CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSUMING SMOKE, AND IN REGULATING THE DRAFT IN CHIMNEYS
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I. GEORGE
ANSTEY, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eleventh day of January, in the fourteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Anstey, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority
that I, the said George Anstey, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, and such others
as I, the said George Anstey, my exors, adññiors, 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 mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, my
Invention of CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSUMING SMOKE, AND IN REGULATING
THE DRAFT IN CHIMNEYS;" in which said, Letters Patent is contained a proviso
obliging me, the said George Anstey, by an instrument in writing under my
hand. and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature, of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the
same to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and-immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.
་ ་ ་་
17
1.
7adi.
ant
I...
tel
1

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I; the said
George Anstey, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof (reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
(that is to say):
My Invention of "Certain Improvements in Consuming Smoke, and in Regu-
lating the Draft in Chimneys," has for its object, in the first place, the consuming
the greater portion of the carbonaceous inflammable matter contained in the
smoke emitted from grates and furnaces, while allowing the incombustible
vapours or gases to pass off through the chimney as usual. My Invention has
for its object, in the second place, the maintenance of a more steady and
uniform draft in chimneys, by protecting their upper part from the influence of
a sudden downward current of the external air, particularly in windy weather,
thereby preventing the air at the upper part of the chimney from becoming
cooled so as to interfere with the upward current of the entire column of heated
air from the fire.
Now the means by which I propose to accomplish the above first-mentioned
object consists in so arranging and constructing the grate or furnace as to cause
the smoke emitted from the fire to pass through perforations formed in metal
plates, and subsequently through perforated inverted cones or cups hereafter to
be described, such metal plates and cones being acted upon by an intense heat,
and a great portion of the carbonaceous inflammable matter contained in the
smoke being arrested by having to pass through the two sets of perforations in
succession, becomes consumed, while the incombustible vapors or gases pass
through the two sets of perforations and escapes into the chimney.
I proceed now to describe the node of adapting my Invention to grates for
sitting rooms. At the back of the grate is fixed, out of sight, a chamber into
which the smoke is made to enter from the fire, in order that the carbonaceous
inflammable matter contained in it may be consumed. The chamber extends
upwards from about the level of the upper part of the fire, the under side having
slits or openings. for the flames to pass through. The chamber is divided by a
horizontal metal plate perforated with holes, the top of it being formed by a
metal plate having inverted cones or cups with perforations in them.
chamber is thus adapted and constructed that the smoke, may enter it from
the fire, and also that the flames and heat from the fire may act upon it, and
that the carbonaceous inflammable matter in the smoke, which is arrested
from escaping upwards according to its usual! course into the chimney, is con-
sumed by coming in contact with the heated air and flames in the chamber,
This

page_text: while the inflammable vapour or gases pass out through the perforations in the
plate, and subsequently through those in the inverted cones or cups into the
chimney. The precise form and proportions of the heated chamber will be
varied to suit the particular form and size of grate to which my improvements
are to be applied, and the manner of introducing the smoke into it may also in
some cases be varied. But the essential feature of the chamber must in all
cases be preserved, which is that it be a heated chamber open to the admission
of the smoke and flames from the fire, and fitted with a perforated horizontal
plate dividing the upper from the lower part, and in the top of the chamber
inverted cones or cups, with perforations for the escape of the incombustible
vapour or gases into the chimney.
It has been found desirable in practice to apply a flue on each side of the
grate in order to assist the draft in the chimney so as effectually to carry off the
incombustible vapour or gases. These flues might be used for warming and
ventilating purposes in other rooms also.
In order, however, that my improvements as applied to grates may be more
evident I will refer to the accompanying Drawings, with the figures and letters
marked thereon, in which Fig. 1 represents an elevation of the chamber as it
would appear with the fire grate and back plate of a common register stove re-
moved, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the chamber, shewing also the smoke
and flames passing into it. In both these Figures the ordinary grate is omitted for
the sake of rendering the construction of the chamber more evident, the repre-
sentation of the flames sufficiently indicating the position of the fire. These
figures will shew the direction which the smoke takes on leaving the fire, (that
is to say,) it passes (as shewn by arrows) through apertures into the lower
division of the chamber a, and advancing upwards strikes against the perforated
plate b.
It is also to be observed that the flames from the fire enter the lower
division of the chamber a, and keep the chamber in a highly heated state. The
effect then of the smoke from the fire entering the lower part of the chamber a,
and being arrested in its free passage to the chimney by the perforated plate b,
will be that a portion of its carbonaceous inflammable matter will become con-.
sumed in this part of the chamber. A portion, however, will pass into the
division of the chamber a, and not being able to pass quickly out of the
chamber, except through the perforations in the inverted cones or cups c, a
further consumption of the carbonaceous inflammable matter of the smoke takes
place in this upper division of the chamber, the incombustible vapour or gases
passing off through the perforations in the cones or cups c into a flue d com-
municating with the chimney. In adapting and fitting the chamber a to an
ordinary fire grate it is desirable that the plate e at the back of the fire, which
upper

