IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILER, SALT PAN, AND OTHER FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES FOR THE BETTER COMBUSTION OF FUEL
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herman Eugene Falk, of Meadow Bank, Winsford,
in the County of Chester, and of Liverpool, in the County Palatine of
Lancaster, Salt Proprietor, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM BOILER, SALT PAN, AND OTHER FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES FOR THE
BETTER COMBUSTION OF FUEL."
Sealed the 26th April 1867, and dated the 7th February 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herman Eugene Falk
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th February 1867.
I, HERMAN EUGENE FALK, of Meadow Bank, Winsford, in the County of
Chester, and of Liverpool, in the County Palatine of Lancaster, Salt Pro-
prietor, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM BOILER, SALT PAN, AND OTHER FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES FOR THE
BETTER COMBUSTION OF FUEL," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in steam boiler, salt pan,
and other furnaces or fire-places for the better combustion of fuel. I erect a
furnace of bricks or fire-clay lumps in the ordinary manner, according to the
size of the boiler or evaporating vessel; I divide or separate the front part
of such furnace from the flue thereof by means of a wall or partition; I sink
the fire-bars more or less below the dead plate (according to the size of fire
required), thus leaving space for the introduction of air to mix with the
products of combustion, and thus convert the same into inflammable gas. In

page_text: the immediate vicinity of the fire-door I form an aperture or flue in the jamb
or side of the furnace or fire-place, at right angles to the fire-door near the
front of the furnace or fire-place, and by the means above mentioned the
products of combustion from the fuel become superheated, and at once pass
through or along the said aperture or flue at the side front of the furnace into
a flue or duct which communicates with another chamber, also constructed of
fire and or common bricks or fire-clay lumps. In the passage through this
chamber or duct of the products of combustion mixed with the necessary air
the temperature thereof is increased, and nearly all the gases and substances
ordinarily constituting black smoke are thereby converted into inflammable
gas, which is led or conducted out of the last-mentioned chamber or duct
under or at the back of the boiler or other vessel to be heated, where its
caloric is entirely absorbed and utilized.
In the boiler furnaces constructed according to my Invention, the sides of the
hot-air chamber above described constitute the sustaining walls for the boiler.
The arrangement of the sustaining walls for salt pans differs considerably
from that ordinarily adopted, as no flues are formed, pillars constructed of
brick being substituted for the sustaining walls usually employed, and the
heated products of combustion being allowed to freely expand among the
pillars.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Herman Eugene Falk in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HERMAN
EUGENE FALK, of Meadow Bank, Winsford, in the County of Chester, and s
of Liverpool, in the County Palatine of Lancester, Salt Proprietor, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing.date the Seventh day of February, in, the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Herman Eugene Falk, Her special license that I, the said, Herman
Eugene Falk, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Herman Eugene Falk, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times

page_text: IMPROVE-
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
MENTS IN STEAM BOILER, SALT PAN, AND OTHER FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES FOR THE
BETTER COMBUSTION OF FUEL," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Herman Eugene Falk, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly 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 Herman Eugene Falk, 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:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in steam boiler, salt pan,
and other furnaces or fire-places for the better combustion of fuel. I erect
a furnace of bricks, fire-clay lumps, or otherwise, in the ordinary manner
according to the size of the boiler or evaporating vessel, and divide or separate
the front part of such furnace from the main flue by means of a wall or
partition. I sink the fire-bars more or less below the dead plate (according to
the size of fire required), thus leaving space for the introduction of air to mix
with the products of combustion, and thus convert the same into inflammable
gas. In the immediate vicinity of the fire-door I form an aperture in the
jamb or jambs at one or both sides of the furnace or fire-place, by preference
at right angles to the fire-door near the front of the furnace or fire-place, the
result being that the products of combustion from the fuel at the back part of
the grate become superheated, and the whole of the products becoming mixed
then pass through the said aperture or apertures at the front part of the side
or sides of the furnace into a flue or duct which communicates with another
chamber constructed of bricks, fire-clay lumps, or otherwise.
In the passage
of the products of combustion mixed with the necessary air through the aper-
tures into and along the flues, ducts, or chambers before mentioned, nearly all
the gases and substances ordinarily constituting black smoke are converted
into inflammable gas, which is led or conducted out of the last-mentioned
chamber or duct into the main flue under or at the back part of the boiler or
other vessel to be heated, where its caloric is entirely absorbed and utilized.
In the boiler furnaces constructed according to my Invention the sides of
the hot-air chamber above described constitute the sustaining walls for the

