A NEW OR IMPROVED MEANS OR METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL AND FOR THE UTILIZATION. OF THE GASES ARISING THEREPROM
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Carter Ramsden, of Lightcliffe, in the
Parish of Halifax, in the County of York, Silk Manufacturer, for
the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED MEANS OR METHOD OF AND
APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL AND FOR THE UTILIZATION.
OF THE GASES ARISING THEREPROM."
Sealed the 4th March 1873, and dated the 6th September 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Carter Ramsden
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th September 1872.
I, JOHN CARTER RAMSDEN, of Lightcliffe, in the Parish of Halifax,
in the County of York, Silk Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MEANS OR METHOD OF AND
APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL AND FOR THE UTILIZATION OF
THE GASES ARISING THEREPROM," to be as follows:-
:-
The object of this Invention is to secure more complete combustion
of fuel to utilize (or decompose) the gases arising therefrom, and to

page_text: dispense with (or greatly curtail) the use of chimney flues, smoke flues,
and shafts; this I effect as follows:-Connected to the back or end of
the boiler flue or flues is a pipe or pipes communicating with an exhaust
fan, the discharge pipe from the fan terminates within an air-tight
receiver," from which receiver extends a second pipe connected with
the front of the boiler flue, and so complete circulation of the gases is
secured. Near to and communicating with the fan is an air pipe and
dampers for purpose herein-after described.
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The operating is effected as follows:-On fuel being supplied to the
furnace by hopper or other means, and motion imparted to the fan,
the atmospheric air contained in the flue or flues of the boiler will be
exhausted and discharged to the receiver, and from thence by way of
the second pipe, herein referred to, and leading to the front of the
furnace caused to circulate, carrying the heated gases therewith, so long
as available, when the dampers of the air pipe above mentioned will be
opened for a further supply of atmospheric air. Connected to the lower
portion of the receiver is a third pipe and valve for conveying the gases
therefrom to a second receiver containing sewage matter; the furnace
gases mingle with the sewage gases producing a combustible which
may be stored within a gasometer to be employed for heating or
illuminating purposes, or the furnace gas on reaching this or a similar
receiver may be decomposed.
gas
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Carter Ramsden in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 6th March 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CARTER RAMSDEN, of Lightcliffe, in the Parish of Halifax, in the
County of York, Silk Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Sixth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Carter Ramsden, Her special licence,

page_text: that I, the said John Carter Ramsden, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Carter Ramsden, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should in 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED MEANS
OR METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL AND FOR
THE UTILIZATION OF THE GASES ARISING THEREFROM," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Carter Ramsden, 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 John Carter Ramsden, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that
is to say:
The object of this Invention is to secure the more complete combustion
of fuel, to utilize (or decompose) the gases arising therefrom, and to
dispense with (or greatly curtail) the use of chimney flues, smoke flucs,
and shafts. This I effect as follows:-Connected to the back or end of
the boiler flue or flues is a pipe or pipes communicating with an exhaust
fan; the discharge, pipe from the fan terminates within an air-tight
"receiver," from which receiver extends a second pipe connected with
the front of the boiler flue, and so complete circulation of the gases is
secured. Near to and communicating.with the fan is an air pipe and
dampers for purpose herein-after described.
The operating is effected as follows:-On fuel being supplied to the
furnace by hopper or other means, and motion imparted to the fan, the
atmospheric air contained in the flue or flues of the boiler will be ex-
hausted and discharged to the receiver and from thence by way of the
second pipe herein referred to, and leading to the front of the furnace,

page_text: caused to circulate, carrying the heated gases therewith so long as avail-
able, when the dampers of the air pipe above mentioned will be opened
for a further supply of atmospheric air. Connected to the lower portion
of the receiver is a third pipe and valve for conveying the gases there-
from to a second receiver containing sewerage matter; the furnace gases
mingle with the sewerage gases producing a combustible gas which may
be stored within a gasometer to be employed for heating or illuminating
purposes, or the furnace gas on reaching this or a similar receiver may
be decomposed.
Such being the nature and object of this my said Invention I will now
proceed to describe the same in detail, and in order that the same may
be clearly understood I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings,
and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference, the
same letter referring to the same part in the various views or Figures, in
which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a boiler with my improved
apparatus applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same;
Fig. 3 is a plan view; and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the mechanism for
actuating the various valves or dampers employed.
My said Invention (as above referred to) relates to a new or improved
means or method of and apparatus for securing the combustion of fuel
and for the utilization of the gases arising therefrom. The fuel used by me
in this my said Invention consists of water in a state of steam or vapour
and that class of oils or volatile hydrocarbons of which paraffin and
petroleum are a type when in the liquid state. Of these substances I
use two or more conjointly, and I supply them to the furnace by the
hopper A or other suitable means. When using the hopper I divide it
into a number of chambers or compartments in accordance with the fuel
I am about to use.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have shewn and described the
said hopper as being divided into three chambers or compartments.
Chamber No. 1 is for solid fuel in a state of minute division, and have
shewn in the said Drawings a blast pipe B for blowing the same from
the plate C into the furnace when it is thought advisable or desirable to
use such fuel, but I wish it to be distinctly understood that the solid
fuel shewn in chamber or compartment No. 1 of the said hopper is not
a positive necessity for producing the requisite amount of heat, and it

