IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF PREVENTING OR CONSUMING SMOKE IN FURNACES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Clarke Hills, of Deptford, in the County
of Kent, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MEANS OF PREVENTING OR CONSUMING SMOKE IN FURNACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Clarke Hills at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th May 1854.
I, FRANK CLARKE HILLS, of Deptford, in the County of Kent, Manu-
facturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF PREVENTING OR CONSUMING SMOKE IN FURNACES
to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the following methods or arrangements for admit-
ting air to the fuel in furnaces, for the purpose of consuming or preventing
smoke. Firstly, by admitting air at the back part of the furnace, and causing
it to pass under an arch projecting from the bridge and extending a short
distance over the fire bars. Secondly, by admitting air to the fuel at the back
of the furnace through a perforated plate or grating or bars rising from the
ordinary fire bars to the bridge, or the fire bars themselves may be formed with.
their ends turned up to the bridge. Thirdly, by admitting air to the back part
of furnaces through perforated plates or gratings placed below the fire bars,

page_text: and leaving a space behind for the passage of the air to the bridge; the
plates or gratings may form the back bearing bar for the fire bars. Fourthly, by
placing an arch or shield between the under part of the boiler and the bridge
of the furnace, in order to cause the air admitted into the furnace the better
to combine with the combustible gases. Lastly, by admitting air to fur-
naces for a regulated time after each feeding of fuel by means of a valve, the
closing of which is regulated by the running out of water or other liquid, or
of sand, from a vessel connected with the valve.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frank Clarke Hills in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM "THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANK
CLARKE HILLS, of Deptford, in the County of Kent, Manufacturing Chemist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign;
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Frank Clarke Hills, -Her-special licence that I, the said Frank Clarke
Hills, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Frank Clarke Hills, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully "might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF PREVENTING OR CONSUMING SMOKE IN FURNACES;"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frank Clarke Hills,,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner.
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of, the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frank Clarke Hills, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described, and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof (that is to say):-
-

page_text: My Invention consists in certain methods or arrangements for admitting
air to the fuel in furnaces, for the purpose of consuming or preventing
smoke.
The first of these methods or arrangements is as follows:-At the back
of the fire bars I place a partition (formed of fire lumps, bricks, tiles, or
a plate of iron.) extending the whole breadth of the furnace, and about ten
inches high, and which, I call the "heating plate," and between this plate and
the ordinary bridge of the furnace I leave a space of two or three inches, for
the air to pass up.
between the heater and the bridge; this passage I cover
with fire tiles or plates, resting upon the bridge and projecting into the furnace
a few inches over the back end of the fire bars, and leaving a space of about
an inch between the top of the heating plate and the under side of the covering
tiles; the air thus ascends through the space between the heating plate and the
bridge, and then passes through the slot or space between the heating plate
and the covering tiles into the furnace. The admission of the air may be
regulated by valves, and, preferably, in the manner herein-after described.
A second arrangement for the admission of air is as follows:-Above the
bridge I construct an arch of fire brick, in contact, or nearly so, with the boiler,
and extending back into the flue about two or three feet; and in the space
between this arch and the bridge I place a fire lump, having numerous aper
tures or perforations; or I fill in the space with fire bricks or tiles, so placed as
to form a series of apertures and solid parts, ranged chequerwise, like the
squares of a draught-board. The area of these spaces or apertures should be
in the aggregate rather more than is required for the draught of the furnace.
The air admitted into the furnace in passing through these holes will become
so heated and intermixed with carbonaceous particles and gases evolved from
the fuel as to cause their more perfect combustion.
Lastly, I sometimes admit the air to the furnace for a regulated time after
each feeding, by means of a valve, which at the expiration of the time closes
of itself. The arrangement which I employ to effect this is as follows: To
a lever attached to the valve or door by which the air is admitted is hung a
vessel containing water (or other liquid, or sand,) which by its weight causes
the valve to open, and thus admit the air. A small hole in the bottom of the
vessel furnished with a stop-cock allows the water to escape, and as the pot
becomes lighter by the escape of the water, the valve descends by its own
weight and closes at the desired time. At the introduction of each charge of
fuel the water vessel is filled with water by any convenient means, so as by
its weight to open the valve, which, obtaining a preponderance by the escape
of the water, descends by its weight and closes the aperture, as described. The

page_text: escape of the water is regulated by means of the stop-cock, so as to allow the
valve to close at any desired time.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I claim in respect thereof,-
First, introducing air into the back part of furnaces through the ash pit
and between a heating plate and the bridge of the furnace, and then under a
covering which projects inwards from the bridge of the furnace over the back
ends of the fire bars.
Second, the employment of a perforated wall or grating placed between
the bridge of the furnace and an arch below the boiler, to effect the better
combustion of the smoke gases with the air admitted into the furnace by any
means..
Third, regulating the admission of air into furnaces, by means of a valve
governed by the escape of water or other fluid, or sand, as described under the
last head of my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frank Clarke Hills, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
JAMES MURDOCH.
F. C. HILLS. (L.S.)