IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR CONSUMING SMOKE AND GENERATING HEAT, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVE MENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO FURNACES GENERALLY
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Leake and Matthew Sykes, both of Barnsley,.
in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES
FOR CONSUMING SMOKE AND GENERATING HEAT, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVE
MENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO FURNACES GENERALLY."
Sealed the 31st August 1859, and dated the 5th March 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Leake and
Matthew Sykes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 5th March 1859.
We, RICHARD LEAKE and MATTHEW SYKES, both of Barnsley, in the County
of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FURNACES FOR CONSUMING SMOKE AND GENERATING HEAT, PARTS OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO FURNACES GENERALLY," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its objects the prevention of smoke and generating
heat in the furnaces of steam engine boilers, boiling pans, or other kinds of
furnaces, and is an improvement upon our former Invention (for which Letters.
Patent were granted to us on the 1st day of May 1857, and numbered 1283),
being based on the fact that (by weight, of water is oxygen, and bulk for
bulk, water is 825 times heavier than common air, so that when is taken
from the gross weight of water it gives 660 times more oxygen in one inch of
water than is contained in atmospheric air of the same bulk; and when water
(in proper quantity) is introduced to the fires in furnaces of steam boilers
through the spaces between the fire bars, instead of having a cooling effect it
will give off a large quantity of gases, and produce a more intense heat than

page_text: can be produced in any other way, except where means similar to those
employed in blast furnaces are adopted.
To attain the objects before mentioned, we place perforated water pipes
either lengthways or crossways to the grate bars (either solid or hollow bars)
immediately beneath them; these pipes may be made the whole-width of the
ash-pit, or divided into two halves, in which case whichever side of the fire
the stoker wishes to clean can be done by applying the water to that side only;
the side watered is thus cooled, the stoking room kept free from dust, and
the comfort of the stoker greatly promoted. To use this plan effectually a
moderately clean fire should be kept, from 4 to 7 inches thick, equally spread
on the grate, and as soon as the fire doors are shut, either after firing or
poking, the water should be administered instantaneously. The effect of this
will be a very powerful draft through the fire, and consequently a great rush
of cold air into the ash-pit; .this will raise the clinkers on the fire-bars and
keep then loose, thereby obviating the necessity of using reciprocating bars.
We propose to use either one or two doors and door frames at which to
throw the fuel in, and one on each side to enable the stoker the more
effectually to clean his fire, also to stir the fire through the same doors without
opening the middle doors; behind these side doors are two perforated doors
hung on pivots; these (when the poker is thrust against the bottom edge) open
no farther than the thickness of the poker; thus so large a quantity of cold
air is not admitted as would be the case if the middle doors were opened.
When the stoker wishes to clean the grate he turns one half of the fire over
the other half, he then admits the water and slacks the clinkers until cold.
Eire brick tubes or quarries are placed in such a manner that when the fire
doors are opened, the cold air then admitted is caused to impinge upon the
surface of the fire instead of being directed to the bottom of the boiler: A
combustion chamber is also formed, which presents a non-conducting medium
between that part of the boiler which is over the fire and the clear fire on tho
grate, thereby preventing the boiler plates cracking or being drawn down as
they often are in that part of the boiler.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of IIer
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Richard Leake and Matthew Sykes, Her special licence that we, the
said Richard Leake and Matthew Sykes, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Richard Leake and Matthew Sykes,
our 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 FOR
CONSUMING SMOKE AND GENERATING HEAT, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
APPLICABLE TO FORNACES GENERALLY," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Richard Leake and Matthew Sykes, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 we, the said Richard Leake and Matthew Sykes,
do hereby declare the nature of the 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, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its objects the prevention of smoke and generating
heat in the furnaces of steam engine boilers, boiling pans, or other kinds of
furnaces, and is an improvement upon our former Invention (for which Letters
Patent were granted to us on the 1st day of May 1857, No. 1288), being
based on the fact that (by weight) of water is oxygen, and bulk for bulk,'
water is 825 times heavier than common air, so that when is taken from the
gross weight of water it gives 660 times more oxygen in one inch of water
than is contained in atmospheric air of the same bulk. And when water (in
proper quantity) is introduced to the fires in furnaces of steam boilers through
the spaces between the fire bars, instead of having a cooling effect it will give
off a large quantity of gases, and produce a more intenso heat than can be
produced in any other way, except where means similar to those employed in
blast furnaces are adopted.
In order to explain our said Invention as completely as possible, we now