page_text: forms the front inclosure of the chamber, should be brought as far forward as is
found convenient, in order to insure the greatest possible amount of the smoke
from the fire going behind the plate into the chamber a. It may also be
desirable to make the bottom of the plate:e of an arched or other convenient
form to admit of the smoke casily passing under it into the chamber. In the
Drawing the chamber a is represented with a certain space on each side, filling
up the width of the fire-place; but it may be here remarked that the precise
width of this space is not material, its only object being to provide a convenient
inlet for the smoke to the chamber a, as described. f, f, are two flues, one
on each side of the fire-place, with apertures at g, g, for the admission of air
from the room. These flues lead into the chimney.and assist the draft therein.
In constracting the chamber a, and fitting it to a fire-place or grate; the
plate e forming the front inclosure of the chamber may be made-capable of
being removed in case it should be required to clear the perforated plate b, or
the cones or cups c, or any other part of the chamber a, from soot accumulating
to such an extent as to impede in any inconvenient degree. the passage of the
incombustible vapours or gases after the burning of the smoke in the chamber.
I proceed now to describe a modification of the above adapted to furnaces.
In doing. so I would observe at once that my Invention does not relate to
any particular kind of furnace exclusively, but is capable of being adapted to
all furnaces; it being. simply, a mode of restraining the free passage of the
smoke from the fire in such a manner as to cause its carbonaceous inflammable
matter to become more thoroughly. consumed than heretofore by the action of
the flames upon it.
In ordinary furnaces the smoke and heated vapours: or
gases are free to pass from the fire along the flues to the chimney, and in this
manner a large quantity of unconsumed carbonaceous matter is carried along
to the chimney, and it is usual to encrease the height of the back of the furnace
to form what is called a bridge, partly to cause in some degree an impediment
to the passage of unconsumed carbonaceous matter.. Now my Invention, as
adapted to furnaces, consists in extending the ordinary bridge to the top of the
inside of the furnace, and making holes in the extended part through which the
flames can pass; and also in fitting a second bridge at a further distance from
the fire, in which second bridge are formed larger holes, with cones or cups
with perforations in them.. The effect of this arrangement will be that the
smoke as it issues from the fire will, by coming in contact with the extended
bridge, be kept longer in contact with the flames and intense heat than at
present, and thus have its carbonaceous inflammable matter more thoroughly
consumed than in ordinary furnaces, and this effect is repeated at the second
bridge, so that by the time the smoke.has passed through the perforated cones.

