In- PROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROAL
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bewicke Blackburn, of York Buildings, Adelphi,
in the City of Westminster, Gentleman, for the Invention of "In-
PROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES FOR THE PURPOSE OF
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said 'Bewicke Blackburn at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd January 1866.
I, BEWICKE BLACKBURN, of York Buildings, Adelphi, in the City of
Westminster, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES FOR THE PURPOSE
OF MORE EFFECTUALLY AND ECONOMICALLY CONSUMING THE FUEL THEREIN," to be
as follows:
This Invention consists in causing alternate up and down draughts to pass
in rapid succession through the fuel in a furnace so as to cause the smoke
or unconsumed carbon evolved from the fuel in the fire-place to be drawn
or passed through the incandescent fuel so that it may be burned, and in so
doing give out heat. In carrying out the Invention the air is made first to
ascend through the fire-bars and fuel, and cause the combustible gases and
smoke to arise from the burning fuel. The gases and smoke are then made to
return again through the incandescent fuel. By this double passage they

page_text: become perfectly combined with the oxygen of the air, and are caused
during their combustion to give out heat to the surrounding surfaces to be
heated.
In adapting the Invention to different kinds of furnaces different arrange-
ments of parts will be required, although all will be constructed on
precisely the same principle. For some cases I propose to employ an
aspirating apparatus, such as a piston or plunger, fitted to a cylindrical part
of the exit flue. By giving a reciprocating motion to this plunger the air
will first be drawn through the fuel, carrying with it the combustible gases,
which will then be forced back again through the burning mass, and thus
be consumed. In this arrangement the fire-door must be kept closed, and
the air drawn in by the aspirating apparatus will enter through the ash-pit,
the door of which will be opened for the purpose. The air will pass
between the grate bars and through the fuel thereon, and will carry forward
the combustible gases to the aspirating apparatus. The plunger will then
descend, the door of the ash-pit will be closed to prevent the returning
gases from escaping in that direction, while the passage to the exit flue will
be opened. The gases in passing through the mass of incandescent fuel
will be consumed, and the heated gases and flame will pass over or in
contact with the surfaces to be heated. The plunger and the doors for
regulating the entrance and exit of the air will be worked in combination
by the engine so as to cause the air to be alternately drawn in and forced
back through the fuel. In order to prevent the smoke and combustible
gases from escaping from the fire-door an additional fire-door is provided,
leaving a space between the two doors into which any smoke or gases may
escape, and will be conducted into the ash-pit, and from thence into the
exit flues.
Instead of inspiring and respiring, the gases may be made to pass
alternately through two compartments of the fire-place, but in the same
direction; in this arrangement the fire-place is divided by a central
partition into two parts, which are closed at the back by a cross partition,
at the back of which is a space communicating with the exit flues. The
ash-pit at the bottom is provided with a vibrating door, which when moved
on its centre is capable of admitting air to the grate bars either froin the
front or rear as may be required. The chamber behind the transverse
partition of the fire-place is provided at bottom with doors, which are
opened and closed at stated times by suitable mechanism connected with
the engine as in the former instance. Either a natural or an artificial
draught is created through the fire-box, first through one compartment and

page_text: then through the other. The doors communicating with these compart-
ments through the ash-pit are opened alternately, so that the air may be.
drawn in up through the fuel in No. 1 compartment and down through
the burning fuel in No. 2, where the unconsumed carbon and combustible
gases will be burned; then the air will enter and pass up through the.
fuel in No. 2 and down through the burning fuel in No. 1. In both cases
the
gases will ultimately escape into the exit flue tubes, and pass away to
the chimney. It will, of course, be understood that in place of drawing or
sucking the air through the fuel it may be forced through, and the same.
effect will be produced..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Bewicke Blackburn in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BEWICKE
BLACKBURN, of York Buildings,, Adelphi, in the City of Westminster,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Bewicke Blackburn, Her special licence that I, the
said Bewicke Blackburn, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Bewicke Blackburn, 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 APPLICABLE TO FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES FOR THE
PURPOSE OF MORE EFFECTUALLY AND ECONOMICALLY CONSUMING THE FUEL THEREIN,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Bewicke Blackburn, my
executors or administrators, 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, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Bewicke Blackburn, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
This Invention consists in causing alternate up and down drafts to
pass in rapid succession through the fuel in a furnace so as to cause the.
smoke or unconsumed carbon evolved from the fuel in the fire-place to be
drawn or passed through the incandescent fuel in order that it may be
burned, and in so doing give out heat. In carrying out the Invention the
air to support combustion is admitted through a valve to the ash-pit and
is made first to ascend through the fire-bars and fuel, and thereby causes
the combustible gases and smoke to arise from the burning fuel. The
gases and smoke are then made to return again through the incandescent
fuel. By this double passage they become perfectly combined with the
oxygen of the air, and are caused during their combustion to give out heat
to the surrounding surfaces to be heated.
In adapting the Invention to different kinds of furnaces different
arrangements of parts will be required, although all will be constructed on
precisely the same principle.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a
longitudinal vertical section, and Fig. 3 a sectional plan view of a
horizontal boiler constructed according to the Invention. For this case I
employ an aspirating apparatus, such as a reciprocating piston or moveable
diaphragm a, which is fitted to a curved part of the exit flue. By giving a
forward or downward motion to this vibrating piston or diaphragm the air
will first be drawn in through the valve 6 into the ash-pit c, and from
thence will pass up through the fuel on the fire-bars d, carrying with it
the combustible gases, which, with the heated air and flame from the fuel,
will pass along the flues e, e, in the direction of the arrows. Upon the
return or upward stroke of the piston or vibrating diaphragm the gases
will be forced back again along the flues e, e, and down through the
burning mass of fuel on the grate d, and will thus be consumed. In this
arrangement the fire-door f must be kept closed, and the air drawn in by
the aspirating apparatus will enter through the ash-pit as above mentioned,
the door or valve 6 of which will be opened for the purpose. When the
piston or diaphragm a descends it will force the gases and air contained
in the curved smoke box a¹ along the flues e, e¹, into the ash-pit c; at
the same time a valve f*, which is adapted to and closes the passage to the

