AN IMPROVED REGENERATIVE FURNACE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I JOHN EDWARD WALSH, of Waterhouse Chambers, Crossley Street, Halifax in
the County of York Patent Agent and Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention for "AN IMPROVED REGENERATIVE FURNACE FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS" and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my Invention is by an arrangement of furnaces, retorts and
channels, for the gases and heat, to utilize heat which otherwise would be wasted
and so produce more gas at less cost.
i
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
'
"
..
i
Fig. 1 shews elevation of furnace half being a front elevation and half in section.
Fig. 2 shews an end elevation in section of Fig. 1.
Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 shew plans of the channels or recuperators,
for heat on the lines k, h, g, f, e, d, C, B and A, see Fig. 1.
In old furnaces, holding seven retorts, the fire-box was placed between the two
retorts, at the bottom, in my arrangement of furnace the firebox is placed under-
neath, the level of the ash box of the old furnace, which allows for an additional,
retort to take the place of the old fire box.
The firebox is composed of a space A, formed by walls to the right and left,
these walls are of fire brick, the outsides of the walls are vertical, but the insides
forming the fire-box, incline away from each other, leaving the fire-box wider at
the top than the bottom, the space forming the fire box is closed behind by a
wall B of fire bricks, this wall slopes from the fire grate towards the vault or arch,
the front of the space forming the fire box is closed by the fire brick wall C, this
wall being prolonged outside the furnace like the two walls of the side, are faced
with fire brick, the stones of the arch D, have hollows or passages E, of a particular
shape, like the mouth of a pipe, and allow the gas and hot air, to mix in their
hollows or passages, under the front wall, the two side walls are bound by a
casting F, formed so as to retain a certain quantity of water, under this casting F,
which is fastened to the two walls by notches in such a way as to be removed at
D

page_text: will, is placed a rod or casting G, fastened in a similar manner, and supports the
grate bars G these bars rest at their other end in an iron support in the wall
behind the fire box; under the head of the eighth retort is a specially formed fire
' brick H, which forms the mouth of the vault of the fire box, and forms a sort of
funnel opening, through which the coko is fed. to the fire box, the mouth of the fire
box is closed by a door K, this door is level with the ground line; above the fire-
box nothing is new, except the additional or eighth retort, the burnt gases pass
between the two retorts, and above separate, and one part descends to the right
and one to the left of the furnace, each recuperator takes the empty place, formed
under the retorts, between the prolonged right foot of the foundation of the
furnace, the bottom of the fire box and the wall of the fire box, in front it is
confined in length by the outer wall of the front of the fire box, its lower level
comes about the same level as the ash box, each recuperator is composed of a series
of horizontal pipes or channels m, m³, n, n' in fire brick, having a separating
wall P, at the centre, the separation stopping at a certain distance from the bottom
of the furnace, it is in the channels m, m that the burnt gases pass, making a
draught or passage forwards and backwards in each, so as to re-heat the air, the
channels n, n¹ are similar in make, the communication between each of the channels,
is formed by means of chimneys R, S, R¹, S¹, vertical as the Drawing indicates.
The number of horizontal channels vary according to the height which the retorts
are built, but it must be remarked that when a cellar cannot be made underneath,
these channels may be less numerous but larger, in order to have as much as
possible the same surface of heat for the recuperator; each channel is made in such
a manner, as to be seen in full length, by means of openings T, placed in front of
the roannerator
1
The retorts are fired the same as other furnaces, the coke used for heating being
thrown on by the higher hole of the fire box which opens out at the level of the ground
of the furnace room, falls on the grate, and the heat which is formed, evaporates
the water shut in the casting E¹, this evaporation of water being needful to prevent
the clinkers from adhering to the fire bricks, and filling the ash box. When the
fire box requires cleaning; bars of iron must be used like those of the grato, which
is placed for support upon a moveable bar, which is placed for this purpose, under-
neath the casting E¹, and these bars rest at their end on the wall behind the fire-
box, when the ordinary grate is pulled back, the slag and a little coko falls into
the ash box, the grate is replaced and the supplementary grate is taken away the
white hot coke falls on the grate, and the fire box is cleaned; on the grate and on
the piece of casting, in order to prevent the coke falling out, are placed a few fire
bricks, see dotted lines on Fig. 2. The front of the furnace is closed by a door
provided with air openings which can be opened and shut, this door must always
be shut, except when the fire box is being cleaned, and to prevent too much air
getting in under the grate; the gases produced by the combustion of the coke in
the fire box, pass by the stones of the arch and meet the hot air coming from the
recuperators, there is then produced in the interior of these stones of the arch, a
mixture which burns whilst rising amongst the retorts assists in heating the
furnace. In coming down round the retorts the burnt gases are drawn by the
chimney of the furnace or factory, and the draught is regulated by a register
placed in the channel at the bottom of the furnace, the air on the contrary_is
carried by the channel which ascends, and in the last channel, it enters across the
hollows of the sides of the arch to mix with the gases coming from the fire box;
the quantity of this air is regulated by means of an opening placed before the
lowest opening of the retort. This system is applicable to all kinds of gas furnaces
whatever number of retorts are used.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination of the peculiarly shaped fire box A, and the hollows or
passages E, E, leading to the series of sepentine passages around the retorts.
2. The general arrangement of recuperators as shewn and described.
3. The general construction and arrangement of gas furnaces, retorts and
recuperators as shewn and described.

page_text: I JOHN EDWARD WALSH of Waterhouse Chambers Crossley Street Halifax in
the county of York, Patent Agent and Consulting Engineer seek leave to amend
the Specification of Letters Patent N° 8879 of 1884, as shewn in red ink, in the
copy of the original specification hereunto annexed.
My reasons for making this amendment are as follows;—that the description is
incorrect as filed, and I have no interest in the invention except as Agent and
Applicant for my client Alphonse Ryex, of Ghent Belgium.
In the matter of the application made by John Edward Walsh for leave to amend
the Specification of Letters Patent, N° 8879 of 1884.
I hereby grant leave to the said John Edward Walsh to amend the said
Specification in the manner proposed.
H. READER LACK,
Comptroller-General.

page_text: the County of York Patent Agent and Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention for "AN IMPROVED REGENERATIVE FURNACE FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS" Communication to me from abroad by Alphonzo
Ryex of Ghent, Belgium, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The object of my Invention is by an arrangement of furnaces, retorts and
channels, for the gases and heat, to utilize heat which otherwise would be wasted
and so produce more gas at loss cost.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shews elevation of furnace half being a front elevation and half in section.
Fig. 2 shews an end elevation in section of Fig. 1.
Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 shew plans of the channels or recuperators,
for heat on the lines k, h, g, f, e, d, C, B and A, see Fig. 1.
In old furnaces, holding seven retorts, the fire-box was placed between the two
retorts, at the bottom, in my arrangement of furnace the firebox is placed under-
Death, the level of the ash box of the old furnace, which allows for an additional,
retort to take the place of the old fire box.
The firebox is composed of a space A, formed by walls to the right and left,
these walls are of fire brick, the outsides of the walls are vertical, but the insides
forming the fire-box, incline away from each other, leaving the fire-box wider at
the top than the bottom, the space forming the fire box is closed behind by a
wall B of fire bricks, this wall slopes from the fire grate towards the vault or arch,
the front of the space forining the fire box is closed by the fire brick wall C, this
wall being prolonged outside of the furnace like the two side walls is plumb or
level with the outside, the two side walls are surmounted with of the sidey are faced
with-fire-briek, the stones of the arch D in fire clay having have hollows or
passages E, of a particular shape, like the mouth of a pipe, and allow the gas and
hot air, to mix in their hollows or passages, under the front wall, the two side
walls are bound by a casting F, formed so as to retain a certain quantity of water,
under this casting F, which is fastened to the two walls by notches in such a way as
to be removed at will, is placed a rod or casting G, fastened in a similar manner, and
supports the grate bars G¹ these bars rest at their other end in an iron support in
the wall behind the fire box; under the head of the eighth retort is a specially
formed fire brick H, which forms the mouth of the vault of the fire box, and forms
a sort of funnel opening, through which the coke is fed to the fire box, the mouth
of the fire box is closed by a door K, this door is level with the ground line; above
the fire-box nothing is new, except the additional or eighth retort, the burnt gases
pass between the two retorts, and above separate, and one part descends to the
right and one to the left of the furnace, each recuperator takes the empty place,
formed under the retorts, between the prolonged right foot of the foundation of the
furnace, the bottom of the fire box and the wall of the fire box, in front it is
confined in length by the outer wall of the front of the fire box, its lower level
comes about the same level as the ash box, each recuperator is composed of a series
of horizontal pipes or channels m, m³, n, n', in fire brick, having a separating
wall P, at the centre, the separation stopping at a certain distance from the bottoni

page_text: of the furnace, it is in the channels m, m³, that the burnt gases pass, making a
draught or passage forwards and backwards in each, so as to re-heat the air, the
channels n, n' are similar in make, the communication between each of the channels;
is formed by means of chimneys R, S, R¹, S¹, vertical as the Drawing indicates.
The number of horizontal channels vary according to the height which the retorts
are built, but it must be remarked that when a cellar cannot be made underneath,
these channels may be less numerous but larger, in order to have as much as
possible the same surface of heat for the recuperator; each channel is made in such
a manner, as to be seen in full length, by means of openings T, placed in front of
the recuperator.
WORKING OF THE FURNACE.
The retorts are fired the same as other furnaces, the coke used for heating being
thrown on by the higher hole of the fire box which opens out at the level of the ground
of the furnace room, falls on the grate, and the heat which is formed; evaporates
the water shut in the casting E', this evaporation of water being needful to prevent
the clinkers from adhering to the fire bricks, and filling the ash box. When the
fire box requires cleaning; bars of iron must be used like those of the grate, which
is placed for support upon a moveable bar, which is placed for this purpose, under-
neath the casting E, and these bars rest at their end on the wall behind the fire-
box, when the ordinary grate is pulled back, the slag and a little coke falls into
the ash box, the grate is replaced and the supplementary grate is taken away the
white hot coke falls on the grate, and the fire box is cleaned; on the grate and on
the piece of casting, in order to prevent the coke falling out, are placed a few fire
bricks, see dotted lines on Fig. 2. The front of the furnace is closed by a door
provided with air openings which can be opened and shut, this door must always
be shut, except when the fire box is being cleaned, and to prevent too much air
getting in under the grate; the gases produced by the combustion of the coke in
the fire box, pass by the stones of the arch and meet the hot air coming from the
recuperators, there is then produced in the interior of these stones of the arch, a
mixture which burns whilst rising amongst the retorts assists in heating the
furnace. In coming down round the retorts the burnt gases are drawn by the
chimney of the furnace or factory, and the draught is regulated by a register
placed in the channel at the bottom of the furnace, the air on the contrary is
carried by the channel which ascends, and in the last channel, it enters across the
hollows of the sides of the arch to mix with the gases coming from the fire box;
the quantity of this air is regulated by means of an opening placed before the
lowest opening of the retort. This system is applicable to all kinds of gas furnaces
whatever number of retorts are used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination of the peculiarly shaped fire box A, and the hollows or
passages E, E, leading to the series of sepentine passages around the retorts.
2. The general arrangement of recuperators as shewn and described.
3. The general construction and arrangement of gas furnaces, retorts and
recuperators as shewn and described.