Improvements in Means for Facilitating the Consumption of Smoke in the Furnaces of Steam-boilers.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 18th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 31st Dec., 1392
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Facilitating the Consumption of Smoke
in the Furnaces of Steam-boilers.
I, STEPHEN BROOKS of Dean Cliff Kirkburton near Huddersfield in the
County of York, Commercial Traveller dos hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
of
My invention consists in means for facilitating the consumption of smoke in the
furnaces of steam-boilers and consists more particularly in means by which I am
enabled to ensure that the smoke and combustible gases from the fuel in the
furnaces of steam-boilers shall before or when leaving such furnaces be so heated
that they will be prevented from escaping unconsumed from the furnaces and be
caused to assist in imparting heat to the water to be heated by the said furnaces.
According to my invention I arrange upon the back part of the grate of each
furnace to which my invention is applied or behind such grate a fire of coke or
other fuel which readily becomes incandescent and I provide a tube or hopper by
means of which coke or other fuel to maintain the said fire may be supplied. The
grate bars or other support upon which the fire aforesaid is supported may be
continuous with or separate from the other grate bars of the furnace and a partition
any suitable material and construction may be provided in order that the said
fire may be kept in position and prevented from falling into the space in which is
the ordinary fire by which the steam-boiler is heated. Air for the combustion of
the coke or other fuel of which the fire provided in accordance with my invention
is formed, may pass between or through the grate bars or other support of such fire
or may be supplied in any other suitable manner. The fire provided in accordance
with my invention will when the fuel of which it is composed is incandescent so
heat the gases, vapours and smoke which pass over or through it that they will
become ignited and consumed and if it be desirable special provision may be made
for the supply in any suitable manner of air to assist in the combustion of the said
gases and smoke. The tube or hopper by means of which fuel to maintain the fire
provided in accordance with my invention may be supplied is arranged in any
suitable position which will render it easy to pass the fuel through it, for instance
such tube or hopper may be made in the form of a tube rivetted or otherwise
secured to the upper part of the flue in which is the furnace to which my invention
is applied, and also rivetted or otherwise secured to the outer shell of such boiler,
holes being formed through the flue and the shell of the boiler to correspond with
the interior of the said tube so that coke or other fuel passed into the outer end of
such tube will pass on to the fire provided in accordance with my invention. The
said tube or hopper may also serve for the supply of air to assist in the combustion
of the smoke, vapours or gases heated by means of the fire provided in accordance
with my invention. The fire provided in accordance with my invention being
practically always in a state of incandescence is always capable of heating the smoke,
vapours or gases passing to it from the fuel in the furnace of the steam-boiler and
by assisting in the complete combustion of such smoke, vapours or gases enables the
fuel consumed in the said furnace to be very fully utilized and causes the gases
passing into the flue of the steam-boiler to be more highly heated than would
otherwise be the case. The fire provided in accordance with my invention also
serves to impart heat to the contents of the steam-boiler apart from the effect which

page_text: it produces by increasing the useful effect obtained from the fuel consumed on the
ordinary grate of the furnace.
Dated this Seventeenth day of February 1892.
HOWARD
CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Facilitating the Consumption of Smoke
in the Furnaces of Steam-boilers.
I, STEPHEN BROOKS, of Dean Cliff, Kirkburton, near Huddersfield in the
County of York, Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention consists in means for facilitating the consumption of smoke in the
furnaces of steam-boilers and consists more particularly in means by which I am
enabled to ensure that the smoke and combustible gases from the fuel in the
furnaces of steam-boilers shall before or when leaving such furnaces be so heated
that they will be prevented from escaping unconsumed from the furnaces and be
caused to assist in imparting heat to the water to be heated by the said furnaces.
According to my invention I arrange upon the back part of the grate of each
furnace to which my invention is applied or behind such grate a fire of coke or
other fuel which readily becomes incandescent and I provide a tube or hopper by
means of which coke or other fuel to maintain the said fire may be supplied. The
grate-bars or other support upon which the fire aforesaid is supported may be con-
tinuous with or separate from the other grate-bars of the furnace and a partition
of any suitable material and construction may be provided in order that the said
fire may be kept in position and prevented from falling into the space in which is
the ordinary fire by which the steam-boiler is heated. Air for the combustion of
the coke or other fuel of which the fire provided in accordance with my invention
is formed may pass between or through the grate-bars or other support of such
fire or may be supplied in any other suitable manner. The fire provided in
accordance with my invention will when the fuel of which it is composed is
incandescent so heat the gases, vapours and smoke which pass over or through
it that they will become ignited and consumed and special provision is made for
the supply of air to assist in the combustion of the said gases and smoke. The
tube or hopper by means of which fuel to maintain the fire provided in accordance
with my invention may be supplied is arranged in any suitable position which will
render it easy to pass the fuel through it for instance such tube or hopper may be
made in the form of a tube rivetted or otherwise secured to the upper part of the
flue in which is the furnace to which my invention is applied, and also rivetted or
otherwise secured to the outer shell of such boiler, holes being formed through
the flue and the shell of the boiler to correspond with the interior of the said tube
so that coke or other fuel passed into the outer end of such tube will pass on to
the fire provided in accordance with my invention. The said tube or hopper also
serves for the supply of air to assist in the combustion of the smoke, vapours or
gases heated by means of the fire provided in accordance with my invention. The
fire provided in accordance with my invention being practically always in a state
of incandescence is always capable of heating the smoke, vapours or gases passing
to it from the fuel in the furnace of the steam-boiler and by assisting in the
complete combustion of such smoke, vapours or gases enables the fuel consumed in
the said furnace to be very fully utilized and causes the gases passing into the flue
of the steam-boiler to be more highly heated than would otherwise be the case.
