Improvements in or connected with Furnaces.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 1uth Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th June, 1892-Accepted, 10th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Furnaces.
I, THOMAS WATKIN WILLIAMS, of Wellington Foundry, Swansea, in the
County of Glamorgan, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, to
be as follows :-
This invention relates to certain improvements upon an invention for which
Letters Patent were granted to me dated the 9th day of February 1878, No. 539,
and my present invention has for its objects to obtain a more perfect combustion of
the fuel by conducting a regulated supply of heated air to the back of the bridge
and to improve various details of construction of the apparatus.
For this purpose, I provide at the front of the ash pit of the furnace a wrought
iron damper or dampers which is or are air-tight so as to provide or create an
undergrate pressure.
At the opposite end of the ash-pit I form an opening or a number of openings or
ways through the bridge, and I fit into each opening a cast iron air tube which is
cranked after passing through the opening and rises at the back of the bridge
where it terminates in the form of a contracted horizontal or approximately
horizontal nozzle and I am thus enabled to convey a supply of air, which has
become highly heated in its passage through the.ash pit, to the back of the bridge
where it mingles with the smoke and products of combustion and gases passing over
the bridge from the burning fuel and materially assists to ignite and promote the
perfect combustion thereof.
That end of each of the cast iron air tubes which opens into the ash pit is
provided with a valve consisting of a flap hinged by its upper edge to the tube and
falling by gravity upon the end thereof which is bevelled or inclined for that
purpose whilst a regulating device consisting of a rack bar hinged to the top aud
passing through an opening or fitting upon the valve is employed to adjust the
position of the valve and thus regulate the volume of heated air passing from the
ash pit to the back of the bridge.
In order to prevent the hollow perforated furnace bars rising by changes of
temperature, such as, the damping of the fires or the cutting off of the blast, I
provide upon the under side of each furnace bar a hook which engages a wrought
iron bar traversing immediately beneath the furnace bars from side to side of the
furnace, whilst, in order to provide an escape for any dust which may accumulate
in the hollow fire bars, I provide in the under side of each fire bar near to the
bridge an opening through which any dust would be driven out by the current of
steam and air passing into the hollow fire bars.
It may sometimes happen that one or other of the nozzles or injectors supplying
steam to the hollow fire bars will become choked, and in order to enable them
readily to be cleared, I connect the horizontal steam pipe carrying the injectors
with the vertical steam pipe supplying steam from the boiler by means of a swivel
joint packed with asbestos and mount the horizontal steam pipe in suitable bearings
so that it may be turned therein and the nozzles or injectors thereby withdrawn
from the hollow fire bars, when they can be readily freed from any deleterious
matter.
Dated this 10th day of February 1892.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Furnaces.
I, THOMAS WATKIN WILLIAMS, of Wellington Foundry, Swansea, in the
County of Glamorgan, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My said invention relates to certain improvements upon an invention for which
Letters Patent were granted to me dated the 9th day of February 1878, No. 539,
and my present invention has for its objects to obtain a more perfect combustion of
the fuel by conducting a regulated supply of heated air to the back of the bridge
and to improve various details of construction of the apparatus.
For this purpose, I provide at the front of the ash-pit of the furnace a wrought
iron damper or dampers which is or are air-tight, so as to provide or create an
undergrate pressure.
At the opposite end of the ash-pit, I form an opening or a number of openings or
ways through the bridge, and 1 fit into each opening a cast-iron air tube which is
cranked after passing through the opening and rises at the back of the bridge
where it terminates in the form of a contracted horizontal or approximately
horizontal nozzle, and I am thus enabled to convey a supply of air, which has
become highly heated in its passage through the hollow fire-bars and ash-pit, to the
back of the bridge where it mingles with smoke and products of combustion and
gases passing over the bridge from the burning fuel and materially assists to ignite
and promote the perfect combustion thereof.
