IMPROVE- MENTS IN FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO FURNACES FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1873

page_text: · LETTERS PATENT to Charles Walker Torr, of Aston, near Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Manager of Works, and John Johnstone,
of Birmingham aforesaid, Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO FURNACES FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES.”
Sealed the 14th October 1873, and dated the 22nd April 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Walker Torr
and John Johnstone at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 22nd April 1873.
We, CHARLES WALKER TORR, of Aston, near Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Manager of Works, and JOHN JOHNSTONE, of
Birmingham aforesaid, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS, WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO FURNACES FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES,”
to be as follows:-
1
Our Invention consists in constructing and arranging in the. manner
herein-after described the parts of the furnaces of steam boilers and other
furnaces of the kinds herein-after referred to.

page_text: We will describe our Invention in connection with a furnace of a
steam boiler. We construct a hopper or receptacle for the fuel with a
grate or series of bars at its bottom. The said hopper is open at top, and
the fuel is fed into the hopper at the said open top. The said top
is however provided with a cover by which it may be closed as nearly
air-tight as may be, excepting during the time at which the fuel is being
charged into it. The combustion of the fuel takes place on the grate at
the bottom of the hopper, air for support of the combustion entering at
a slot or opening formed at the front of the ash-pit immediately above
the grate. The air admitted forms with the carbon of the fuel carbonic
oxide gas, which mixed with the nitrogen of the air passes out at an
opening opposite to that at which the air entered, and constitutes a
gaseous fuel which is conducted to a combustion chamber under the
boiler, where it burns by admixture with atmospheric air admitted at a
bridge under the fore end of the boiler; the air thus admitted enters by
a transverse slot or by a series of slots. The air by which combustion
under the boiler is maintained does not enter the slot or slots described
direct from the atmosphere but is heated before it arrives at the said slot
or slots. This heating of the air is effected by causing it to pass through
a series of flues or channels, built or formed in close contiguity with the
flue by which the products of combustion are carried to the chimney
stack. The air for feeding the fire thus passing into the furnace is
highly heated by the waste heat and products of combustion passing
from the furnace, the two currents travelling in opposite directions.
By this heating of the air by which the fire is fed a vigorous combustion
is produced, great economy of fuel results, and fuel of very inferior
quality can be advantageously used.
The amount of air for effecting the first partial combustion of the
fuel, as well as the heated air by which the combustion is completed,
may be regulated by valves or dampers.
'The furnaces to which in addition to the furnaces of steam boilers
our Invention is applicable are furnaces for heating and evaporating
liquids, the furnaces of kilns for enamelling, glazing, and firing pottery
and ceramic wares, glass furnaces, the furnaces of hot air and japanners'
stoves, and of apparatus for heating and ventilating buildings, and the
furnaces or fire-places of cooking ranges and grates.

page_text: '
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Charles Walker Torr and John Johnstone in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st October 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
WALKER TORR, of Aston, near Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manager of Works, and JOHN JOHNSTONE, of Birmingham aforesaid,
Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in
the thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Charles Walker Torr and
John Johnstone, Her special license that we, the said Charles Walker
Torr and John Johnstone, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as wc, the said Charles Walker Torr and John Johnstone,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agrec
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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IR FURNACES FOR STEAM BOILERS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO FURNACES FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Charles Walker Torr and John
Johnstone, 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 months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
וי
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Charles Walker Torr and John
Johnstone, 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 thereof, that is to
say:-
Our Invention consists in constructing and arranging in the manner

page_text: herein-after described the parts of the furnaces of steam boilers and
other furnaces of the kinds herein-after referred to.
We will describe our Invention in connection with the furnace of a
steam boiler. We construct a hopper or receptacle for the fuel with a
grate or series of bars at its bottom. The said hopper is open at top,
and the fuel is fed into the hopper at the said open top. The said top is
however provided with a cover by which it may be closed as nearly air-
tight as may be, excepting during the time at which the fuel is being
charged into it. The combustion of the fuel takes place on the grate at
the bottom of the hopper, air for support of the combustion entering at
a slot or opening formed at the front of the ash-pit. The air admitted
forms with the carbon of the fuel carbonic oxide gas, which mixed with
the nitrogen of the air passes out at an opening opposite to that at which
the air entered and constitutes a gaseous fuel which is conducted to a
combustion chamber under the boiler, where it burns by admixture with
atmospheric air admitted by a bridge under the fore end of the boiler.
The air thus admitted enters by a transverse slit or by a series of slits.
The air by which combustion under the boiler is maintained does not
enter the slit or slits described direct from the atmosphere, but is heated
before it arrives at the said slit or slits. This heating of the air is effected
by causing it to pass through a flue or series of flues or channels built
or formed in close contiguity with the flue by which the products of
combustion are carried to the chimney stack. The air for feeding the
fire thus passing into the furnace is highly heated by the waste heat and
products of combustion passing from the furnace. By this heating of
the air by which the fire is fed a vigorous combustion is produced; great
economy of fuel results, and fuel of very inferior quality can be advan-
tageously used.
The amount of air for effecting the first partial combustion of the
fuel, as well as the heated air by which the combustion is completed.

