CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES FOR CONSUMING SMOKE. APPLICABLE TO STATIONARY AND MARINE BOILERS AND OTHER CLOSED FIRE-PLACES
Year: 1859

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to John Hawkins, of Lisle Street, London, in the
County of Middlesex, and of Walsall, in the County of Stafford, Bit,
Spur, and Stirrup Manufacturer, and Charles Hawkins, of Walsall
aforesaid, Manager of the Works of the said John Hawkins, for the
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES
FOR CONSUMING SMOKE. APPLICABLE TO STATIONARY AND MARINE BOILERS AND
OTHER CLOSED FIRE-PLACES."
Sealed the 1st June 1860, and dated the 5th December 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hawkins and Charles
Hawkins at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 5th December 1859.
We, JOHN HAWKINS, of Lisle Street, London, in the County of Middlesex,
and of Walsall, in the County of Stafford, Bit, Spur, and Stirrup Manu-
facturer, and CHARLES HAWKINS, of Walsall aforesaid, Manager of the Works
of the said John Hawkins, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention
for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES FOR CONSUMING
SMOKE. APPLICABLE TO STATIONARY AND MARINE BOILERS AND OTHER CLOSED FIRE-
PLACES." to be as follows (that is to say):-
Our Invention consists in the introduction of additional means for supplying
furnace bridges with hot air; and, secondly, in so constructing the bridges that
they may be eleoaced or depressed as required, and the manner in which we
[Price 8d.]

page_text: purpose carrying our Invention into effect is by constructing air-ways on one
or both sides of our furnace fire, preferring to use iron pipes for the purpose,
and connecting them with pipes that pass from side to side and again returned
to pass along to the bridge; thus the air is made to enter at the side and to
cross and re-cross as desired through the fire in the air-way tube, and from
thence to the bridge to escape through holes at the top in such a highly
rarefied condition that it will ignite and consume the smoke as it passes over
it. And by allowing the air-way tube or tubes to come up underneath the
bridge, we are enabled to elevate or depress the bridge as desired according
to the condition of the fire, which, when first lit from the air-way tubes being
cold we are not able to obtain a current of hot air; but to prevent the smoke
from the fresh coals escaping over the bridge or bridges as desired, we apply
a gas pipe within the bridge in connection with jets that come through on the
top, and by connecting this pipe with a supply pipe and a stop cock we are
enabled to obtain the same effect from lighting the gas on the bridge for con-
suming the smoke as we should obtain from generating hot air. This arrange-
ment may be applied to the furnaces of stationary or marine engines or other
fire-places, subject to the generation of undue quantities of smoke.
SPECIFICATION
in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Hawkins and Charles Hawkins in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th June 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
HAWKINS, of Lisle Street, London, in the County of Middlesex, and of
Walsall, in the County of Stafford, Bit, Spur, and Stirrup Manufacturer, and
CHARLES HAWKINS, of Walsall aforesaid, Manager of the Works of the said
John Hawkins, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Hawkins and Charles Hawkins, Her special license that we, the
said John Hawkins and Charles Hawkins, our executors, administrators, and
assigns or such others as we, the said John Hawkins and Charles Hawkins,
our 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

page_text: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF FURNACES, FOR CONSUMING SMOKE, APPLICABLE TO STATIONARY AND MARINE
BOILERS AND OTHER CLOSED FIRE-PLACES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said John Hawkins and Charles Hawkins, by an instrument in
writing under our hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Hawkins and Charles Hawkins,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, that is to say:-
In giving effect to our Invention for the more thorough combustion of the
gases arising from the various furnaces and other close fires now so generally
required in the manufacturing districts, which as a natural consequence are
generally thickly populated, makes it imperative for the sake of health that
the smoke arising from such furnaces or fire-places should be thoroughly and
completely consumed. And while we do not purpose to effect this by any
new agency, nevertheless, our arrangements will be found novel and efficient
and applicable to the consuming the smoke from some description of closed
fires that hitherto have been entirely neglected, to the detriment and injury of
the neighbourhood in which they exist.
And in carrying out our Invention we are not confined to shape or position
of the fire-place or furnace to which we apply our new arrangement for the
consuming or combustion of smoke, as our improvements are as applicable to
the furnaces of marine as to stationary engines or other furnaces, as will be
seen from the description of the Drawings hereunto annexed, which we will
now proceed to describe.
Fig. 1 represents a front longitudinal section of the brickwork or setting
and furnace for a common or ordinary stationary boiler. A, A, is the side
flue for passing around the boiler in the ordinary way; B, B, represents the
furnace or fire-bars, which may be of the ordinary or common kind, or be
made and fixed on the more modern principle of alternately vibrating or
moving if preferred; C is the dead plate, and D, D, brickwork, terminating
the fire hole, and supporting the fire bars, the top row of which, at the inner
ends of the fire-bars, should be composed of fire-clay, as well as the face
bricks E, E, forming the side of the furnace; F, F, G, G, and H, H, are