page_text: boiler. The arrangement of the sustaining walls for salt pans differs consider-
ably from that ordinarily adopted, as no flues are formed, pillars constructed
of brick being substituted for the sustaining walls usually employed, and the
heated products of combustion being allowed to freely expand among the
pillars:
The manner in which my said Invention may be conveniently carried into
effect will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying Sheets of
Drawings, and the following description of the same. Similar letters of
reference apply to equivalent parts in all the views.
Fig. 1 (Sheet 1) is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 a sectional plan through
the line A, B, of Fig. 1, shewing my improvements as applied to an externally
fired boiler.
a is the brickwork or setting of the boiler; b, the furnace or fire-place ;
b', the ash-pit; c, the main flue; d, the wall or partition dividing or separating
the furnace or fire-place 6 from the main flue c; e, the fire-bars or grate sunk
below the dead plate, and thus leaving a space f as seen in Fig. 1 for the
introduction of air to mix with the products of combustion; 9 is the fire-
door; h, an aperture in each jamb or side of the furnace or fire-place at right
angles to the fire-door as shewn; i, a flue or duct at each side leading from the
apertures has shewn; k, a chamber at each side leading from the flues or ducts
i to the main flue under the back part of the boiler; 7 are pillars serving as
additional supports for the boiler m. The products of combustion from the
more backward portion of the fire-bars or grate e, in passing over the forward
part or portion of the fire, are superheated, and the whole of the products
mixed with air, then pass through the apertures h into the short flues or
ducts, the admixture of the products of combustion with the air admitted
through the air space f being thoroughly effected in such manner that they pass
through or along the chambers k in the form or condition of inflammable gas,
which proceeds as indicated by the arrows into the main flue or chamber c,
under the back part or portion of the boiler, where its caloric is entirely
absorbed and utilized as berein-before explained.
Fig. 3 (Sheet 2) is a front elevation; Fig. 4, a cross section (through the
line E, F, of Fig. 6); Fig. 5, a sectional plan through the line A, B, of Fig. 3,
and Fig. 6 a sectional plan through the line C, D, of Fig. 4, shewing my im-
provements as applied to an internally fired or borizontal tubular boiler. b, is the
furnace or fire-place; b', the ash-pit; c, the main flue; d, the wall or partition
dividing or separating the furnace or fire-place 6 from the main flue c; e, the
fire-bars or grate; f, air space above the fire-bars; g, the fire-door; h, the
apertures in sides of the furnace or fire-place; i, flues or ducts from apertures

page_text: h; k, chambers communicating at one end with the flues or ducts i, and at the
other with the main flue c; m represents the main body or shell of the boiler.
In this case the products of combustion, after being superheated, mixed
together, and with air, and converted into inflammable gas as previously
explained are consumed, and their caloric is utilized in the side flues or
ducts and main flue c, the chamber c¹, and the small return flues c² of the
boiler.
Fig. 7 (Sheet 3) is a front elevation, and Fig. 8 a sectional plan through
the line A, B, of Fig. 7, illustrative of an arrangement of my improvements
as applied to a salt pan, the two furnaces or fire-places 6, in this case being
each provided with an aperture h and flue or duct i at one side, both such flues
or ducts i communicating with a single central chamber k, from whence the
inflammable gas formed by the products of combustion mixed with air, as
previously explained, passes (as indicated by the arrows) into the main flue or
chamber c freely expanding among the pillars under the salt pan m, where
its caloric is absorbed and utilized. u are walls or divisions for protecting the
side portions of the bottom of the salt pan from the action of the fire where
the salt is collected, as ordinarily practised.
Figs. 9 and 10 (Sheet 4) are respectively a front elevation and sectional
plan (through the line A, B, of Fig. 9), representing another modification of
my improvements as applied to a salt pan, two furnaces being in this case
employed, and both such furnaces having an aperture h and short flue i at each
side, with a separate chamber k leading from each of the outer flues or ducts i,
and one central chamber k from the two inner flues or ducts i to the main
flue or chamber c, into which the inflammable gas is conducted, and where it
expands, and its caloric is absorbed and utilized as already described with
reference to preceding Figures.
Fig. 11 (Sheet 5) is a front elevation, and Fig. 12 a sectional plan through
the line A, B, of the foregoing Figure, shewing another modification of my
improvements as applied to a salt pan. In this case three furnaces or fire-
places b are employed in conjunction, the two outer furnaces or fire-places
being each provided with one aperture h and short flue or duct i, communi-
cating with the respective chambers k, and the central furnace or fire-place
having two apertures h and short flues or ducts i. The inflammable gas
constituted by the products of combustion mixed with air, after leaving the
chambers freely expands among the pillars under the salt pan m, where its
caloric is absorbed and utilized. n are the walls or divisions for protecting the
side portions of the bottom of the salt pan from the action of the fire where
the salt is collected, as explained with reference to Figs. 7 and 8.1

