Improvements in and relating to Furnaces.
Year: 1897

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Furnaces.
I, EDWARD FALES, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at 22 Suminit
Avenue; in the town of Winthrop; county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,
United States of America; Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to combustion apparatus, and its object is to thoroughly burn
all kinds of fuel, and especially those kinds which are rich in volatile matters and
usually yield large volumes of smoke.
My apparatus may be of many forms, but its, essential features are a relatively long
and narrow combustion chamber, a fuel support therein, openings or passages for
admitting air to the fuel, and a draft outlet,, the openings or passages and the draft
outlet being so situated relatively to each other that while the inflowing air imparts
a rotary motion to the combustible and igneous gases, the draft operates to carry the
whole mass along the axis of rotation and thus thoroughly diffuse all the combustible
elements. The course pursued by the gases is thus along the curve of a helix.
-
In my preferred form of apparatus there are openings or passages at the two sides
of the fuel support, and two distinct helical drafts.
In one form of apparatus no air is admitted to the center of the fuel support, and
in another, which has a fuel pocket at its center, there are air openings for the
pocket which admit sufficient air to permit of a limited and gas generating
combustion.
In the operation of all forms of the apparatus there are at least two kinds of narrow
and adjacent zones within the fuel, one kind being that which is included within the
mass of fuel that is close to the air supply on each side and involves the rapid
combustion of the solid fuel, and the other kind being that in which the fuel is
subjected to the heat of combustion and is suffering destructive distillation.
Above the solid-fuel burning and the gas producing zones,, is the combustion zone,
and it is within. this zone that the described commingling and burning of gases
occur.
A furnace constructed in accordance with these principles is capable of generating
and burning large volumes of fuel in n most thorough manner.
I will now describe two forms of any apparatus.
In the drawings-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line x-x Figure 2, of a steam
boiler furnace embodying one form of my invention.
Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same through the fuel supports and
combustion chambers.
Figure 3 is a substantially. horizontal section taken on line y, Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken on line z, Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the fuel supports removed.
Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the second form of my,
improved. furnace ;

page_text: под
Figure 8 a similar section on line 3-3 of Figure 6';
Figure 9 a perspective view of the casing or housing, the adjustable retarder-plate
adapted. to slide therein and the connected levers for operating the retarder-plate.
Referring to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive...
7
a represents the boiler, b the side walls of the furnace, c the bridge wall and d the
protecting or deflecting wall which is set over the combustion chambers. e e are two
ashpits separated by the wallet and g g are the two combustion chambers separated
by the wall gl..
Supported at its opposite ends by the portions. ht of the masonry, on each side of
the dividing wall e' is my improved fuel-support. This consists of a metallic plate,
longer than it is wide, and preferably rectangular in shape, set usually longitudinally
with the boiler, such plate consisting of a central longitudinal, triangular-shaped or
gable-shaped portion A, horizontal side portions or wings A preferably integral with
and extending from the side edges of the raised triangular portion A, and upwardly
projecting portions B, C and D, the objects of which are below described. The side
portions or wings A' may be provided with slots E next their outer edges,, such slots
Being in practice usually sinaller in proportion than is shown in the drawings. The
outer edges of these wings are notched at intervals, as at F, in order to allow
contraction and expansion of the metal without danger of fracture.
When the fuel-supports are set in position, the outer edges lie under the
overhanging portions H and H' of the masonry, the former extending from the sides b
and the latter from the central portion g'. The upturned lips or portions B and C
extend from the sides or wings A' up toward or against the under surfaces of the
portions H and H, such under faces being suitably underlaid with metallic plates.
Rests or guides D are formed near the front edge of the fuel-support (see Figure 5)
for bearing the poker against when it is thrust into the fire, thus holding it steadily,
and preventing any injury from slipping.
The draft holes E may be mucli sinaller than is shown in the drawings, or may be
entirely omitted if desired, in which latter case the draft will pass between the outer
edges of the fuel-support and the inasonry, and between the front and rear lips or
guards B and C.
