IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF ECONOMISING HEAT IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES
Year: 1856

page_text: (This Invention received Provisional Protection, but notice to proceed with the
application for Letters Patent was not given within the time prescribed.
by the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Smith at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th March
1856. A communication.
:
I, WILLIAM SMITH, of 10, Salisbury St., Adelphi, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invenion for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF ECONOMISING
HEAT IN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES, (a communication from Auguste Quanonne,
of Tournay, Belgium,) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the introduction of a system of flues in locomotive
engines, in order to obtain a longer circulation of the flame and hot air, for the
purpose of abstracting thoroughly the caloric evolved from the burning fuel.
This is attained by applying partitions or divisions to divide the tubes into
three parts or series, for the purpose of causing the heat to pass first through
the lower tubes, then to flow back to the fire place through some of the upper
tubes forming the second series, and finally into the chimney through the
highest tubes in the series.
Two flattened funnels or flues are placed one on each side of the engine, with
their mouths or apertures forward, and their conveying pipe opening under the
fire grate; the lower part of the fire box is fitted with a similar arrangement.
The quantity of atmospheric air thus supplied for the combustion of the fuel

page_text: is sufficient for burning two tons of coke in one hour, when in fact a consump-
tion of 500 or 600 pounds only may be necessary, and by means of a valve
or louvre board the current of air admitted can be regulated with accuracy.
A thick sheet iron partition is placed within the fire box; it is furnished
with teeth at its lower part, serving to retain a thick layer of fire clay for
preserving the iron against the destructive action of the fire. The said partition
can be shifted at pleasure, being furnished with two rings, which are placed in
suitable hooks screwed fast at the end of two long iron rods, which pass through
tubes, allowing the whole to be removed towards the fore part of the fire box.
There is also another stout sheet iron partition placed in the smoke box; this
is also hinged and made fast on a frame. The flues with the widened aper-
tures or mouths convey the air under the fire box through the feed pipes
into other similar flues, which are placed under the boiler and open under the
fire grate.
In some forms of locomotive engines it may, by reason of the position and
form of the boiler, be necessary to have a different disposition of the flues, in,
such a case is introduced a copper heating or boiling chamber surrounding
the lower part of the boiler, and with which it communicates through suitably
disposed pipes, and, where practicable, is added a water circulating partition
chamber in communication with the boiler and the fore part of the fire-box:
In this last arrangement the flamme runs in the direction before described,
but first passes between the heating case or boiling wrapper and the boiler,
then through the lower series of tubes, and lastly, it rushes into the smoke
box and chimney through the upper tubes.