The fire provided in accordance with my invention also serves to impart heat to
the contents of the steam-boiler apart from the effect which it produces by

page_text: increasing the useful effect obtained from the fuel consumed on the ordinary grate
of the furnace.
One method of carrying my invention into effect is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of
the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 being a transverse section of a steam-boiler to.
each of the furnaces of which my invention is applied, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal
section of a portion of the said steam-boiler taken on the plane indicated by the
line (A, A) of Fig. 1. The line (B, B) indicates the plane on which the transverse
section shown in Fig. 1 is taken.
In each of the furnaces (a) (a) of the steam-boiler illustrated in the accom-
panying drawing, (b) (b) are the grate-bars, on which the fire employed to heat
the steam-boiler and generate steam in the ordinary manner is placed and (c) are
the grate-bars on which according to my invention is placed a fire of coke or other
fuel which readily becomes incandescent. In the case of the steam-boiler
illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the surface (c) of the grate-bars (c) on
which the fire of coke or other fuel provided according to my invention is supported,
is continuous with the surface (6) of the grate-bars (b), (6) by which the fire
employed in the ordmary manner is supported. In conjunction with the grate-
bars (), I employ a tube or hopper (d) which at its lower end (d¹) is secured to
the flue (e) in which is the furnace (a) to which it is applied, and is at its upper
end (2) secured to the shell (/) of the steam-boiler. It is obvious that the
joints between the said tube or hopper (d) and the flue (e) and the shell (f)
of the steam-boiler to which it is secured must be made steam-tight and
be suitable for the situations in which they are formed as will be well under-
stood by persons conversant with the construction of steam-boilers.
upper end each tube or hopper (d) is provided with a tapering enlargement (³)
into which the attendant in charge of the steam-boiler places the coke or other fuel
which will readily become incandescent to be supplied to the grate-bars (c) of the
furnace to which the tube or hopper (d) is applied in accordance with invention.
Each of the tubes or hoppers (d) is provided with a lid or cover (d) which is
preferably perforated and provided with a perforated plate capable of being turned
so that the perforations in the lid or cover (d) may be closed more or less as may
be necessary or desirable or any equivalent means for regulating the passage of air
through the tubes or hoppers as may be required. Each of the tubes or hoppers (d)
is tapered so as to be of larger diameter towards its lower end in order that the
coke or other fuel passed into the upper end of such tube or hopper (d) may readily
pass to the grate-bars (c).
my
At its
upon
The air necessary to support the combustion of the coke or other fuel the
grate-bars (c) passes to such fuel from beneath the grate-bars (c) although
obviously the air supplied by means of the tubes or hoppers (d) (d) may also aid
in effecting the complete combustion of the said coke or other fuel upon the
grate-bars (c).
When a steam-boiler such as is illustrated in the accompanying drawing is in use
the ordinary fire to be employed in heating the steam-boiler and generating steam
is placed upon the grate-bars (b) (b) of the furnaces (a) of such steam-boiler and
coke or other fuel which readily becomes incandescent, is passed down the tubes or
hoppers (d) to the grate-bars (c) of each of such furnaces (a) (a). The coke or
other fuel upon the grate-bars (c) rapidly becomes incandescent and serves to
impart heat to the smoke and combustible gases from the fuel upon the grate-
bars (b) of the said furnaces (a) (a) and air is allowed to enter the flues of the
steam-boiler by means of the tubes or hoppers (d) so that the oxygen of such air
may combine with the said smoke and combustible gases when they are heated by
the incandescent coke or other fuel upon the grate-bars (c) and thus the smoke and
combustible gases from the fuel upon the grate-bars () () will be caused to be
consumed and caused to impart heat to the steam-boiler instead of escaping
unconsumed from the furnaces as in steam-boilers as hitherto ordinarily arranged.