page_text: Having explained the nature of our Invention we will proceed to
describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal vertical section, Figure 2 in
horizontal section, Figure 3 partly in cross section and partly in front
elevation, and Figure 4 in cross section the furnace of a steam boiler,
the parts of which are constructed and arranged according to our Inven-
tion. The longitudinal section, Figure 1, is taken one the line D, D,
Figure 3; the horizontal section, Figure 2, is taken on the line C, C,
Figure 1; the cross section of Figure 3 is taken on the line A, A,
Figure 1; and the cross section, Figure 4, is taken on the line B, B,
of Figure 1. The same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3,
and 4. a is the steam boiler, set in the furnace in the manner
represented; and 6 is the hopper or receptacle for the fuel. The open
top of the hopper is closed air-tight or nearly so by a cover when the
apparatus is in use. At the bottom of the hopper 6 is a grate c, and
below it is the ash-pit d; a regulated quantity of air for the support of the
combustion of the fuel on the grate c is admitted by the door d² of the
ash-pit d, a further regulated portion of air also entering the passage e
immediately above the grate by the door f; the gaseous fuel produced
by the low combustion of the solid fuel on the grate c passes to the
combustion chamber g. under the front end of the boiler a, where it
burns by admixture with highly heated air supplied through the series
of slits h, h, opening on cither side of the bridge i of the combustion
chamber. The manner in which the air supplied to the slits h, h, is
conducted thereto and heated is herein-after explained. The fire and
heated air from the combustion chamber 9 pass under the boiler a, and
after circulating about the side flues k, k, they descend the vertical
passage into the smoke flue m (indicated in dotted lines in Figures 2
and 4); from the smoke flue m the heated air and products of combustion
enter the chimney by the flue n. In the smoke flue m is a pipe (or
pipes) p open to the air, the said pipe p being heated by the waste
heat and products of combustion passing along the said smoke flue; the
pipe p opens into the cross flue q, which cross flue q communicates by
means of the vertical parts q³, q², on either side the combustion chamber
(see Figure 4) with the series of slits h, h. By the passage of the air
along the heated pipe p the said air becomes highly heated, which heated
air after traversing the cross flue q and vertical parts q², q³, enters the

page_text: scries of slits h, h, and mixes with the gaseous fuel in the combustion
chamber g, whereby a vigorous combustion of the gascous fuel is effected.
The quantity of cold air entering the pipe p to be heated thereby may
be regulated by a valve or damper at the open or inlet end of the said
pipe p.
73
Figure 5 represents partly in longitudinal vertical section and partly
in front clevation the furnace of a japanner's stove or hot air stove
constructed and arranged according to our Invention; Figure 6 is a
horizontal section of the same; and Figure 7 is a vertical cross section
of the samc.
The section, Figure 5, is taken on the line C, D, of
Figure 6; the section, Figure 6, is taken on the line A, B, of Figure
and the section, Figure 7, is taken on the line E, F, of Figure 6. The
same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 5, 6, and 7. a represents
the wall of the stove, a portion only being represented, flues b, b, between
the external wall c and the wall a of the stove running round the said
stove. In the Drawing two furnaces are represented, but one or more
than two furnaces may be used. d, d, are the hoppers or fuel receptacles,
and c are the fire-grates at the bottoms thereof; f, f, are the combustion
chambers in connection with the bottoms of the hoppers d, d; g, g, are
series of slits or openings on either side each of the combustion
chambers for admitting heated air to the gaseous fuel passing from the
grates e; a regulated quantity of air for supporting the combustion of
the fuel on the grates e enters through the doors h. The heated air to be
mixed with the gaseous fuel in the combustion chambers f, f, is con-
ducted thereto and heated in the following manner:-In the walls of
each furnace are vertical flucs. i, i, the bottoms of which open into the
ash-pit, and the tops communicate with the nearly horizontal flues k, k,
and the latter open into the series of slits g on opposite sides of the
combustion chamber f; by the circulation of air in the flues i, k, in the
heated walls of the furnace the said air becomes heated and mixes with
the gaseous fuel in the combustion chamber f; the flame and heated
air pass out at the back of the combustion chambers f (sec Figure. 6)
into the flues b surrounding the stove, whereby the said stove is heated.
The quantity of air passing through the air heating flues i, i, may be
regulated by dampers therein; or instead of the inlet of the air heating
flues being situated in the ash-pit, as represented, horizontal flues
passing from the outside of the furnace may open into the said flues i, i.