page_text: or cups in the second bridge its carbonaceous-inflammable matter will have
become for the most part consumed, and the incombustible vapours or gases,
may pass as usual to the chimney.
Fig. 3 is a section of a boiler furnace with my improvements adapted thereto;
the extended bridge is shewn atra. It consists of the ordinary bridge of fire-
brick extended to the roof of the furnace, and having holes formed in it... b'is
the second bridge; which has cones or cups.c.fitted into. it such cones or cups
having perforations- formed in them for the passage of the incombustible
vapours or gases into the chimney. :
Figures 4 and 5 represent detached views of the bridges a and 6 on a larger
scalc.
.:
.It may be found necessary; to apply an additional bridge, and to modify-the
construction and arrangement of these bridges in different furnaces, but whatever
be the number employed the purpose answered by them will in all cases be similar,
videlicit, to cause a greater consumption of the carbonaceous inflammable matter
in the smoke by holding it longer in direct contact with the flames and intensely
heated air within the furnace. It is also desirable to remark that this my
Invention may be-combined with all known means of increasing the draft,
and of feeding the fuel to the best advantage in furnaces; and also with different
arrangements of the fire or fires, the-object of my Invention being simply to
supply a means of retarding the passage of the carbonaceous inflammable
matter so as to prevent its going forward in an unconsumed state along with
the incombustible vapours or gases which it is necessary to get rid of.
I proceed now. to describe my improvements in regulating the draft in
chimneys. These consist in the adaptation and application of certain apparatus
(herein-after described) fixed in the upper part of the chimney, and so formed
as to prevent the external air from coming into sudden contact with the warm
air in the chimney, by which means this air, passing steadily upwards from
the-fire-place, is maintained at a more uniform temperature, especially at: its
upper part, and thereby maintains a more regular draft in the chimney.
Figures 6 to 13 represent different views of the apparatus for regulating
the draft in chimneys. Fig. 6 is an outside elevation of the covering.fora
chimney made according to the principle herein-before set forth, and Figures 7,
8, and 9 are vertical and horizontal sections designed to shew the construction of
the same. It will be seen that a current of external air cannot be impelled
suddenly down the chimney, but on entering the inner vessel a it strikes against
the bottom of the said vessel, is deflected through the openings c, c, and passes
into the space between the vessel a and the chimney pot. d. This.external air
has thus less tendency to cool the air in the upper part of the chimney, and

page_text: can offer less opposition to the upward current of air in the chimney. e, e, are
holes to prevent any inconvenient lodgment of rain on the bottom 6 of the
inner vessel a. The direction of ingress of the external air is indicated by the
arrows. Fig. 10 represents an elevation; Fig. 11, a detached portion of the
interior; Fig. 12, a vertical section; and Fig. 13, a horizontal section of
another form of my Invention designed to effect-a similar purpose. In this
case the external air is admitted to the upper part of the chimney through the
sides of the outer vessel or chimney pot, but a direct downward current into 'the
inner vessel is prevented, and also the sudden violent admission of external air
through the holes in the sides of the inner vessel. It will be seen from
Figures 10 and 11 that both the outer vessel or chimney pot f and the inner
vessel or cylinder g have holes formed in their sides for the admission of air.
Fig. 12 shews in elevation, and Fig. 13 in horizontal section, the means just
alluded to, by which the external air is impeded in entering the chimney pot f
consisting of a shield h, of a curved form as shewn, mounted on an upright
spindle i, and capable of being turned by the vane on the top of the spindle,
with its back towards the wind, so as to prevent the entrance of a direct
horizontal current of air, and to break its force by deflecting it.
By means of these two different forms of apparatus the upward current of
heated air or draft in a chimney is protected from the disturbing effects of a
downward draft of external air suddenly meeting it, and thereby checking its
uniform action. In the same manner also the warmth of the upper part of the
chimney is maintained more uniformly, and consequently the draft in the
chimney regulated. I would here remark that my principle of regulating the
draft in chimneys, by impeding the direct admission of a sudden current of
external air at the upper part of the chimney, as described, may be carried
into effect by apparatus slightly varying in form from those represented and
described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I would-have it understood that I do not intend
to confine myself to the precise forms and arrangements of my Invention herein-
before described; nor do I claim any of the parts described separately, but
only so far as they are used in combination for the carrying of my Invention
into effect. But what I do claim is, in reference to consuming smoke, the
means described of consuming the carbonaceous inflammable matter in the
smoke issuing from fires, by causing the smoke to pass through apertures
and thereby to be held longer in contact with the flames and heat from
the fire, as described in its adaptation to grates, and in a modified form to
furnaces.