CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MEANS OF ECONOMIZING HEAT AND FUEL IN FURNACES OR CLOSED FIRE- PLACES
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MILES
BERRY, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent and Mechanical Draftsman, send greeting.
year
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Thirty-first day of May, in the first year of Her reign,
and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Miles
Berry, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the
said Miles Berry, my executors, adñññors, and assigns, and such others as I, the
said Miles Berry, my executors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, and in all Her
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, an Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MEANS OF ECONOMIZING HEAT AND FUEL IN FURNACES OR CLOSED FIRE-
PLACES," being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad; in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Miles Berry, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Miles Berry, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say):-
These improvements in the means of economizing heat and fuel-in furnaces
or closed fire-places consist in a mode of collecting the smoke, gas, and other
vapours emitted from the combustion of fuel and from the smelting of ores,
and conducting such vapours into a furnace for the purpose of aiding the com-
bustion, in conjunction with or in addition to the ordinary blast of atmospheric
air. The manner in which the Inventor has carried this object into effective
operation will be seen by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which
Fig. 1 exhibits a series of apparatus shewn in section. A, A, represents a blast
furnace, containing ore and fuel as usually combined when the ore is submitted
to the process of smelting. B is the hopper at top, by which the ore and fuel is
introduced into the tower of the blast furnace, at the lower part of which hopper
a sliding plate or shutter C is adapted and fitted tightly, so that when closed no
gas or vapour can escape through the top of the tower and hopper. At the
bottom of the tower the ordinary air pipes D, D, are shewn by which the blasts
from blowing machines are conducted through the tuyere holes or blower aper-
tures into the furnace for the purpose of carrying on the combustion. Near
the top of the tower a long elliptical opening is made through the brickwork
which communicates with a pipe E for the purpose of conducting away the
smoke, gas, and other vapours emitted from the combustion of the fuel and
smelting of the ore when the sliding plate C is closed. This pipe E rises at an
inclination of about 45 degrees, in order that it may not be choaked by the
materials, and that the dust carried up by the current may be made to fall back
into the furnace. This inclination of the pipe is not, however, absolutely essen-
tial, as the quantity of dust will be small, and as the tower will not be filled
with the material quite up to its top. Caro however must be taken to keep the
aperture clear, and the internal capacity of the pipe E must be considerable, so
that the vapours may pass through freely. As during the occasional recharging
of the smelting furnace with ore and fuel the slider C must be opened, the
passage of the vapours through the pipe E would be partially interrupted;
another channel is therefore provided by which the vapour would be carried into
the pipe E. For this purpose, in the brickwork of the tower an annular
recess F, F, is formed, at least a foot below the top of the materials under
operation, and an elevated branch pipe G led therefrom into the pipe E, which
it that time should be closed above by a sliding plate z.