page_text: Figure 8 represents in front elevation, Figure 9 in vertical section,
and Figure 10 in horizontal section taken on the line A, B, of Figure 9
a ventilating stove, the parts of which are constructed and arranged
according to our Invention. The same letters indicate the same parts
in Figures 8, 9, and 10. a is the metallic external casing of the stove,
lined internally with fire-brick; b is the hopper or receptacle con-
taining the column of fuel to be burned, the lower part 6 of the said
hopper constituting the combustion chamber of the stove; the top of
the hopper is closed by the cover ³, and fuel is fed to the hopper
through the top chamber c, which is closed by the door d; the walls
of the hopper b and combustion chamber 63 are made of fire-brick, the
said walls being carried on the base plate e; the front of the combustion
chamber 6 is open to the apartment, and the said open front is furnishod
with inclined fire-bars 64; at the back of the combustion chamber 6° are
inclined passages f, f, which open into the vertical flue or chamber g at
the back of the stove; the flue g opens by the passage hinto the chimney.
of the apartment; in this vertical fluc or chamber three or other
number of pipes i, i, i, are situated; the lower ends of these pipes open
into the passagè k at the base of the stove, and their upper ends into the
open top of the stove (see the section, Figure 9). The top of the stove
is covered by a perforated plate. Air from the apartment or fresh air
from the exterior of the apartment may enter the lower part or passage k
of the stove and after passing through the pipes i cnters the apartment
through the perforated top of the stove. A damper in the air passage k
may regulate the quantity of fresh air admitted to the stove. Air to
effect the combustion of the fuel in the combustion chamber 62 enters
through the openings between the fire-bars 6. The gaseous fuel and
products of combustion pass from the chamber 62 by the inclined back
passages ff, into the vertical flue or chamber g, and after circulating
about and heating the pipes i, i, i, escape by the passage to the
chimney. The air passing up the serics of pipes i is heated by the said
pipes, and enters the apartment through the perforated top of the stove
in a warm state. By means of the currents of heated air which are thus
made to pass through the stove by the pipes i, i, i, a circulation of air is
produced in the apartment and the said apartment maintained in an
efficient state of warmth and ventilation. As the lower part of the
column of fuel in the combustion chamber 6 burns away it is replaced
by fuel from the hopper 6. After the door d has been opened and the
cover
of the hopper removed for the purpose of feeding fresh fuel to

page_text: the said hopper smoke from the said hopper enters the chamber c; in
order to prevent this smoke from entering the apartment a passage / is
made at the back of the chamber c, which passage opens into the
vertical back flue or chamber g; this passage is closed by a door m,
which is coupled by the coupling n (see Figure 6) to the principal door d
of the chamber c, so that when the door d is opened the inner door n is
also opened, and the smoke issuing from the open hopper 6 escapes
through the passage to the flue g, and from thence to the chimney.
Figure 11 represents in front elevation, Figure 12 partly in plan and
partly in horizontal section, and Figures 13 and 14 in cross section a
cooking range or grate, the furnace or fire-place of which is constructed
and arranged according to our Invention. The cross section, Figure 13,
is taken on the line C, D, of Figure 12; and the cross section, Figure 14,
is taken on the line A, B, of Figure 12; the horizontal section of
Figure 12 is taken on the line E, F, of Figure 14. The same letters
indicate the same parts in Figures 11, 12, 13, and 14. a is the fire-grate
of the cooking range, and 6 is the hopper or fuel receptacle; the gaseous
fuel from the combustion of the solid fuel in the grate a enters the
inclined flue c, into which flue c heated air is admitted by the narrow
flue or slit d in the side wall of the grate, the air from the ash-pit in its
passage along the said narrow flue or slit d becoming heated; the fire
and products of combustion pass from the inclined flue c over the top of
the oven e, around the side and under the bottom of the said oven to the
back vertical flue fand horizontal flue g, from whence they pass to the
chamber h, in which chamber a cooking vessel is supported on the stand
represented; from the chamber h the waste heat escapes by the flue at i
to the chimney. The circulation described of the fire and heated air
takes place on either side of the fire-place a and heats the ovens on either
side the said fire-place. The chamber k for heating a cooking vessel is
made over the top of each oven; these chambers as well as the back
chambers h, h, are closed when not in use by plates of the ordinary
kind.
For heating, and evaporating liquids we prefer the arrangement of
parts described and represented in connection with a steam boiler.
For heating kilns for enamelling, glazing, and firing pottery and
ceramic wares, and for the melting and annealing of glass we prefer the
arrangement of parts described and represented in connection with the
japanners' or hot air stove, represented in Figures 5, 6, and 7.

page_text: Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be perfarmed, we wish it to be understood that
we do not limit ourselves to the precise details herein described and
illustrated, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature
of our Invention; but we claim as our Invention,―
First. The construction and combination or arrangement of the parts
of furnaces for heating steam boilers and for heating and evaporating
liquids, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The construction and combination or arrangement of the
parts of the furnaces of japanners' and hot air stoves, kilns for
enamelling, glazing, and firing pottery and ceramic wares, and the
annealing of glass, and furnaces for the melting of glass, substantially as
herein-before described, and illustrated in Figures 5, 6, and 7 of the
accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. The construction and combination or arrangement of the
parts of stoves or apparatus for heating and ventilating buildings, sub-
stantially as herein-before described, and illustrated in Figures 8, 9, and
10 of the accompanying Drawings.
Lastly. The construction and combination or arrangement of the
furnaces or fire-places of cooking ranges and grates, substantially as
herein-before described, and illustrated in Figures 11, 12, 13, and 14 of
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Walker Torr and John
Johnstone, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifteenth
day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-three.
CHARLES WALKER TORR. (L.S.)
JOHN JOHNSTONE.
(L.S.)
0 Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.