth or chamber c and its
contents are heated.
The-products-of-combustion-leave-the-hearth-or-chamber c-by-the-passages r,,
at the sides of the said chamber, the said passages opening into the vertical flue 8,
and the latter into the culvert or large flue t, and from thence to the chimney.
By the traversing of the waste heat and products of combustion through the flue
or culvert t the gas passing through the gas main c is heated.
For heating the blast of air I prefer to pass it through a series of heating pipes
exposed either to the waste gases or to an independent source of heat before it
enters the main k, which distributes it to the furnace or furnaces.
The main gas pipe e and the main blast pipe k may be used for supplying the
gas and blast to a series of hearths or furnaces.
Although my improvements are especially applicable to smiths' hearths, yet the
same may be applied to other like heating and melting furnaces for metallurgical
purposes, such changes in the details of the several parts being made as may be
necessary to fit the furnace to its particular purpose.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
Invention,
The general arrangement or combination of the parts of smiths' hearths and
other like furnaces, herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Wilson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
Witness,
M. P. ELLIOT,
Soho,
Birmingham.
ALFRED WILSON. (L.S.)