S IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE ADMISSION OF AIR TO FURNACES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ramsey Lawson, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
Sealed the 19th March 1858, and dated the 22nd September 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ramsey Lawson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd September 1857.
I, RAMSEY LAWSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE ADMISSION OF AIR TO FURNACES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in the application of a certain description of valve
known as a "disc valve" to the doors of furnaces, and in opening and closing
the said valve by the action of clockwork suitably arranged for the purpose.
A chain passing round the spring barrel of the clockwork is so connected to
the disc valve, that when the furnace door is opened for the supply of fuel,
the disc valve is also opened to its fulest extent and the clockwork "wound
up;" after this operation the door is perfectly closed, the valve remaining
open for the admission of air for combustion, and when the fuel has become
sufficiently ignited (or during about the space of four minutes) the valve

page_text: is gradually closed by means of a pinion in connection with the clock, acting upon
a rack on the disc valve, thus diminishing by degress, and eventually shutting off
the unnecessary supply of air.
By this arrangement of apparatus the quantity of air requisite to support
combustion is governed, and also the time of closing the valve is regulated,
whereby fuel is economized, and the smoke otherwise arising therefrom is
either entirely prevented or greatly diminished.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Ramsey Lawson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd
March 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RAMSEY
LAWSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Ramsey Lawson, Her especial license that I, the said Ramsey
Lawson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Ramsey Lawson, my 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE ADMISSION OF AIR TO FURNACES," upon
the condition, amongst others, that I, the said Ramsey Lawson, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ramsey Lawson, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):
My Invention consists in the application of a certain description of valve,
known as a "disc valve," to the doors of furnaces, and in opening and closing

page_text: the said valve by the action of clockwork suitably arranged for the purpose.
A chain passing round the spring barrel of the clockwork is so connected to
the disc valve, that when the furnace door is opened for the supply of
fuel, the disc valve is also opened to its full extent and the clockwork
"wound up ;" after this operation the door is perfectly closed, the valve re-
maining open for the admission of air for combustion; and when the fuel has
become sufficiently ignited, or during about the space of four minutes, the
valve is gradually closed by means of a pinion in connection with the clock
acting upon a rack on the disc valve, thus diminishing by degrees, and even-
tually shutting off the unnecessary supply of air.
By this arrangement of apparatus, the quantity of air requisite to support
combustion is governed, and also the time of closing the valve is regulated,
whereby fuel is economized, and the smoke otherwise arising therefrom is
either entirely prevented or greatly diminished.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail, I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings, made upon a scale of
about three inches to a foot; similar letters of reference being marked upon
corresponding parts of the apparatus in all the Figures.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus shewn attached to a furnace
door shewing particularly the disc valve; Fig. 2 is an end view of the same;
and Fig. 3 is a sectional view, shewing the arrangement of clockwork in con-
nection with the toothed periphery of the disc valve. In Fig 1, a is the
furnace door, and 6 the front or outer plate of the disc valve which is fixed
upon it; the inner plate or disc c, is turned upon its axis by means of a toothed
wheel d, being one of the train of gearing or clockwork e, e, e, e, which works
or gears with the toothed periphery of the said disc, and by being thus turned
the apertures of the discs may either be brought opposite each other and open
the valve, or the solid parts of one may be brought over the apertures in the
other to close the valve; this is effected through the train of clockwork by
means of the chain f, one end of which is secured to the furnace front; the
other passing over a guide pulley g on to the pulley h, which is in connection
with the main spring of the clockwork. It will now be evident that if the
door is opened for the admission of fuel, the action of the chain upon the
pulley will open the valve to its fullest extent, and also "wind up" the clock-
work, and when the door is again closed, the valve will remain open until the
action of the clockwork on the moving disc c, causes it gradually to close the
apertures and finally shut the valve, stopping the supply of air, and thereby
economizing fuel, and preventing or diminishing the smoke arising therefrom.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, together with the

page_text: method of carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion
that I claim the novel method of regulating the supply of air to furnaces, by
means of a disc or any other valve, in connection with an arrangement of
gearing or clockwork for opening and closing the same by self-acting means,
together with the general construction and combination of the apparatus as
herein-before described, set forth, and fully exhibited in the Drawings attached.
In witness whereof,. I, the said Ramsey Lawson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
RAMSEY LAWSON. (L.B.)