Im- PROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND BOILERS FOR THE BETTER COMBUSTION OF SMOKE AND GENERATION OF STEAM.
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND BOILERS FOR THE BETTER COMBUSTION OF
SMOKE AND GENERATION OF STEAM. "-A communication from abroad by
LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND BOLLERS FOR THE BETTER COMBUSTION OF
SMOKE AND GENERATION OF STEAM. "-A communication from abroad by
Jean Baptiste Miguet, Dyer, and Pierre Boissilier, Coppersmith, both of
20 Boulevert St. Martin Paric
Sealed the 16th December 1864, and dated the 28th June 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th June 1864.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND BOILERS FOR THE BETTER COM-
BUSTION OF SMOKE AND GENERATION OF STEAM," to be as follows:
In the construction of boilers for heating liquids, and especially of steam
generators, although much has latterly been effected, the complete combustion
of the smoke has never yet been attained.
The Invention forming the object of the present application for Letters
Patent has for object to secure this result by a special arrangement of the
furnace and fire-bars, conducing forcibly to the complete combustion of the
smoke, and that by the aid of known physical laws.
The improvement consists in reversing the ordinary mode of producing
[Price 8d.1

page_text: combustion, by creating a draught under the bars, through which the flame
and heated gases pass, and introducing the air necessary for the combustion
above the fuel, through which it penetrates and mixes with the gases of dis-
tillation, and also with the particles of carbon in suspension, which together
with the gases form the smoke. The gases and carbon or smoke in order
to pass beneath the bars necessarily traverse the incandescent mass of the coal
where they are burnt in the completest manner possible; the necessary con-
ditions for producing perfect combustion being united, viz.,an intimate mixture
of the body to be consumed with the necessary amount of air, and an elevated
temperature.
Theimproved furnace for obtaining this result is furnished with a fire open
to the atmosphere, and having a draught through the bars only; the ash-pitis
closed, but communicates with the draught; the fire-bars are also hollow to
permit of the circulation of the liquid to be heated, and prevent injury to the
metal by heat.
The annexed Drawing represents the application of this Invention to a steam
generator or boiler known as a Cornish or flue boiler.
Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal vertical section of a boiler furnished with a
furnace on this improved system, while Fig. 2 shows a horizontal section of
same. The letters apply to both Figures.
A, cylindrical body of the boiler, having an improved furnace on this system,
although the Invention may also be applied to all kinds of tubular and other
boilers, their form and arrangement being varied according to the particular
circumstances in each case. B,hollow fire-bars formed of tubes b, b, connected
at their ends, the one end Cin front of the furnace doors, and the other end D
formed of plate iron, of sufficient strength for carrying the brickwork or fire-
bridge E, which closes the communication between the furnace and the flues;
C, box or case receiving the frout ends of the fire-bars; D, similar case com-
municating with the back end of same; E, refractory bricks closing the direct
communication between the furnace and the chimney; this may also be
replaced by a plate iron case with or without circulation of water. G, tube
fitted in front of the boiler, at the level of the liquid, and communicating with
case D; said tube passes through case C, and is furnished with a stop-cock g
H, tube in communication with case C2 above the level of the liquid, also
furnished with a stop-cock h. The steam produced in the tubes passes into
case C, and thence by pipe H to the boiler, being replaced by liquid which
regains its level and flows into case D, and thence into the tubular fire-bars,
which are thus kept constantly filled with water; I, fuel; J, door, for the
introduction of fuel and air necessary for combustion, the supply of which is

page_text: regulated by a suitable damper or valve; K,ash-pit door,affording access for
cleaning the flues. The ash-pit door being closed, the air enters by door J,
passing through the fuel, causing the gases to be slowly distilled, and which
are consumed in passing through the incandescent coal in contact with the
bars, below which the flame passes. When the grate is of great length it
may be supported by means of hollow water tubes N, at one end of which is
fitted a pipe M,communicating with G,aud serving to supply the hollow fire-
bars, as also the hollow tube supports N; the other end of pipe N is in com-
munication with pipe H, serving to convey the steam formed in the hollow
bars and supports to the boiler or other recipient.
It will be seen by this arrangement that all the parts in contact with the
fire transmit the heat received to the water of the boiler, which is thus trans-
formed into steam. The pipe for feeding the bars and its supports may also
be supplied with water inside the boiler at back and above the furnace, without
passing to the front. The brickwork or plate iron for deflecting the greatest
possible amount of flame against the sides of the boiler as represented at L.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Clark, 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 IN FURNACES
AND BOILERS FOR THE BETTER COMBUSTION OF SMOKE AND GENERATION OF STEAM,"
a com" to me from abroad by Jean Baptiste Miguet, Dyer, and Pierre
Boisselier, Coppersmith, both of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon the