That end of each of the cast-iron air tubes which opens into the ash-pit is
provided with a valve consisting of a flap hinged by its upper edge to the tube and
falling by gravity upon the end thereof which is bevelled or inclined for that
purpose, whilst a regulating device consisting of a rack bar hinged to the top and
passing through an opening or fitting upon the valve is employed to adjust the
position of the valve and thus regulate the volume of heated air passing from the
ash-pit to the back of the bridge.
In order to prevent the hollow perforated furnace bars rising by change of
temperature, such as, the damping of the fire or the cutting off of the blast, 1
provide upon the under side of each furnace bar a hook which engages a wrought
iron bar traversing immediately beneath the furnace bars from side to side of the
furnace, whilst, in order to provide an escape for any dust which may accumulate
in the hollow fire-bars, I provide in the under side of each fire-bar near to the
bridge an opening through which any dust would be driven out by the current of
steam and air passing into the hollow fire-bars.
It may sometimes happen that one or other of the nozzles or injectors supplying
steam to the hollow fire-bars will become choked, and, in order to enable them
readily to be cleared, I connect the horizontal steam pipe carrying the injectors
with the vertical steam pipe supplying steam from the boiler by means of a swivel
joint packed with asbestos and mount or support the horizontal steam pipe upon
suitable brackets or bearings but so that it may be turned upon the swivel joint and
the, nozzles, or injectors thereby withdrawn from the hollow fire-bars, when they
can be readily-freed from any deleterious matter.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings, more fully
to describe the same.

page_text: Figure 2. is a vertical longitudinal section thereof taken on the line 1-1 of
Figure 1., and,
Figure 3. is a rear elevation of the bridge and air tube passing therethrough.
In the several figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
a. represents the shell of the boiler, b. represents the furnace, 6* represents the
furnace door, and c. represents the ash-pit.
At the front end of the ash-pit r. of the furnace is provided a wrought iron
damper e¹, or several of such dampers might be employed, which damper is hinged
by its upper edge at c* to a wrought iron bar ** extending across the furnace
beneath the fire-bars 6' and which damper is adapted to close the front of the ash-
pit in an air-tight manner so as to create an undergrate pressure.
At the opposite end of the ash-pit, an opening or way is formed through the
bridge d; or a number of such openings might be so formed, and into this opening or
way is fitted a cast iron air tube e. which is cranked after passing through the
opening of the bridge and rises at the back of the bridge d. where it terminates in
the form of a contracted horizontal or approximately horizontal nozzle e¹ and a
supply of air which has become highly heated in its passage through the hollow
fire-bars and ash-pit c. is thus enabled to be conveyed to the back of the bridge d.
and to a suitable elevation where it mingles with the smoke and products of com-
bustion and gases passing over the bridge from the burning fuel and materially
assists to ignite and promote the perfect combustion thereof.
That end of the cast iron tube e. which opens into the ash-pit c. is provided with
a valve consisting of a flap e hinged by its upper edge to the tube e. at e²* and
falling by gravity upon the end thereof which is bevelled or inclined for that
purpose, whilst a regulating device consisting of a rack bar e³, hinged by its upper
end to a bracket from the tube e. and passing through an opening or slotted
fitting upon the valve as will be readily understood, is employed to adjust the
position of the valve e³ and thus regulate the volume of heated air passing from the
ash-pit c. to the back of the bridge d.
The rack bar e is curved to the radius described by the valve e. in its traverse,
and by its gravity automatically engages the valve e so as to hold it in the desired
position, whilst a rod or bar e, passing to the front of the boiler where it is furnished
with a handle by which it may be operated, is employed to raise the valve e³
into the desired position, and to disengage the rack bar e³ therefrom, in order to
lower the valve at the times desired.
