IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS PRODUCER FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: We JAMES WRIGHT MACFARLANE of 98 Dundas Street, Kingston, Glasgow
in the County of Lanark, Engineer and JOSEPH JAMES COLEMAN of 45 West
Nile Street Glasgow aforesaid Chemical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS PRODUCER FURNACES FOR
STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES to be as follows:-
"
This Invention relates to improvements in furnaces for producing gas and the
improved furnace whilst especially applicable for employment in conjunction with
steam boilers, may also be used for other purposes wherein the generation and
application of heat is required.
The improvements constituting the Invention have principally for their object
to keep the walls of the furnace cool and thereby prevent "clinkers" or the fuel
adhering to them the effect of which is to enable a much more rapid combustion of
the fuel to take place than is usual or possible in the like class of furnaces as
ordinarily constructed without the furnace being closed or partially closed up and
its action impeded by accumulations on the walls.
For the purposes of this Invention the walls of the furnace are made of wrought
iron, steel, or other suitable metal and they are so surrounded by a jacket or casing
also preferably of metal that an annular space is formed between the jacket and
the walls of the furnace into or through which space water is introduced or caused
to circulate so as to keep the walls of the furnace cool.
In the improved furnace the fresh fuel is fed in from the top but the usual valve
or bell in the feeding hopper is dispensed with. An annular space under and
around the lower part of the hopper has communication with the chimney draught
and the air required for the combustion of the gas or any desired portion of it is
drawn from the said annular space either through the gas furnace itself or through
a separate connection; any gas therefore passing up towards the mouth of the
charging hopper and which would otherwise tend to escape is drawn into the
combustion chamber and consumed.
A further advantage in dispensing with the ordinary charging bell or valve is
that the level of fuel in the furnace is always open to or capable of inspection.

page_text: For the firing of steam boilers the improved furnace may either be an integral
part of the boiler itself or it may be separate therefrom and form an auxiliary
boiler the heat in the latter case lost by radiation being retained by the water in
the jacket or casing which may be used to feed the main boiler. With this
arrangement the sensible heat of the gas lost in flues is altogether saved.
In special applications of this improved furnace and where a high temperature
of air is required, air may be made to circulate or pass through the annular jacket
instead of water.
Dated this Sixtoouth dow of Con
We, JAMES WRIGHT MACFARLANE of Glasgow in the County of Lanark,
Engineer; and JOSEPH JAMES COLEMAN of Glasgow aforesaid, Chemical Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS
PRODUCER FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in gas producer furnaces applicable for
raising steam in steam boilers and for other purposes wherein the generation and
application of heat is required.
The improvements constituting the invention have principally for their object to
keep the walls of the furnace cool and thereby prevent clinkers," or the fuel,
adhering to them, the effect of which is to enable a much more rapid combustion
of the fuel to take place than is usual or possible in the like class of furnaces as
ordinarily constructed without the furnace being closed or partially closed up and
its action impeded by accumulations on the walls.
For the purposes of this invention the walls of the furnace are made of wrought
iron, steel, or other suitable metal, and they are so surrounded by a jacket or
casing also preferably of metal that an annular space is formed between the jacket
and the walls of the furnace into or through which space water is introduced or
caused to circulate so as to keep the walls of the furnace cool.

page_text: In the improved furnace the fresh fuel is fed in from the top but the usual valve
or bell in the feeding hopper is dispensed with.
An annular space under and around the lower part of the hopper has communi-
cation with the chimney draught and the air required for the combustion or it
may be the conversion of the gas; or any desired portion of the said air is drawn
from the annular space into the combustion chamber or through the producer by
a separate connection; any gas therefore passing up towards the mouth of the
charging hopper and which would otherwise tend to escape is drawn into the
combustion chamber or producer and consumed.
In carrying out the Invention for the firing of steam boilers the furnace may
be separate from the main boiler and form with its jacket or casing an auxiliary
boiler, the heat lost by radiation being retained by the water in the jacket or casing
which water may be used to feed the main boiler. With this arrangement the
sensible heat of the gas lost in flues is altogether saved.
4
It is however preferred to make the improved furnace an integral part of the
steam boiler itself and this may be effected as shown (under one mode) on the
accompanying drawings.
Figure 1, is a vertical section of the arrangement; figure 2, a part elevation and
part vertical section at an angle of 45° to figure 1. Of figure 3, the part on the left
of the centre line is a horizontal section on the line c, d, figure 1, and the part
on the right is a horizontal section on the line g, h, figure 2. Of figure 4, the
like parts are respectively horizontal sections on the lines a, b, and e, f, figures 1
and 2.
As seen by these figures the boiler itself constitutes the jacket or casing around
the improved furnace A, the water in the boiler keeping the metallic walls of the
furnace cool. The furnace is fed with fresh fuel as required through a hopper B,
at the top but the valve or bell usually employed in conjunction with such feeding
hoppers is dispensed with thereby enabling the level of fuel in the furnace always
to be seen and a stirring tool introduced to prevent the fresh fuel from caking.
A space or chamber C, is made around and under the hopper the said space
having communication with the air both through the hopper itself and through
valve openings D, and with the smoke box E, of the boiler and the chimney draught
through the pipes or flues F, G, H. The air required for combustion of the gases
is drawn from the chamber C, through the pipes or flues F, into a combustion
chamber I, situated around the upper part of the furnace A, and communicating
therewith at N, as indicated by the arrows. The air meeting with the gases in
the said chamber, the latter are ignited and impart heat to the water contained
in the boiler. From the chamber C, the products of combustion pass off into the
return chamber J, at the lower part of the boiler, through the pipes or flues G,
situated within the water space. From the chamber J, the said products pass
upwards through the tubes or flues H (the greater portion of the length of which
is likewise within the water space) to the smoke box E, and thence to the chimney
(not shown on the drawing). Any gas passing up the charging funnel or flue M,
and which would otherwise tend to escape is by the arrangement of the air
chamber C, and flues F, drawn into the combustion chamber I, and consumed.
The level of fuel may be at any part of the tube M, or it may be filled up to the
top of the hopper B.
When the latter is done the whole of the air for combustion of the gases passes
in through the valve openings D.
To provide for cleaning out the ash from below the furnace a series of cleaning
doors and passages O, are arranged around the base or foundation P, of the boiler,
as seen at figures 2 and 3; and to support combustion in the furnace A, air is
supplied to it through pipes R, leading into the passages O, the air being drawn
or forced through the said pipes by steam jets, blasts, or mechanical blowers or fans
not shown on the drawings.
A water jet to assist in keeping the clinkers soft is also provided as shown at S,
figures 1 and 2, and to enable the fuel to be kept solid tubes T, closed by doors at

page_text: their outer ends are provided around the furnace through which stirring tools may
be introduced when necessary.
Under a modification of the arrangement shown the air necessary for conversion
of the fuel may be drawn by the jet, blower or fan from the annular chamber C,
and the air required for combustion may be drawn in through the sides of the
combustion chamber and boiler shell instead of through the pipes F.
Having now particularly described and ascertained. the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
First A gas producer furnace constructed as set forth and charged from the
top, the usual valve or bell in the feeding hopper being dispensed with, and an
annular space made under and around the lower part of the hopper and communi-
cating with the chimney draught; air from the said space being drawn either
through the combustion chamber or through the producer for the purpose
described.
Second In a steam boiler a gas producer furnace arranged and constructed
substantially as described with reference to the drawings annexed.
Dated this Siteenth das of June 190K
GEO, M. CRUIKSHANK,
135, Buchanan Street, Glasgow,
Agent