Im- PROVEMENTS IN ECONOMIZING THE CONSUMPTION OF FUEL IN FURNACES, AND FOR INDUCING MORE PERFECT COMBUSTION
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Lancaster, of Bootle, near Liverpool, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN ECONOMIZING THE CONSUMPTION OF FUEL IN FURNACES, AND
FOR INDUCING MORE PERFECT COMBUSTION."
Sealed the 4th June 1869, and dated the 8th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Lancaster, at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th December 1868.
I, THOMAS LANCASTER, of Bootle, near Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ECONOMIZING THE CONSUMPTION OF FUEL IN FURNACES,
AND FOR INDUCING MORE PERFECT COMBUSTION," to be as follows:-
In boiler and other furnaces with fire-grate doors and ash-pits of the
ordinary kind the consumption of fuel is not economically accomplished,
amongst other sources of waste there being evolved quantities of smoke
capable of yielding heat if consumed in the combustion chamber instead

page_text: of being discharged through the chimney or other outlet, causeing in
many cases inconvenience and injury in and to the surrounding
neighbourhood.
The objects of my Invention are to economize fuel, to afford greater
facilities for generating steam by utilizing the heat capable of being
developed from certain gases evolved in the consumption of fuel and
.usually wasted, and to obtain a more uniform rate of temperature than
is yielded by the methods in general use.
For
I accomplish the objects of my Invention by causing atmospheric air
to enter the furnace or other grate through a chamber herein-after
described, and in some cases over the furnace doors, the said atmospheric
air passing above the fuel in the furnace and being deflected upon it
by means of one or more deflecting leaves or plates of curvilinear or
other suitable form admitting of adjustment to regulate the quantity of
air as required to effect the most complete combustion of the fuel.
The chamber above referred to is fixed at the end of the furnace or
fire-grate and has an inlet proportioned to the quantity of air which
in each particular case may require to be admitted. This inlet opens
under the fire-grate and is furnished with a regulator worked at the
front of the furnace by suitable mechanical arrangements; the outlet
forming a curvilinear overhanging deflector to direct the air from the
chamber on to the back or hinder portion of the fuel in the furnace,
thus causing the flames to rise up against the furnace crown.
the purpose of keeping the heat of the furnace under perfect control
and to ensure perfect safety in working, I contract the end of the flue
or outlet from the chamber by means of a damper worked by a cylinder
actuated by the pressure of steam in the boiler and counterbalanced
by a weight connected to the piston rod or connecting rod thereof by
levers or other suitable appliances. In locomotive and marine tubular
boilers I fix contracted taper ferules fixed or moveable for cleaning,
properly proportioned in the tube plate at the end communicating with
the chimney or uptake to retain the heat and insure more perfect com-
bustion. In the case of locomotives as at present constructed I place
in the fire-box a perforated metal plate covered if necessary with
perforated fire-brick to form an air chamber, over which I place an
arched or flat deflector. Over the fire-door inside the fire-box I place
a curved or scooped hinged deflector, and on the fire-door I place a slide
deflector, so that the air admitted at the door shall pass downward on to

page_text: the fire and thus meet the volume of air flowing from the mouth of
the air chamber instead of passing direct to the tubes. In other grates
I place a chamber round the sides and up the back of the grate with
perforations and channel outlets, thus admitting air from the under side
of the grate or otherwise into the chamber and thence through the
perforations and channels on to the fire, the materials employed being
cast metal, fire-bricks, fire-tiles, or fire-clay. In marine or multitubular
boilers where great length of fire-grate is required so as in the ordinary
form to leave insufficient room to place the air chamber behind the
grate and yet obtain the required length of same I provide increased
length of grate by bringing out the front or door end of the furnace.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Lancaster in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
LANCASTER, of Bootle, near Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reigu, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Lancaster, Her
special license that I, the said Thomas Lancaster, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Lancaster, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ECONOMIZING THE CONSUMPTION OF FUEL IN FURNACES AND
FOR INDUCING MORE PERFECT COMBUSTION," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Lancaster, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing, under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,

page_text: 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 Thomas Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and the figures and letters thereon (that is to
say) :-
The object of my Invention is to economize fuel, to afford greater
facilities for generating steam by utilizing the heat developed by the
gases evolved in the consumption of fuel and usually wasted to obtain
a more uniform rate of temperature than is yielded by the ordinary
method and the consumption of smoke.
I accomplish the objects of my Invention by placing a building within
and at a short distance from the back end of the furnace, fire-box, or
other fire-grate, a metal plate, or a metal plate and fire-brick, fire-tile
or fire-clay combined, in some cases perforated with holes for the
admission of air from the chamber fromed by the space left between the
plate, or wall, or both of them, and the tube plate or back of the furnace,
this chamber having an inlet for the admission of atmospheric air pro-
portioned to the quantity of air which in each particular case may
require to be admitted. This inlet opens under the fire-grate, and is
furnished with a regulator in the form of a damper, door, louvres, or
other suitable mechanical arrangement, and is worked from the front
of the furnace in any convenient manner inside the fire-box, furnace, or
other fire-grate. I also place or build an arched or flat deflector at a
short distance above the metal plate or wall or both of them, herein-
before described, such distance being regulated by the quantity of
atinospheric air required to be admitted in each particular case. The
atmospheric air is admitted into the chamber through the inlet in quan-
tities regulated by means of the damper door or other suitable means.
The air which becomes heated in the chamber passes upwards and
through the space or spaces left between the top of such chamber and
the deflecting plate or arch, and is deflected down at the back or hinder
part of the furnace on to the top of the flame at the point of combus-
tion. The air is also deflected down from a scooped plate placed inside
the fire-box and on to or above the fire door hinged or otherwise in the
or near the door, which may be hinged or slide, I place louvres or slides

page_text: worked vertically or horizontally either by hand or foot, to admit the air
in regulated quantities downwards on to the fire, when it meets the
volume of air flowing from the mouth of the air chamber at the back of
the furnace, and induces perfect combustion and the other advantages
which are the object of my Invention.
Where it is desirable to make my appliance self-acting or nearly so,
at the same time keeping the heat of the furnace under perfect control
and ensuring perfect safety in working, I contract the ends of the flue or
outlet from the chamber by means of a damper worked by a cylinder
actuated by the pressure of steam in the boiler, and counterbalanced by
a weight or spring connected to the piston rod or connecting rod thereof
by levers or other suitable contrivances. The rising of steam closes and
the falling of the steam opens the draft space, ensuring safety against
accident and economy in fuel. In locomotive and marine tubular boilers
it is sometimes desirable to contract the tubes for the purpose of retaining
the heat, for this purpose I use contracted taper ferrules tapered from
the inside of ferrule, these to be fixed in the tubes or moveable for
cleaning. In some grates or furnaces the air chamber may be carried
round the sides as well as at up at the back of the fire, and with and
without perforations or channels for admitting air from the under side
of the grate or otherwise.
It is obvious that my method may be applied to stationary, marine, or
locomotive boilers, gas retorts, boiler plate, puddling and annealing
furnaces, or any description of boiler or furnace.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal
section of a locomotive fire-box shewing my arrangement fitted, Figure 2
is a transverse section, and Figure 3 a section of the 'back plate. In all
these Figures like letters denote the same parts.
A is a bar to support the back plate and fire-brick, tile, or clay;
B are hanger plates fitted outside the fire-box to support the bar A;
C is the metal back plate, with flange piece D cast with it for the
support of the fire-bricks and the ends of the bars; E are the fire-bricks
with perforations f; G is the arch or defector; H is the opening for
the admission of air from the chamber to the fire-box; I is the fire-door
with flat deflecting plate I affixed to it; K is the scooped deflecting
plate here shewn fitted above the fire-door; L is a moveable plate or
bonnet to cover the fire-door which keeps the flame from the engine men

page_text: and the glare of the fire from their eyes, which at times prevents them
seeing the, signals and is otherwise inconvenient.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a portion of a marine boiler with
my Iuvention applied. M is an air chamber; N, the damper door. The
other arrangements are similar to those shewn in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 5 shews a longitudinal section of the puddling furnace; Figure 6
is a transverse section at A. A, of Figure 5. The atmospheric air is here
introduced in a similar manner; O being the air chamber and P the
deflector; Q, the flue with argand louvres R, for the admission of air
into them to ensure a more perfect combustion of smoke; S are the
blocks or floor of furnace.
It is obvious that various forms may or will be adopted in different
furnaces and under different circumstances; but what I claim as my
Invention is,-
1st. The introduction of air through a chamber at the back or sides
of the furnace, fire-box, or grate, in the manner shewn and described
and for the purpose set forth.
2nd. The combination of the whole or parts of the apparatus, in the
manner shewn and described for the purpose set forth.
3rd. The taper ferrule for the purpose of retaining the heat.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Lancaster, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of June, in the year of
our Lord Oue thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
In the presence of
EDWARD J. CHARLISH,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
THOMAS LANCASTER.
(L.B.)