IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR CONSUMING SMOKE AND GASES. IN STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, OREL DIGHTON ORVIS of 261 Broadway in the City of New York, in the State
of New York, United States of America, Gentleman do hereby declare the naturo
of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR CONSUMING SMOKE AND GASES.
IN STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES, and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention is moro especially intended for steam boiler furnaces, but it may
be applied to and operated in connection with other furnaces.
Various attempts have been made to consume the smoke and noxious gases
which are most commonly allowed to escape from the chimnies of steam boiler and
other furnaces, and the object of my invention is to provide a means which will be
more effective than any of which I have knowledge in producing this result.
I have discovered that in order to accomplish the desired purpose the smoke and
non consumed gas must be withdrawn from the breeching or other escape flue of
the boiler or furnace after having performed the work of heating the same, and
afterwards mingled with a sufficient quantity of steam and highly heated air,
and discharged in the same highly heated condition directly into the furnace above
the fire therein. The mixture thus discharged into the furnace will have the
necessary oxygen to permit of its combustion, and will be of such temperature that.
it will be consumed or burned above the fire, the steam being decomposed.
The invention consists in novel combinations of parts hereinafter more par-
ticularly described, whereby the desired results are obtained.
In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a sectional front elevation of the
boiler and furnace embodying the invention. Figure 2 is a side elevation of a
portion of the boiler, and a sectional elevation of the furnace. Fig 3 is a horizontal
section of the furnace. Figure 4 is an elevation on a larger scale of the air-heater,
which may be employed as hereinafter described. Figures 5 and 6 are respectively,
a vertical and horizontal section on a larger scale, of the steam injector which
I prefer to employ to discharge the mixture of steam, air and gas into the furnace.
Figure 7 is a sectional elevation of the injecting apparatus on the vertical dotted
line xx, Figure 5 also including pipes or valves for supplying and controlling. the

page_text: supply of steam thereto. Figure S is a front view of the injecting apparatus
showing the door which closes the front of the vacuum drum, as swung upwards
and exposing the interior thereof. Figure 9 is a partly sectional elevation of a
⚫ locomotive boiler having my invention applied thereto.
The same letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.
A designates the boiler having return tubes, a.
B designates the part of the furnace which contains the grate C, at the back of
which is the bridge-wall D and in the rear of the bridge-wall is the combustion
chamber C', which also constitutes part of the furnace. C2 is the ash-pit and b,
and b, are the fire and ash-pit doors.
The course of the smoke and gaseous products of combustion in the boiler
furnaces of this class is well understood and it is not thought necessary to show
the entire boiler. The products of combustion pass through the furnace rearwardly
under the boiler, thence upwards through the uptake or passage at the rear of the
boiler and afterwards through the tubes, a, into the breeching or space A' at the
front of the boiler. A² designates a passage leading rearwards on top of the boiler
to the chimney.
E designates an air-heater, shown as arranged behind the bridge-wall D, but it
may be elsewhere arranged so as to be heated by the heat of the furnace. This
heater may be of any suitable construction, such for example as is shown upon a
larger scale in Figure 4 and also in Figures 2 and 3. This heater has three ranges
of tubes or pipes, c, c1, c2-The upper tube or pipe, c, has at about the middle of its
length a T-fitting, c*, with which is connected the air supply pipe, d, which, as
here shown, leads from the front of the furnaces, under the grate. The upper and
middle tubes, c, c', are connected by bends, c¹*, and the tube, c¹, communicates
by T-fittings and a nipple, *, at about the middle of its length with the lower
tubes, c². From elbows, at the ends of the lower tube, c2, lead motion pipes, e,
extending forward to the front of the boiler. The arrangement of the pipes, d―e,
is best shown in Figure 3.
With this form of heater a positive circulation of air from the pipe, d, through
the heater and out at the pipes e, is produced so long as there is a suction on the
pipes e.
At the front of the furnace I have arranged one or more simple injecting
apparatuses which may be of any suitable kind adapted to perform the work
required. In Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, I have shown an apparatus which is very desirable.
