Year: 1886

page_text: I, OLIVER IMRAY of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare
the nature of this invention 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 boiler furnaces, in which hydrocarbon vapour or other
combustible gas is used as fuel; and its object is to obtain by a simple construction
of such furnaces, complete combustion of the fuel and effective heating of the
boiler, as will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of one form of boiler furnace according to
this invention applied to a stationary tubular boiler. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan
taken under the boiler. Fig. 3 is a transverse section. Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a
modification.
The cylindrical tubular boiler M has on its underside a curved tile O (shewn in
perspective at Fig. 4) made of fire clay or other refractory material with bosses
and holes to receive the upper ends of refractory posts or pillars K that rest in
holes in a flat tile P (shewn at Fig. 5).
The combustible gas or vapour enters by the pipe B, and the air to support
combustion by the pipe C, both of these pipes being provided with regulating
valves or stop cocks. On a grate A immediately below the gas inlet are place i
loose blocks or bricks A¹ of refractory material, and above these are shelves, arches
or projections R R₁ forming a zig-zag passage.
From the pipe B a branch pipe E provided with a regulating_cock leads to a
burner S, which is supplied with air from an air heating chamber T, formed in the
brick work. The burner S may be arranged obliquely in front of the pillars K, as
shewn in Fig. 1 or vertically and behind these as shewn in Fig. 6.
The construction of the burner is shewn in Fig. S which is a longitudinal section
and Fig. 9 a plan. V is the gas pipe supplying a set of jets V, and W is the air
pipe having branches W' each surrounding one of the gas jets V'.

page_text: The air entering through the pipe C passes down through the passage D and
thence up through the grate A and the refractory material A' and thus heated it
meets the gas or vapour entering through B and promotes its combustion. The
flame sweeps in a zig-zag direction past R and R¹ into the horizontal flue Q
beneath the boiler, and the products of combustion return through the tubes to the
chimney. Also the air entering the heating chamber T passes into the air tube W
and thence through the branches W₁ meeting the gas issuing from the jets V¹, the
flames of which join the hot products passing along the flue Q.
The construction may be farther modified as shewn by Figs. 10, 11 and 12. In
this case the smoke box of the boiler is divided by an inclined diaphragm G. The
air supplied by the pipe C ascends into the chamber C¹ formed in the smoke box
and thence descends a flue D part of it passing under the grate A and through A¹
and part entering and passing through a hollow tile R made of refractory material
with perforations through its underside as shewn in perspective at Fig. 13. The
boiler is shewn as being supported on two sets of the pillars K, and two sets of the
burners S, which may be situated either before or behind these pillars, contribute
to the heating. Fig. 14 shews the furnace arranged in fire box of a boiler of
locomotive type. In this case the air supplied at C passes through a heating
chamber C¹ thence to the interior of the hollow tile R, and through the perforations
in its bottom, meeting the gas which enters by the pipe B. The fire grate A is in
this case covered by a tile. A farther modification is shewn by Fig. 15, where,
behind the heating chamber C, there is arranged an auxiliary combustion
chamber S. In this chamber there are a set of burners such as are shewn in
longitudinal section at Fig. 16, and the flames and hot products from these pass
through holes in the back wall of the chamber S¹. This wall is preferably made
double, as shewn in Fig. 15, with a space between, the holes through the one wall
not being directly opposite to those through the other, so that the hot gases have to
take a zig zag course before they reach the mouths of the boiler tubes.
By the construction and arrangement described and shewn the combustion of the
gaseous fuel is rendered complete, and great heating efficiency is obtained. Thus
the refractory material A' Figs. 1, 6 and 10 being highly heated by its proximity
to the flame imparts heat to the air passing up through its interstices. Also the
passage D Figs. 1, 6 and 10, the chambers C and the hollow tiles R, Figs. 10, 14.
and 15, and the chambers T, highly heate 1 by their proximity to the flame impart
heat to the air passing through them. Again the flame being compelled by the
shelves or projections R R', and by the arrangement of the perforations in the wall
of S¹ Fig. 15 to take a zig-zag course, a thorough combination of the gas with the
oxygen of the air is secured, and the direct impact of the hot flame on the metal of
the boiler is prevented. By supporting the boiler on the tiles O P and columns K
Figs. 1, 6 and 10 there is but little checking of the draught along the flue Q,
whilst those refractory pieces receive and store heat which becomes available. By
means of the auxiliary burners S a portion of the heating power is transferred to
parts of the flue where it reinforces that contained in the passing products of
combustion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim in respect of boiler furnaces for combustion of gaseous fuel is :-
1. Providing in proximity to the gas inlet a supply of air heated by passing
through channels or chambers or through interstices or perforations of material
heated by the flame, as herein described with reference to the parts marked D, A¹,
C¹, R and T in the accompanying drawings.
2. In the flue leading from the main gas furnace, arranging a set of auxiliary
burners S or several such sets with supply of heated air as herein described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 3. In combination with the combustion chamber a zig-zag passage for the flames
and products of combustion formed by shelves or projections R R¹, substantially as
and for the purpose herein set forth.
4. Supporting the boiler on refractory tiles O, P and columns K. as and for the
purpose herein set forth.
5. In combination with the main combustion chamber, the auxiliary combustion
chamber S' with its set of burners S and perforated back wall, as and for the
purpose set forth.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.