IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO FURNACES, AND DESIGNED TO ECONOMIZE THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL AND PREVENT THE PRODUCTION OR ESCAPE OF SMOKE FROM THE SAME
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Lane, of Grove Park, Chiswick, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING
TO FURNACES, AND DESIGNED TO ECONOMIZE THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL AND
PREVENT THE PRODUCTION OR ESCAPE OF SMOKE FROM THE SAME"
Sealed the 28th March 1877, and dated the 7th October 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Lane at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th October 1876.
THOMAS LANE, of Grove Park, Chiswick, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO FURNACES, AND DESIGNED TO ECONOMIZE
THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL, AND PREVENT THE PRODUCTION OR ESCAPE OF SMOKE
FROM THE SAME."
My said Invention relates to improvements whereby I am enabled in a very
simple manner to provide means for a very economical combustion of fuel in
furnaces and fire-places, and to obtain a very great heating effect, while almost
entirely preventing the production of smoke and the escape of the same, or the
gaseous products of combustion from the furnace.
My said Invention is applicable to locomotive, marine, or stationary steam
boilers, to furnaces for manufacturing purposes generally, all cases where it is an
object to obtain a perfect combustion of coal, coke, or other fuel without any loss of
useful effect, and without permitting the escape of smoke or gas from the furnace or
fire-place.
The simplest form of my said Invention is in its application to a furnace or fire-
place, as follows:-Over the body of the fire-place I place an inverted box or
chamber which completely covers the fire-place. The joint all around the bottom
of this box or chamber must be made perfectly tight, so that, no air can enter
through the same, and there is no aperture or opening in the said box except at
the bottom, that is to say, it is closed at the top and sides, the draught being
conducted through the ordinary flues at the sides or other convenient portion of the
grate. Therefore the smoke and gaseous products of combustion rise into the said
box or chamber, and descend again to the fire-place as in a reverbatory furnace, and
the whole or nearly the whole of them will be consumed, and the greatest practicable
useful effect will be obtained from the fuel.

page_text: In applying my said Invention to a locomotive or similar steam boiler furnace
I erect over the fire-bars or grate within the ordinary inner fire-box a reverberatory
chamber of fire-brick or other refractory material which is closed at the top and
sides as above described, so that no heat or products of combustion can escape from
the same, except through certain apertures herein-after described. I prefer that
this reverberatory chamber or furnace should have an arched top, and it is supported
all around the bottom upon a metal plate surrounding the fire-grate, and a tight
joint is made around this plate to prevent the entrance of air to the chamber.
Below the fire-place is an air space. Around the said chamber there is a space
enclosed within a casing of copper or other suitable metal into which spaces the
apertures in the sides of the reverberatory chamber open, so that the heat from the
said chamber passes into the said space, and thence into the flues or tubes of the
boiler; these apertures are formed at the lower portion of the chamber, and
the upper portion of the same has no means of egress for the heat or products of
combustion, the latter being therefore retained in the said chamber until consumed.
The said copper or other casing is supported by fire-bricks or pieces of refractory
material forming distance pieces in the fire spaces. Between the fire-brick chamber
and the metal casing I prefer to use hoop iron worked into and among the fire-
bricks to increase the strength and tenacity of the structure.
By the arrangement of the said reverberatory chamber over the fire-place with
the apertures communicating with the tubes or flues, I obtain a perfect or nearly
perfect combustion of the products rising from the fire, and may regulate this com-
bustion by admitting air by means of the fire-hole door as required. Moreover,
instead of having the usual fierce draught which would injure or destroy the brick-
work and other parts of the furnace, and which causes such an immense waste of
fuel, I can generate steam with the necessary rapidity with a very gentle draught.
The above description relates chiefly to the application of my said Invention to
steam boiler furnaces, but the peculiar feature of the said Invention, namely, the
employment of the reverberatory chamber above the fire-place may be readily
applied or adapted to other furnaces or fire-places.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Lane in the Great Seal Patent Office ou the 7th April
1877.
"
THOMAS LANE, of Grove Park, Chiswick, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Enginner. IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO FURNACES, AND DESIGNED TO ECONOMIZE
THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL AND PREVENT THE PRODUCTION OR ESCAPE OF SMOKE
FROM THE SAME."
My said Invention relates to improvements whereby I am enabled in a very
simple manner to ensure an economical combustion of fuel in furnaces or fire-places,
and to obtain a very great heating effect from the fuel, while almost entirely
preventing the production of smoke and the escape of the same or the gaseous
products of combustion from the furnace.
My said Invention is applicable to locomotive, marine, or stationary steam boiler
furnaces, and to other furnaces or fire-places for generating steam or boiling or
heating liquids, and will be found very advantageous in all cases where it is an
object to obtain a perfect combustion of coal, coke, or other fuel without any loss of
useful effect, and without permitting the escape of smoke or gas from the furnace or
fire-place.
In its simplest form my said Invention as applied to a furnace or fire-place may
be described as follows, that is to say-Over the body of the fire-place 1 place an
inverted box or chamber formed of fire-clay or other refractory material, or so
constructed that the heat will not pass quickly through the same, and which com-