Referring to Figures 6'to 9 inclusive, the numerals 1 and 2 indicate the respective
side walls of the furnace, and 3 and 4 respectively, the front and rear walls tliereof.
The front and rear walls are preferably constructed entirely of brick, of a proper
thickness, and the front wall is provided with the usual openings into the fuel or
combustion chamber and into the ash-pit below the same,, said openings being
provided with suitable doors. The side walls are constructed of brick to a point or
level just above the line where the upper fuel-supporting plates are to be supported,
and for the remainder of the distance they are preferably constructed of slabs of fire
clay, of a sufficient thickness to overhang the inner side of the side walls, as shown in
Figures 7 and 8. The furnace is covered for a greater portion of its length with slabs,
preferably fire-clay, of proper thickness, and upon the slabs is laid one or more courses
of brick. Over a part of the uncovered portion is arranged a casing or housing 5 of
inetal or other suitable material, or of metal lined with slabs of fire-clay. The rear 4
side of the casing or housing is preferably open the width of the interior of the
furnace, and abutting the said side is an exit flue 6, preferably of fire-clay, which
communicates with the opening in the rear side of said casing or housing. Within
the casing or housing is arranged a retarder plate, 7, formed preferably of fire-clay
with an arm 8 at each side. The body of the retarder-plate extends down into the 5
furnace, between its side walls, and the arms 8 are each provided with a vertical guido
rod, 9, the respective ends of which are adapted to slide in holes nade in the top and
bottom of the casing or housing, said holes being properly packed to prevent the
admission of air. The casing or housing is situated a sufficient distance forward of
the rear wall of the furnace, as to leave a passage 10, between said walliand the 5
retarder-plate, for the escape of the products of combustion into the exit flue.
In practice the retarder plate is adjustable vertically by means of two fulcrumed

page_text: levers 16, one on each side of the furnace; connected together at their forward end by
a bar 17, the free ends of the levers resting under the rods 9. When the furnace is.
filled with fuel to its capacity, the retarder-plate is raised by pulling, down the
connected ends of the levers and securing the bar 17 in the desired' position by means
of a pin 18, which sets over said bar into a hole in a loop or staple 19. secured to the
front wall of the furnace, the said loop being provided with a series of such holes to
permit of different degrees of adjustment accordingly, as the fuel is being consumed..
It will be understood, however, that the retarder-plate may be left free to move by
its own weight downward as the fuel is being consumed.
The numeral 11 indicates two bars or beams, running lengthwise of the furnace,
liaving their ends embedded in the front and rear walls respectively, and resting upon
said bars is an imperforate slab 12, of fire-clay, which forms the longitudinal central
portion of the fuel-support. At either side of the bar or beams 11, parallel therewith
and a short distance above, are two similar bars or beams 13, and resting upon each
set of said bars is an imperforate slab, 14, of fire-clay, which forms the upper side'
portions of the fuel-support, the three slabs constituting the fuel-support proper.
One side of each of the upper portions of the fuel-support projects or extends partly.
under the overhanging wall of the furnace, leaving a sufficient space between the side
wall and the side edge of the said upper portion of the fuel support and between the
latter and the overhanging portion of said side wall, for the admission of air, from the
ash-pit, to the incandescent fuel. The other side of each of the upper portions of the '
fuel-support projects over the adjacent side of the central or lower portion of the said
fuel-support, so as to prevent the coal from dropping through into the ash-pit below,
and also to form passages for the admission of air to the longitudinal central portion
of the fuel,
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 a furnace, a fuel support therein of greater length than
width, and means for admitting air only at or near the side edges of the fuel
support.
2. The combination of a furnace, a fuel support therein of greater length than
width, and means for directing the major portion of the air around and over the side
edges of the fuel support.
3. In a furnace, the combination with the side walls having overhanging ledges, of
a fuel support having a longitudinally arched central portion and side flanges which
set under said overhanging ledges, substantially as specified.
4. In a furnace, the combination with the side walls having overbanging ledges, of
a fuel support having a longitudinally arched central portion and side flanges which
set under said overhanging ledges, and means for admitting air around and over the
side edges of the fuel support.
