IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOKE- CONSUMING FURNACES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Stevens, Manager of the British & Foreign
Office for Patents, 1B, Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOKE-
CONSUMING FURNACES." -A communication from abroad by Toni Fontenay
of Grenoble, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 22nd May 1861, and dated the 30th November 1860.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Charles Stevens at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration,
on the 30th November 1860, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
STEVENS, Manager of the British & Foreign Office for Patents, 1³,
Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SMOKE.
CONSUMING FURNACES." and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the
same, and have made solemn declaration that it has been communicated
to me from abroad by Toni Fontenay, of Grenoble, in the Empire of
France.
NOW KNOW YE that I, the said Charles Stevens, do hereby declare the
following Complete Specification under my hand and seal fully describes
and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
Price 821

page_text: which the same is to be performed (reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings), that is to say :-
The present Invention consists of improvements which may be applied
to furnaces of all descriptions.
A, B, C, D, Fig. 1, represents the section of a furnace; E, F, is the
grate on which the fuel H rests, the latter being introduced as required
by means of a door G, situated at the side, but which may also be placed
above, between the points A, D. The chimney or flue F, K, L, begins
immediately beneath the grate, so as to facilitate the draught as much
as possible. The air required for the combustion enters at the door G
above mentioned, passes through the fuel and grate, and after thus
serving in the combustion escapes with the gases by the chimney. The
space E, B, C, K, which receives the ashes, is furnished with a door at B
or any other point, by means of which the fire is stoked and the ashes
removed. Care must be taken that this door shuts sufficiently close to
prevent the draught from being affected during the combustion, although
in some cases (as when the layer of fuel is very thick) it may be best to
allow a small quantity of air to enter by it. Bellows may also be adapted
to facilitate the draught, the tube being placed near the door G, in
which case the doors G, B, must be well closed during the working of
the bellows.
A, B, C, D, Fig. 2, represents the section of the fire box of a loco-
motive. This fire box, instead of being open at the bottom, is closed
from B to C by a double partition, the interior of which is in communi-
cation with the boiler, and serves as heating surface, and receives the
ashes at the same time. The ashes are removed and the fire stoked by
means of a door B, closing tightly, but which may, if necessary, be left
a little way open, so as to allow the air to penetrate, and thus render
the combustion of the gases more complete. The grate is placed at E, F,
extending the whole width of the fire box, and to prevent its being too
rapidly consumed, is composed of hollow bars communicating with the
boiler by their extremities, and filled with water. The bars thus serve
as heating surface. In order to facilitate the circulation of the water,
it is advisable to bring the injection pipes of the feed pumps of the boiler
into the vicinity of the lower extremities of the bars, which should be
capable of being easily dismounted for cleaning when required. Above
the grate is a double partition G, K, F, the interior of which is filled
with water, and communicates with the boiler and the bars of the grate,
and consequently serves as heating surface. This double partition may

page_text: be crossed at its lower part, from L to F, by tubes, serving as tie pieces
and heating surface, and in which the flame passes. It occupies the
whole width of the fire box, and forms, with the grate and the sides of
the fire box, a receptacle E, F, K, G, in which the fuel H is introduced
by the door I. The air required in the combustion enters at the same
door and passes through the fuel and the grate E, F, then through the
tubes F, L, and after serving in the combustion ascends with the gases
towards the tubes T of the machine, and passing through them escapes
by the chimney. At the point M a door is placed, by means of which
the tubes T are cleaned and stopped. To facilitate the draught, air
may also be introduced by means of bellows near the door I. The doors
I, B, and M, should then be well closed during the working of the
bellows, which are put in motion by means of gear work communicating
with one of the axles of the tender. In order that the bellows should
work both when the engine is advancing and when it is going backward,
the pipe A, B, Fig. 3, communicating with the furnace, is connected
to the bellows E, C, D, by means of two pipes B, C, and B, D, which
are opened or closed according to the direction in which the engine
moves by a balance valve B working spontaneously from the different
degrees of pressure in the two pipes. The adoption of these bellows
would give the advantage of allowing the water of the tender to be
utilised by heating it, the escaping steam serving in the draught, and
would also lessen the counter pressure in the slide valves and cylinders,
and so increase the useful effect of the machine.
Fig. 4 is the same as Fig. 2, but shows, in addition, the form which
might be given to the furnace in case the fire box of the locomotive to
which the furnace is to be applied should be two small. Instead of
hollow bars containing water and communicating with the boiler, others
may be employed, in which is made to pass the whole or part of the
current of cold air serving in the draught. This arrangement is repre-
sented, Fig. 5, as adapted to a locomotive. The bars extend from E
to F, and are independent of each other, and may be removed as easily
as ordinary bars. Openings placed at the point E in the fire box allow
of the introduction of cold air, which passes through the whole length
of the bars, then into a partition extending from F to G, and escapes
by the openings at the point G, to serve afterwards in the combustion.
This arrangement may be advantageously employed in fixed machines
where there is a strong draught, and especially suited to fixed machines
not worked by steam, and in which there is no boiler filled with water,

