HARDING STRI NEAR FLEET STREET
Year: 1839

page_text: LONDON:
PRINTED BY GEORGE E. EYRE AND WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE,
PRINTERS TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY :
PUBLISHED AT THE QUEEN'S PRINTING OFFICE, EAST HARDING STRI
NEAR FLEET STREET.

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES,
WYE WILLIAMS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman, send
greeting
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 Twenty-second day of June, in the third year of Her reign,
and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Wye Williams, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said Charles Wye Williams, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Charles Wye Williams,
my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, and also in
all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILERS, AND FURNACES DESIGNED TO ECONOMIZE FUEL AND HEAT;
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said
Charles Wye Williams, by an instrument in writing under my hand.and
seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Jnven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the
same to be enrolled 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
Charles Wye Williams, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
which represent and refer to the same parts in all the Drawings (that is to
say):
--
My Invention consists, first, in the peculiar construction of certain parts of
the furnace called the bridge or flame bed, and the application of certain
flattened or circular perforated tubes connected therewith, by which I effect a
quicker and more complete incorporation of the combustible gases issuing
from the coal or other fuel in the furnace with the atmospheric air, and by
which incorporation a more perfect combustion of the gases is effected and the
formation of smoke prevented. Secondly, my Invention consists in a mode of
introducing atmospheric air to the bridges and flame beds of furnaces, and to
such tubes, by means of certain other tubes, pipes, or conduits in a manner
unconnected with and independently of the air in the ash pit. Thirdly, my
Invention consists in a peculiar mode of introducing the atmospheric air to
the solid or carbonaceous part of the fuel on the fire bars of the furnace by
means of separate perforated tubes placed in the ash pit so as to distribute
the air equally to the under surface of such bars and fuel, thus preventing too
large or an undue quantity of air being drawn or attracted to any one portion
ofsuch bars and fuel more than to another. Fourthly, my Invention consists
in the application of an artificial blast or current of air for the supply of
the before-mentioned tubes or distributors at the bridge and flame_bed as
well as those in the ash pit by which the current may be increased or
diminished at pleasure, and the combustion of either the gaseous or carbu-
naceous part of the coals thus accelerated or retarded. Fifthly, my Invention
consists in the application of a moveable bridge made of fire clay by which
the fuel on the bars is prevented from interfering with the air distributors in
certain cases, and by which also the extent of fire surface and bars may be
increased or diminished at will; and in order to afford the best information for
carrying my Invention into effect, I give the following description of the
process and means I employ. One mode of applying my Invention to land
boilers is exhibited at Fig. 1, which represents a longitudinal section, and
Fig. 2 the plan, Fig. 3 the cross section, and Fig. 4 the end view of a boiler.
d, d, represents a number of flattened tubes, which I call distributors, made of
fire clay, platinum, or other material sufficient to resist the intense heat of the
fire.
If made of fire clay they may be from about one to one and a half