page_text: Having now described the means by which the smoke, gas, and other vapours
are arrested in the upper part of the tower of a smelting furnace and conducted
from thence by a pipe, I now proceed to shew the manner in which such smoke,
gas, or vapours are applied to the purpose of affording heat and thereby econo-
mizing fuel in assisting the operation of another furnace employed in the pro-
cess of melting metal for a foundry. The pipe E may be carried down in any
form for conducting the gas and vapour; but in order to divest the gas and
vapour of dust it is desirable to insert the lower end of the pipe E in a vessel of
water. This vessel is shewn at H, H, about half filled, and an inverted
vessel I is placed within it, in the way of a gasometer, but held firmly
in its place by bolts and nuts. The pipe E passes through the top of this vessel I,
and its lower end is carried below the surface of tho water, so that the gas and
vapour must rise up through the water into the upper part of the veseel I,
leaving the dust behind it, the water being supplied and kept at its proper level
in the vessel H. In the upper part of the vessel I a pipe K is inserted, which
conducts the gas and vapour onward; and this pipe passes in a contorted form
through a reservoir of water L, L, by which means the gas and vapour become
cooled, and the steam contained in the vapour condensed, which condensation
may be allowed to escape by a syphon or by a cock. From the reservoir L the
pipe K proceeds to an air pump M, into which the gas is delivered by two inlets,
each being furnished with a clack valve opening inwards. In the pump Ma
piston N is made to work by any suitable means for the purpose of drawing
gas through the pipes E and K above described, and also for forcing the
gas onward through the pipes O, O, O, which pipes are furnished with clack
valves opening outwards. The gas in its progress through the pipes O towards
the jets P, P, in the tuyere holes of the melting furnace Q is allowed to pass
by a branch pipe R into a vessel like a gasometer S. This gasometer S acts
as an air vessel, regulating the pressure of the current of gas, for when the
elastic force of the gas at the jets is greater than required, its pressure causes it
to recoil upon the water in the vessel S. This apparatus, however, is well known,
being the same as is usually employed in iron works for regulating the air which
feeds the combustion of blast furnaces. In order to combine the currents of
gas thus forced into the furnace with the currents of atmospheric air commonly
employed for supporting the combustion, another jet T is inserted into each of
the jets P, P, the jet T conducting the atmospheric air from the pipe U, into
which it is forced by the ordinary blowing apparatus. It will now be perceived
that the two currents of gas and air will become united in the ends of the
jets P, P, and that the gas and air in combination being in this way forced into the
furnace, the combustion will be greatly promoted and the heat act more forcibly
the

page_text: upon the metal intended to be melted, thereby economizing heat and fuel. I
would here remark, that though the nozzles of the air pipes T should be placed
concentrically within the nozzles of the gas pipes P, it is desirable that their
jets should not be coincident, but that the jet of the air pipe be about six inches
behind that of the gas, in order that the air and the gas may be properly mixed
together before entering the furnace; and it is desirable that the force with
which the air is impelled should be greater than that of the gas. In some cases
I find it desirable to blow into the furnace through the upper tiyere holes, and
for this purpose make the pipes capable of elongating by forming parts of them
as sliding tubes. In applying this Invention to refinery furnaces, it will be
proper that the jets of the gas tubes should be larger than those of the air tubes.
as a greater quantity of gas should be introduced to promote the object with
the best effect. For a reverberatory or puddling furnace, experience has proved
that the temperature will be greatly increased if the gas and air be brought into
combination and mixed within the furnace. For this purpose the Inventor
suggests that the air and gas be severally introduced at different tuyere holes,
as shewn in the sectional elevation, Fig. 2, and plan or horizontal section, Fig. 3,
in which P is the gas pipe, and T the air pipe. If the two aeriformed fluids
by the means before described be thus introduced, they will become perfectly
combined at the part required, and being then ignited by the introduction of a
flame or by a small quantity of burning coals, exert the most beneficial effects
upon the metal under operation. And if an extra fire be required, fuel may be
placed between the two bridges at Z. In such constructions of furnaces as carry
on the combustion principally by the draft of a chimney, jets of gas obtained
as before described may be applied in the manner represented in the sectional
elevation, Fig. 4, and in the horizontal section, Fig. 5. The gas is to be in-
troduced by the pipe P into the front part of the furnace, and the atmospheric
air is allowed to pass by ordinary draft through the register of the ash pit and at
such other parts as may be required, and the combined aeriformed fluids being
ignited by a small quantity of burning fuel on the grate Y, the heating effect
will be obtained. One, two, or more series of pipes, or a broad flattened pipe
may issue from the main gas pipe P for distributing the gas equally in the front
chamber of the furnace. If the furnace under the boiler be required to burn
constantly and the supply of gas from the blast furnace be occasionally suspended,
it may be desirable to introduce an additional fire between the two bridges at Z.
If the iron is required to be heated in a reverberatory furnace without being
brought to a welding heat, gas and atmospheric air combined and ignited may
be employed without any other fuel. For this purpose gas and air may be
introduced, as shown in the sectional elevation, Fig. 6, and horizontal section,