page_text: condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Clark, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of thesaid Invention, and in what manner the sameis to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
In the construction of boilers for heating liquids, and especially of steam
generators, although much has latterly been effected, the complete combustion
of the smoke has never yet been attained.
This Invention has for object to secure this result by a special arrangement
of the furnace and fire-bars conducing forcibly to the complete combustion of
the smoke, and that by the aid of known physical law3.
The improvement consists in reversing the ordinary mode of producing
combustion bycreating a draught under the bars through which the flameand
heated gasespass,andintroducingtheair necessary forthe combustionabovethe
fuel, through which it penetrates and mixes with the gases of distillation,and
also with the particles of carbon in suspension, which togetherwith the gases
form the smoke. The gases and carbon or smoke, in order to pass beneath
the bars,necessarily traverse the incandescent surface of the coal, where they
are burnt in the completest manner possible; the necessary conditions for
producing perfect combustion being united, viz., an intimate mixture of the
body to be consumed with the necessary amount of air and an elevated
temperature.
The improved furnace for obtaining this result is furnished with a fire open
to the atmosphere, and having a draught through the bars only; the ash-pit
is closed, but communicates with the draught; the fire-bars are also hollow to
permit of the circulation of the liquid to be heated, and prevent injury to the
metal by heat.
The annexed Drawing represents the application of this Invention to a
steam generator or boiler known as an interior furnace boiler.
Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal central section of a boiler furnished with a
furnace on this improved system, while Fig. 2 shows a horizontal section of
same. The letters apply to both Figures.
A,cylindrical body of the boiler, having an improved furnace on thissystem,

page_text: although the Invention may also be applied to all kinds of tubular and other
boilers, the forms and arrangements being varied according to the particular
circumstances of each case; B, hollow fire-bars formed of tubes, b, b, con-
nected at their ends by two chambers; the one C in front of the furnace doors,
and the other D, at the back, formed of sheet iron of sufficient strength for
carrying the brickwork or fire-bridge E, which closes the communication
between the furnaces and the flues; C, box or case receiving the front end of
the fire-bars; D, similar case communicating with the back ends of same;
E, refractory bricks closing the direct communication between the furnace
and the chimney; this may also be replaced by a sheet-iron case with or
without circulation of water; G, tube fitted in front of the boiler at the level
of the liquid, and communicating with case D; said tube passes through
case C, and is furnished with a stop-cock g; H, tube in communication with
case C above the level of the liquid, also furnished with a stop-cock h. The
steam produced in the tubes passes into case C, and thence by pipe H to the
boiler, being replaced by liquid, which regaius its level and flows into case D,
and thence into the tubular fire-bars, which are thus kept constantly filled
with water. I, fuel; J, door for the introduction of fuel and air necessary
for combustion, the supply of which is regulated by a suitable obturator; K,
ash-pit door, affording access for cleaning the flues. The ash-pit door K being
closed, the air enters by door J passing through the fuel, causing the gases to
beslowly distilled, and which are consumed in passing through the incandescent
coal in contact with the bars below which the flame passes. When the grate
is of great length it may be supported by means of hollow water tubes N, at
one end of which is fitted a pipe M communicating with G, serving to supply
the hollow fire-bars, as also the hollow tube supports N; the other end of
pipes Nis in communication with pipe H, serving to convey the steam formed
in the hollow bars and supports to the boiler or other recipient.
It will be seen by this arrangement, that all the parts in contact with the
fire transmit the heat received to the water of the boiler, which is thus
transformed into steam. The pipe for feeding the bars and its supports may
also be supplied with water inside the boiler at back and above the furnace
without passing to the front. The brickwork or sheet iron for deflecting the
greatest possible amount of flame against the sides of the boiler, is represented
at L.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of perform-
ing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the improved furnaces
having a downdraught, and furnished with hollow fire-bars and supports, as

page_text: also in the method of deflecting the heat,all as herein-before described, which
improved furnaces are applicable to all kinds of boilers and generators.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of our
Lord-One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)