IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES, ASH-PITS, FLUES, AND FIRE-PLACES, WHEREBY SMOKE IS PREVENTED, FUEL MORE PERFECTLY CONSUMED, AND ITS HEATING VALUE GREATLY ECONOMIZED
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Vincent Gardner, of 24, Norfolk Street,
Middlesex Hospital, in the County of Middlesex, Professor of Chemistry,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES, ASH-PITS, FLUES, AND
FIRE-PLACES, WHEREBY SMOKE IS PREVENTED, FUEL MORE PERFECTLY CONSUMED,
AND ITS HEATING VALUE GREATLY ECONOMIZED."
Sealed the 28th August 1855, and dated the 14th March 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Vincent Gardner
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th March 1855.
I, EDWARD VINCENT GARDNER, of 24, Norfolk Street, Middlesex Hospital, in
the County of Middlesex, Professor of Chemistry, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES, ASH-PITS, FLUES, AND
FIRE-PLACES, WHEREBY SMOKE IS PREVENTED, FUEL MORE PERFECTLY CONSUMED, AND
ITS HEATING VALUE GREATLY ECONOMIZED," to be as follows:-
The said Invention consists in certain arrangements of diaphragms in the
furnace, so disposed as to cause the products given off from fuel to pass
through or in contact with the heated material on the fire grate, and to cause
the so heated material and products to be brought into contact with sufficient
supplies of air to produce combination therewith, and render their combustion
perfect. These purposes are effected by means of iron plates or diaphragms,

page_text: cast or otherwise attached respectively to the boiler of the grate, or to both,
so that the products of combustion are heated by contact, and directed upon
or through the fuel, and thence directed to the after portion of the fire grate,
which communicates with the air supply from one portion of the ash-pit,
which ash-pit is divided as herein-after described.
Also, in certain arrangements of diaphragms in the ash-pit (combined with
apparatus for regulating the supply of air to different portions of the fire
grate), in order to bring into contact with the heated products before alluded
to, a supply of air to cause combustion, and render that process perfect.
This purpose is effected by similar iron plates or diaphragms to those above
alluded to, arranged within the ash-pit, so disposing the supply of air that one
portion is brought in contact with the decomposing fuel, the other in contact
with the heated products after passing the diaphragms in the furnace and
previous to their arrival at the bridge. The regulation of the supply of
air is effected by means of valves or registers attached to the ash-pit.
Also, in certain arrangements of metallic surfaces (which I term absorbents)
properly disposed in the flues and air passages, to cause to be taken up the
whole of the disposable heat, and thereby prevent waste or loss by its passage
into the chimney. These metallic surfaces consist in some cases of plates of
metal, in others of metallic rods made to fit temporarily within the flues
or air passages, so arranged that they may be removed for the purpose of
being cleaned. These take up and absorb any radiant or waste heat which
might otherwise escape, and return it to the air supply or to the useful heating
surface.
Also, in the application of these arrangements, separately or combined, for
the purpose of effecting the objects named.
pursuance
nditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Vincent Gardner in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th September 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
ΤΟ
VINCENT GARDNER, of No. 24, Norfolk Street, Middlesex Hospital, in the
County of Middlesex, Professor of Chemistry, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letter's
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself; Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the

page_text: said Edward Vincent Gardner, Her special licence that I, the said Edward
Vincent Gardner, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Edward Vincent Gardner, 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 FURNACES, ASH-PITS, FLUES, AND FIRE-PLACES, WHEREBY
SMOKE IS PREVENTED, FUEL MORE PERFECTLY CONSUMED, AND ITS HEATING VALUE
MORE GREATLY ECONOMIZED," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the,
said Edward Vincent Gardner, 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 Edward Vincent Gardner, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists of an improved construction of furnace, whereby I
am enabled to cause the perfect combustion of the whole of the inflammable
material contained in fuel, thus preventing the escape of all or any of the
products given off from burning fuel excepting those which are invisible and
which result from perfect combustion.
By my Invention I not only consume all the black carbonaceous particles,
usually termed smoke, but also that which has been termed by recent inven-
tors white vapour. It is almost unnecessary to observe, that while I am
enabled to perfectly consume the fuel employed, I effect a great saving
thereof, which otherwise would escape by the chimney. I have found by
careful experiments conducted over a long period, that a saving of from
thirty to forty per cent. is realized by the adaptation of my improvements.
It is a well-known fact, that if cold air be admitted into the furnace as is
too frequently the case, it not only cools down the temperature of the burning
materials, but is also of itself incapable of effecting perfect combustion, the
consequence of which is a partial consumption only of the products given off
from heated fuel, the remaindler escaping as white or whity-brown vapour.
But in my Invention not only do I obtain a large supply of air in a state of
intense heat and purity, but I am also enabled to present the smoke and

