IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES APPLI- CABLE TO THE HEATING OF GAS RETORTS OR FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Fairlie Wilson and
Thomas Douglas at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th
March 1878.
ALEXANDER FAIRLIE WILSON, of 34, St. George's Road, Southwark, in the
County of Surrey, and THOMAS DOUGLAS, of Cross House, Aldershot, in the County
of Hants, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES APPLI-
CABLE TO THE HEATING OF GAS RETORTS OR FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
A furnace for the combustion of coke or coke breeze, or a mixture of both, of
the kind common to gas works, is deepened as far as is applicable, consistent with
the proper clearance of the ash pan, and with due facility in removing the furnace
bars, and is fitted with furnace bars set much closer than is usual, the object being
to obtain a considerable depth of fuel, and to burn this fuel in a slow manner, so
as only to produce as the product of combustion in the body of the furnace a more
or less impure carbonic oxide (CO), while at the top of the fuel upon each side of
the furnace an air chamber is built communicating with the external atmosphere
and with the interior of the furnace, which chamber or chambers conveys or convey
air for the complete combustion of said carbonic oxide and its conversion into
carbonic oxide gas (C O²), thus combining an economical consumption of fuel with
the production of intense heat in the position where this heat is most advantageous
for heating the retorts, and also least destructive to the lower parts of the furnace
walls, whence the arches which support the setting are sprung.
These improvements will be readily understood by reference to the annexed
Drawings, wherein Fig. 1 represents a front elevation shewing a setting of gas
retorts with the furnace front and doors; Fig. 2, a transverse section; and
Fig. 3, longitudinal section shewing the wedge shape of the furnace and the
positions of the air conduits.
The front of the furnace is fitted with two doors, one over the other, as shewn on
Drawing, Fig. 1, separate from and opening and closing independently with each
other. These doors may be hung upon a frame so made as to support both; or
they may each have a separate frame connected together, the object being to have

page_text: an upper door to feed the furnace with fuel, and an under one to open in order to
clinker the bars or clean it out by.
The furnace is built with a slight slope or batter inwards at the sides resembling
the section of a frustrum of a cone, the objects being, 1st, to bring the air passages
as near as possible to the centre of the body of effluent furnace gases; and 2nd, to
facilitate the drop of partially consumed fuel and ultimate clearance and cleansing
of the furnace.
The air chambers at A, Fig. 1, are fitted with doors to check or entirely stop the
draught of air by these apertures when necessary to do so.
Protection is claimed for the application of air conduits in the position and
manner as shewn at A and B, B, of the Drawings for the special and novel arrange-
ment of two furnace doors to each furnace, as shewn at D, D, Fig. 1, and for the
wedge shape mode of construction of the furnace, as shewn at E, Fig. 3.
Also for the construction of the furnace. as a whole in regard generally to the
objects of said mode of construction, specified to its adaptability to existing forms
of beds or settings of gas retorts in so far as such may embrace any special novelty
of form or arrangement not already protected, all in reference to coke or coke
breeze consuming furnaces.
Protection is also claimed for the wedge shaped mode of construction of furnace,
as shewn at E, Fig. 3, and for the arrangement of two doors to rack furnace,
as shewn at D, D, Fig. 1, with reference to the coal consuming furnaces,
either in gas works or otherwise, in so far as such may embrace any novelty of
form or arrangement not already protected.