page_text: cast-iron pipes or air-ways, built up in the brickwork, and which air-ways
continues (as here shown by the dotted line), and descends so as to form a
connection with the flue I, formed in the brickwork D, and which flue is
covered with a strong metal plate, having three vertical tubes applied to it, a
centre one here shown in section marked J, and the one behind it marked K;
these tubes ascend into a hollow bridge, also shown in section marked L, L,
the top of which is curved down so as to preserve as near as possible a uniform
distance between the bottom of the boiler and top of the bridge, the crown of
which is perforated with holes for the air to escape, hereafter to be referred
to. This bridge works in side plates marked M, M, built in the brickwork
with projecting flanges, so as to form a channel or groove for the bridge to
work up and down in, as it forms an important feature of our Invention, that
the bridge should be raised and lowered as desired; and in this case we
purpose doing it by attaching a rod or chain at each end, and carried up, to
be counterpoised by levers and weights on the outside. At the back of the
moveable bridge L we form a bridge of brickwork in order that no air shall
escape behind, but what goes into the fire for supporting combustion. a, a, is
a stuffing box for holding fire-clay or any other suitable composition, and
which stuffing box is formed on the bottom of the moveable bridge for sur-
rounding the vertical tube J, so as to prevent an undue escape of air at that
part, and for the same object a stufling box must be fitted to each vertical
tube.
Fig. 2 represents as much of the ground plan section of Figure One
necessary for our description, as taken through the dotted lines b, b, repre-
senting seven fire-bars in position, supported in the front by the dead plate C,
and terminating at the back with the fire bricks D. The side air-way tube
H, H, shows its position protected by the fire-clay bricks E, and in this view
it is seen that the air-way at the back of the tube II descends and crosses
transversely under the plate N, and which plate is secured and made air-tight
by the brickwork D, D, and D, D, partly resting on it. To the plate N two
of the vertical air tubes are shown attached or secured by flanges at the
bottom, marked as at Figure One, J and K, the moveable bridge being omitted
in this Figure to avoid confusion.
Fig. 3 is a front irregular section of Figure One, as taken through the vertical
dotted lines c, c, and d, d, representing the air-ways F, G, and II on the left
hand side with six of the fire-bars in section, marked B, B, and on the right
hand side a section exhibits the descending air-way from H to I, I, below the
plate N, to which, as before stated, the vertical air-way tubes are fastened.
The front of the moveable bridge L, L, is represented broken for the purpose

page_text: of showing the position of the vertical tubes within, marked J and K, the one
to the left being shown in dotted lines; the shape of the top of the bridge is
also defined in this Figure, following the curve as near as convenient of the
circumference of the boiler O. P, P, are circular-ended levers, working on
supports or fulcrums at Q, and over the curved ends of these levers chains
work, the lower ends of which are carried down and attached on each side to
the moveable bridge L, against the weight of which the balls R, R, act as a
counterpoise, the sliding in or out of which to or from the fulcrums will cause
the bridge to descend or rise as desired.
And having pointed out the various details, we will now describe the active
effect of our improvements. The cold air entering the air-ways on each side,
as at F, Figure One, passes along and returns through G, and again descends
and enters the air-way H, and by taking this tortuous course, encased as it
were in red-hot bricks, it becomes highly rarefied, fit to descend to the
transverse air-way I, to ascend through the vertical tubes into the bridge,
which derives great heat from its position, so that the air is again further
heated before it escapes through the holes on the top of the bridge, which,
from its high state of rarefaction, is capable of igniting the gaseous smoke
that is emitted from the coals or fuel as soon as it is carried back to the
bridge, and this igniting or burning the smoke close under the boiler afords
to the generating of steam the utmost limit of heat the fuel or coal used are
capable of giving out.
In practice it is found that the greatest quantity of smoke is generated on
the occasion of supplying fresh fuel, which arises from the want of a sufficient
quantity or intermingling of rarefied atmospheric air. And we purpose
applying sliding doors over the air-ways F in front, which doors may be
opened when fresh coals are applied, and closed as soon as the lower fire shall.
begin to burn freely through the fresh coals; but in order to ensure due
attention to this requirement, we purpose applying a self-acting arrangement,
whereby the air-ways shall be opened by the act of opening the furnace door,
and although the furnace door shall be immediately closed after supplying the
coal, the covers or dampers for the air-ways shall only progressively close,
occupying a sufficient amount of time in the closing as shall afford the due
proportion of atmospheric air to consume the excess of gas thrown off in the
shape of smoke at each firing, and which self-acting apparatus shall be
capable of being timed and regulated as desired. This may be effected in
many ways, as, for instance, a lever fastened to the hinge side of the furnace
door, projecting down so as to work in underneath the door plate; and to the
end of this lever a chain may be attached in any suitable way, working under

