IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILER FURNACE AND OTHER FIRE-PLACES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Martin Stanley, of Rhyl, in the County of Flint,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILER FURNACE AND
OTHER FIRE-PLACES.”
Sealed the 23rd March 1880, and dated the 21st November 1879..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Martin Stanley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st November 1879.
JOHN MARTIN STANLEY, of Rhyl, in the County of Flint, Engineer.
MENTS IN BOILER FURNACE AND OTHER FIRE-PLACES."
" IMPROVE-
The object of my present Invention is to economise fuel and diminish the cost of
manual labour; also to maintain a more uniform degree of heat in the heating
compartment, and to secure a more regular and complete combustion of the fuel
used.
The means by which this object is attained are as follows:-
My said improvements consist in providing a vertical fire-place, either circular
or rectangular of a suitable sectional area and height, somewhat similar to the
interior of a cupola in which iron is remelted. At a suitable distance from the
bottom of the said fire-place an opening or outlet flue is formed for the passage
of the heat and products of combustion into the boiler flue or heating compart-
ment, for the purpose required. This flue or opening for the escape of the gases
may vary in sectional area and position according to the character and require-
ments of the work to be done.
For the purpose of supplying the said fire-place with the necessary air to effect the
combustion of the fuel, I form a lateral opening or openings from the exterior of
such fire-place for the passage of the external air thereinto near the level of the
said outlet flue.
The requisite supply of air for combustion may be obtained by means of the
natural draught of a chimney, or the air may be propelled or induced therein by
any known method of producing a blast or current of air.
In order to insure the requisite supply of air for the combustion of gases
generated by the fire, I may insert suitable perforated material in the neck of the
fire-place or in the outlet flue, for the direct admission thereto of the external air.

page_text: Such perforated material is fitted with a sliding cover to open and close the
perforations therein as may be needed.
In my said improved fire-place the whole of the fuel is supplied through the
opening at the top thereof. This opening may be provided with a suitable hopper
having a slide fitted in the neck thereof, so that the top of the fire-place may be
closed when fuel is not being supplied.
The fuel may be supplied to this fire-place in any desired quantity at one charge,
thus obviating the usual frequent firing or charging, because in this fire-place, the
crude fuel by being stored above the combustion chamber or zone and outlet flue, a
continuous supply thereof to the combustion chamber or zonė is effected by its own
gravity. as combustion proceeds.
By this arrangement of having the combustion zone and the outlet flue below
the crude fuel, the smoke and volatile gases have in their escape to pass downward
through the incandescent fuel, and come in contact with the air in the combustion
zone and neck of the fire-place, so that a more perfect combustion of such black
smoke and volatile gases is effected, and thereby fuel is economised.
The bottom of the said fire-place may be either formed of moveable bars or solid
material, or partly of both. When the bottom of the fire-place is of solid material
a lateral opening is provided at the bottom of such fire-place for the purpose of
clearing out the ashes and other refuse when required. This opening is provided
with a door, so that it may be closed when the refuse is not being removed. For
convenience in clearing out such refuse I prefer to have the bottom of the fireplace
some twelve or eighteen inches below the level of the flue or combustion zone.
When required two. or more openings or outletflues may be formed to com-
municate with other heating compartments.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent med oy
the said John Martin Stanley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st May
1880.
JOHN MARTIN STANLEY, of Rhyl, in the County of Flint, Engineer.
MENTS IN BOILER FURNACE AND OTHER FIRE-PLACES."
"IMPROVE-
The object of my present Invention is to economise fuel and diminish the cost of
manual labour; also to maintain a more uniform degree of heat in the boiler flue or
heating compartment, and to secure a more regular and complete combustion of the
fuel used.
In order that my said Invention may be more fully understood and be more
readily performed, I will explain the same with the aid of the accompanying
Drawing which forms part of this Specification, reference being made thereto by
the numerals and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my said fire-place.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the centre of the same.
