IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FURNACES FOR GAS AND OTHER WORKS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Dewhirst Cliff, of Wortley, near Leeds, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF FURNACES FOR GAS AND OTHER WORKS."
Sealed the 31st May 1878, and dated the 30th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Dewhirst Cliff at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th March 1878.
WILLIAM DEWHIRST CLIFF, of Wortley, near Leeds, in the County of York.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FURNACES FOR GAS AND OTHER
WORKS."
Hitherto the side walls and arches of furnaces have been built of fire-bricks or
blocks set in fire-clay or fire-resisting cement.
According to my present Invention I propose to make the whole furnace sides
and arch in one piece, or the side walls and arch may each be made in a separate
piece.
In some cases, for convenience of transport or otherwise, the furnaces or the arches
and side walls thereof, instead of being made in one piece in the direction of their
length, may be made in sections of convenient length, say of from four to six or
eight feet; but in all cases the entire cross section of the furnace or of the arch and
walls thereof separately will be in one piece.
Varied shapes and sections will be made to suit the different classes of furnaces,
and the nostrils or draught holes for the distribution of the heat will be cut out
afterwards to the requisite templates.
I make the furnaces or the arches and side walls thereof under moderate pressure,
and thereby procure an even and uniform texture throughout, and a freedom from
air spaces and cells which renders them better able to resist intense heat.
Under the old system of constructing furnaces of bricks set in fire-clay or in
cement there must of necessity be a contraction in the fire-clay or in the cement
in which they are set; this contraction even when the work is weli done, is the

page_text: weakest part of the whole furnace, and when badly done, simply allows the heat
to work in at the joints, and then play at the sides and beds of the bricks, thereby
destroying them in a comparatively short time.
The improved furnaces and arches and side walls of furnaces may be made by
hand, but I prefer to manufacture them by the aid of machinery, and the class of
machinery I prefer to employ is of the character described in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to me, dated June 11, 1874, No. 2034.
When employing machinery for the above purpose, it may be preferable to form
the furnace with a web across the bottom of the side walls thereof, or across the
bottom of the arch, for the purpose of retaining them in shape, and I remove such
web either partially or entirely before the firing process.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Dewhirst Cliff in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
September 1878.
WILLIAM DEWHIRST CLIFF, of Wortley, near Leeds, in the County of York.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FURNACES FOR GAS AND OTHER
WORKS."
Hitherto the side walls and arches of furnaces have been built of fire-bricks or
blocks set in fire-clay or fire-resisting cement.
According to my present Invention, I propose to make the whole furnace sides and
arch in one piece, or the side walls and arch may each be made in a separate piece.
In some cases for convenience of transport or otherwise, the furnaces or the arches
and side walls thereof, instead of being made in one piece in the direction of their
length, may be made in sections of convenient length, say of from four to six or
eight feet, but in all cases the entire cross section of the furnace or of the arch and
walls thereof separately will be in one piece.
Varied shapes and sections will be made to suit the different classes of furnaces,
and the nostrils or draught holes for the distribution of the heat will be cut out
afterwards to the requisite templates.
Figure 1 is a plan or top view of a furnace for gas works constructed according
to my Invention, and Figure 2 is a cross section of the same on the line 1, 1, of
Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 are cross sections of other furnaces for gas works of different
sectional forms; Figure 5 is a plan or top view of the furnace represented at Figure
4; Figure 6 is a sectional plan drawn on the line 2, 2, of Figure 4, representing the
furnace as it is delivered from the machine by which it is made; and Figure 7 is a
sectional plan of the same, drawn also on the line 2, 2, of Figure 4, as it would
appear when prepared ready for the kiln.
a, a, are the sides; is the roof or crown of the furnace; and c, c, are the nostrils
or draught holes for the distribution of the heat amongst the retorts.

page_text: I make the furnaces or the arches and side walls thereof under moderate pressure,
and thereby procure an even and uniform texture throughout, and a freedom from
air spaces and cells which renders them better able to resist intense heat.
Under the old system of constructing furnaces of bricks set in fire-clay or in
cement, there must of necessity be a contraction in the fire-clay or in the cement in
which they are set, this contraction, even when the work is well done, is the
woakest part of the whole furnace, and when badly done, simply allows the heat to
work in at the joints and then play at the sides and beds of the bricks, thereby
destroying them in a comparatively short time.
The improved furnaces and arches and side walls of furnaces may be made by
hand in any convenient manner as will be well understood, but I prefer to manu-
facture them by the aid of machinery, and the class of machinery I prefer to employ
is of the character described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me,
dated June 11, 1874, No. 2034.
When employing machinery for the above purposes, it may be preferable to form
the furnace with a web d, see Figures 4 and 6, across the bottom of the side walls
thereof, or across the bottom of the arch for the purpose of retaining them in shape,
and I remove such web either partially as represented at Figure 7, or entirely
before the firing process, after which the remaining portion of such web d may be
easily removed.
The nostrils or draught holes c, c, for the distribution of the heat, are cut out in
the required positions by the aid of suitable templates before the firing process.
Although I have represented only three forms of furnaces suitable for gas works,
other forms of furnace for gas and other works may be constructed according to my
Invention.
In some cases, on account of size and weight, and for convenience of transport, it
may be advisable to form the arch or crown and the sides thereof each in a separate
piece, or instead of the furnace being made in one piece in the direction of its
length, it may be made in sections of convenient length, say of from four to six or
eight feet, but in all cases the entire cross section of the furnace or of the arch and
walls thereof separately will be of one piece.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode in which I
carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is,-
First. Constructing furnaces for gas and other works entirely in one piece, or in
sections of convenient length in manner substantially as herein shown and
described.
And, Secondly. I claim constructing the crowns or arches and the side walls of
furnaces for gas and other works, each in one entire piece, or in sections of con-
venient length in the direction of the length of the furnace, in manner substantially
as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Dewhirst Cliff, have hereunto set
my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of September, in the year of our
Land One thousand night hundred and seventy-eight