AN IMPROVED METHOD FOR CONSUMING SMOKE
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cornes, of Swan Lane, in the City of London,
Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD FOR CONSUMING
SMOKE."
Sealed the 19th February 1856, and dated the 21st August 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cornes at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st August
1855.
I, JOHN CORNES, of Swan Lane, in the City of London, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD FOR CON-
SUMING SMOKE" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in drawing smoke and the other products of combus-
tion from the fires of locomotive and other furnaces by means of a fan blower,
in connection with either the fire tubes of a locomotive furnace, or with the
flue of other classes of furnaces. The smoke and gases, after being thus
drawn into the centre of the fan, are driven back through a return tube or
flue communicating with the furnace below the fire bars, thus causing the
smoke and products of combustion to be passed through the fire, and thereby
to be consumed. I prefer to make the fire-place in the form of a hopper, or
of an inverted conical or pyramidal shape, perforated on all its sides and at
bottom.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Cornes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
February 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CORNES, of Swan Lane, in the City of London, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of Auğüst, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Cornes, Her special, licence that I, the said John Cornes, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Cornes, 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
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD FOR CON-
SUMING SMOKE," upon; the condition (amongst others) that I, the, said John
Cornes, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should parti-
cularly 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 Cornes, do hereby declare 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed
(that is to say):-
―
My Invention consists in drawing smoke and the other products of com-
bustion from the fires of locomotive and other, furnaces by means of a fan
blower, in, connection with either the fire tubes of a locomotive furnace, or
with the flue of other classes of furnaces. The smoke and gases, after being
thus drawn into the centre of the fan, are, driven back through a return tube
or flue communicating with the furnace below the fire bars, thus causing the
smoke and products of combustion to be passed through the fire, and thereby
to be consumed. I prefer to make the fire-place in the form of a hopper, or
of an inverted conical or pyramidal shape, perforated on all its sides and at
bottom.
In the annexed Drawing I have shewn so much of a locomotive boiler as is

page_text: necessary to explain the manner in which I carry my Invention into effect. A
is the furnace or fuel chamber, the bottom of which, instead of being composed
of fire bars as usual, is formed of perforated plates B, B, bolted together, and
embracing a central perforated rose C; D, D, are the tubes leading into the
smoke box E, which is open to a certain extent in front; F is a fan or blower,
the axis of which 6 is supported by and revolves in a bearing affixed to the
front of the smoke box; this axis is prolonged beyond the bearing, and has
fixed on it a pulley G. H is a return tube leading into the rose C. This rose
is prolonged downwards, and terminates in a pipe I, open at bottom to the
atmosphere. Rotary motion is communicated to the fan by means of gear
worked by one of the axles of the engine or otherwise, and made to drive a
strap passed over the pulley G, whereby the products of combustion are drawn
into the fan together with air from the atmosphere, and are driven through the
return tube H into the furnace, being divided into jets or streams by the rose
or perforated top to the pipe I. K is a small chimney for the escape of any
smoke which may not be driven back by the fan. For stationary furnaces I
fit the fan in any convenient part of the flue, and if necessary lead air therein
through a pipe open to the atmosphere. I not only prevent the escape of any
dense smoke, but am enabled to burn small and inferior coal in furnaces fitted
with the appliances herein-before described.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not limit myself to
the precise details herein-before described; but I claim the method of con-
suming smoke by drawing the products of combustion into a fan, mixing them
with atmospheric air, and driving them into the fire, whether ordinary fire bars
be employed, or whether the bottom of the fire-place is formed in the manner
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Cornes, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of February, One thousand eight hundred
JOHN CORNES. (L.B.)