My said improvements consist in providing a vertical fire-place a of a suitable
sectional area, the interior of which may be either cylindrical or angular. At a
suitable distance from the botton a¹ of the combustion zone a*, and through the
back thereof, I make or provide the opening or outlet flue b for the passage of the
heat and products of combustion into the boiler flue or heating compartment c.
The said flue or opening b may be varied in sectional area, shape, and position
according to the character and requirements of the work to be done.
For the purpose of supplying the said fire-place a with the necessary air or
oxygen to effect the combustion of the fuel, I form an opening or openings e
through the front or side of such fire-place a at or below the same level as the
outlet flue b.
The requisite supply of air for combustion may be obtained by means of the
natural draught of a chimney, placed at the opposite end c¹ of the said boiler or
furnace flue, or properly connected therewith; or the air may be propelled or
induced therein by any known method of producing a current or blast of air.
In order to insure the requisite supply of air for the more complete combustion
of the smoke and gases generated in the combustion zone a*, 1 may insert in a
lateral opening suitable bars, grating, or perforated material at the entrance b', on
one or both sides thereof to the outlet flue b for the direct admission therein of the
external air, such bars, grating, or perforated material being fitted with a sliding
cover to open or close the same as may be needed.
The whole of the fuel for the fire-place a is supplied through the opening & at
the upper end of such fire-place. This opening may be provided with a hopper f
having a well-fitted slide in the neck thereof, so as to close the said opening when
fuel is not being supplied.
The upper part a² of this vertical fire-place may be filled at one charge, thus
obviating the usual frequent firing or charging, because in the said fire-place a the
crude fuel by being stored above the combustion zone a* and outlet flue b, a con-
tinuous supply thereof to such zone is effected by its own gravity as combustion of
the fuel proceeds.
By placing the combustion zone a* and the outlet flue 6 below the space a³
provided for the crude fuel, the smoke and volatile gases have in escaping to
pass downwards through the burning fuel, and thus come in contact or mix with
the air in the combustion zone a*, and also in the neck of the fire-place at b¹,
thereby securing a more perfect combustion of such smoke and volatile gases,
which increases the heat generated, and at the same time economises fuel.
The bottom a¹ of the combustion zone a* may be either formed of moveable or
fixed bars, or of solid material, or partly of both. When the bottom of the said

page_text: zone is of solid material a lateral opening is provided at g, for the purpose of
clearing out the ashes and other refuse when required. This opening is provided
with a door, so that it may be closed when such refuse is not being removed.
For convenience in clearing out the refuse I prefer to have the bottom of the said
vertical fire-place a some 12 or 18 inches below the level of the flue b or the
combustion zone a*.
When required two or more openings or outlet flues 6 may be formed in different
directions to communicate with other heating flues or compartments in melting,
puddling, or reverberatory furnaces.
The accompanying Drawing shows my vertical fire-place as constructed of fire-
brick or fire-lump, but it may be made of iron or other suitable material.
In applying my said Invention to marine-boilers on board steam-ships I purpose
constructing the vertical fire-place of wrought-iron, and may cover it with a steam-
jacket, and so to arrange and fit the same that the fuel can be supplied therein from
one of the decks of the ship above the boiler flues, and thus avoid or considerably
mitigate the horrors of the "stoke-hole" which would then be comparatively cool.
The fuel saved by this Invention will be of additional importance on board
ships, inasmuch as beside the saving in cost of fuel and labour there will be less
fuel to carry, and less stowage-room required therefor.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention and
the method of performing the same, I desire it to be understood that I do not
restrict myself to the precise forms and dimensions of the several parts thereof, as
now illustrated, because they admit of considerable variation as herein partially
stated, without departing from the principles and main characteristics of the
Invention, but I claim as novel, and desire to secure by the herein before-mentioned
in part recited Letters Patent, a vertical fire-place having the outlet or outlets
thereof for the passage of the heated products of combustion into boiler flues or
other heating compartments or furnaces on a level with or below the combustion
zone of such fire-place, substantially as herein specified and illustrated in the
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Martin Stanley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
JOHN M. STANLEY. (L.S.)