5. In a furnace, the combination with the side walls having overhanging ledges, of'
a fuel support having a longitudinally arched imperforate center and perforated
flanges which extend under said overhanging ledges, substantially as specified.
6. In a furnace, the combination with the side walls having overhanging ledges, of
a fuel support having a longitudinally arched imperforate central portion and
perforated side flanges which set under said overhanging ledges, there being air inlets
between the flanges and ledges, substantially as specified.
7. In a steam boiler or other furnace, the side walls b provided with overhanging,
inwardly projecting portions H; the dividing wall e¹ provided with the overhanging
outwardly projecting portions H'; and the fuel supports consisting of the central
raised gable portions A and horizontal wings A! extending from opposite sides of said
central portion, said fuel-supports being sustained by the furnace and having their
edges extending under said overhanging portions H,, H', substantially as described.
8. A combustion chamber having narrow and contiguous gas-generating and
solid-fuel burning zones, a super-jacent zone for the combustion of the gases, means

page_text: for admitting air to the free side of the solid-fuel burning zone, and means for
producing a draft longitudinally of the zones, substantially as described.
9: The combination of a furnace, a fuel-support comprising a central imperforate
plate and side imperforate plates supported above the central plate forming a pocket,
and means for admitting air at the side edges of the side and central plates.
10. The combination of a furnace, a fuel-support comprising a central imperforate
plate and two side imperforate plates, the said sido plates arranged and supported
above the central plate forming a pocket with the inner side edges of the side plates
projecting over the adjacent edges of the same.
11. In a furnace, the combination with the side walls having overhanging ledges,
of a fuel-support comprising a central imperforate plate and two side imperforate
plates, forining a pocket, the outer side edges of the side plates extending under and
below the overhanging ledges, as and for the purpose set forth.
12. The combination of a furnace, and a fuel support comprising a central
imperforate plate and two side imperforate plates, the side plates being arranged and
supported above the central plate in such a manner that a pocket will be formed and
air admitted around and over the side edges of both the side aud central plates. -
13. In a furnace, the combination with the side walls having overhanging ledges,
of a fuel-support comprising a central imperforate plate and two side imperforate
plates, forming a pocket, the outer side edges of the side plates extending under and
below the said ledges, and their inuer side edges over and above the respective side
edges of the central plate:
14. The combination of a furnace, and a retarder-plate in the furnace, whereby the
passage of the products of combustion is caused to be retarded and directed downward
into the bed of incandescent fuel before passing to the exit-flue.
15. The combination of a furnace, a casing or housing connected therewith, and an
adjustable retarder-plate situated partly within said casing or 'housing and the furnace,
substantially as specified!
16. The combination with a furnace, of a casing or housing connected therewith, a
retarder plate situated partly within said casing or housing and the furnace, and
means for vertically adjusting the retarder-plate, substantially as specified.
17. The combination with a furnace and its exit flue, of a casing or housing
opening into the furnace and communicating with the exit flue, and a retarder-plate
vertically adjustable in said. casing or housing and the furnace,, substantially as,
specified.
18. The combination with a furnace and its exit flue, of a casing or housing
opening into the furnace, and communicating with said exit-flue, a retarder-plate
liaving arins provided with guide rods adapted to slide in said casing or housing, and
means for vertically adjusting said retarder-plate, substantially as specified.
19. The combination of a furnace and a fuel-support having a fuel-pocket
extending substantially the whole length of the combustion chamber, the said fuel-
support and the said pocket being provided with laterally disposed. openings for
admitting air.
20. The combination of a furnace having greater length than width and a
correspondingly-shaped fuel-support having a fuel pocket extending substantially the
whole length of the combustion chamber, the said fuel-support and the said pocket
being provided with laterally disposed openings for admitting air.
21. The combination of a furnace, a fuel-support having a fuel pocket extending
substantially the whole length of the combustion-chamber, means for admitting air,
and an automatic retarder-plate for directing the passage of the gases down into the
bed of the fuel.