IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES, BOILERS, AND CONDENSERS OF STEAM ENGINES, PART OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLI- CABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Louch at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th June
1861.
I, JOHN LOUCH, of 69, Fenchurch Street, London, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES, BOILERS,
AND CONDENSERS OF STEAM ENGINES, PART OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLI-
CABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The first part of my said Invention consists in forming the grate bars of
boiler or other furnaces of two or more plates or bars of iron rivetted or
bolted together, leaving suitable air spaces between each of such plates
or bars.
The second part of my said Invention is for the prevention of smoke from
boiler and other furnaces, and consists in inserting tubes of metal, or in lieu
thereof, perforated fire-brick, to the inside of the furnace doors, through which
the air in passing becomes heated; I also introduce tubes of metal, suitably
perforated, within the furnace above the fuel, extending through the whole or
part of the length of such furnace, the further or bridge ends of such tubes.
being closed, and the other ends open to the external atmosphere, the sides of
such tubes being more or less perforated, through which perforations the
heated air is admitted to the burning fuel. I also use tubes of metal for the
like purpose, by passing them through the water within the boiler or through
the flues of such boiler, the one end of the tubes being open to the external

page_text: atmosphere, and the other passing at suitable distances from each other into
the furnace at convenient points above the fuel.
The third part of my said Invention relates to improvements in surface con-
densers of steam engines, and consists in certain arrangements, by means of
which a thin film, or several small jets of water, are allowed or made to run
over and upon the inner or outer surfaces of the tubes or other condensing
surfaces (according as condensation takes place within or on the outsides of
such tubes or other condensing surfaces), while a current of air is at the
same time allowed or caused to pass through, over, or amongst the said tubes
or other condensing surfaces, which current of air may be caused, increased, or
modified by a fan or other mechanical means; or by forming a communication
between such condenser and the furnace flues or chimney of the boiler furnace
or other furnace or fire, or by other suitable means. The said tubes or other
condensing surfaces may be clothed or covered with cloth or other suitable
fibrous material, in order to retain the water upon the said tubes or other
condensing surfaces. I provide for the unequal expansion or contraction of
the tubes of surface condensers, by fitting into the tube plate, at one or
both ends, short tubes, into which the condenser tubes fit accurately, or are
made to fit by the application of a solution of india-rubber. I also maintain
such condenser tubes air-tight by applying a sheet of india-rubber, so moulded
as to form a surface of short projecting tubes, which embrace and fit tight to
the condenser tubes. This part of my Invention is also applicable to the
cooling or condensation of any fluid or vapour.