page_text: Fig. 7. P is the pipe for bringing the gas from the smelting furnace, which
pipe may be spread out into the form of a flat tube, opening into the mouth of
the furnace. In the chamber of the mouth of the furnace a series of flat
tubes a, a, a, are placed perpendicularly, open at bottom to the ash pit, and at
top to the furnace. The gas passes from the pipe P into the front chamber,
and thence rises up between the air tubes a, a, a, into the furnace, and the
atmospheric air from the ash pit at the same time rising through the tubes a, a, a,
becomes mixed with the gas, which, when so combined, is to be ignited by the
introduction of a flame, as before said. If an additional quantity of atmo-
spheric air should be required, it may be introduced through an opening above.
In such construction of furnaces as require a constant supply of fuel to be kept
in a state of ignition, the gas may be employed as an auxiliary to assist combus-
tion, and thereby to economize fuel. The manner in which the present improve-
ment may be adapted to such a case is represented in the sectional elevation,
Fig. 8, and horizontal section, Fig. 9. The gas is in this instance brought under
the grate by the pipe P, and distributed by several branch pipes over the upper
part of the ash pit, whence it rises by the ordinary draft of atmospheric air
through the grate into the furnace. The quantity of gas thus delivered
must be regulated, otherwise the quantity might impede the passage of atmo-
spheric air. required to keep up the combustion. If it should be preferred to
introduce the gas above the grate, that may be done by means of the upper
pipe P* instead of the lower pipe P, and in that case atmospheric air must be
introduced by openings immediately contiguous to the nozzle of the pipe P*.
In some cases it may be desirable to effect a mixture of the air and gas in a
vessel previously to its being introduced into a furnace; for this purpose the box
shewn at Fig. 10 may be employed. Into the back of this box the end of the
gas pipe P is inserted, and below it a similar pipe T for conducting the atmo-
spheric air. The box is divided by two or more partitions, each of which is
perforated with a multitude of small holes; the gas and air in passing through
these holes necessarily becomes intermixed, and it ultimately proceeds through
the jet to the furnace. It is, however, desirable that a wire gauze guard should
be stretched across the jet in order to prevent the lighted gas from repassing
into the box and there exploding. If in the process of smelting it be not thought
necessary that the gas to be employed should be impelled with great force and
freed from dust and steam, it may be made to come directly by the pipe E,
Fig. 1, into the fire-place without making use of the vessel of water H, of the
reservoir L, L, the air pump M, and the vessel (similar to a gasometer) S. It
is sometimes desirable to heat the air and gases in any well known apparatu:
before employing them in furnaces. Lastly, I desire it to be understood that I

page_text: do not intend to confine myself precisely to the forms and arrangement shewn
in the Drawing, but that I claim any and every convenient mode of collect-
ing the gas and inflammable vapours emitted from a smelting furnace, and
of conducting and applying such gas and inflammable vapours into a fire-placo
or furnace for the purpose of heating by its combustion or assisting the combus-
tion of the other fuel which may be employed with it in producing heat for
any purpose to which such heat may be applicable.
In witness whereof, I, the said Miles Berry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year of our

page_text: MORRISON & BROWN'S DISCLAIMER AND MEMORANDUM
OF ALTERATION TO BERRY'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
MORRISON, of Guines (pas de Calais), in the Republic of France, Ironmaster,
and JAMES BROWN, of Newbridge, in the County of Monmouth, Esquire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirty-first
day of May, in the first year of the reign of Her present Majesty, after
reciting that Miles Berry had by his Petition represented to Her said Majesty
that in consequence of a communication from a foreigner residing abroad he
was in possession of an Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF
ECONOMISING HEAT AND FUEL IN FURNACES OR CLOSED FIRE-PLACES," Her said
Majesty granted unto the said Miles Berry, his exors, adññiors, and assigns,
the sole privilege of making, using, exercising, and vending, the said Inven-
tion within England, Wales, and Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her said
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, during the term of fourteen years
thence next ensuing; and whereas in pursuance of a proviso in the said
Letters Patent contained, the said Miles Berry did, by a Specification, being
an instrument in writing under his hand and seal, bearing date the Twenty-
eighth day of November, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight,
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, and did also cause the same
Specification to be duly enrolled in Chancery at Westminster on the Thirtieth
day of November, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight, and within
six calendar months next after the date of the said Letters Patent: And
whereas by an indenture bearing date the Tenth day of June, One thousand