page_text: proceed to describe the best means we are acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheets of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference
marked thereon respectively as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
At Sheet 1, Figure 1' is a longitudinal and vertical section of our improved
furnace; at Sheet 2, Figure 2 is a horizontal section, with one end of boiler,
broken off to shew the water pipes; and at Sheet 3, Figure 8 is a front end-
elevation of furnace and boiler; Figure 4, cross section through the line A, B,
Figure 1 (Sheet 1); Figure 5, front elevation of doors and door frame,
herein-after described; and Figure 6, plan view of Figure 5. Similar letters
of reference denote corresponding parts where such parts appear or can be
seen at each of the Figures respectively.
To attain the objects before mentioned, we place perforated water pipes a, a,
Sheets 1, 2, 3, Figures 1, 2, 4), either lengthways or crossways to the grate
bars b, b, (either solid or hollow bars), immediately beneath them; these pipes
may be made the whole width of the ash-pit, or divided into two halves, as at.
Sheet 2, Figure 2, and Sheet 3, Figure 4, in which case whichever side of the
fire the stoker wishes to clean can be done by applying the water to that side
only; the side watered is thus cooled, the stoking room kept free from dust,
and 'the comfort of the stoker greatly promoted. To use this plan effectually
a moderately clean fire should be kept, from 4 to 7 inches thick, equally spread
on the grate, and as soon as the fire doors are shut, either after firing or poking,.
the water should be administered instantaneously. The effect of this will be
a very powerful draft through the fire, and consequently a great rush of cold
air into the ash-pit; this will raise the clinkers on the fire bars, and keep them
loose, thereby obviating the necessity of using reciprocating bars. We propose
to use either one or two doors c, c, Sheet 3, Figure 5, and door frames, at
which to throw the fuel in, and one on each side, d, d, to enable the stoker the
more effectually to clean his fire, also to stir the fire through the same doors
without opening the middle doors; behind these side doors d, d, are two per-
forated doors e, e, hung on pivots f. f. (Sheet 3, Figure 6); these (when the
poker is thrust against the bottom edge) open no farther than the thickness of
the poker, thus so large a quantity of cold air is not admitted as would-be the
case if the middle doors c, c, were opened. When the stoker wishes to clean
the grate he turns one half of the fire over the other half, he then admits the
water and slacks the clinkers until cold. Fire brick tubes or quarries 9 are
placed in such a manner that when the fire doors are opened the cold air then

page_text: admitted is caused to impinge upon the surface of the fire instead of being
directed to the bottom of the boiler. A combustion chamber h is also formed,
which presents a non-conducting medium between that part of the boiler
which is over the fire, and the clear fire on the grate, thereby preventing the
boiler plates cracking or being drawn down as they often are in that part
of the boiler.
Having now fully described the nature and object of our said Invention of "Im-
provements in Furnaces for Consuming Smoke and Generating Heat, Parts
of which Improvements are applicable to Furnaces generally," together with the
best means we are acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect,
we would remark in conclusion that we do not confine or restrict ourselves to
the precise details herein described and shown in the accompanying Sheets of
Drawings, as certain modifications may be made therein without in any way
departing from the principle of our Invention; but what we claim as our
Invention intended to be secured to us by the herein in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
Firstly, the use of water pipes or tubes beneath the fire bars, or any other
arrangement by which the same purpose may be effected.
Secondly, the use of the centre and side doors, as shown at Figures 5 and 6
of Sheet 3.
And lastly, the combination and use of all the parts, either separately or in
combination with our former Patent, herein-before mentioned and herein fully
described and exhibited in the accompanying illustrative Sheets of Drawings,
for the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Richard Leake & Matthew Sykes, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this 1st day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
WILLIAM GREEN,
Wosbro' Common,
near Barnsley.
RICHARD LEAKE. (L.S.)
MATTHEW SYKES. (L.S.)