AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PRODUCING AND APPLYING HEAT TO AND CONSTRUCTING AND ERECTING FURNACES AND OTHER RESERVOIRS, SEVERALLY USED FOR THE VARIOUS PURPOSES OF ROASTING OR SMELTING METALLIC ORES OR OTHER SUB- STANCES, MELTING METALS OR ANY OTHER MATTER, AND FOR HEATING PANS OR BOILERS, OR SUBSTANCES USUALLY CONTAINED IN PANS OR BOILERS, IN THE VARIOUS OPERATIONS OF PRODUCING STEAM, DISTILLING, BREWING,DYING, BOILING OR BAKING SUGAR, BOILING SOAP, OR ANY OTHER MANIPULATION OR OPERATION IN WHICH THE
Year: 1823

page_text: VILLES SPECIFIC
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
NEVILLE, of New Walk, Shad Thames, in the County of Surrey, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty George the Fourth, by His Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date on or about the
Eighth day of January, in the third year of His reign, did, for Himself, His
heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Neville, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, His special license, full power, sole privilege,
and authority, that I and they, by myself and themselves, or by my or their
deputy and deputics, servants and agents, or such others as I and they should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term of fourteen years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of His Majesty's United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland called England, His Dominion of Wales, Town of
Berwick upon Tweed, and also in all His Colonies and Plantations abroad, my
Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PRODUCING AND APPLYING HEAT TO AND
CONSTRUCTING AND ERECTING FURNACES AND OTHER RESERVOIRS, SEVERALLY USED FOR
THE VARIOUS PURPOSES OF ROASTING OR SMELTING METALLIC ORES OR OTHER SUB-
STANCES, MELTING METALS OR ANY OTHER MATTER, AND FOR HEATING PANS OR
BOILERS, OR SUBSTANCES USUALLY CONTAINED IN PANS OR BOILERS, IN THE VARIOUS
OPERATIONS OF PRODUCING STEAM, DISTILLING, BREWING, DYING, BOILING OR BAKING
SUGAR, BOILING SOAP, OR ANY OTHER MANIPULATION OR OPERATION IN WHICH THE

page_text: APPLICATION OF HEAT IS NECESSARY; AND ALSO FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRODUCING AND
APPLYING HEAT TO FURNACES, PANS, BOILERS, AND RESERVOIRS ALREADY ERECTED, USED,
OR TO BE USED FOR THE PURPOSES ABOVE MENTIONED, AND LIKEWISE FOR EFFECTING A
SAVING IN FUEL, AND PRODUCING A MORE COMPLETE COMBUSTION OF SMOKE THAN AT
PRESENT TAKES PLACE, AS WELL AS A BETTER MODE THAN ANY NOW IN USE OF COLLECT-
ING AND PRESERVING ANY VOLATILE SUBSTANCE CONTAINED IN OR COMBINED WITH
METALLIC ORES OR OTHER SUBSTANCES, IN THE SEPARATION OF WHICH HEAT IS NECES-
SARY; AND FOR THE PURPOSE OF APPLYING HEAT TO THE OPERATIONS OF BAKING OR
DRYING SUBSTANCES IN KILNS, ON FLOORS OR RACKS, OR IN OVENS," to hold the said
license, powers, privileges, and advantages to me, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, for and during the said term of fourteen years from the date of the
said Letters Patent immediately ensuing; and in which said Letters Patent
is contained a proviso that if I, the said James Neville, shall not particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calen-
dar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that
then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby
granted, should utterly cease, determine, and become void, anything therein
contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Neville, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in the explanation now next following (that is to say) :-
I declare and describe the nature of my said improvements to be as follows:
firstly, in order to encrease the intensity of the heat and produce a more
perfect combustion of the fuel employed for any of the purposes or operations
before recited, I create and apply an artificial draught in the following
manner At any convenient distance from the furnace or fire-place where the
fuel is to be consumed, and from whence there is to be a communication by
means of an horizontal or other flue or enclosed passage, I place a revolving
fan, which is formed by any number of metallic planes or surfaces affixed to
sheet iron or copper sides, one of which is carried on the axis or spindle by a
cast iron ring, with arms, as shown by B, Fig 1, 2, and 3, and leaving an open
aperture in the centre of one of the siles of sufficient area for the intended
draught; the opposite side is connected to the axis or spindle by the cast iron
boss C, Fig. 2, and that side is perfectly closed; these planes are placed at
equal distances from the centre of such axis or spindle, and their form and
positions are shewn in the said Figure by the letters c, c, c, c; this fan or set.