page_text: exit flue, will be opened so as to allow a volume of air or gas equal to that
admitted to the ash-pit c to escape. The gases in passing through the
mass of incandescent fuel on the grate d will be consumed, and the heated:
gases and flame will pass over or in contact with the surfaces to be heated..
The piston or diaphragm a and the doors or valves 6 and f for regulating
the entrance and exit of the air will be worked by mechanical means, which
will be actuated by the engine, as shewn in the Drawing at Figures 1 and
3, in which it will be seen that the moveable piston or diaphragm a is
mounted on a rocking shaft a*, on the outer end of which is a crank a²
connected by a rod g to another crank on the axle of the cone pulley i,
which is driven by a band from a similar pulley actuated by the engine.
A crank pin or stud j actuates an excentric k at the end of a long con-
necting rod k, the opposite end of which is jointed to the axle or shaft of
the vibrating door or valve 6 of the ash-pit. When these parts are set in.
motion the air will be alternately drawn in through the valve 6 of the
ash-pit and forced back through the fuel on the grate bars d. In order to
prevent the smoke and combustible gases from escaping from the fire-door f
an additional fire-door may be provided, leaving a space between the two
doors into which any smoke or gases may escape, and will be conducted
into the ash-pit and from thence into the exit flues. In practice, however,
this additional fire-door has seldom been required. As a modification of
the arrangement above described, the piston for drawing in the air may be
circular, like the piston or plunger of a steam engine, and made to work up
and down in a cylinder arranged in or near the smoke box..
Instead of inspiring and respiring the gases, as in the arrangements above
shewn and described, they may be made to pass alternately through two
compartments of the fire-place, but in the same direction, as shewn. in
Sheet II. of the Drawings, in which Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view; Fig. 6,
a longitudinal vertical section; Fig. 7, an end elevation; and Fig. 8, a trans-
verse vertical section. In this arrangement the fire-place k is 'divided by a
central partition into two parts, 1 and 2, Figures 5 and 8, which are closed
at the back by a cross partition m, at the back of which is a space n com-
municating with the exit flues e, e¹. The ash-pits c, c, at the bottom are
provided with vibrating doors b, b, which when moved on their centres are
capable of admitting air to the grate bars d either from the front or rear as
may be required, and as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 6. The chamber n
behind the transverse partition m of the fire-places is provided at bottom
with doors o, o, which are opened and closed at stated times by the rods p
and k', the latter of which is connected with the engine as in the former

page_text: instance. Either a natural or an artificial draught is created through the
fire-bars, first through one compartment and then through the other.
The doors b, b, communicating with these compartments through the:
ash-pits, are opened alternately, so that the air may be drawn in up through
the fuel in No. 1 compartment, over the central partition 7, and down
through the burning fuel in No. 2, where the unconsumed carbon
and combustible gases will be burned; then the air will enter the other
ash-pit and pass up through the fuel in No. 2, over the central par-
tition in the opposite direction, and down through the burning fuel in
No. 1, as shewn at Fig. 8. In both cases the gases will ultimately
escape into the exit flues e and e¹, and pass away to the chimney. It
will of course be understood that in place of drawing or sucking the air
through the fuel it may be forced through, and the same effect will be
produced.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements applicable to
Furnaces or Fire-places for the Purpose of more effectually and economically
Consuming the Fuel therein," and having explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid, the mode of and apparatus herein described for con-
trolling and directing the currents of air admitted to the fire-places of
furnaces and of the combustible gases evolved from the fuel, so as to cause
the latter to be effectually consumed, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bewicke Blackburn, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Second day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
H. E. NEWTON,
66, Chancery Lane.
BEWICKE BLACKBURN. (L.S.)