A CERTAIN APPARATUS OR FURNACE FOR ECONOMIZING FUEL AND FOR MORE EFFEC TUALLY CONSUMING SMOKE OR GASES ARISING THEREFROM, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE FOR THE GENERATION OF STEAM AND FOR HEATING OR EVAPORATING FLUIDS
Year: 1837

page_text: NEVILLE'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
NEVILLE, of Clap Hall, near Gravesend, in the County of Kent, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Thirty-first day of August, in the first year of Her, reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said James
Neville, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said James Neville, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Neville, my exors, adñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein..
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, my Invention of
"A CERTAIN APPARATUS OR FURNACE FOR ECONOMIZING FUEL AND FOR MORE EFFEC
TUALLY CONSUMING SMOKE OR GASES ARISING THEREFROM, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE
FOR THE GENERATION OF STEAM AND FOR HEATING OR EVAPORATING FLUIDS;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said James
Neville, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, referènce being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Neville, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
According to the most usual construction of furnaces applied to steam boilers
and to other vessels for generating steam, and for heating and evaporating
fluids, the fire bars are solid and the fuel is placed on them, the gases and
smoke evolved rise above the fuel, and passes away to the flue and chimney.
There have, however, been attempts in some arrangements of furnaces to pro-
duce a downward draft through the fire bars, in order to cause the vapours
distilled from the fresh fuel (which from time to time would be laid on to the
ignited fuel on the fire bars) to pass through the ignited fuel on the bars;.
but such arrangement of furnace has not proved successful, owing to the
destruction of the fire bars. And further, there have been furnaces con-
structed with an improved draft with hollow fire bars. Now the object
of the present Invention is to construct furnaces of steam boilers, and gene-
rators, and vessels for heating and evaporating fluids by combining downward
draft with hollow fire bars, such hollow fire bars being in connection with the
boiler or vessel to which the furnace is applied, in order that the fluid to be
operated on may circulate freely in the fire bars and take heat therefrom. By
this means, in addition to the advantages of preserving the fire bars, the smoke
and gases
evolved from the fresh fuel laid on to the fire will, in consequence of
passing downwards by the downward draft between the fire bars, come in
contact with and be subjected to the ignited fuel on the fire bars, and by such
means be consumed. It will be evident to the practical engineer that, as there
are varied arrangements and constructions of vessels for generating steam and
for heating and evaporating fluids, there will be a necessity for varying the
arrangement of furnace with hollow fire bars with downward draft according
to circumstances, which, however, the practical engineer will readily arrange
when he has examined this my Specification, and the Drawing hereunto
annexed, which represents my Invention applied to one arrangement of steam
boiler or vessel for evaporating flues.
In each of the Figures of the Drawing the same letters indicate similar
parts; a, a, being a series of hollow bars, which are so arranged that the fluid
in the boiler or vessel b, b, can circulate freely through the bars a, a, as will
readily be understood on examining the Drawing; c, c, is an arch of fire brick,
which I prefer should be constructed over the fire bars, which becoming highly

page_text: heated, will materially facilitate the combustion of any gases or vapours which
may be evolved into the furnace above the fire bars. Atmospheric air is to be
supplied by any suitable blowing apparatus, or a draft may be produced by the
chimney, as is well understood, so as to supply the furnace with a constant flow
of air above the fuel on the fire bars, as the same will pass down through the
fire and between the fire bars. The other parts of the Drawing being clearly
shewn, will readily be understood, and will require no further description.
In witness whercof, I, the said James Neville, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-third day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven.
Inrolled the Twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.