page_text: which can be placed in communication with the hollow bars of the
furnace.
Fig. 6 shows the same arrangement as Fig. 4, except that the hollow
bars of the grate only extend from the point F to E, the space between E
and E' being furnished with ordinary bars, which allow the fire to be
removed. A double partition, containing water, communicating with
the boiler and the hollow bars, is placed between E and B, dividing the
ash box into two parts, and having a door which allows the fire between
the hollow bars to be stoked. The part of the ash-box situated beneath
the ordinary grate is closed by ordinary partitions E', B', and B', B,
and has a sliding door at the point E', B', which may be opened or shut
at will during the movement of the machine, according to the require-
ments of the combustion.
Fig. 7 shows the same arrangement as in the Figure last described,
with the exception that the hollow bars F, E, are replaced by a double
partition communicating with the boiler and tie-pieced with tubes,
through which pass the flames, and serving as heating surface.
Fig. 8 represents an arrangement, one of the advantages of which is,
that it may be applied with great facility to all kinds of existing
locomotives.
A, B, C, D, is the longitudinal section of the fire box of an ordinary
locomotive. This fire box is entirely closed from B to C by an ordinary
bottom piece. A door is placed between the points E, C, for cleansing
the space E, C, D, G. The partition G, F, E, is double and contains
water communicating with that in the boiler. At the upper part, from
G to F, this partition is held together by ordinary tie pieces, and in the
lower part, from F to E, by tubes in which the flames pass, and which
serve, as well as the two faces of the double partition as heating surface;
these tubes are 200 or more in number in an ordinary locomotive. The
partition is furnished at the point H with a door, which is kept shut
during the working of the machine, and serves, when it is desired, to
examine or repair the tubes T. As this door may be momentarily
exposed to the fire on both sides, it is advisable, if practicable, to avoid
this inconvenience by placing it on the side of the fire box at the point H',
for instance, I, J, K, L, is an ordinary grate formed of bars twisted into
the shape of the letter 8, and having laterally, from J to K, fastenings
which keep the bars at proper distances. The fuel P is introduced as
required by the door I, M, through which also passes the air necessary
for the combustion. The latter then traverses the upper part only of

page_text: the fuel, and the lower part of the grate I, J, K, L, then the fuel then
passes with the gases into the tubes situated in the lower part of the
partition G, E, reaches the tubes T of the machine, and escapes by the
chimney. A door is placed at the point N, by means of which the ashes
are removed, the fire stoked, &c., and which, in case of need, may allow
of the introduction of a small quantity of air to direct the fire properly
during the movement.
The whole of the arrangements above described may be applied to fixed
machines. Thus the arrangement indicated, Fig. 8 is represented Fig. 9
as applied to a fixed steam engine.
A, B, and C, D, are the boiler tubes of the machine; E, F, the double
partition already described, connected at its upper part by ordinary tie
pass; this
pieces, and at the lower part by tubes, in which the flames
double partition, which contains water communicating with that in the
boiler tubes, serves as heating surface; G, H, F, is the grate on which
the fuel is placed, the latter being introduced together with the air
serving in the combustion by the door K. The door L, which is kept
shut, is used when the ash box is to be emptied, or the fire stoked:
Another door, not indicated in the Figure, is placed in the stonework
of the side, for the purpose of cleansing the space E, F, M, N.
A, B, C, D, Fig. 10, shows the longitudinal section of the fire box of an
ordinary locomotive. This fire box is entirely closed from B to C by an
ordinary bottom piece, which may also be doubled and held together
between the points B, E, and will then contain water communicating
with that in the boiler, and serve as heating surface. G, F, is a second
partition, also double, and containing water in communication with that
in the boiler, and is held together by ordinary tie pieces, its two faces
serving as heating surface. This partition has at the point H a door,
which is kept shut during the movement of the machine, and serves,
when it is desired, to examine or stop the tubes T, and as this door is
at any moment liable to become exposed to the fire on both sides, it
should be placed at the side of the fire box as at the point H. At the
point F on the side of the fire box a suitable opening is arranged for
cleansing the interior of the partition G, F, from incrustations; this
opening may be closed by means of a screw plug; I, J, K, L, is an
ordinary grate formed of 8-shaped bars, having laterally, from L to K,
fastenings for maintaining the bars at proper distances; P is the fuel,
which is introduced as required by the door I, M. The air necessary
for the combustion enters at the same door, crosses the upper part only

page_text: of the fuel, and the lower part of the grate I, J, K, L, passes through
the fuel, reaches with the gases the tubes T of the machine, and escapes
by the chimney. A door is placed at the point N, by means of which
the ashes are removed and the fire stoked, and which, if required, allows
the entrance of a little air to direct the fire properly during the move-
ment.
In
All the above arrangements are applicable to fixed machines.
those which are not worked by steam, and in which there is no boiler
filled with water, which may be placed in communication with the
interior of the partition G, F, the latter should communicate with the
open air to prevent the surface from being too quickly destroyed. The
partition may, however, be an ordinary one, and constructed of either
metal or brick, or the upper part may be of brick and the lower part of
metal. The latter arrangement may be applied in machines of every
form. The metallic part may then be hollow and contain water com-
municating with that in the boiler, and thus serve as heating surface.
In the arrangement represented Fig. 10, some difficulty is experienced
in examining the tubes T during the progress of the locomotive. This
may be remedied by adopting the arrangement shown Fig. 11, which
consists principally in retaining the door M for examining the tubes,
and in placing one or two doors at the point N, by means of which the
fuel is introduced, together with the air (or part of the air) required in
the combustion. As in the preceding Figures, the door of the ash box
may also serve for the introduction of a certain quantity of air to direct
the fire during the working. The partition A, B, C, is hollow, and
contains water communicating with the boiler. One or more openings
are placed in the side of the fire box to allow of the interior of the
partition being cleansed.
Having thus described my Invention, what I claim and desire to secure
by Letters Patent is, the various arrangements above-de-cribed and
represented in the accompanying Drawings, which may be adapted to
furnaces of all descriptions, whether for locomotives, fixed machines, or
otherwise.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Stevens, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.