page_text: pletely covers the fire-place. The joint all around the bottom of this box or
chamber must be made perfectly tight, so that no air can enter through the same.
Therefore the smoke and gaseous products of combustion rise into the said box or .
chamber, and descend again as in a reverberatory furnace, and the whole or nearly
the whole of them will be consumed and the greatest practicable useful effect will
be obtained from the fuel.
In the accompanying Drawing I have illustrated the application of my said
Invention to a locomotive fire-box.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the said fire-box; Figure 2 is
a vertical transverse section on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of a portion of a fire-box illustrating a
modification of my Invention.
Like letters indicate the same parts in these Figures.
I erect over the fire-bars or grate a within the ordinary inner fire-box b a
reverberatory chamber c, whose sides c¹ and back wall care formed of fire-brick or
other refractory material and which is closed at the top c by the usual crown
plate b¹, so that no heat or products of combustion can escape from the chamber c,
except through certain apertures herein-after described. I prefer that this rever-
beratory chamber or furnace should be supported all around the bottom upon a
metal plate & surrounding the grate bars, and a tight joint is made around this plate
to prevent the entrance of air to the chamber at this part of the same. Below the
fire-place there is the usual open space through which air is admitted to the bars.
Around the said chamber as will be seen by referring to the Drawing between the
brick work or other refractory sides or walls c¹, c², and the copper or other metal
forming the sides of the fire-box b, there is a space e into which the apertures f
through the sides of the reverberatory chamber open, so that the heat from the said
chamber passes into the said space e, and thence into the tubes of the boiler. It
will be seen that these apertures f are formed at various positions in the said
chamber, but are limited to the portion of the same between the lines 1, 2, and that
the upper portion of the said chamber has no provision for the egress or passage of
the heat or products of combustion, the latter being therefore retained in the said
chamber and exposed to the most intense heat therein until consumed.
Instead of forming the apertures f by leaving open spaces in the brickwork, as
shown, I may use perforated bricks, that is to say, bricks with holes through them
and construct the portions of the walls between the lines 1, 2, of these air bricks.
I prefer to provide the chamber c with means for the admission of air to the same
by fitting stay tubes / between the said chamber and the outer fire-box casing i.
Between the brick walls and the copper or other casing or inner fire-box b, I place
fire-bricks or pieces of refractory material or metal forming distance pieces in the
fire spaces e.
Between the fire-brick chamber c and the metal casing b to afford
additional support to the brick walls I may in some instances use hoop iron worked
into and among the fire-bricks to increase the strength and tenacity of the
structure.
By the arrangement of the said reverberatory chamber over the fire-place with
the apertures communicating with the tubes or flues I obtain a perfect or nearly
perfect combustion of the products rising from the fire, and may regulate this com-
bustion by adinitting air by means of the fire-hole door which may be perforated or
provided with any suitable regulating means, as required, and instead of having tho
usual direct draught which would injure parts of the furnace, and which causes
such an immense waste of fuel, I have an indirect draught whereby I can generate
steam with the necessary rapidity without the disadvantages attending a direct
draught.
In some instances I may form small apertures or holes through the brick wall of
the chamber c, so that if any unconsumed gases should be carried with the draught
through the side apertures and spaces, the heated air passing through these small
apertures will mingle with such gases and complete their combustion.
Figure 3 shows a modification of my Invention in which the side walls c¹ of the

page_text: chamber c do not extend to the top of the fire-box, so that nearly the entire area of
the crown plate is subjected to the heat of the fire, but the back wall or wall
adjacent to the tube plato is in this case built up to the crown plate, as shown.
The above description relates chiefly to the application of my said Invention to a
locomotive furnace or fire-box, but the peculiar feature of the said Invention,
namely, the employment of the reverberatory chamber above the fire-place may be
readily applied or adapted to the furnaces or fire-places of marine or stationary
engine boilers or to furnaces for similar purposes.
Having thus fully described my said Invention and shown how the same may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practise, I wish it understood that
I claim, a furnace, fire-box, or fire-place which has within it a chamber constructed
in the manner specified and arranged over or upon the grate bars or other fuel
surface, and in combination with suitable spaces or passages for conducting the
heated air to the flues or tubes of the furnace or boiler as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Lane, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven.
THOMAS LANE, C.E. (L.S.)