page_text: of flies I place in a case formed of cast or wrought iron, or any other suitable
material; the circumference of such case forms a spiral line commencing at d,
Fig. 3, and uniformly receding from the centre a, until it terminates at e,
leaving an opening between d and e of sufficient capacity for the intended
draught; one side of this case is closed by a metal or other plate, and there is
a small hole in the centre at a, Fig. 2, through which the axis or spindle of the
fan passes; the opposite side of this case is likewise enclosed by a similar plate,
in the centre of which there is a circular hole or aperture of sufficient capacity
for the cast iron ring B to revolve therein, and to which hole there is affixed a
tube or cylinder of equal. diameter, for the purpose of connecting the said case
with the flue or flues leading from the furnace or fire-place; the dotted lines
in Fig 1 and 3 represent flies of the fan, which, together with the sides, are at
liberty to revolve freely in the said case or enclosed space; the axis or spindle a
is mounted and carried by a double set of plummet blocks, as shewn by f, f,
Fig. 2, and motion may be communicated thereto by means of a strop attached
to the pulley or rigger g, Fig. 2, or by any other contrivance or application;
the letters h, h, in Fig. 2, represent the sides of the enclosed case; i, i, i, i, is
the passage for the introduction or admission of the draught, and c, the place
of delivery; the light shaded surfaces c, c, c, c, in this Figure represent the
form and position of the metallic plates or planes connected to the spindle a
by means of the sides p, p, p, p; on motion being communicated in a circular
direction to the said fan, a current or dranght will be produced through the
tube or opening within the ring B, and the centrifugal force arising from such
revolving motion will cause any elastic fluid so introduced at B to be expelled
through the aperture C. By this application I am enabled to increase the
intensity of the draught (according to the speed communicated to the fan), and
at the same time to retain or apply for usual purposes a greater portion of the
heat so produced by the more rapid and perfect combustion of the fuel,
instead of letting it escape up a chimney, which, according to the present
practice, becomes necessary for the production and maintenance of the
required draught. Though the operation of such a fan or set of revolving
flies is familiar and well known for cleansing corn and other purposes, yet
I claim the exclusive right in all cases of its application for drawing or
forcing atmospheric air through fuel, in order to promote combustion either
in the form herein described (which I consider the best) or any other
where such draught shall be produced by the centrifugal force of air or gases
urged by revolving planes or moving surfaces. Fig. 4 represents a plan of
such furnace at the end of the fire bars, which are rather shorter than usual.
I place an inclined plane of fire bricks, about eighteen inches deep, and running