page_text: inches in thickness, with an interior hollow space of one to two inches in width
for the air to pass through. These distributors being introduced through
corresponding openings in the brickwork may be as numerous as shall be found
useful, according to the size and draft of the furnaceand the nature of the fuel
used, the most bituminous coal and the largest furnaces requiring the greatest
number. Any of these tubes can readily be introduced or withdrawn. One
end of these distributors is closed, but the sides are perforated with numerous
holes,either circular or oblong,as shewn in the Drawing, through which holes
the air will be drawn or forced, as the case may be, so as to intercept the gas
as it passes from the furnace between and beside the distributors, the object
being to cause a thorough admixture of the atmospheric air with the gas
immediately on its issuing from the body of the furnace, and before it is
cooled down to the point of depositing its carbon in the form of smoke; in the
same manner and for the same purpose air is introduced into the centre of the
body of gas issuing from an argand gas burner or oil lamp. This admixture,
by means of small jets issuing from the numerous apertures which at once
introduce the air to all parts and sections of the great body of gas escaping
from the furnace, is the more essential, as it is found that where the required
quantity of air is introduced in a body through large pipes or orifices, the gas
and the air requiring time to effect the necessary contiguity of their parts have
not been adequately incorporated until they have passed beyond the igniting
temperature of the furnace. These distributors being at a red heat will also
promote the heating of the air as it passes through them and issues from their
numerous apertures, and it will further maintain the high temperature at which
the gas should be kept after having received its due volume of air,and which is
an indispensible condition of its combustion. Another mode of effecting the
admixture of the gas and the air consists in having the bottom and sides of
the flue or flame bed for any required distance from the bridge covered or lineḍ
with flat fire clay tiles perforated with numerous apertures, and in connexion
with the air chamber. These perforated tiles will in this case act the part of
distributors,and may be adopted where there is not sufficient capacity in the
flue to admit either the horizontal or vertical distributors, as here described.
In placing these distributors care must be taken that sufficient space be left
between them for the passage of the gas and vapours generated in the furnace
without their being throttled or wiredrawn. In Fig. 1e is a tube perforated
with holes from one quarter to halfan inchin width. This tube, which isclosed at
the inner end, I call the ash-pit air distributor, as it is intended to distribute the
air uniformly to the entire under surface of the fire bars and among the igniteḍ
fuel upon them. The mouth of the ash pit is to be closed by doors to prevent

page_text: the admission of air, except through the pipe e, which may be from nine to
twelve inches diameter, according to the size of the ash pit, length of the
bars, and general draft of the furnace. One effect of this tube will be to
prevent any undue portion of air being directed to such parts of the bars as
may be least covered with fuel, and therefore presenting greater facilities for
its entrance; such partial attraction and admission of the air causing much
waste of the fuel, particularly at the sides and towards the back part of the
furnace, an irregular and undue intensity of heat by such partial blasts, and
the consequent formation of clinkers and melting of the bars. These ash-pit
air distributors also present a favourable opportunity for supplying air by an
artificial blast from a fan, cylinder, or other mechanical means where the
natural draft may be insufficient or the increase in quantity may be desirable.
Fig. 5 represents the section of a marine boiler, the distributors d, d, being
placed vertically on account of the flues being so much narrower than in land
boilers, and not permitting any approach at their sides. The supply of air to
the gas is here brought from an air chamber C, placed under the bridge and
flame bed, and which chamber is supplied by tubes g, g, to be hereafter
described. The number of these distributors may here also be varied according
to the capacity of the flues and the description of fuel used. The tubes 9, 9,
Figures 5 and 10, are shewn as passing through the waterways of the
boiler, a convenient situation, as being thus out of the way and not
likely to be out of order. They may also be made to enter the air
chamber through the ash pit, as shewn at Figures 6 and 7. Another mode
of conducting air to this chamber is by laying a second or false bottom to
the ash pit of iron plate or flat tiles, under which a space of two or three
inches may be left for the air passage, and which will insuch case act the part
of the tube g. When this plan is adopted care must be taken that no
aperture be left at the sides or end of the ash pit by which any air might
escape into it. In every case care must be taken that the air tubes act
independently of the currents of air in the ash pit, but which would not
be the case were the air introduced to the distributors by any aperture in
such ash pit at the end or sides, a mode which has been adopted where
a double bridge has been used, but which plan has been found uncertain
in many instances, by reason of all or the greater portion of the air being
attracted from the body of the ash pit upwards towards the bars, and
as this attraction goes on with a rapidity proportioned to the intensity of
the heat in the furnace, and the facility with which it is enabled to pass
through the bars where they are but partially covered, it frequently happens
that noair whatever will be left to pass through such aperture or double bridge.