page_text: and over pullies, and the other end of the chain may be attached to a weighted
piston working in a cylinder full of water, and which piston may also be
attached or connected in any suitable way with the dampers of the air-ways, so
that the effect of opening the furnace door will also elevate the piston and
the dampers, and after firing, the furnace door may be closed, allowing the
piston to descend in the cylinder at its leisure, or according to the size of the
escape hole for the water to rise from below the piston to allow it to descend,
as well also as the weight of the piston, the air-ways gradually closing as the
piston descends. And as our object in all cases is to provide means whereby
the air necessary for the consuming of smoke in furnaces shall be heated in a
much higher degree than has hitherto been done by the means provided, we
wish to add, that should the air not be found sufficiently heated, either from
the extent of the furnace or other causes, we purpose that the air shall be
again brought forward before it retires to the back air-way, or that it shall be
made to cross from air-way to air-way immediately under the boiler, in pipes or
tubes placed at suitable distances apart, or such cross air-ways may be placed
at the back of the bridge. And the bridge in some instances we purpose
coating in front and top with fire-clay, not only for the purpose of protecting
the iron, but for generating and holding the heat, this may be effectually done
by fastening or forming lugs or pins on the front or part of the bridge desired
to be so protected.
Fig. 4 represents a sectional plan also of a common stationary engine
furnace, drawn for the purpose of showing that we are not compelled to supply
and heat the air in the way exhibited and described in the former Figures,
nor to the manner of elevating and depressing the bridge. In this case we
supply air through tubes or air-ways placed on each side underneath the fire-
bars, three of which are represented broken off, for the purpose of showing the
ingress air-way marked T; the top of the bridge S is represented as broken
away, for the purpose of showing its interior. The air from the tube T passes
through the bridge at A' to the air-way B', from whence it passes through the
tube Y and Z to X, and from thence to the interior of the bridge to escape
through the perforations at the top, while the air on the other side in like
manner crosses the flue through the tubes V and W to the air-way C¹, C¹, to
enter the bridge in the direction of the arrows, as before described. Fig. 5
represents a longitudinal section taken through the dotted lines f, f, of Figure
Four, showing the bridge in section, as also the cross tubes V, W, and Y, Z,
which are curved upward for the purpose of bringing them in immediate
contact with the flame of the burning smoke or ignited gas, which tends
greatly to increase, the heat of the air passing through them, the rarefied con-

page_text: dition of which ignites the smoke or gas on its passing over the bridge. And
the manner we purpose elevating and depressing the bridge is by means of the
rack and pinion working on the axes e, which may be carried through the
side brickwork and back bridge, to be actuated by any suitable contrivance or
handle for raising, lowering, or retaining the bridge in the position desired.
And in connection with this Figure we have represented the applicability of
our improved arrangements to the consuming and thereby utilising the gas or
smoke generated in the making of coke, a process extensively carried on in
some districts, which, from the quantity of gaseous smoke and sulphur pro-
duced and thrown off (in the process), renders the air in the immediate
neighbourhood pernicious, even to the extent that vegetation is destroyed by it,
and the atmosphere rendered murky and unhealthy. And we effect this as
exhibited at Fig. 7. D', D', represents in section part of a heap of cont,
which is piled up in the common or ordinary way around a short stack of
open brickwork, marked E, and covered over on the outside with a crust or
covering of small waste or fine particles of coal, which always accumulates at
collieries or places where large quantities of coal are got or used.
The heap of coal when put together is lit at the top close to the stack, and
requires according to the bulk three or four days, more or less, to burn
through, and when fire is seen around the outer lower edge, it indicates that
the whole batch or heap has been converted, during the progress of which
gaseous and sulphurous smoke is continually vomiting out of the centre of the
stack. In some instances to get rid of this nuisance, the workman in attend-
ance will apply a light to the smoke and burn it, but in a general way it is
allowed to escape and mingle with the atmosphere as long as the coke heaps
are on fire, and which coke heaps are generally made and burnt in close
proximity to each other. And the application of our improvements to these
description of close fires consist in fitting a cover to the top of the stack
marked F', and applying a large tube concentrically at the bottom of the
stack as at G', and such like tubes we purpose connecting or applying to (say)
our stacks, and concentrating them to a main tube as at H, from which the
ube I, 1, is connected; and J' is a mouth-piece of the same area as I', but
f the sectional form, axhibited at Fig. 6; nevertheless, it is not essential that
t should be of this shape, but we prefer it for the purpose of building up in
he brickwork, and that the broad way of its mouth should cross the furnace,
s shown by the dotted lines at g, g. Figure Four. K', K', is a steam way or
ipe under the regulation of the stop cock L', which pipe passes underneath
he coal heap to delivery pipes as at M', preferring to have four such pipes for
ach heap of coal, or more or less as may be desired, distributed or placed at

