IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING BOILERS, AND IN FURNACES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Aitken Salmon, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR FEEDING BOILERS, AND IN FURNACES."
Sealed the 28th December 1860, and dated the 2nd July 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left. by the said John Aitken Salmon at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition; on the
2nd July 1860.
I,JOHN AITKEN SALMON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR FEEDING BOILERS, AND IN FURNACES," to be as follows:-
My Invention with reference to apparatus for feeding boilers, consists in the
use of a pipe for conveying air forced into it by a pump combined with a pipe
for conveying steam, and introducing it into the said air pipe at or near the
point where the heat is greatest, both of such pipes being inserted in the flue
of the boiler. By this arrangement the air forced into the pipe will receive
heat from the flue,and will have combined with it superheated steam before it
enters the steam chest or space of the boiler or the pipe leading to the engine.
The air pipe is furnished with a valve between the force pump and the flue,
but near the latter, so as to prevent the heat from passing along the pipe
towards the pump. The pipe for conveying the steam is provided with two
weighted valves, so as to allow of a high pressure of steam being attained
therein. The force pump for the air hasan inlet valve on one side, and a discharge
valve on the opposite side at the top, and a water valve at the bottom. This
pump is either connected with the engine or separate. The water is fed to the
boiler either through the air pipe or independently.
And my Invention with reference to furnaces consists, in the first place, in

page_text: theadaptation and application to the fire door of a single hot air chamber with
an inlet for the air governed by a valve at the upper part, and an outlet for the
same into the furnace at the lower part, or the hot air chamber is formed in
front of the furnace by placing on the dead plate a frame with a valve in it
facing the furnace, and thereby enclosing a hot air space between the furnace
and the door. Apertures are formed at the upper part of the fire door, and also
in the outside furnace frames, with shutters to cover them; and in some cases
apertures are formed in the lower part of the valve. The valves are opened
by the opening of the door, and closed at a regulated period after firing by
means of clockwork or otherwise.
And in the second place, this part of the Invention consists in the substitution
in whole or in part of perforated fire bricks for the ordinary fire-bars. The
fire bricks are arranged so as to fill up the whole space between the ordinary
dead plate in front, and the bridge at the back of the furnace, or they are
arranged so as to occupy only a part of such space, the remainder being taken
up by bars. Also in the flue behind the bridge are inserted either plates or
fire bricks projecting alternately from each side of the fluc, so as to cause
the flame to take an undulating sort of course as it passes along the flue.
When plates are made for this purpose they are made in two pieces forming a
circle in order to strengthen the tubular flue. In the main flue leading to the
chimney is placed a pipe connected with a blast engine for the purpose of
drawing hot air therefrom and forcing it into the furnace, so as to increase the
combustion therein. Or fresh air may be forced by the blast engine through
pipes in the flues in order to assist the combustion in the furnace.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Aitken Salmonu, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th December 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I. JOHN
AITKEN SALMON, of Glasgow,in the County of Lanark, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousandeight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Aitken Salmon, Her special license that I,the said John Aitken Salmon,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Aitken Salmon, my executors, administrators, and assigns,should at any time

page_text: agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR FEEDING BOILERS, AND IN FURNACES," upon the condition (amongst
others that I, the said John Aitken Salmon, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, should particularly 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 John Aitken Salmon, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the saine is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of "Improvements in Apparatus for Feeding Boilers and in
Furnaces," consists, with reference to apparatus for feeding boilers, in the use
of a pipe for conveying air forced into it by a pump, combined with a pipe for
conveying steam, and introducing it into the said air pipe, at or near the point.
where the heat is greatest, both of such pipes being inserted in the flue of the
boiler. By this arrangement the air forced int the pipe will receive heat from
the flue,and will have combined with it superheated steam before itenters the
steam chest, or space of the boiler, or the pipe leading to the engine. The
air pipe is furnished with a valve between the force pump and the flue, but
near the boiler, so as to prevent the heat from passing along the pipe towards
the pump.
The pipe for conveying the steam is provided with two weighted
valves, so as to allow of a high pressure of steam being attained therein. The
force pump for the air has an inlet valve on one side and a discharge valve on
the opposite side at the top, and a water valve at the bottom. This pump is
either connected with the engine or separate. The water is fed to the boiler
either through the air pipe or independently.
And my Invention with reference to furnaces consists, in the first place, in
the adaptation and application to the fire door of a single hot-air chamber with
au inlet for the air, governed by a valve at the upper part, and an outlet for
the same into the furnace at the lower part; or the hot-air chamber is formed
in front of the furnace, by placing on the dead plate a frame with a valve in it
facing the furnace, and thereby enclosing a hot-air space between the furnace
and the door. Apertures are formed at the upper part of the fire door, and
also in the outside furnace frames, with shutters to cover them; and in some