page_text: eight hundred and forty-two, and made, or expressed to be made, between the.
said Miles Berry of the one part, and Claude Georges Robin of the other
part, the said Letters Patent, and the privileges thereby granted, were assigned
by the said Miles Berry unto the said Claude Georges Robin, his exors,
admors, and assigns, for all the then residue of the said term of fourteen years
therein then unexpired: And whereas by an indenture bearing date the Fifteenth
day of January, One thousand eight hundred and fifty, and made between the
said Claude Georges Robin of the one part, and us the said James Morrison
and James Brown of the other part, the said Letters Patent, and the privileges
thereby granted, were assigned by the said Claude Georges Robin and us, the
said James Morrison and James Brown, our exors, admors, and assigns, for all
the then residue of the said term of fourteen years therein then unexpired;
And whereas we have been advised that it is doubtful whether the claim of
Invention contained in the said Specification is not capable of being construed
so as to be more extensive than the same was intended to be, and for that
reason, and for the purpose of causing the said claim more clearly to define
the Invention which was intended to be claimed by the said Specification, we
are desirous of disclaiming certain words contained in the said claim of
Invention, and of altering the same claim in manner berein-after expressed.
NOW KNOW YE, THEREFORE, that by and with the leave and consent
of Sir John Jervis, Her said Majesty's Attorney-General, and for the reason
aforesaid, and as to and concerning so much and such part or parts of the said
Specification and of the said claim therein contained as is or are in the words
following (that is to say), "I claim any and every convenient mode of collecting
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the gas and inflammable vapours emitted from a smelting furnace, and
" of conducting and applying such gas and inflammable vapours into a fire-
place or furnace, for the purpose of heating by its combustion, or assisting
" the combustion of the other fuel which may be employed with it in pro-
"ducing heat for any purpose to which such heat may be applicable;" we,
the said James Morrison and James Brown, do hereby disclaim the words
any and every convenient," and by and with the leave and consent aforesaid,
and for the reason aforesaid, we, the said James Morrison and James Brown,
do hereby alter so much and such part or parts of the said Specification and
claim as herein-before set forth, by inserting in lieu of the said words herein-
before disclaimed, the words "the herein-before described "between the word
"claim" and the word "mode." And we, the said James Morrison and
James Brown, do hereby further declare that the above-written Disclaimer
and Memorandum of Alteration are not, nor is either of them nor any part
thereof respectively, intended to extend the exclusive right granted by the said

page_text: Letters Patent, and that these Presents shall not extend the said exclusive
right in any way whatsoever.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Morrison and James Brown,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-third day of
March, One thousand eight hundred and fifty.
No. 2, Cambria Place, Stow Hill,
Newport, Monm".
To the Clerk of the Patents of England.
This is to certify, that James Morrison, of Guines (pas de Calais), in the
Republic of France, Ironmaster, and James Brown, of Newbridge, in the
County of Monmouth, Esquire, have applied to me for leave to enter with you
the above-written Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alterations of a certain
Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to Miles Berry, the 31st day
of May 1838, and of the Specification of the 28th day of November 1838,
and which said Letters Patent have been duly assigned to them, and having
considered the said application, and no objection having been made to the
same, I have accordingly granted leave to the said James Morrison and
James Brown to file their said Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alterations,
pursuant to the Statute passed in the 5th & 6th years of the reign of His late
Majesty King William the 4th, entitled "An Act to amend the Law touching
"Letters Patent for Inventions."
Temple, April 2nd, 1850.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-second day of April,
in the year of our Lord 1850, the aforesaid James Brown came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Disclaimer
aforesaid, and all and everything therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Disclaimer aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty.