Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 28th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 16th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 18th Mar.,
1887.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
--
This Invention relates to an improved construction of reverberatory furnace whereby
an elevated and uniform temperature is obtainable at all points of the hearth upon
which the materials to be treated are placed.
This result is obtained by providing the reverberatory furnace whatever may be its
construction with an inner partition extending from the bridge to the shaft and
dividing the furnace chamber into two distinct parts. The partition being provided
with apertures of suitable area, and number which permit of the flames coming into
contact with the material under treatment only after complete combustion and which
also serves to distribute the flames uniformly over the whole area of the hearth.
A two fold result is thus obtained not hitherto obtainable in reverbatory furnaces as
heretofore constructed, in which the flame after passing over the bridge is deflected by
the furnace arch directly onto the hearth.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this speci-
fication, which represents an example of a reverbatory furnace constructed according
to this invention.
Figure 1 is longitudinal vertical section of the furnace, and figures 2 and 3
transverse sections of the same, taken on lines 1-2-3-4 of figure 1 respectively.
The same letters of reference represent the same parts in all the figures.
a is the furnace setting, b the grate, c the fire bridge, d the arch which may be of
any suitable form, e the hearth and the chimney shaft. Between the bridge cand
the base of the chimney extends a partition g with apertures h which divides the
furnace into two distinct chambers, the upper one A receiving the flame from the
furnace while the other B, is that in which the materials to be treated are placed upon

page_text: the hearth. The flame in traversing the openings h in partition g undergoes complete
combustion before coming in contact with the matters under treatment and as the
whole of the flame is distributed uniformly over the whole surface of the partition g,
the furnace hearth will be uniformly heated.
Moreover the flames in traversing the partition g raise it to a high temperature so
as to constitute this partition an accumulator of heat having an efficiency proportional
to its mass.
A reverberatory furnace constructed in this manner can be employed for heating
materials out of contact with air. For this purpose immediately the furnace has
attained the desired temperature it is only necessary to introduce the materials to be
heated or melted and to close the dampers ii placed at different points of the furnace
as indicated in dotted lines. The furnace chamber is thus completely closed and
forms a kind of muffle heated by the heat stored in partition g and radiated therefrom.
While the furnace is thus closed the gases of combustion may be directed, by means of
suitable dampers and flues, either into a second furnace of a similar kind placed
alongside, or to an accumulator of any suitable kind outside the furnace from which
the heat of the gases may be recovered in the form of hot air. Employed in this
manner, the furnace may be used for heating various materials without access of air
such as ores, pieces of iron or steel, or for melting volatile substances without loss
from volatilization, as for example metals such as lead, tin, etc. It will be understood
that this construction of furnace may be employed for heating melting or treating all
kinds of materials although I will only mention here some of its principal applications
such as for reheating articles of iron and steel, sheet iron, and other similar products,
for the melting of metals, the manufacture of glass, porcelain, etc.
The furnace represented in the drawing merely serves to illustrate the principle on
which the Invention is based, and it may be otherwise arranged both as regards the
form and dimensions, the number, form, and dimensions of the openings in the
diaphragm g and the material of which said diaphragm is constructed; it may be
constructed of a number of small independent arches between which the flame
would pass.
A. M. CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reverberatory Furnaces.
1, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agenis, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (a communication to me from
abroad by Michael Martin Bair, ex-German Consul at Tokio, of 67 Avenue des
Champs Elysées Paris France, Gentleman), and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
upon
This Invention relates to an improved construction of reverberatory furnace,
whereby an elevated and, uniformi temperature is obtainable at all points of the hearth
which the materials to be treated are placed. This result is obtained by pro-
viding the reverberatory furnace, whatever may be its construction, with an inner
partition extending from the bridge to the shaft and dividing the furnace chamber
into two distinct parts, the partition being provided with apertures of suitable area and
number which permit of the flames coming into contact with the material under treat-
ment only after complete combustion, and which also serves to distribute the flames
uniformly over the whole area of the hearth. A two-fold result is thus obtained, not
hitherto obtainable in reverberatory furnaces as heretofore constructed in which the
flano after passing over the bridge is deflected by the furnace arch directly on to the
hearth.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this speci-
fication, which represents an example of a reverberatory furnace constructed
according to this Invention. Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the furnace,
and figures 2 and 3 transverse sections of the same, taken on lines 1-2, 3-4, of
figure 1 respectively. The same letters of reference represent the same parts in all
the figures.
a is the furnace setting, the grate, c the fire-bridge, d the arch which may be of
any suitable form, e the hearth, and the chimney-shaft. Between the bridge c and
the base of the chimney, extends a partition g with apertures which divides the
furnace into two distinct chambers, the upper one A receiving the flame from the
furnace while the other B is that in which the materials to be treated are placed upon
the hearth. The flame, in traversing the openings in partition g, undergoes
complete combustion before coming in contact with the matters under treatment, and
as the whole of the flame is distributed uniformly over the whole, surface of the
partition 9, the furnace hearth will be uniformly heated. Moreover, the flames, in
traversing the partition g, raise it to a high temperature, so as to constitute this
partition an accumulator of heat having an efficiency proportional to its mass.
A reverberatory furnace constructed in this manner can be employed for heating
materials out of contact with air. For this purpose, immediately the furnace has
attained the desired temperature, it is only necessary to introduce the materials to be
heated or melted and to close the dampers ii placed at different points of the furnace

page_text: as indicated in dotted lines. The furnace chamber is thus completely closed and
forms a kind of muffle heated by the heat stored in partition g and radiated therefrom.
While the furnace is thus closed, the gases of combustion may be directed, by means
of suitable dampers and flues, either into a second furnace of a similar kind placed
alongside or to an accumulator of any suitable kind outside the furnace from which
the heat of the gases may be recovered in the form of hot air. Employed in this
manner, the furnace may be used for heating various materials without access of air,
such as ores, pieces of iron or steel, or for melting volatile substances without loss
from volatilization, as for example metals such as lead, tin, etc.
It will be understood that this construction of furnace may be employed for heating,
melting, or treating all kinds of materials, although I will only mention here some of
its principal applications such as for reheating articles of iron and steel, sheet iron, and
other similar products, for the melting of metals, the manufacture of glass, porcelain,
etc. The furnace represented in the drawings, merely serves to illustrate the principle
on which the Invention is based, and it may be otherwise arranged, as regards the
form and dimensions of the various parts of which it is composed. For example, the
number, form and -dimensions of the openings in the diaphragm g may be varied, and
also the material of which said diaphragm is constructed. It may also be constructed
of a number of small independent arches between which the flame would pass.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;
1st. A reverberatory furnace containing a partition which extends from the bridge
to the base of the chimney, thus dividing the furnace into two chambers placed above
one another, the said partition being provided with slots or holes, so that the flame
passing from the upper chamber into the lower one through these slots or holes,
undergoes a complete combustion and uniformly heats the hearth of the furnace,
substantially as specified.
2nd. In a reverberatory furnace, the combination of a partition which extends from
the bridge to the base of the chimney and acts as a heat accumulator, with dampers
by means of which the furnace is closed against the passage of gases and air, so that
materials can be heated in the furnace as if in a muftle, retort, or crucible, substantially
as specified.
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.