IMPROVE- MENTS IN FURNACES FOR HEATING THE AIR STOVES OF BLAST FURNACES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN UTILIZING THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION FROM SUCH STOVES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel Adamson, of the Newton Moor Iron Works,
near the City of Manchester, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FURNACES FOR HEATING THE AIR STOVES OF BLAST FURNACES, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN UTILIZING THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION FROM
SUCH STOVES."
Sealed the 1st November 1867, and dated the 22nd May 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel Adamson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd May 1867.
I, DANIEL ADAMSON, of the Newton Moor Iron Works, near the City of
Manchester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR HEATING THE AIR STOVES OF BLAST FURNACES
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN UTILIZING THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION FROM
SUCH STOVES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in placing the fire-grate in an inclined position with
stationary or moveable grate bars at the lower part of a rectangular or other
suitably shaped fire-brick or other chamber, above which is the feeding hopper;
this chamber is charged with fuel; at the lower end of the fire-grate is a swing
plate or falling grid, which can be opened when required to discharge the
clinkers or scoria, and at the upper end and sides of the fire-grate are openings
with doors to examine occasionally the state of the fire. The air has free

page_text: access to the under side of the grate bars, and the products of combustion
after passing over a bridge near the swing plate enter the heating chamber of
the air stove; or the furnace instead of being placed outside of the stove, as
above described, may be placed within, or partly within or under the stove.
The products of combustion from the furnace enter the chamber containing
the heating pipes, or a chamber under the chamber containing the heating
pipes; the products of combustion after having been employed for heating the
air stove may be drawn, forced, or exhausted through a series of flues or
drying stoves, kilns, or ovens, and again utilized to evaporate the moisture
from ironstones or other niinerals, or for heating and drying purposes.
My improved furnaces may also be used for puddling and reheating
furnaces, and for all purposes where high temperatures are required.
When my improved furnaces are applied to-boilers for generating steam the
chamber that is charged with fuel may be made of plate iron and contain
water, which water when heated is used for feeding the boiler, or for other
purposes; or the fuel chamber and grate may be within the boiler; the object
of my improvements is to dispense with the usual firing doors of furnaces,
whereby all the loss of time and the loss occasioned by the frequent admission
of cold air to the furnace is avoided, fuel and labor are economised, and
smoke is either consumed or prevented.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Daniel Adamson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DANIEL
ADAMSON, of the Newton Moor Iron Works, near the City of Manchester,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Daniel Adamson, Her special license that I, the said Daniel Adamson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Daniel
Adamson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time 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

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR
HEATING THE AIR STOVES OF BLAST FURNACES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, AND
IN UTILIZING THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION FROM SUCH STOVES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Daniel Adamson, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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 Daniel Adamson, do hereby <leclare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
My Invention consists in certain improved furnaces for heating the air
stoves of blast furnaces, for steam boilers, and for other purposes. These
furnaces consist of diagonal grate bars placed in a fire-brick or other chamber,
or partly in the chamber and partly in the stove or boiler to be heated, or
entirely in the stove or boiler, and of a hopper to supply the fuel, and a swing
frame or falling grid to discharge the clinkers.
My Invention also consists in utilizing the products of combustion from the
air stoves of blast furnaces by drawing or forcing them through a series of
flues or drying stoves, kilns, or ovens, to evaporate moisture from ironstone
and other minerals, and for heating and drying purposes.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation I will proceed to describe the accompanying two
Sheets of Drawings, reference being had to the Figures and letters marked
thereon.
On Sheet 1, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of two air stoves
with my improved furnaces, and of the apparatus for utilizing the waste heat
from them; Figure 2 is a plan of the same; Figure 3 is a sectional elevation
of the air stove and of my improved furnace.
In these views a, a, are the air stoves, similar to those now in use for
heating the air for blast furnaces; 6 is the main flue for conducting the pro-
ducts of combustion from the air stoves.to the series of horizontal flues c, c,
passing under the drying floor d, on which the ironstone or other materials
are spread to be heated and dried. Each flue c is provided with a damper c³,
to regulate or shut off the draught as may be required, and the products of
combustion from the air stoves after being thus utilized are taken to the

page_text: chimney e; or instead of utilizing the products of combustion from the air
stoves, as above described, they may be conveyed to heat kilns or ovens of
every description, or for other heating and drying purposes.
My improved furnace, which in this instance is shewn in Figure 3, partly
within the air stove, consists of two sets of diagonal grate bars ƒ and g incline!
at different angles, and the former oscillating, or both oscillating; at the end
of the grate bars 9 is the swing frame or falling grid h, which is. lowered when
required by the handle i, link , and lever ; the fire-grate is placed in the
fire-brick chamber j, and the fuel is supplied to the fire-grate through the
hopper k, which is provided with a lid k¹. I make this hopper enlarging
downwards to allow the fuel to descend freely. At the front of the chamberj
is the opening 1, furnished with the. perforated door m, and this door has a
blank lid, which lid can be opened or removed occasionally to admit air to the
fire. This door is generally securely closed, but can be opened when required
to examine the state of the fire apparatus. There are also openings n in the
chamber to admit air to combine with the gases evolved by the fuel on the
higher portion of the fire-grate. o is the bridge placed behind the swing frame
'or grid h. When the fire is lit and the chamber j has been charged with fuel
through the hopper k the lid k¹ may be closed, the air is then entirely excluded
from the upper part of the fire, but has free excess to the under side of the
grate bars between which it passes. As the fuel is consumed: it gradually slips
down the grate bars f and 9, the downward motion of the fuel being facilitated
by the oscillating motion of the grate bars f, which is given in the ordinary
manner by imparting a slight up-and-down motion to the bearers fon which
the fi ont ends of the grate bars rest. When requisite the attendant acting on
the handle i lowers the swing plate or falling grid h to discharge the clinkers
or scoria. The products of combustion from the furnace enter the chamber
of the air stove containing the heating pipes, as shewn in Figure 3; or if
preferred the furnace may be applied to a chamber placed under the chamber
containing the heating pipes. By thus dispensing with the usual firing doors
the loss of time and the injury occasioned by the frequent admission of a great
excess of cold air to the furnace. is avoided, consequently labor and fuel are
economised, and the smoke is either entirely consumed or prevented.
Figure 4 is an end view.of a cylindrical steam boiler with a single flue to
which my improved furnace is applied, and Figure 5 is a longitudinal section
of the same.
In this instance the furnace is placed within the flue of the
boiler, the grate bars ƒ and g are all stationary, but may be arranged with the
oscillating motion as before described; the hopper k passes through and pro-
jects beyond the shell of the boiler, and the swing plate or falling grid h, shewn

page_text: in Figure 3, is dispensed with, but may be applied if desired. The door ni
and bridge o are similar to those before described.
On Sheet 2, Figure 6 is an end view, Figure 7 a longitudinal section, and
Figure 8 a plan of my improved furnace' applied to a cylindrical steam boiler
with two flues. In this arrangement only one set of diagonal grate bars f is
used, and these bars oscillate as above described. The chamber ; consists of
a fire-brick arch and two iron side plates united by stays, the whole being
supported on wheels p running on rails 9; the swing plate or falling grid h
and the bridge'o are supported by the side plates. of the chamber, and the
hopper & projects.from the fire-brick arch over the grate. The openings n
are placed in convenient positions at the sides and top of the furnace to
admit air requisite to assist combustion. The object of placing the furnace
on wheels is to facilitate the repairs of the furnace and boiler.
Figures 9, 10, and 11 are three views of my improved furnace applied to a
boiler with a single flue; this furnace is in every respect similar to the one
shewn in Figures 6, 7, and 8, with the exception that the hopper k is a water
chamber, which may be connected by pipes to the boiler, or in which the feed
water is heated before it is pumped into the boiler. I wish to observe here
that the whole chamber ; may be made with water spaces around it to utilize
the heat above and at the sides of the fire-grate.
Figure 12 is a sectional elevation of an ordinary vertical steam boiler to
which my improved furnace is applied. The diagonal grate bars f are placed
in the usual fire-box, and the hopper k is fixed to the shell of the boiler.
Figure 13 is a section of my improved furnace mounted on wheels, as
shewn in Figures 7 and 10, and applied to a single flue boiler. The details
of this furnace are similar to those of the furnace described in reference to
the air stove shewn in Figure 3.
Figures 14 and 15 are two views of a modification of my improved furnace
applied to a single flue boiler. In this case the grate bars f are stationary,
and the chamberj is a fixture instead of being mounted on wheels, as above
described in reference to Figures 7, 10, and 13.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described several
modes of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not
intend to limit myself to the details given, as the peculiar construction of the
improved furnace will depend upon the construction and position of the air
stove, steam boiler, or other apparatus for which it may be required, and I
declare that I claim,-
First, the improved furnace described, combining a hopper and highly
inclined fire-grate (with or without falling grid or swing frame), dispensing

page_text: with the usual firing door, and securing the feeding of the fire during the
combustion of the fuel by its descent on the fire-grate, aided by giving motion
to the fire-bars in case of need.
Secondly, varying the inclination of the fire-bars to suit the different
classes of fuel, and thus to secure the distribution of burning fuel by its
descent over the fire-grate.
Thirdly, utilizing the products of combustion passing off from air stoves of
blast furnaces for heating, drying, and evaporating purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Adamson, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-seven.
DANIEL ADAMSON. (L.s.)