The attendant in charge of the steam-boiler besides replenishing the fuel upon the
grate-bars (b) of the furnaces (a) (a), from time to time supplies more coke or

page_text: other fuel which readily becomes incandescent to the fire upon the grate-bars (c) (c)
by means of the tubes or hoppers (d) (d) and whenever it may be necessary or
desirable to do so, by means of the lids or covers (d) applied to the tubes or
hoppers (d) (d) or the other means which are provided for the purpose, regulates
the quantity of air allowed to pass through the tubes or hoppers (d) (d). The
attendant in charge of the boiler in pushing back the fuel on the grate-bars (b) (b)
in the direction indicated by the arrow (C) pushes the coke or other fuel
upon the
grate-bars (c) (c) in the same direction so that it is not necessary to give any
specially marked degree of attention to the fire of coke or other fuel upon the
grate-bars (c) (c). If it be considered advisable for any reason to prevent the coke
or other fuel which readily becomes incandescent placed upon the grate-bars (c) (c)
of each of the furnaces (a) (a) from becoming mixed with any of the fuel upon the
grate-bars (b) (b) of such furnaces (a) (a) any suitable arrangement of partitions
may be employed in order that the fire of coke or other fuel which readily becomes
incandescent placed upon the grate-bars (c) (c) of each furnace (a) (a) may be
confined to such grate-bars (c) (c). In cases in which it may be considered
desirable I place a baffle-plate (g) behind each of the tubes or hoppers (d) (d) in
the manner indicated in the accompanying drawing in order that the smoke and
combustible gases from the fuel upon the grate-bars (b) (b) and the air by which
such smoke and gases are intended to be consumed may be caused to pass as near
as possible to and be heated as much as possible by the fire of incandescent coke or
fuel provided in accordance with my invention upon the grate-bars (c) in order
that the combustion of the said smoke and combustible gases may be ensured and
rendered as efficient as possible in imparting heat to the steam-boiler.
It is obvious that the tubes or hoppers (d) (d) may instead of being placed in
vertical positions be placed in inclined or other positions in cases in which the
placing of such tubes or hoppers in such positions may be more convenient for the
supply of coke or other fuel which readily becomes incandescent to the fire upon
the grate-bars (e) (c) of each furnace, but the tubes or hoppers (d) (d) must always
be so placed that the coke or other fuel which readily becomes incandescent will
readily pass through such tubes or hoppers (d) (d) to the fire upon the grate-
bars (c). It is also obvious that my invention may be used in conjunction with
any arrangement of furnace used in steam-boilers and in steam-boiler furnaces
provided with fire-bars of any kind or mechanical stokers of any description.
Although I have in the accompanying drawing shown my invention as applied
to a "double flued" steam-boiler my invention is also applicable to "single-flued
steam boilers and to steam-boilers each of which has more than two flues.
"
The application of my invention to the furnace or furnaces of a steam-boiler
ensures that the smoke and combustible gases from the fuel ordinarily used in such
furnace or furnaces shall be completely burned as the fire or fires provided in
accordance with my invention at the back part or parts of such furnace or furnaces
being practically always in an incandescent condition will always be able to heat
such smoke and combustible gases to a temperature at which they will combine
with the oxygen of the air admitted for the purpose of consuming such smoke and
other gases. The application of my invention to the furnace or furnaces of a
steam boiler thus ensures that the fuel employed shall be used as efficiently as
possible and further by reason of the direct heating effect of the fire or fires of coke
or other fuel which readily becomes incandescent employed according to my invention
also causes a further increase in the quantity of steam produced by the steam-boiler
to which my invention is applied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. For use in the furnace or furnaces of a steam-boiler for the purposes above
described the hereinbefore described arrangement of a fire of ccke or other fuel
which readily becomes incandescent, arranged at the back part of the furnace or

page_text: each of the furnaces of a steam-boiler and a tube or hopper such as (d) serving for
the supply to such fire of the coke or other fuel which readily becomes incandescent
and for the supply of air to support or aid in the combustion of the smoke and
combustible gases from the ordinary fuel employed in the said furnace or furnaces
when such smoke and combustible gases are heated by means of the aforesaid fire
of coke or other fuel which readily becomes incandescent which is arranged at the
back part of such furnace or each of such furnaces.
2. For use in conjunction with a fire of coke or other fuel which readily becomes
incandescent, arranged at the back part of the furnace or each of the furnaces of
a steam-boiler, a tube or hopper (d) such as is hereinbefore described employed for
the purpose of enabling coke or other fuel which readily becomes incandescent to
be supplied to the fire arranged at the back part of the furnace or each of the
furnaces of a steam-boiler and for the admission of air to support or aid in the
combustion of the smoke and combustible gases from the ordinary fuel employed in
the furnace or furnaces of the said steam-boiler when such smoke and combustible
gases are heated by means of the fire of coke or other fuel, which readily
becomes incandescent, arranged at the back part of such furnace or each of such
furnaces.
Dated this Seventeenth day of November 1892.
HOWARD
CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicant.