AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF REGENERATIVE OR RECUPERATIVE FURNACE, APPLICABLE TO GAS, IRON, STEEL, GLASS, OR OTHER FURNACE
Year: 1885

page_text: Furnace.
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I, JOHN GILBERT ROBINSON, of the Elland Fire Clay Works, Elland, Yorkshire,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION
OF REGENERATIVE OR RECUPERATIVE FURNACE, APPLICABLE TO GAS, IRON, STEEL,
GLASS, OR OTHER FURNACE," to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to recover and utilize the waste heat or products
arising from furnaces employed in the manufacture of gas, iron, steel, and glass so
as to effect a saving in fuel, which I accomplish by an improved construction and
arrangement of flues and air tubes in furnace settings or benches."
In carrying out my invention I arrange a continuous series of zig-zag air tubes
in one or more tiers one above another as may be required, such air tubes com-
municating with the atmosphere at their lowest point, but having their other or
highest point by means of suitable openings, communicating with the furnace or
combustion chamber. I also build or arrange in a zig-zag form the flues to carry
off the waste gases or products, such flues being made to be in contact with and
pass over and under the air tubes on their way to the chimney, whereby the air
in the tubes will be raised to the same temperature as the flues carrying off the
heated gases. Suitable dampers are employed for regulating and controlling the
admission of air and the exit of waste heat; and the said air pipes or tubes may
be made of fire clay or other fire resisting material, being formed in cross section
either square, oblong, round, oval, or angular, and the flues for conveying away
the waste gases may be of similar form and construction. Instead of the said
tubes and flues being made of fire clay they may be constructed of metal where
the heat is not great enough to melt it.
The arrangement and construction of zig-zag air tubes and flues as above
described give every facility for cleaning out.
D
1

page_text: i
An Improved Construction of Regenerative or Recuperative.
Furnace, Applicable to Gas, Iron, Steel, Glass, or other
Furnace:
"
I JOHN GILBERT ROBINSON of Elland Yorkshire. do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF REGENERATIVE OR RECUPE-
RATIVE FURNACE APPLICABLE TO GAS, IRON, STEEL, GLASS, OR OTHER FURNACE"
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object and intent of my invention is to recover and utilize the waste, heat
or products of combustion, from furnaces employed in the manufacture of Gas,
Iron, Steel, Glass or others, so as to effect a saving of fuel, and produce more
'intense heat, which I accomplish by an improved construction, and arrangement,
of air tubes and flues, or passages, in furnace settings, or benches of retorts.
.
In carrying out the intent and meaning of my invention, I arrange the air tubes
or passages in three or more continuous serpentine chambers on the same level;
running parallel to each other, and in as many tiers or stories as may be required,
such tiers of air tubes being placed one above another, on either side of the
furnace; or most convenient position, such air tubes or passages having communi-
cation with the atmosphere at their lowest point, but having the other or highest
point in direct communication with the upper part of the furnace or combustion
chamber, by means of suitable ports or openings.
I also build and arrange the flues, for carrying off the waste gases; or products of
combustion; in such a manner as to be in immediate contact with the air tubes or
passages; passing over and under them on the way to the chimney whereby the ait
in the tubes becomes raised to the same temperature as that of the flue for waste
gases: Suitable dampers are employed for regulating and controlling the admission
of air, and the exit of waste gases or products of combustion.
I prefer to construct and arrange the said air tubes or passages of fire clay, of
other refractory material, having either square, oblong, round, oval or angulár
sections, and the flues for carrying off the waste gases- or products of combustion
may be of similar form and construction. But I wish it to be understood that my
invention does not require any specially formed pipes, or specially made bricks, as
the whole of the apparatus may be constructed with ordinary fire, bricks, or of
metal, where the heat required is not great enough to melt it.
14
The tubes or passages for superheated air, and the flues for carrying off the
waste gases or products of combustion, are arranged in such a manner that every
facility for cleaning out, is adequately provided for.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood, I will now more
particularly describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheet of drawings, the letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.

page_text: Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, represents a transverse section as
applied to a bench of retort settings, used in the manufacture of gas.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, shewing the air tubes, or passages
and flues, for waste gases or products of combustion.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section, shewing furnace or combustion chamber, with
the ports or openings for heated air.
Figure 4 a half plan of upper tier of air tubes or passages shewing the ports or
openings into the furnace or combustion chamber.
Figure 5 is a half plan shewing the openings for admittance of waste gases, or
products of combustion to the upper tier of flues.
Figure 6 is a half plan through first tier of flues for waste gases.
Figure 7 is a half plan through the lower tier of heated air tubes or passages,
shewing point of admittance of atmospheric air.
Figure 8 is plan of bottom tier of flues for waste gases, on their way to main
flue or chimney.
Figure 9 is an elevation shewing the arrangement of cleaning out holes, and
dampers for controlling the admission of air, and exit of waste gases.
Figure 10 is a transverse section of furnace or combustion chamber shewing an
alternative method of admitting the heated air.
A is the furnace or combustion chamber.
B, B¹ the flues on upper tier.
C, C¹ the downward openings to communicate with the flues in the tier below.
B³, B3, B4, & B5, are the second tier of flues for waste gases and Bº, B','B', & B³,
are the lower tier of flues, from whence the waste gases or products of combustion
pass on to the main flue or chimney H.
E is the point of admittance of atmospheric air, and the tubes or passages
marked E¹, E, E³, E, E³, on each side of the furnace or combustion chamber, are
tubes for the heated air in its passage to the furnace.
It will be seen that the whole of the waste heat and products of combustion
are conveyed by the flues B, B¹, B², B³, B*, B5, B6, B7, B8, and B, over the top and
underside of each of the air tubes or passages on either side of the furnace, and
the waste heat or products of combustion being at a very high temperature at the
point of delivery at flues B, B¹ which are directly over the air tubes or passages in
the top tier, the atmospheric air which has been gradually heated during its passage
from the inlet E through the continuous serpentine parallel passages in each tier,
on its upward progress, becomes superheated and greatly increased in temperature,
before delivering itself into the upper part of the furnace or combustion chamber,
through the ports or openings D, D¹, D³, D³, D4, D5, D6, D', and is therefore more
effectual in its regenerative purposes.
It will be seen that owing to my peculiar arrangement of air and waste gas
flues, that the waste gas flues are in immediate contact with the upper and under
surface of each air tube or passage, during its serpentine and upward course in
each tier, and the greatest heat is delivered onto the upper surface of the air tube
on its immediate exit into the furnace, or combustion chamber.
'
It must be understood that I do not limit myself to the number of serpentine
and parallel courses of either air tubes, or waste gas flues, as these may be varied
to meet the different purposes for which they are used, and the heats required.
The admission of atmospheric air into the air tubes or passages, is controlled by
means of a damper F, fixed in a suitable frame G, in front of retort setting or
other furnace, to which it may be applied, and the flues for waste gases may be
similarly regulated by dampers and frames, placed in front of settings or furnaces.
By my invention the air tubes or passages and ports or openings into combustion
chamber may be readily cleaned, and also the flues for waste gases, by means of
the cleaning out doors h, h¹, h³, h³, h*, hº, hº, h³, h³, h³, h¹º, h¹¹ these doors may be
of metal fixed in suitable frames, or of fire brick, or other refractory material.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare what
I claim is
First. The arrangement of air tubes and flues for waste heat as herein before
described and shewn by Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8,
Fig. 9, & Fig. 10, on accompanying sheet of drawings.
Second. Economy of construction, no special form of tubes, lumps, or bricks,
being necessary, or skilled labour required.
Third. The great facility of access to flues and air tubes, for cleaning out, and
other purposes..