For this purpose, the bar e' at its inner end, passes through an aperture formed
in the end of a crank or offset e** from the shaft or axis e²* of the valve e so as to
slide freely to and fro therein, whilst. upon its extremne end the bar e' is furnished
with an enlargement **, which, in the outward movement of the bar, engages the
crank or offset e*** and thus raises the valve e³, whilst, at a short distance from its
inner end, the bar e is provided with a projection or enlargement **** which in
the inward movement of the bar e comes against the rack bar and disengages it
from the valve e, thereby allowing the latter to fall by its own gravity, the rod or
bar e in its inward traverse passing freely through the apertured end of the
crank e** without giving any motion thereto.
The furnace bars are formed perforated and hollow to admit a current of steam
and air, as described in the Specification of the herein before recited Letters Patent,
and in order to prevent the same rising by changes of temperature, such as, the
damping of the fire, or the cutting off of the blast, upon the underside of each
furnace bar b', is provided a hook which engages a wrought iron bar 61**
traversing immediately beneath the furnace bars ₁ from side to side of the furnace,
whilst in order to provide an escape for any dust that may accumulate in the hollow
fire-bars b' an opening 61*** is provided in the underside of each fire-bar b', near to
the bridge, through which opening any dust therein will be driven out by the
current of steam and air passing into the hollow fire-bar.
The current of steam is injected into the outer ends of the hollow fire-bars 6' by
means of nozzles or injectors f. mounted upon tubular arms f¹ carried by a

page_text: horizontal steam pipe which is supplied with steam from the boiler by means of
a vertical steam pipe /³.
It may sometimes happen that one or other of the nozzles or injectors f. supplying
steam to the hollow fire-bars may become choked and in order to enable them
readily to be cleared, the horizontal steam pipe carrying the injectors f. is con
nected with the vertical steam pipe supplying steam from the boiler by means of
a swivel joint f** packed with asbestos, and the horizontal pipe is mounted or
supported upon suitable hearings or brackets *** but held in place by pins /****
so that it may be turned upon the swivel joint f* and the nozzles or injectors f
thereby withdrawn from the hollow fire-bars 6', when they can be readily freed
from any deleterious matter, a blow off cock ***** being provided, to clear the
horizontal pipe of water of condensation, when desired, a regulating or cut off
valve *** being employed in connection with the steam pipe ƒ³.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In combination with a furnace, a tube passing through the bridge beneath the
furnace bars and rising at the back of the bridge and terminating in a nozzle,
substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
2. In a furnace, the combination of a tube passing through the bridge beneath
the furnace bars and rising at the back of the bridge and there terminating in a
nozzle, a valve fitted to the lower end of the tube and means for regulating the
same, substantially as herein shown and described.
3. In a furnace, the combination of a tube passing through the bridge beneath
the furnace bars, a valve fitted to such tube, means for regulating the valve, and a
damper located at the outer end of the ash-pit, substantially as herein shown and
described.
4. In a furnace, the combination of a number of fire-bars, a wrought iron bar
extending transversely across the furnace, a hook upon the under side of each fire-
bar adapted to engage the transverse bar, substantially as herein shown and
described and for the purpose stated.
5. A fire-bar formed with a hook upon its under side, substantially as herein
shown and described and for the purpose stated.
6. In a furnace, the combination of a number of nozzles or injectors supplied
with steam from a boiler, and a corresponding number of hollow perforated fire-
bars each formed with an opening in its under side, substantially as herein shown
and described and for the purpose stated.
7. In a furnace, the combination of a number of hollow perforated fire-bars and
corresponding nozzles or injectors carried by a moveable horizontal steam pipe
adapted to withdraw the nozzles from the fire-bars, substantially as herein shown
and described and for the purpose stated.
8. In a furnace, the combination of a number of hollow perforated fire-bars, a
horizontal steam pipe mounted in bearings with capability of rotation, a swivel
joint connecting the horizontal steam pipe with the steam supply pipe and a number
of nozzles or injectors carried by the horizontal pipe, substantially as herein shown
and described and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 4th dan of Luna 1905
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.