Each apparatus comprises a vacuum drum F divided by the longitudinal partition f.
The front end of the drum is closed by a cover F¹ pivoted at f*. From the end of
the drum extends a discharge pipe G which is common to the apartments on both
sides of the partition f. At the bottom of the drum are inlet appertures or screw-
threaded sockets f**, which are on opposite sides of the partition f, and g are
.steam jets which are fixed on opposite sides of the partition f, and are supplied
with steam through ducts or passages g¹, formed in the drum; into these ducts are
screwed steam pipes, h, which are separately controlled by valves, h¹. In line with
each steam jet, g, is a hole closed by a plug, i, which provides for cleaning out the
jet when stopped up.
I have shown two injection devices arranged at opposite sides of the fire-door, b,
and their pipes, h, are connected with the steam supply pipe, h², which may lead
from the steam dome A*. In the pipe, h, is a valvo, h*.
The pipes e, which lead from the air-heater E are connected with the two
drums Fat one side of their partitions f, and with the drums on the other side of
their partition are connected suction pipes, j, which extend from the breeching
or space A', and are provided at their ends with funnels or bell-mouths, j', which
enable them to draw in a large proportion of the gas passing from the tubes, a.
By the currents of steam issuing from the jets, g, the combustible gases are drawn
through the pipe, j, and heated air is drawn through the pipe, e, and these are
thoroughly mingled with each other, and with the steam and then passed through
the pipe G.

page_text: As shown in Figure 3, the discharge pipes G, are bent or curved towards each
other, and the currents discharged from them meet in the hottest part of the fire,
the gases being burned in the presence of the oxygen supplied by the air and the
bydrogen resulting from the decomposition of steam. The valves, h¹, provided for
regulating the relative proportions of combustible gases and highly heated air which
are passed into the furnace.
In Figure 9, A³ designates a locomotive boiler having a fire-box C*, containing
the grate C.
At the forward end of the boiler is the smoke-stack chamber A' in which is
arranged a heater E. This heater is supplied with fresh air through the pipe, d,
having a bell-mouth, d¹, for catching air as the locomotive moves.
At the front of the boiler are vacuum drums F only one of which is shown, and
from which the discharge pipe G enters the fire-box C*. With each drum F is
connected an air suction pipe, e, leading from the heater E and the suction pipe, j,
for gases and smoke provided at the end in the chamber A', with a bell-mouth, j'.
Steam is supplied to the jets of each vacuum drum F, by separate pipes, h, having
valves, h, as before described and a common supply pipe, h², provided with a
valve, h*, and leading from the steam dome A*.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st The combination with the steam boiler having heating tubes or flues, and
the furnace, of the heater arranged in the furnace, a steam injecting apparatus
having a discharge outlet in the furnace, a suction pipe for combustible gases
leading from the breeching or end connection of the boiler to the injecting
apparatus, and a suction pipe for heated air leading from the heater to the injecting
apparatus, all substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
2nd The heater constructed substantially as shown in Figure 4 of the drawing,
in combination with the injecting apparatus and pipes leading from the escape flue
of the boiler, and from the air-heater to the injecting apparatus, all arranged for
operation as herein set forth.
3rd The injecting apparatus constructed substantially as shown in Figures 5. 6.
7. 8 of the drawing and having valves for separately controlling the supply of
steam to the two jets, and in combination with the air-heater in the furnace and
suction pipes for air and combustible gases leading to the injecting apparatus, all
arranged for operation as herein set forth.
4th The steam injecting apparatus having a central partition with steam jets on
opposite sides thereof, and a single discharge pipe, in combination with the air
heater arranged in the furnace, and suction pipes for combustible gases and air
leading to said injecting apparatus, all arranged for operation substantially as set
forth.
5th The vacuum drum F having the partition f, and steam jets and supply
ducts g, gl, in combination with the discharge pipe G leading from one end of the
vacuum drum and the swing cover F' for closing the other end thereof, substantially
as herein described.