page_text: cases, apertures are formed in the lower part of the valve. The valves are
opened by the opening of the door, and closed at a regulated period after
firing by means of clockwork, or otherwise.
And, in the second place, this part of the Invention consists in the substi-
tution, in whole or in part, of perforated fire-bricks for the ordinary fire-bars.
The fire-bricks are arranged so as to fill up the whole space between the ordinary
dead plate in front and the bridge at the back of the furnace, or they are
arranged so as to occupy only a part of such space, the remainder being taken
up by bars. Also in the flue behind the bridge are inserted either plates or
fire-bricks, projecting alternately from each side of the flue, so as to cause the
flame to take an undulating sort of course as it passes along the flue. When
plates are used for this purpose they are made in two pieces, forming a circle,
in order to strengthen the tubular flue. In the main flue leading to the chimney
is placed a pipe connected with a blust engine, for the purpose of drawing hot
air therefrom and forcing it into the furnace, so as to increase the combustion
therein; or fresh air may be forced by the blast engine through pipes in the
flues, in order to assist the combustion in the furnace.
Iaving thus stated the nature of the Invention, I will now proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed,
by the aid of the accompanying Drawings, in which are represented the

page_text: Feeding boilers.-A (Fig. 1) is the inlet valve for admitting air to the force-
pump; B is the outlet valve for discharging the same into the air pipe C, con-
nected to the pump, as shewn ; Dis the plunger of the pump, which can be
worked by the engine or otherwise; E is the water valve at the lower part of
the pump, for the purpose of admitting a small quantity of water supplied by
the tap, as shewn, and preventing its return; F is the valve in the air pipe C,
for the purpose of preventing the heat from passing along this pipe to the
pump. The pump is filled with water when the plunger D) is at the bottom
of its stroke, and on the up stroke of the plunger the water descends in the
barrel, and air is admitted by the inlet valve A; then on the down stroke of
the plunger the air so admitted is forced through the outlet valve B into the
air pipe C. The air pipe C is shewn on a smaller scale in Figs. 3 and 4,
applied to a two-flued boiler. G is the steam pipe above referred to. These
two pipes Cand Garo united at the front of the boiler, so that the steam may
pass from the pipe G in the lower flue of the boiler, and enter the air pipe C
in the upper flue thereof, the pipe G being furnished with a weighted valve, in
order to obtain a sufficient pressure therein to cause the steam to mix with the
air as required. The arrangement of these two pipes C and G in the flues
may be varied, so as to cause the steam and air to become mixed before
entering the hottest part of the flue. Instead of the pipe C entering the
boiler, as shewn and described, it may be connected to the steam pipe leading
to the engine.
Furnaces -H (Fig. 5) is the hot-air chamber applied to the fire door; I
is the valve opened and closed,as required, by a chain and clockwork in a case
K, so as to supply the required amount of air to the furnace; the valve being
opened at the time of feeding, and closed at the period regulated by the action
of the clockwork. The valve is hinged, and closes against the lower side of
the box or chamber H, as shewn. L (Fig. 7), represents the frame and valve
on the dead plate facing the furnace. The valve is opened by its connection
with the door, and closed by clockwork ata regulated period, as in the instance
just referred to; M is the furnace door, with apertures in the upper part; N
(Fig. 9) are the perforated fire-bricks, in substitution for fire-bars. The bricks
at the inner end of the furnace being raised, so as to form a bridge, and admit
a greater quantity of air. O is a blast pipe in the flue passing into the ash-
pit, and through which hot air is forced through the perforations in the bricks
for assisting the combustion in the furnace. In this case the damper P will
be kept nearly closed, and thereby prevent the escape of heat up the chimney
or funnel. Q, Q. (Fig. 10,) are the plates inserted in the flue behind the
bridge for the purpose of causing the flame to take a kind of undulating or

page_text: zig-zag course along the flue. These plates are cast in two pieces, as shewn
detached at Fig. 12, thereby strengthening the weakest parts of the boiler, so
as to obviate the danger of its collapsing.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I do hereby declare that what I claim as
my Invention is, with reference to feeding boilers,-
of
First, the construction of force pump for feeding air under pressure, as
described.
Secondly, the insertion of the air pipe and steam pipe, or of the air pipe
only, in the flue connected to the boiler, or to the steam pipe of the engine
for the purpose described. And with reference to furnaces, I claim as of my
Invention,-
First, the formation of a hot-air chamber in front of the furnace, with a
valve in it regulated by clockwork, as described.
Secondly, a modification of the same, consisting of a frame and valve on the
dead plate facing the fire; such valve being opened by its connection with the
door, and closed by clockwork; the fire-door having apertures for the admis-
sion of air at the upper part, and being provided with shutters for covering
the same.
Thirdly, the substitution of perforated fire bricks for the ordinary fire-
bars, either in combination with the hot blast, as herein-before described, or
otherwise.
And, lastly, the adaptation and application of plates or fire bricks to the flues
in the manner described for the purpose of causing the flame to take an
undulating or zig-zag course along the flue.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Aitken Salmon, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
WILLIAM SPENCE,
50, Chancery Lane,
Patent Agent.
JOHN A. SALMON. (L.s.)