page_text: These tubes should be made with as large a capacity as circumstances will
admit, their shape being a matter of no consequence. The admission of air
may be regulated by slides, as no more air should be admitted than will be
found sufficient to consume the combustible gaseous and fuliginous matters,
and prevent the deposition of the carbon and formation of smoke in the flues.
The greatest error in ordinary practice is the admission of too much air at the
ash pit, which not only involves a great waste of fuel and heat, but by causing
too much oxygen to be there combined with the carbonaceous matter on the
bars, sets so much nitrogen free as materially to obstruct the process of com-
bustion further on in the furnace flues, whereby manyinjurious gases, of which
nitrogen is the base, are generated. Fig. 6 represents the end view of a marine
boilerin three sections, shewing several situations in which these air tubes may
be placed. In the two furnaces to the right (N° 1 and 2) these tubes g, g, are
seen placed in the centre of and passing through the ash-pit air distributore,
a convenient situation where such air distributor may be made sufficiently
capacious. In the centre sections (N° 3 and 4) these tubes are placed on
each side of the air distributor,as also seen in Fig.7. In the left-hand sections
of this boiler(No 5 and 6) the tubes are shewn as entering and passingthrough
the water ways to the chamber C, as already described. In this Figure L, L,
represents an iron plate passing along the front of the boiler, and affording a
convenient rest for the several tubes and ash pit distributors, and for hanging
the ash pit doors to. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the furnace in the fire room;
R, the fire door; 9, 9, the air tubes; e, the ash pit distributor; P, P, falling
doors to close the ash pit entrance, which should in all cases be well fitted.
Fig. 9 is a section of Fig. 5 across the air distributors, and shewing also the
position of the bars and door way N, by which access can be had to the
chamber C, and from which any of the distributors, when accidentally broken
or burned away, may be conveniently replaced. Instead of this door N, an
arch may be thrown across in the brickwork, and afterwards built up; acorre-
spondingarchbeingthrownacross,and built up in the innerwall of the chamber,
as seen in Fig. 12, to give occasional access to the flues. Fig. 10 is a plan of
Fig.5,shewingthesectionsof distributors and the situations of the air tubes g,g.
Fig.11 is a section of the same,shewing the iron sleepers, h, and cross bars i, i,
on which the bricks forming the flame bed are placed, and in which bricks the
ends of the vertical distributors are imbedded to give them stability. To
increase this stability further in a steam ship, if necessary, a fire clay slab may
be placed across their upper ends, with grooves into which they may be made
to fit. Fig. 12 is a cross section of the same, shewing the manner in which

page_text: the cross bars are laid on the sleepers, and also the brick work closing the back
of the air chamber with the arch, as above described. Fig. 7 is a section of a
marine furnace; Mis the false moveable bridge, made of fire clay in one piece,
.or it maybe convenientlymadeof ordinaryfire blocks. The objectof thisseparate
bridge piece is to give an elevation at the end of the bars to prevent the fuel
from passing too far and interfering with the distributors, where theremay not
happen to be space or capacity enough at the throat of the furnace to allow of
the bridge being raised to the usual height. In such case the use of this false
bridge allows of longer distributors being used, and by making it moveable it
gives the means of extending or shortening the range of effective fire surface in
the furnace. Fig. 13 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 14 a cross section of a
boiler,shewing a desirable plan for using the distributors, particularly where
the flue is not sufficientlycapacious to admit full sized distributors, or where the
bottom of the boiler is of a circular or irregular shape. In this case it will be
sufficient if the distributors rise ten or twelve inches from the flamebed, leaving
an interval between them and the boiler above them, as shewn in the Drawing.
.Itwillhere, however, be advisable, though notabsolutely necessary, tointroduce
transversely three inch fire blocks t,t,fitted to the shape of the boiler, and pro-
jecting downwards alternately between each distributor. The effect of these
will be to prevent the stream of unignited gasfrompassing overthedistributors
without comingin contact with the jets of air issuing from the orifices of some
of them. The air tubes may be introduced through the brickwork in any
convenient situation. I would here observe that in all furnacesusingbituminous
coal the operation of charging should be so managed that there be always in
the furnace a portion of coals giving out gas, the quantity of gas generated
being as uniform as possible, to avoid the extremes of having too much at one
time and too little at another; the reason of this is obvious, as the supply of
atmospheric oxygen should be in proportion to the quantity of combustiblegas
generated. The best mode of effecting this purpose of producing equal quan
tities of such gas in equal times is by charging parts or sections only of the
furnace at one time, by which means one part of the bars will be covered with
.fresh fuel, while other parts at the same time will have clear red fuel on them
more or less in a state of incandescence. This mode of alternate charging will
be found inost economic and effective. The operation of feeding the furnace to
produce this effect may be performed by means of an iron box or charger, as
practised in many gas establishments. An oblong box, as large as the door of
the furnace will conveniently admit, and sufficient to contain one half or one
fourth of a full charge (as the case may be) being filled, is thrust rapidly inte

page_text: the furnace by means of long projecting handles, and instantly emptied on that
section of the bars intended to be covered, the process of charging the other
sections alternately being carried on at stated intervals. In this way the
longitudinal halves of a furnace may be charged alternately, or if the furnaces
be very large the charging may be divided into four alternate operations, one
for each quarter. This mode of feeding has many advantages; first, in being
less laborious; second, in requiring the doors to be kept open for shorter
intervals during the operation, and thus not exposing the body of the furnace
and boiler so long to a current of cold air; and, third,in enabling the engineer
to know exactly what quantity of coals are consumed in a given time, which
he cannot directly tell when the fire is fed by a shovel. Fig. 15 is the longi-
tudinal, and Fig.16 the transverse section of a locomotive boiler, shewing the
mode of applying the distributors to the ordinary fire tubes. In this Figure
they are seen entering those fire tubes, and passing through two thirds of their
length. These distributors are, as before mentioned, closed at the inner end,
and perforated with holes, which as the air passes through them present the
appearance of numerous jets of flame striking against the inner surface of the
fire tubes, as though it were a body of flame instead of air which they distri-
buted. These distributors are supplied with air from or box O, placed so as
to receive a strong current from the forward motion of the engine, and through
which they may be at any time withdrawn when the fire tubes require cleaning
out. The opening of this box may be regulated by a register. In the Drawing
W is the fire box; x, the ash pit; y, the door of ditto, which when the engine is
in motion is kept open, but when at rest this door by being closed causes a great
saving of fuel; z, z, are the ordinary fire tubes, and d, d, the distributors. As
I do not confine myself to the particular number, dimensions, or situation of the
several parts here described, they may be varied to suit the constructions of
furnaces and boilers, and the circumstances under which they may be placed,
and which may be effected by any competent persons; these my Inventions
being applicable and intended to apply to all descriptions of furnaces, stoves, or
boilers, where coal is consumed. That the above arrangements for producing
the greatest calorific effect may be better understood, I add the following
observations:-hitherto in the construction of furnaces due attention has not
been given to the chemical conditions of the formation of smoke, and the im-
portant distinction which exists between thevolatile and the fixed constituents
of coal, the circumstances under which they respectively give out heat,and the
peculiarities of their respective modes of combustion. Smoke is the result of
the imperfect combustion of the volatile products of coal, in
consequence of

page_text: their being mixed with either too small or too large a proportion of atmospheric
airwhilethe temperature of the mixture is below the point either of itsascention
or complete conibustion. Either of these circumstances, that is, too little air
with a high temperature or too much air with a low temperature, causes the
separation of the carbon from the hydrogen, and the consequent change of the
carbon from the colorless invisible state of gaseous combination into a black,
palpable,and pulverulent form. The carburetted hydrogen gases require as the
conditionof their completecombustion,first, that they beintima tely blended with
an appropriate volumeof atmospheric air,(which volumevaries with the nature
of the combustible gas,) and secondly, thatafter having been so mixed with the
air the mixture be then heated to its temperature of accession or be brought
in contact with flame; in other words, that they be kindled or lighted as a jet
of gas is lighted on its issuing from the orifices of the beak. Again, as one
cubic foot of carburetted hydrogen gas requires two cubic feet of oxygen or
about ten cubic feet of atmospheric air, while one cubic foot of bicarburetted
bydrogen (or olefiant gas) requires three cubic feet of oxygen or fifteen of air
to effect complete combustion, these proportional volumes of air must be
supplied and so intimately blended as to bring the combustible gases and
atmospheric air within the sphere of their reciprocal chemical attraction; for
otherwise the inflammable gaseswill not be completely saturated with oxygen,
that is, will not be consumed, and consequently the full calorific effects of the
body of gas generated from the coals will not be obtained. Now in ordinary
furnaces, as generally constructed, the air cannot reach the body of
gas that
escapes from the fire-place into the flues except by passing through the highly
ignited fuel laid upon the bars of the grate, whereby much of its oxygen gets
saturated, inert, and incapable of consuming or burning the residuary com-
bustible gases sand fuliginous vapours towhatever intensityof heat the aeriform
mixture be subjected, The unignited gaseous mixture in travelling through
the flues loses temperature very fast, and deposits the eliminated carbon in the
form of sooty smoke. Thus not only much of the carbon but a good deal of
the hydrogen with which it was previously combined are lost to the furnace
for the purposes of ignition and heat, while some of the hydrogen uniting with
the nitrogen forms ammonia or gas, which by its presence. is eminently ob-
structive of the high temperature of flame. It will now be seen that the con-
struction of my furnace and the principleson which it is based are strictly in
conformity with the complex chemical processes going on in the furnace, and
serve to supply each process with the materials necessary to its completion, and
in their proper order. First, the generation of the combustible gas from each

page_text: fresh charge of fuel by the radiant heat resulting from the preceding charges
then in a high state of incandescence; secondly, the supplying such gas with
the quantity of oxygen required for its most perfect chemical union and com-
bustion, and this in a manner most favorable to their instantaneous and
complete intermixture; third, the effecting this incorporation of the gas and
the atmospheric air, not only in the proper quantity, but at the proper time,
that is, before the mixture has passed into the fluesbeyond the influence ofthe
high temperature essential to ignition; fourth, the supporting the atmospheric
air from a source independentof the currents in the ashpit,and thus preventing
its coming in contact with the incandescentcarbonaceousfuel onthebars, which
would in such case have deteriorated it by saturating much of its oxygen;
fifth, thoseparating the two portions of airrespectively required for the volatile
and the fixed portions of the coal, and preventing any interference of the one
with the other, which might have disturbed or effected the complete operation
of each.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and themodesofcarrying
the same into execution, I do not claim the introduction of air to the bridge,
which has already been done by others; neither the plan of increasing the
current of air byanartificial blast; but I specially and exclusively claim as my
Invention, first, the use,construction, and application of the of the perforated
air distributors, by whichtheatmosphereairismore immediately and intimately
blended with the combustible gases generated in the furnace; secondly, the
application of distinct pipes or tubes,by which the air is conducted to the gases
at the bridge and flame bed in whatever situation they may be placed, where
such pipesor tubes are the means of bringing such air to the gas independently
of the air in the ash pit or other part of the furnace or flues; thirdly, the use
and application of separate perforated tubes, situated in the ash pit, as the
means of distributing uniformly and along the under side of the bars the air
which is intended to be applied to the ignited fuel on them; fourth, the appli-
cation of a current of air artificially created, by a fan or other mechanical
means, when in connection with such pipes and air distributors, as a means of
regulating the quantity of air to either class of air distributors; fifth, the use
of a moveable false bridge laid on the bars, by which the extent of the fire
surface may be increased or diminished.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Wye Williams, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred acd thirty-nine.
(L.s.) CHA. W. WILLIAMS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on Twentieth day of December, in the
third year of the reign. of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said Charles
Wye Williams came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and
acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and everything therein con-
tained and specified, in form above written. And also the instrument afore.
said was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth
year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Twenty-first day of December Que thousand eight hundred