page_text: inflammable products of the fuel to the same in a state of incandescence,
whereby immediate and perfect chemical combination and combustion are
produced, and the largest amount of effective heat given out..
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a furnace constructed according to my
Invention; A is the brickwork supporting the furnace; B are the fire bars
resting upon the bearing bars C, C¹, in the usual manner; D is the furnace;
E, the furnace door; F, the fuel; G, is the boiler; H, the flue; I, I, is a.
division of metal or other material placed in the ash-pit extending to the
bearing bar C. The whole is rendered air-tight so as to prevent the passage
of air in any other but the desired direction; K, K, are the diaphragms or
plates for heating the supply of air; they rest on supports and have ribs or
projections cast on them, in order to keep them at stated distances from cach
other; L is a deflecting plate made of metal or other material, and set in the
furnace inclined towards the diaphragms K, K. M is a plate hanging inside,
and close to the door of the furnace; N is the valve to the air flue 0, 0,
which supplies air through the plates K, K, to the heated products; P is the.
ash-pit.
The heat from
I will now proceed to describe the use and action of these various parts:-
After having charged the furnace, the door N of the air flue O, O, being
closed, the fuel is ignited, and the furnace door E is closed.
the ignited fuel causes the plate L, and the plates K, K, to become heated..
The door N of the air-pit 0, 0, is then opened sufficiently to supply an
adequate quantity of air through the plates K, K, care being taken that the
opening is not so great as to prevent a perfect draught through the fire bars
from the ash-pit. This air becoming heated in its passage through these
plates, and being directed by them towards the deflected plate L, as shewn by
the arrows a, meets with the heated products of the burning fuel which are
passing under the plate L, combines with them, and causes their perfect com-
bustion; the resulting highly-heated and invisible products passing off by the
flue H to the shaft, as in ordinary circumstances.
The products given off from the heated fuel in the furnace D, urged by the
draught of air from the ash-pit indicated by the arrows b, b, are brought in
contact with the heated deflecting plate L, and are thereby deflected according
to the angle at which they meet the plate. Some portions are deflected into
the draught immediately beneath the plate L, and are thus carried upwards
behind it, and above the plates K, K, where combustion takes place, as
described. Other portions are deflected from the upper surface of the plate

page_text: to the roof of the furnace, thence again to the plate M, whereby they are
again deflected down upon the heated fuel, and in a highly-heated state are
carried by the direct draught beneath the plate L, and are consumed, as before
described.
The diaphragms or plates K, K, are shewn in the Drawing, Figure 1,
as plane surfaces parallel to each other, and set at an angle sufficient to
direct the currents of heated air towards the upper and back part of the
plate L. It is evident that other forms of plates may be employed, either
such as shown at Figure 2, with the upper edges bent at an angle, or they
may be curves, as at Figure 3. In the Drawing these plates are shewn
placed transversely in the furnace, but they may be placed longitudinally, if
preferred, but in such cases the use of the curved plates would not be desirable.
The use of the plates K, K, when heated, is to elevate the temperature of
the air supplied through the passage O, O, to a temperature sufficient to
cause the perfect combustion of the smoke and products of the burning fuel
passing from the furnace and under the plate L, and which materials or
products have also become highly heated by contact with the fire and the
heated plate L. I do not confine myself to any precise number of plates or
diaphragms K, K, as this must depend upon the amount of heating surface
necessary to heat the required supply of air from the passage O, O.
Figure 4 shows in longitudinal section another modification of my in-
provements, wherein I employ a second set of bars extending from the ends
of the furnace bars, and inclined upwards to the bridge; they are supported in
the ordinary manner; beneath these in order to extend the heating surface
I employ the diaphragms K, K, as already described, and as shewn in the
Drawing. It is sometimes preferable to employ this arrangement, especially
when the peculiar construction of the furnace may not conveniently admit
of the arrangement described in Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal view of a set of bars intended to be used in an
ordinary furnace, and in place of the diaphragms and bars already described.
B is a bar cast of this peculiar form. When bars of this form are set in the
furnace, it is evident that the lugs or projections K will come in contact,
leaving spaces E for the supply of air from the passage O, O. These ends
becoming heated by conduction serve to heat the air in its passage through
them, and by their peculiar form not only prevent the fuel from obstructing
the air passages E, but also present a much more extensive heating surface
to the air passing through them. In these modifications it is evident, for the
reasons already related, that the opaque products arising from the heated fuel
are perfectly consumed. The plates which I term absorbents are intended

