AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HEATING BY GAS
Year: 1857

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Georges Danré, Pierre Fortuné
Victor Mouillard, and Pierre Adrien Mercier at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 3rd March
1857.
We, GEORGES DANRE, Engineer, and PIERRE FORTUNE VICTOR MOUILLARD,
Gentleman, and PIERRE ADRIEN MERCIER, Gentleman, of Paris, in the Frenchi
Empire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HEATING BY GAS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists of an improved method of and certain improved
apparatus for heating by gas, in which the caloric produced is radiated similarly
to that of incandescent fuel in ordinary furnaces, and the method is characterized
by the ready combination of oxygen and hydrogen gases. A number of gas-
distributing pipes are mounted in the frame or brickwork of the apparatus
(or there may be only one such pipe). On or along each pipe is a row of
single jet burners, and at a suitable distance above them a radiating plate is
set, formed with a number of conical apertures or orifices through it, of which
there is one corresponding to and just over cach burner, the radiating plate
being so placed with respect to the burners, that when the gas is lighted each
jet passes up into and through its corresponding hole in the plate. The radi-
ating plate may be of fire-brick or metal with roughened under surface, and it
may be plain or grooved, and either flat, convex, or concave, or of a shape
corresponding to the under surface of the retort or boiler or other vessel to be

page_text: heated. Gas is admitted into the distributing pipes through a supply pipe
furnished with a regulating tap.
An air hole is formed at the back, which may be wholly or partially closed
by a valve, which is moved nearer to or farther from the vent by a threaded
rod passing through a catch plate, so that by screwing and unscrewing the rod
the admission of air may be regulated. The air in its passage to the
distributing pipes is made to pass through a wire cloth or perforated metal
plate for its division into films or streams.
To use the apparatus the (burners are lighted (the flame being inspected
through a sight hole from time to time, and the draughts of air and supply of
gas regulated accordingly). The brickwork of the furnace, and the boiler or
retort, &c., become gradually heated, and communicate their heat to each other
and to the radiating plate, which is itself also heated by the flames or jets of gas
passing up through it, as well as by the surrounding parts of the furnace; the
surface of the vessel, &c. and the plate gives back the caloric thus acquired,
so that a radiation of heat is carried on. The draughts of air keep the
gas-distributing pipes cool, and the tops of the burners may be easily
replaced and cleaned from time to time by opening a conveniently placed door,
unscrewing and drawing out the distributing pipes.
By inspecting the flame through the sight hole the proportions of oxygen
and hydrogen may be calculated; if the flame is too high and much disturbed
the draught may be decreased; if too red and smoky more air may be
let in. The gas employed should be well purified and freed from acids and
oxide of carbon.
When this apparatus is used for heating round vessels the inner gas pipes
should be smaller than the outer to maintain an equal lieat in all parts.