page_text: equal distances around the centre or stack E. These delivery pipes we cover
over with a hollow perforated fire-clay brick, as here shown in section marked
N'. With this general arrangement we will, for example, suppose that the
furnace 0, 0, is in full fire, the smoke flying off in the direction of the arrows
from the top of the coal, and that the air is entering the airways, and escaping
from the crown of the bridge, there igniting the smoke into a flame, which is
drawn back under and over the air-way tubes and along under the boiler by
the natural draft of the stack or chimney; and supposing the coal heap or
heaps are also on fire the same draught or suction from the engine stack or
chimney, and the cover F' drawn back for the admission of air, the gaseous
smoke instead of escaping here will be drawn from the burning coals through
the stack E' down into tubes G¹ and I, I, to the mouth J, and along under-
neath the boiler, as indicated by the arrows; and should this gaseous smoke
not be ignited while passing over the furnace fire, it will be ignited in passing
over the bridge, thus adding a great auxiliary to the generating of steam as it
streams back in a powerful flame underneath and around the boiler flue,
thereby saving an important item in the amount of coal otherwise required,
independent of rendering the operation of converting coal into coke as
unobjectionable as the carrying on of any other branch of manufacture. And
we will further suppose that the heap is now thoroughly burnt, and that it is
desirable to cool it and shift it as quick as possible. To do this we prefer
closing the cover F', and opening the steam way L', thereby admitting steam
from the four jets before referred to, in and through the very heart or body of
the yet burning mass, which not only stays its further burning, but drives out
the injurious sulphureous gas that may remain in it, which commingling with
the steam and air is sucked or drawn along through the pipes to the fire as
before described to be consumed, or this process may be reversed, namely by
closing a valve in the tube G¹, and drawing back or removing the cover F
and in a very little time the admission of steam will cool down the cokes so
that it may be removed and a fresh batch or heap piled up, and the operation
repeated, thus insuring the great advantage of economy and expedition; and
as the connection in the tube G¹ may be cut off by the closing the valve before
named, the removal of the burnt cokes, and the piling or making up of a
fresh heap, do not interfere with the burning or converting process going on
in the other heaps that may be connected with the tube I, I'. We have not
thought it necessary to further illustrate our Invention, as the details herein
shown have only to be slightly varied to make it applicable to the furnaces o
Cornish boilers, as well as to the furnaces of marine engines or other close
fire-places, subject to the generation of large or objectionable quantities o

page_text: smoke. In the case of Cornish boilers, various mechanical arrangements may
be used or applied for the elevating and lowering of the bridge, such as a rack
and pinion actuated from the front, or a compound lever may be bene-
ficially used for this purpose; or the bridge may be elevated by two vertical
screws properly geared and set in motion from the front, and in each instance
the air may be admitted and superheated, either in the way herein-before
described and exhibited in Figure One or as at Figure Five.
In our Provisional Specification we have described as a part of our Invention
the introduction of a gas pipe with jets properly placed, to be brought into use
at the time of first lighting the furnaces of stationary engines, but in practice
we have found that the advantage gained by this is not of sufficient importance
to introduce or claim in this our Complete Specification.
And although we have only described and exhibited one moveable bridge,
nevertheless we do not purpose limiting ourselves to the use of one only, as in
some instances two or more may be beneficially used.
In witness whereof, we the said John Hawkins and Charles Hawkins
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Second day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
TATT T
Witness,
ISAAC B. SAVAGE,
Clerk to James S. Cockings,
Patent Agent, Birmingham.
CHARLES HAWKINS. (L.S.)