page_text: to arrest any waste or radiant heat, and to return it to the air supply, thus
increasing the heating surface; they may be situated in the air flues or those
leading to the chimney. Rods of metal may be used, if preferred.
I do not confine myself to the exact form of the deflecting plate L, as
already described, or to the use of one plate only. I may, if thought
desirable, use two or more of these deflecting plates. I will describe a modi-
fication of one of these plates, whereby I facilitate the passage of the heated
products of combustion from the furnace to the diaphragms K, K. I effect
this purpose by forming the plates with holes or spaces through them, but in
these cases it is necessary to employ a deflecting hood, fixed at the back of the
plate in order to deflect the heated products towards the diaphragms K, K,
and prevent their passing unconsumed into the flue H. It will be observed
that I have shewn the plates L set at an angle of about 45°, but this angle
may be modified according to the draught obtained by the shaft.
The division I, I, of the ash-pit consists of one or more sheets or plates
of metal, or other suitable material, forming, when fitted air-tight in the
brickwork, the air passage or flue O, O, from the valve or door N to the
diaphragms K, K. A door or man-hole is made in this division to allow
of inspecting the diaphragms when necessary.
The valve or door N is for the purpose of regulating the supply of air to
the diaphragms K, K, through the passage O, O, which may be increased
when a free-burning coal is employed, and diminished when anthracite or
other highly carbonaceous coal is used. In all instances this valve may
become a regulator of the supply of air which is required through the
fire bars, because when closed the whole of the air passes through the fire
bars in the direction of the arrows b, b, which is necessary, as before stated,
on first lighting the fire; when opened moderately it causes a portion of
the atmospheric supply in a pure and undecomposed condition to pass
through the passage O, O, and diaphragms K, K, where it mixes with the
heated products of the burning fuel, as already mentioned. I have found
it more desirable when first lighting the fires, to do so beneath the plate L,
instead of at the door of the furnace. This is not essential; its only
use being to cause the plates to become sooner heated, and thus capable of
effecting their purpose by the time the gaseous products are given off.
Figure 6 shows the application of my Invention to ordinary fire-places.
The back of the grate is cast with projections or ribs thereon, similar to and to
fulfil the purpose of the plates or diaphragms K, K, already described. The
chimney is made to communicate with the back of the grate; and thus the
draught causes the products of the licated fuel to pass through the back of

page_text: the grate and between the heated plates K, K. A valve is provided to regu-
late the supply of air to the diaphragms K, K, on the same principle as
already described. I do not confine myself to the use of metallic diaphragms
or plates, as I find in most instances it would be necessary to use some fire-
resisting material, such as fire clay, &c.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I do not limit myself to the precise
detail herein specified, reserving to myself the exclusive right of using any
other methods substantially the same to all intents and purposes as those I
have herein specified; and as for the applications of the Invention, I include
among them its application to locomotive, marine, and stationary engine
furnaces, to potters' kilns, glass works, ovens, and ordinary fire-places.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Vincent Gardner, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of September, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
EDWARD VINCENT GARDNER. (L.S.)