page_text: the entire bredth of the bars, as shewn by a, a, Fig 4 and 6, behind which
wall b, b, rises, and which is continued on each side of the fire-place by the
walls c, c, thus enclosing the ends and both sides of the said fire-place; in each
side wall c, c, I have an oblong aperture d, d, d, d, Figs 4 and 6, about six
inches high and two feet long, or in any other similar proportion, according to
the size of the fire-place and the space required for the necessary draught;
these apertures communicate with the side flues e, e, e, e, Fig. 4, which I make
about nine inches deep and half the width of the fire-place; near the bottom
of each flue e, e, e, e, I place a plate of cast iron or fire tile f, f. f, f, Fig. 4,
about two feet long and the entire width of the said flues; these plates or tiles
are perforated with a sufficient number of conical holes, cach about half an inch
diameter at the upper surface of the plate, and one inch diameter at the bottom,
the plates or tiles being about 2 inches thick, as shewn by the section,
Fig. 7. Beneath these plates or tiles there is an open passage for the admis-
sion of air; the quantity of air is regulated by the registers g, g, Fig. 5,
above which are placed two iron doors, h, h, Fig. 5, for cleaning the flues
e, e, e, e, Fig. 4; if required. In front of the feeding door i, Figs 5 and 6,
I place the lever k, moving on the centre 1, Fig 5 and 6, and which
is connected to a damper, placed in any convenient situation, so that the
said door cannot be opened without moving the lever , and diminishing
the draught during the period of supplying fuel or clearing the bars.
Fig. 8 represents the section of a steam engine boiler erected on this principle.
A is the furnace or fire-place, as above described; B, the boiler; C, the fan
for producing the draught, which is placed in any convenient situation for
driving the same by a strop from the engine; and D, a short shaft or chimney
for carrying off the gases produced by the combustion of the fuel. The
operation of this application is as follows:-After the fire is lighted, the supply
of fresh fuel is to be thrown as far back as possible, until it strikes the back
of the fire-placo b, b, and falls on the inclined plane a, a, where the smoke and
gases become gradually disengaged, and pass over the ignited fuel on the bars
in the direction of the arrow shewn in this section, and thence through the
oblong apertures d, d, Fig. 8; the smoke, &c. is thus drawn in a thin sheet
into the said flucs e, e, Fig. 9, where à current of air ascends through the
conical apertures in the plates or tiles f, ff, f, as described and represented in
Figs. 4 and 9, the supply of such air being regulated by the registers g, J,
shewn in Fig. 5; from the intensity of the draught created by the fan C, the
holes in the plate f, fif, f, Fig" 4 and 9, act as blow pipes, and produce a
perfect combustion of the smoke and a more intense heat against that part of
the boiler which covers the flues e; e, Fig. 9. After the flame and heated

page_text: gases pass from these flues they are spread under the boiler by the
bridge m, m, Fig. 8, which is forined on the top to correspond with the curve
of the bottom of the boiler, allowing a sufficient passage for the draught, and
in other respects the setting of the boiler is similar to the common mode. I
employ the waste or remaining heat, after it has passed under, through, or
round the boiler, for heating water, or for producing steam in a second boiler,
or for heating factories, stoves, or drying lofts, or to any other useful purpose
where a moderate temperature may be required, instead of permitting the
escape of such heat up a chimney, which at present is requisite for the main-
tenance of the required draught, such applications being too obvious to require
any description. Fig. 9 shews a section of the front of the steam boiler set
on this plan: a, the fire-place; c, c, the side walls; e, e, the flues; d, d, the
apertures for the draught; f,f,f, f, the perforated plates or tiles; and ġ, g, the
air passages leading thereto. The foregoing improvements for the more rapid
and perfect combustion of the fuel, and mode of producing a draught, I also
apply for the purposes of roasting, calcining, and smelting metallic ores, melting
metals, and other operations where high temperatures are required; also for
separating, and in some cases retaining or preserving for use, the volatile
materials coutained in or combined with such metallic ores, and for saving a
considerable portion of fuel, and in most cases for preventing the discharge
or dissemination of the noxious vapours created by such operations for such
purposes. I cause the flame, heated air, or gases to pass or be carried through
several furnaces, kilus, or ovens in succession by means of the draught produced
by the application of the fan as before described, thereby employing the action
of such heat for the purposes of smelting, roasting, calcining, baking, or drying
such metallic ores, or other substances, so long as the temperature may be
found useful or applicable for such purposes or operations; or I arrange or
erect such furnaces, kilns, or ovens in such manner or positions so that the
heat may be applied or conveyed alternately thereto by means of dampers or
other contrivances, according to the intensity of the temperature required,
employing at the same time the waste or remaining heat for gradually heating
adjoining furnaces, kilns, or ovens, or the substances contained therein, or for
evaporating water or other fluids, or for any other purpose or object to which
such water or remaining heat may be usefully applied, instead of permitting
the same to escape up a chimney, as at present practiced. And in order to
preserve or retain or prevent the escape of any volatile materials contained
in or combined with such metallic ores or other substances, and which are
usually expelled or separated therefrom in a gaseous form, form by means of heat,
I cause such vapours or gases or sublimed particles to pass or be conveyed by
the draught created in the manner before described through horizontal or other