page_text: can be used or not as found desirable. The great heat obtained by this
method or process will emanate from the union and combustion of the
two liquid fuels, namely, water in a state of steam or vapour, and some
or one of the volatile hydrocarbons. Chamber No. 2 is for the oil or
liquid hydrocarbon, and chamber No. 3 is for the water in a state of
steam or vapour.
It will be observed that in the lower part of chamber No. 1 there
are a pair of rollers applied as usual to coal hoppers, which are caused
to revolve by suitable mechanism. These rollers are for the purpose
(when used) of delivering the fuel contained in that compartment in the
state required, and which falls on to the plate C, there placed to receive
it, and is propelled forwards into the furnace by the blast from the air
and liquid fuel pipes B and E. At the lower part of the chambers or
compartments Nos. 2 and 3 are a series of pipes D and E already
referred to. These pipes are for the purpose of allowing the fuel con-
tained therein to descend as required, and they have valves or taps
affixed to regulate the flow. The ends of these said pipes which convey
the liquid fuel ready to be ignited are turned towards the mouth of the
furnace, and the orifices (of which there are a number) are made very
minute, so that the liquids are delivered and intermixed in the form of
a spray which the more readily ensures their perfect combustion, and the
force with which the steam or vapour is ejected from the said pipes E
will be found sufficient to carry with it into the furnace the liquid
hydrocarbon from the pipes D, and it can also be assisted by the blast
from the air pipes B. Connected to the back or end of the boiler flue
or flues is a pipe F communicating with an exhaust fan G; the discharge
pipe from the fan terminates within an air-tight receiver H, from which
receiver extends the pipe B connected with the front of the boiler flue
or furnace, as shewn; near to and communicating with the fan is an
air pipe J.
The admission of air and furnace gases into the air-tight receiver H is
regulated by dampers or doors K and K¹, which can be operated by
hand or what is preferable by the self-acting mechanism shewn at Fig. 4,
consisting of a segment arm L operated by means of the cam groove cut
in the boss placed on the shaft L', and which said shaft receives motion
from the gear wheels L³, which may by means of interchange wheels be
regulated to operate the dampers at such times as required; K* is a

page_text: valve or damper for discharge of a portion of furnace gases during the
time the fan G is supplying the chamber H with atmospheric air and
furnace gases. On motion being imparted to the fan the atmospheric
air contained in the flue or flues of the boiler will be exhausted and
discharged into the receiver H; and this can be continued for a sufficient
length of time until there is a considerable pressure within the said
receiver. To accomplish this the fan will or may draw air down the air
pipe J as well as from the flues when sufficient pressure has been
obtained within the air-tight receiver H to cause a blast, then the tap or
valve in the pipe B which conveys the said air and gases to the front of
the furnace is opened, and as well the taps or valves in the pipes D
and E which allow the liquid fuel to descend are opened and a light
applied, the result of which will be that an intense heat is generated by
reason of the joint combustion of the water and the liquid hydrocarbons
along with the oxygen and other gases supplied from the air-tight
chamber H. Atmospheric air is not allowed to pass into the furnace
ad libitum; what is requisite for combustion is supplied from the air-
tight chamber H. To the lower portion of this said chamber is a third
pipe M and valve, by means of which a portion of the gases can be con-
veyed (when found advisable or convenient to do so) to a second receiver
containing sewerage matter, the furnace gases will mingle with the
sewerage gases, and they either be stored within a gasometer or conveyed
direct to a furnace to be used in manner as before described.
When first proceeding to put this Invention in practice the steam
required for combustion will be supplied from a small closed vessel
(heated by means of portable bellows), and having pipes thereto for
discharge of steam to the flues or from other available source.
Having now fully explained and described the means or method of
and apparatus for securing the combustion of fuel, and the utilization of
the gases, I would have it understood that I am fully aware it has been
before proposed to burn liquid and volatile hydrocarbons as fuel, and it
has also been proposed to inject or blow them into the furnace by means
of a fan and hot air. It has likewise been proposed to withdraw the
furnace gases by means of a fan, and return them to the fire to be
reburnt; therefore I wish it to be distinctly understood that I lay no
claim to any of these things per se, but what I do claim as this my said
Invention is, the new and improved means or method of and apparatus

page_text: for securing the combustion of fuel, and for the utilization of the gases
arising therefrom, as herein described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Carter Ramsden, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
JOHN CARTER RAMSDEN. (L.S.)
Witness,
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Tasker & Brierley,
Patent Agents,
Halifax, Bradford, & Blackburn.