IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNING LIMESTONE. AND GENERATING STEAM
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Blackmore, of Foynes, and Henry Lamb, of
Ennis, in the Counties of Limerick and Clare, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNING LIMESTONE. AND GENERATING STEAM."
Sealed the 18th November 1862, and dated the 28th May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Blackmore and
Henry Lamb at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 28th May 1862.
We, WILLIAM BLACKMORE, of Foynes, and HENRY LAMB, of Ennis,, in the
Counties of Limerick and Clare, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BURNING LIMESTONE AND GENERATING. STEAM," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in burning limestone and
generating steam. For these purposes in order more advantageously and
economically to burn the fuel used, whether coal, turf, or peat,. when generating
steam, limestone is introduced into and burned in ordinary steam boiler
furnaces, by which lime is manufactured at a cheap rate, whilst the fuel
employed is found to be more effective in generating steam than when burned
in the same furnaces without the introduction of limestone. This Invention is
peculiarly useful when using the furnaces of tubular steam boilers having fire-
boxes, such as are usually applied to locomotive steam engines. In practice

page_text: the limestone in lumps is spread over the fire-bars of the furnace, and the fire
is made thereon, and the fire is kept up by additions of fuel together with
quantities of limestone mixed or thrown on to the fuel therewith.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Blackmore and Henry Lamb in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 25th November 1862..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
BLACKMORE, of Foynes, and HENRY LAMB, of Ennis, in the Counties of
Limerick and Clare, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said William Blackmore and Henry Lamb, Her special licence,
that we, the said William Blackmore and Henry Lamb, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Blackmore
and Henry Lamb, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BURNING LIMESTONE AND GENERATING STEAM," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said William Blackmore and Henry Lamb, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 inonths next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Blackmore and Henry
Lamb, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention; and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in burning limestone and
generating steam. For these purposès in order more advantageously and
econoniically to burn the fuel used, whether coal, turf, or peat, when generating

page_text: steam, limestone is introduced into and burned in ordinary steam boiler fur-
naces, by which lime is manufactured at a cheap rate, whilst the fuel employed
is found to be more effective in generating steam than when burned in the
same furnaces without the introduction of limestone. This Invention is pecu-
liarly useful when using the furnaces of tubular steam boilers having fire-
boxes, such as are usually applied to locomotive steam engines. In practice,
the limestone in lumps is spread over the fire-bars of the furnace, and the firo
is made thereon, and the fire is kept up by additions of fuel together with
quantities of limestone mixed or thrown on to the fuel therewith.
Having thus stated the nature of the Invention, we will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same.
Before lighting the fire in a locomotive or other steam boiler furnace a number
of lumps of limestone, each about three to five inches diameter, are placed on
the fire-bars, on to which the fuel is placed, and the fire is made and kept up
by fresh additions of fuel from time to time. Further quantities of lumps of
limestone are to be added at intervals when the fire is burning freely; a little
experience on the part of the fireman will readily enable him to judge of the
quantities to be so applied, which depends on the speed at which the fuel is
consumed and the nature of the coal employed; when the limestone is carefully
applied during the day it is found, more particularly in the furnaces of loco-
motive engines, that the engine may run the last few miles of a journey by
simply sprinkling slack on the heated limestone in the furnace, so that when
the journey is completed and the bars of the furnace are dropped, there will
only be burnt lime in the ash-pit, which will be found very useful as a manure,
whilst the fire-bars of the furnace will have been preserved, and the burning
of the coal will have been greatly improved.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Blackmore and Henry Lamb,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Tenth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
WILLIAM BLACKMORE. (L.S.)
HENRY LAMB.
(L.S.)