Improvements in the Construction of Furnaces for Brewery and other "Coppers."
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 1st Mar., 1895-Accepted, 6th Apr.. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Furnaces for Brewery and
other "Coppers."
RICHARD HOWARD LEAKER Montague Villa, Kingsdown Bristol Brewers
Architect and Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of furnaces for brewers "coppers,"
pot stills for the distillation of spirits, washing boilers, evaporating pans, varnish
pots and other analogous vessels heated by the direct action of fire by means of
coal, coke, gas, oils and such like and consists in constructing the inner body of the
furnace of a conical shape by means of special bricks of a suitable refractory
material such as fire clay, ganister, silica and the like; and in such manner that
air also may be admitted through suitable channels in the brickwork that it may
be heated in its passage onward and delivered at a suitable point over the fuel on
the grate, mingling with the products of combustion and assisting their effect, it
passes on through the mouth of the cone shaped body to the central portion of the
bottom of the "copper" in order to obtain a central ebullition of the liquid therein
and at the same time effect a more perfect circulation of its contents, a better
combustion of the fuel, greater economy, less smoke and greater durability of the
material used in the construction of the furnace.
According to this invention I prefer the grate to be of an octagonal or circular
form, immediately surrounding the grate is a ring of segmental bricks forming the
base upon which the conical body of the furnace rests: outside the segmental base
I construct an annular air chamber with air passages communicating with the
outside of the brick setting and also with the ashpit the ends of which are provided
with suitable valves for regulating the admission of the air. Upon the segmental
base I rear a series of segmental bricks which inclining inwards on the top form a
conical shaped body, the side of which is pierced for the admission of the fuel at a
suitable point. These segmental cone bricks are constructed with passages for the
air, the lower ends communicating with the annular air chamber before described
and the upper ends of the air passages are arranged to deliver the heated air
through the conical sides of the furnace at a point above the fuel, which is thus
heated as it passes through the brick settings of the cone the materials forming
which becomes almost incandescent soon after firing. I provide a circular ring of
brickwork at the top of the cone in order to form a delivery mouth which can
easily be renewed when burnt out. The air as it passes from the annular space
near the base of the furnace through the passages in the bricks forming the cone
becomes greatly heated and mingling with the products of combustion passes
onward through the delivery mouth at the top of the cone the vertical axis of
which approximately coincides with the centre of the vessel above. Around the
circumference of the lower edge or bottom of the vessel I form a series of tangental
openings of varying areas, through which the heated gases pass to the combustion
chamber surrounding the sides of the boiling vessel, at the upper portion of the
outer combustion chamber I construct a series of outlets delivering into an upper
anuular chamber from which the products of combustion are conducted onward to
the chimney stack.
The whole of the internal portion of the furnace is constructed of suitable
refractory material such as firebrick or the like preferably of bricks moulded to

page_text: their several special shapes to form the various portions herein before described, but
it may also be built up with small ordinary firebrick or refractory material of
suitable sections and the air passages formed through the brickwork in the manner
hereinbefore described.
Dated this Second day of June 1894.
Improvements in the Construction of Furnaces for Brewery and
other "Coppers."
RICHARD HOWARD LEAKER, Montague Villa, Kingsdown, Bristol, Brewery
Architect and Engineer 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 :—
This invention relates to the construction of furnaces for brewers "
coppers,"
pot stills for the distillation of spirits, washing boilers, evaporating pans, varnish
pots and other analogous vessels heated by the direct action of fire by means of
coal, coke, gas, oils and such like; and consists in provision for constructing the
body of the furnace of a conical shape by means of special brickwork formed of a
suitable refractory material such as fire clay, ganister, silica or the like and in
such manner that air may be admitted through suitable channels formed in the
brickwork in order that it may be heated in its onward passage and delivered at a
suitable point over the fuel on the grate, mingling with the products of combustion
and enhancing and assisting their effect it passes on through the mouth of the cone
shaped body of the furnace to the central portion of the body of the copper in
order to obtain a central ebullition of the liquid therein and at the same time to
effect a more perfect circulation of its contents, a better combustion of the fuel,
greater economy, less smoke and greater durability of the material used in the
construction of the furnace.
In order that my invention may be more clearly understood and practically applied
I now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying sheets of
drawings in which
Fig. 1 shews a section through the centre of the vessel and the furnace.
Fig. 2. shews a transverse section on the line of the firedoor.
Fig. 3. is a plan of the furnace just above the firebar level.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the furnace just above the outlet mouth of the conical
portion, and
Fig. 5 is a plan of the setting at a point just above the combustion chamber.
According to this invention, I prefer the grate A to be of octagonal or circular
form; immediately surrounding the grate is a ring of segmental bricks as B
forming a base upon which the lower portion of the bricks forming the conical body
of the furnace rest. Outside the segmental base B I construct a annular. air
chamber B with air passages B2 communicating with the outside of the brick-
setting, and also with the ashpit as B³, the ends or inlets of which are provided
with suitable valves as B for regulating the admission of the air. Upon the
segmental base B I rear a series of bricks as C which inclining inwards on the
upper end form a conical shaped body as C¹ the side of which is pierced as C² at
a suitable point for the admission of the fuel. These coue bricks Care constructed
with passages C³ for the air, the lower ends communicating with the annular
chamber B before described, and the upper ends C of the air passages are
arranged to deliver the heated air through the conical sides of the furnace at a
point above the fuel, the air being heated as it passes through the bricksettings of

page_text: the cone, the material forming which becomes almost incandescent soon after firing.
I provide a circular ring of brickwork as D at the top of the cone shaped furnace
in order to form a delivery mouth as D' which may be easily renewed when burnt
out. This mouth with its cone shaped sides and base may be constructed so as to
form a circle or any other suitable form on plan if desired.
The air as it passes from the annular space B' near the base of the furnace
through the passages C3 in the bricks forming the cone, become greatly heated and
mingling with the products of combustion pass onward through the delivery
mouth D' at the top of the cone, the vertical axis of which approximately coincides
with the centre of the vessel above, around the circumference of the lower edge E
of the bottom of the vessel E¹ I form a series of tangental openings E of varying
areas through which the heated gases pass to the combustion chamber F surrounding
the sides of the boiling vessel E, at the upper portion of the combustion chamber F
I construct a series of outlets G with tangental openings into a chamber G¹ from
which the waste gases are conducted onward to the chimney at H.
The whole of the internal portion of the furnace is constructed of suitable
refractory material such as firebrick or the like and preferably of bricks moulded
to their several special shapes to form the various portions hereinbefore described,
but it may also be built up with ordinary firebricks or refractory material and the
air passages formed therein in any suitable or convenient manner substantially as
hereinbefore described and for the purposes herein specified.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
1 claim is.
"
1. In connection with the furnace of a brewers fire heated " copper or the
furnaces of like or analogous vessels, the provision of a conical shaped body resting
upon a base and with a delivery throat or mouth at its upper end; and having air
passages in the body of the conical furnace, the inlets of which are controlled by
valves for regulating the admission of the cold air, which is warmed in passing
through the conical body, and then delivered at a point over the fuel and just
below the delivery mouth or throat of the cone shaped furnace substantially as
herein before described.
2. The provision of an annular upper chamber above the combustion chambers
or side flues which is connected thereto with tangental openings through which the
gases pass onward to the chimney, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The combination and arrangement of the several parts and appliances herein-
before described constructed and arranged for the purposes herein set forth and
as shewn on the accompanying sheet of illustrated drawings, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of February 1895.
RICHARD HOWARD LEAKER.