page_text: Figs. 13 and 14 (Sheet 6) are respectively a front elevation, and a sectional
plan, shewing an arrangement of my improvements as applied to a salt pan
in which four furnaces or fire-places b are employed. In this case the furnaces
or fire-places are arranged in two pairs, the products of combustion from the
outer furnace of each pair passing through the inner furnace of the pair,
and being there superheated and mixed or incorporated with the products of
combustion from such inner furnace, from whence the combined products from
the two furnaces issue through the apertures h, and mixing with air are con-
verted into inflammable gas, as already described with reference to previous
modifications, such gas proceeding along the short ducts i into the chamber k,
and from thence into the main flue or chamber c where it expands among the
pillars, and its caloric is absorbed and utilized.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner
the same may be conveniently carried into effect, I would distinctly point out
that I do not confine or limit myself to the precise forms or details herein.
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, such forms or
details being obviously susceptible of various modifications to suit the require-
ments of particular cases without departing from the distinctive features of my
Invention; thus, for instance, although I prefer to conduct the products of
combustion from the backward portion of the fire over the front part or portion
thereof, and thence through apertures into the ducts or flues, it may neverthe-
less, in some cases be found convenient to form the apertures and flues or
ducts in the side or sides of the furnace or fire-place at a point or points
situated at or near the backward end of the fire-place, and such ducts or flues
may communicate with a chamber or passage, or passages formed or divided
into two parts one above the other, in such manner that the heated gases or
products of combustion may be led through the upper part of such chamber
to the front, where they become mixed with air and are thereby converted into
inflammable gas, which may proceed along the under part or portion of the
chamber or passage before referred to, and be thereby conducted to the main
flue or chamber under the boiler or salt pan, thus attaining a substantially
similar result to that already described with reference to preceding arrange-
ments. I would likewise remark that where found convenient or desirable, as
in the cases of marine or internally fired boilers or other evaporating vessels,
water casings may be substituted for brickwork in the construction of the
furnaces or fire-places and flues; it may also be observed that in lieu of
sinking the fire-bars below the level of the dead plate for the purpose of forming
an opening for the passage of air to mix with the products of combustion, a
substantially similar result may be obtained by the employment of holes or

page_text: apertures in the fire-doors or fronts of the furnaces. Furnaces or fire-places,
according to my Invention, may obviously be employed for various other
purposes besides those to which I have herein-before made more especial
reference in describing the nature of my Invention of improvements in steam
boiler, salt pan, and other furnaces or fire-places for the better combustion of
fuel, with reference to which I would in conclusion have it distinctly understood
that what I claim as secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,
Firstly, dividing the furnace or fire-place from the main flue or chamber
at the back thereof by means of a wall or partition, whereby the products of
combustion are caused to pass either over the front part or portion of the fire,
or otherwise through an aperture or apertures into a flue, duct, or chamber,
or flues, ducts, or chambers, and by mixture with air to be converted into
inflammable gas and utilized substantially as herein-before described.
Secondly, the general arrangements and combinations of parts constituting
furnaces or fire-places, constructed and operating substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herman Eugene Falk, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
HERMAN EUGENE FALK. (L.S.)