page_text: flues or chambers of sufficient capacity or dimensions, where the said gases, &c.
may become absorbed or condensed. And in certain instances I cover the said
flues or chambers with thin metallic pans or plates, which are kept cool by
water contained therein or applied thereto, in order to facilitate the condensa-
tion of the said vapours or gases; and for the better absorbtion and condensation
of which I cause, where necessary, a shower of water or lime water, or water
saturated or combined by any proper material, to fall or descend through
pierced metallic or other plates into the said flues or chambers, where I also
place a number of inclined planes, formed of thin metallic plates, or any
suitable material, to intercept the said shower of water, &c., and thereby
expose a greater condensing surface to the action of the said gases, which I
cause to pass over or between these planes or surfaces by means of the draught
created in the manner before described. Fig. 10 represents a plan of a double
reverbratory furnace; the fire-place A is similar to that already described,
except that the fuel is supplied through the feeding or teazing hole t, and
descends on the inclined plane of fire-brick a, a, until it covers the fire bars;
on the opposite side I place the door D, for the purpose of clearing the bars
and raking forward the fuel when required; the flame and smoke pass over
'the bridges c, c, c, c, in the centre of which I place the two perforated fire
tiles ffff; these have a sufficient number of conical apertures, and are
similar to the plates or tiles f, f, described in Fig 4, 7, and 9. A current of
air is introduced through the passages shewn by the dotted lines I, I, I, I,
Fig. 10, the supply of which is regulated by registers placed at the entrance
of such passages; the apertures in these tiles act as blow pipes, and increase
the intensity of the heat, and effect a more perfect combustion of the smoke;
the flame passes through the furnaces F, F, and descends through the
flues h, h, Fig. 10, or where it is desired, I carry it through any number of
such furnaces before it descends to the horizontal flues shewn by the dotted
lines a, a, a, a, a, a, Fig. 10, which may be connected with condensing chambers
or flues at any distance, either before or after the vapours or gases have passed
the fan, as before describer. The furnaces F, F, Fig. 10, have working
doors W, W, and the tap holes for drawing off their charges, as shewn by the
dotted lines o, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, Fig. 10, and the respective flues to these furnaces
are furnished with dampers for regulating the draught, or for working these
furnaces alternately or separately when required. I further employ the afore-
said improvements in the construction of the fire-place and the mode of creating
an artificial draught, as explained by the Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, to brewers'
coppers, stills, sugar pans, and every other description of boiler, pan, copper,
or reservoir severally used or employed for heating, boiling, or evaporating
fluids or other substances; and I also employ, where required, any waste or

page_text: remaining heat which may pass or escape from the fire after heating such
pans, boilers, or reservoirs for heating factories or drying substances contained
in drying lofts, stoves, kilns, &c., in the various operations of sugar baking,
malting, salt refining, paper making, and for every other object where the
application of a moderate temperature may be desired. And I disclaim as
being new, or forming any part of my said Invention, the form or arrangement
f boilers or furnaces, or the condensation of vapours or gases by means of water
or otherwise, except so far as the same depend or are connected with my
improvements for the combustion of smoke, the saving of fuel, and the method
of producing a mechanical draught, as herein described. And I further
declare that I vary the shape and situation of my fire-place, flues, fan, and fan
case, according to convenience and circumstances, and I construct them of
materials varied and best adapted to the purposes for which they are severally
applied, varying their forms and dimensions as best suited for the different
objects and purposes to which the Inventions herein-before defined and
described are applicable, and I use the several parts of it either connected or
separate, as circunstances may require.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Neville, have hereunto set my hand
and scal, this Seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-three.
Inrolled the same Seventh day of July, in the year above written.