A NEW AND USEFUL STEAM BLOWER OR BLAST APPARATUS FOR FURNACES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Oliver Bennett, of Tramingham, in the County of
Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, of the United States of America,
for the Invention of "A NEW AND USEFUL STEAM BLOWER OR BLAST
APPARATUS FOR FURNACES."-A communication from John Allen Bassett,
rosiding Salam in the County of Disco and State ofornecid
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Oliver Bennett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration
on the 31st August 1865, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent
Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, BE IT.
KNOWN that I, OLIVER BENNETT, of Tramingham, in the County of
Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, of the United States of America,
am in possession of an Invention of "A NEW AND USEFUL STEAM BLOWER OR
BLAST APPARATUS FOR FURNACES," which Invention has been communicated to
me by John Allen Bassett, a person resident at Salem, in the County of

page_text: Essex, and State aforesaid; and i do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which it is to be performed, or is constructed
and operates, to be fully described in the following Specification, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings constituting a part thereof; of
which Drawings,-
Figure 1 exhibits an end elevation;
Figure 2, a side elevation; and,
Figure 3, a vertical and longitudinal section of the said blower.
The nature of the said Invention consists in a steam blower composed of a
fan wheel and a re-action rotary steam engine, so constructed, combined, and
arranged that the steam discharged by such engine while in operation shall
not only serve to put the engine and the fan wheel in revolution, so as to
cause a powerful current of air to be induced or created by the fan wheel, but
be caused to mingle with such current of air, whereby, when the apparatus
may be applied to the ash-pit of a furnace, or to an opening or conduit leading
into such ash-pit, the said steam and air may be utilized or employed in pro-
moting combustion of the fuel of the furnace by being decomposed upon the
carbon thereof when on fire.
The rotary engine employed may be like the well-known "Barker mill"
or "Avery engine," and operates by the re-active effect of the pressure of
steam, and the direction or directions of the jets may be such as to increase.
the power of the blast.
The practical result of this Invention is that no power except the reactive
force of the steam generated by the boiler of the furnace is required to drive
the blower or put it in revolution. By the combination or commingling of
the steam and air, and their subsequent decomposition on and by the fuel in
combustion, they will be utilized or employed to great advantage in increasing
the heat evolved from the combustible products of the fuel.
The engine may be placed either in front or in rear of the fan wheel, or
the wheel may constitute a part of the engine. The shaft of the fan wheel
may be a tube or conduit, and be provided with a series of curved or bent
discharging tubes or conduits leading laterally from it, and either one or more
of them may run alongside of each fan or vane of the fan wheel. The fan
wheel and the engine may be in a cylindrical case provided with an air
induction opening at or near the centre of one side of such case; and such
case may have a discharging conduit leading out of its circumference or rim,
and opening into the ash-pit of the furnace when applied thereto.
To enable my Invention to be readily understood, I will now proceed to
more particularly describe it.

page_text: Through the side or wall of a furnace, and below the grate thereof, there,
should be an opening of due size with reference to the blower and the area of
the grate. A tubular cylindrical casing A, having concentrically within it a
hollow shaft B, may be arranged within, and so as to fit such opening.
The ho shaft should be supported by, and so as to be capable of being
revolved within, bearings C, C. Upon the shaft and toward its rear end a
fan wheel D should be placed concentrically with the shaft. The said wheel
may be arranged in the rear part of the casing A. Near the front end of the
shaft is a chambered hub E, from which there is led a series of curved jet
pipes F, F, F, which, with the tubular shaft and the chambered hub, con-
stitute the rotary engine, whose shaft opens into the chamber of the hub, and
whose jet pipes lead from such chamber.
The steam is to be introduced to the engine by a pipe G, a stuffing H
being placed on the shaft B in order that a tight joint may be produced at
the junction of the conduit G with the shaft B. The steam will enter the
engine, and be discharged from the extremities of the arms or curved jet pipes
F, F, F, and by its reactive effect on the air in the case will set the engine
in rapid revolution, the fan wheel also at the same time being revolved at a
like velocity. A few minutes will generally suffice for the attainment of a
very high rate of speed of the blower, whereby by the action of the fan wheel
a large quantity of air will be drawn into and ejected from the case. Such
air mingling with the steam discharged from the engine will drive the steam
from the case, and with such steam will rush into the ash-pit of the furnace,
and thence through the grate, and the fuel thereon in a state of combustion,
and, in consequence thereof, a very intense fire will be produced.
It is desirable that the arrangemement of each steam jet tube should be
such as to cause it while the engine may be in revolution to project the
steam toward the furnace, in order that the greatest useful effect of the steam
may be obtained in inducing a current of air into the furnace.
In some cases it may be desirable to combine with the blower a means
of regulating the amount of air and steam discharged by it from time to
time into the furnace, whereby the supply of air and steam to the fire
may be under control, all of which may readily be accomplished by means
well known.
What I claim as my Invention is the combination of a fan wheel and a
rotary engine as described, or their equivalents, arranged so as to operate
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before explained.
I also claim the combination of the fan wheel and rotary engine as described,
or their equivalents, with a case provided with one or more air inlets, and one

page_text: or more eduction openings or passages, whereby during the revolution of the
engine and fan wheel air shall be drawn into the case, and with the steam
from the engine be expelled from such case...
In witness whereof, I, the said Oliver Bennett, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of August 1865.
OLIVER BENNETT. (L.s.)