Improvements in the Generation and Combustion of Gas for Smelting and Heating Purposes, and in Appliances connected therewith.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th. Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 26th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 2nd Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Generation and Combustion of Gas for Smelting
and Heating Purposes, and in Appliances connected therewith.
I JAMES HARGREAVES of Farnworth-in-Widnes, in the County of Lancaster,
Chemical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The materials employed are as regards the solid substances coal, coke, breeze,
shale, charcoal and the like, and the third bodies employed are hot air and steami
preferably superheated.
The objects of the invention are to obtain a small simple apparatus easily
managed and capable of yielding any desired temperature up to the very highest
and yet so easily regulated that this can be obtained at will and also with great
economy in fuel and total absence of the emission of smoke into the atmosphere.
The solid fuel is fed into a closed chamber, by preference with a measuring
apparatus and pusher and is there ignited. (By closed chamber I mean there are
no apertures opening to the atmosphere.) The heated air and steam are supplied
at pressure above that of the atmosphere to the closed chamber so that the
generation of gas in the chamber takes place under pressure. The gases given
off are conveyed through an exit port, and outside the port, by preference close to
it, the said gases are met by heated air and combustion takes place whilst the
gases are highly heated and the flame from that combustion passes over the sub-
stances to be heated or melted, or plays into a space to be heated, or comes into
contact with the surfaces of steam-or other boilers or vessels.
In carrying the invention into practice I employ First a closed fuel chamber
with fuel feed and with air and steam inlet ports, and outside around or with such
chamber a pipe to supply heated air to mix with the gases. Secondly a melting
hearth or space to be heated. Thirdly, a chamber filled with chequer brickwork
or the like to store heat and serve as a heat regulator. Fourthly two regenerators
or superheaters of air and steam which take the waste gases from what has been
hereinbefore termed a regulator.
The first of the regenerators or superheaters mentioned under the above fourth
head has a coil of pipes in which coil steam is superheated for use in a closed
chamber, and the second regenerator has a series of pipes or coils through which
the air to support combustion passes to the closed chamber and through another
branch pipe to meet the gases before they enter the space to be heated.
It will be evident that for the purpose of passing the air through the second
regenerator a blowing engine or equivalent must be employed.
In some
cases and usually employ within the closed chamber an arch
or baffle to serve the purposes of preventing the fuel from falling down too
quickly and protecting the air nozzle from being damaged or closed by slag from
the fuel.
Dated the Twenty-fourth day of January 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Generation and Combustion of Gas for Smelting
and Heating Purposes, and in Appliances connected therewith.
I JAMES HARGREAVES of Farnworth-in-Widnes in the County of Lancaster,
Chemical Engineer 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 :-
The materials employed are as regards the solid substances, coal, coke, breeze,
shale, charcoal, and the like; the fluid bodies employed are hot air with or without
steam, the latter being superheated by preference.
The objects of the invention are to obtain improved generation and combustion,
and to provide small simple apparatus easily managed and capable of yielding any
desired temperature up to the highest.
The construction of the apparatus
being such that the generation and combustion are so easily regulated that the
temperature obtained can be regulated at will, with great economy in fuel and
absence of the emission of smoke into the atmosphere.
Under my invention solid fuel is fed into a closed chamber, by preference with
a measuring apparatus and pusher as hereinafter described and is there ignited.
(By a closed chamber I mean there are no apertures opening to the atmosphere.)
Part of a measured quantity of heated air and steam or heated air alone at a
pressure above that of the atmosphere, are or is, brought into contact with the
ignited fuel in the closed chamber so that combustible gas is generated in the said
chamber. The gases given off are conveyed through an exit port, and outside the
exit port, and by preference close to it, the said gases are met by the remainder of
the definite quantity of heated air above mentioned, and combustion takes place
whilst the gases are highly heated. The flame of combustion passes over the sub-
stances to be heated or melted; or plays into a space to be heated, or comes into
contact with surfaces to be heated.
In carrying the invention into practice I employ First a closed fuel chamber
with fuel feed and with air and steam inlet ports, and outside, around, or with such
chamber a pipe to supply heated air to mix with the gases.
Secondly, a melting hearth or space to be heated.
Thirdly, a chamber filled with chequer brickwork or the like to store heat and
serve as a heat regulator.
Fourthly, two regenerators or superheaters of air and steam which take the
waste gases from what has been hereinbefore termed a regulator.
The heat regulator above mentioned is specially useful where the products of
combustion are at a temperature which is higher than can with safety be applied
to iron pipes, or where it is desirable that the temperature of the regenerators in
which the steam or air or either of them are superheated should be kept at a steady
temperature. The bricks or other heat absorbing material with which the
regulator is charged, absorb excessive heat from the furnace gases and yield up
heat when the gases from the furnace are comparatively cool as for instance when
the furnace has just been charged with cold material.
Apparatus under my invention is illustrated in the appended sheet of drawings
where Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal horizontal
section of the whole apparatus, Fig. 3 a vertical transverse section of the generator,
and Fig. 4 a plan, and Fig. 5 an elevation of the solid fuel feed apparatus. 1 is
a closed chamber with a solid fuel measuring hopper and feed box 2.
The fuel is
measured from the hopper to the box by means of a rotating perforated plate 3,
and the fuel is fed from the box 2 to the chamber 1 by means of a reciprocating
plunger 4. The speed of motion of the measuring plate 3 and feed plunger 4, is
varied by means of change wheels 4 suitably disposed on driving, driven, and
intermediate spindles in any well known manner. 5 inlet port or ports for heated

page_text: air, or air and steam for the generation of combustible gases, 6 is the melting
hearth or space to be heated with a port or ports 7 through which the combustible
gases enter from the chamber 1. 8 is a port through which heated air mixes with
the combustible gases entering the space 6. 9 is a chamber filled with chequer
brickwork or the like, and communicating by a way 10 with the space 6 and by a
passage 11 with a superheater 12. The superheater 12 contains a coil or worm 13
in which steam is superheated and from which it passes by a pipe 14 to the port 5.
15 regenerator in communication with the superheater 12 and with the waste
gas flue 16.
17 are pipes in which air is heated to pass by a pipe 18 to the ports 5
aud 8. The use of the chamber 9 is to regulate the heat passing through the
steam and air regenerators by taking up and giving out heat from and to the waste
gases leaving the hearth or space 6. 19 is a blowing engine by which air is fed in
specific quantities, and the driving gear of the blower and solid fuel feed are con-
nected by shafts and toothed wheels 20 so as to work in unison. 21 represents a
baffle arch or block in the chamber I for preventing too rapid descent of the fuel
so as to choke the ports.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The generation and combustion of gas substantially in the manner and for
the purpose set forth.
Second. Apparatus for the generation and combustion of gas substantially as
set forth.
Third. Equalizing the temperature of the furnace gases passing through the
regenerators substantially as set forth.
Dated the 25th day of November 1891.
Per pro J. T. KING,
J. Johnson,
Agent.