IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM
BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES."- A communication from abroad by Jonathan
Amory, of Boston, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 19th August 1859, and dated the 31st March 1859..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 81st March 1859.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that class of furnaces having semi-elliptical
reverberatory chambers between the fire chamber and the flues, through and
under steam boilers, and is designed for effecting more perfect combustion of
the fuel than heretofore, and for better adapting such reverberatory chambers
to locomotive and other boilers having internal fire-places, and to other similar
conditions of use.
The first part of the Invention consists in constructing the curve next the

page_text: fire chamber forming one part of the reverberatory combustion chambers by
continuing it upward and toward the opposite curve which extends towards it
in a curve of increased radius in such a manner as to cause the two curves
enclosing in part the combustion chamber to terminate in thin overhanging
projections in such relation to each other as to insure a more perfect rotation
or eddying of the gases and other products from the fire chamber in the com-
bustion chamber, and thus enable them to mix intimately with air admitted
to the chamber. The gases thus mixed will be so presented to the incoming
current of flame as to insure their complete combustion.
The second part of the Invention consists in forming the curves of metal
protected from the extreme heat of the fire chamber by an additional segmental
or curved plate, which shall form a heating chamber (having a horizontal
orifice above) for heating the air before passing into the combustion chamber.
In the construction of the curves of locomotive boilers, they must
necessarily be made of metal, and unless they are in some way protected
from the intense heat of the fire chamber, more especially on the more
exposed side, they will be destroyed in a short time. To prevent this
result, and at the same time more effectually to heat the air to be thrown
into the combustion chamber, this chamber is provided with a jacket which is
supplied with air from an open mouthed pipe leading from the front of the
engine, and when heated the air escapes or is injected into the combustion
chamber, and there combines with the unconsumed gases as before stated.
In the lip of that portion of the jacket which is nearest the fire chamber
there is a horizontal aperture for the delivery of the air when heated, and the
more remote part of the heating chamber or that nearest the fire tubes is
perforated with a series of small holes for the discharge of a portion of the
heated air into the combustion chamber.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office 30
on the 28th September 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County.
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 8
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES,"
being a communication from Jonathan Amory, of Boston, in the United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent relates
to that class of furnaces having semi-elliptical reverberatory chambers between
the fire chamber and the flues through and under steam boilers, and is
designed for effecting more perfect combustion of the fuel than heretofore,
and for better adapting such reverberatory chambers to locomotive and other
boilers having internal fire-places, and to other similar conditions of use.
The first part of the Invention consists in constructing the curve next the
fire chamber, forming one part of the reverberatory combustion chambers by
continuing it upward and toward the opposite curve, which extends towards
it in a curve of increased radius in such a manner as to cause the two curves
enclosing in part the combustion chamber, to terminate in thin overhanging
projections in such relation to each other as to insure a more perfect rotation
or eddying of the gases and other products from the fire chamber in the com-
bustion chamber, and thus enable them to mix intimately with air admitted
to the combustion chamber. The gases thus mixed will be so presented to
the incoming current of flame as to insure their complete combustion.
The second part of the Invention consists in forming the curves of metal
protected from the extreme heat of the fire chamber by an additional

page_text: segmental or curved plate which shall form a heating chamber (having a
horizontal orifice above) for heating the air before passing into the combustion
chamber.
In the construction of the curves of locomotive boilers, as shown in the
Drawing, they must necessarily be made of metal, but unless they are in
some way protected from the intense heat of the fire chamber, more especially
on that side next the fire chamber, they will be destroyed in a short
time. To prevent this result, and at the same time the more effectually
to heat the air to be thrown into the combustion chamber, this chamber is
provided with a jacket which is supplied with air (in the case of a locomotive
engine) from an open-mouthed pipe leading from the front of the engine,
and when heated the air escapes or is injected into the combustion chamber,
where it combines with the unconsumed gases as before stated.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents a vertical longitudinal
section through the centre of a locomotive boiler and furnace, constructed
after the improved manner; and Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the
same through the furnace. A is the boiler; B, the fire chamber; C, the
reverberatory combustion chamber; D, the metallic segmentally curved plate
forming the combustion chamber C, and also part of the heating chamber
for heating the air before it passes into the combustion chamber; E is the
main part of the heating chamber formed by the curved segmental plate D of
the combustion chamber and the segmental protecting plate d, which extends
upward from the furnace and over the curve of the combustion chamber C,
so as to form a tapering space between them, terminating in a horizontal
aperture e for the delivery of the air when heated. The more remote part F
of the heating chamber is formed in a somewhat similar manner, except that
the upper parts of the metallic plates are secured together without leaving a
space between them, and the curved part of the combustion chamber is per-
forated with a series of small holes a for the discharge of a portion of the
heated air from the air chamber D into the combustion chamber C. The tops
of the curved plate d, and the curved portion D of the combustion chamber
next it are situated at a lower horizontal plane than the top of the more
remote portion F of the chamber D, and while the latter points upward, the
former terminates so as to rather overhang, as shown in Fig. 1, and thus so
guide the products of combustion from the fire chamber as to insure the eddy
or vortex within the combustion chamber to produce the results before
mentioned. The narrow aperture e between the combustion chamber C
and the plate d, extends their whole breadth and serves to protect their edges
by keeping them comparatively cool, and also to distribute the air evenly to

page_text: the volume of gases, &c. passing over it; the opposite portion of the volume
being supplied with air through the holes a at the portion F of the heating
chamber which also serves to protect it from an undue intensity of heat.
The form of reverberatory chamber heretofore employed was such as to
cause the rotation of the eddies formed in them to be such as to make the
return stratum uppermost, but it is found by experiment that the natural
tendency of the eddy is to revolve in an opposite direction. With the form of
combustion chamber described, this last named principle is carried out and a
more perfect formation of the eddy is produced, together with a more thorough
admixture of air with the gases, and complete combustion of them. The air
is admitted into the heating chamber through the pipe G, extending to the
forward part of the boiler, being forced in by the draught and also by the pro-
gressive movement of the engine. It may, however, be admitted from below,
as indicated by the dotted lines at I if desired, or from any other suitable
part. H, H, are the tubes constructed in the usual manner, except that they
are contracted in length to form the space for the combustion chamber
between the tube and fire chamber.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in the
Construction of Steam Boiler and other Furnaces," as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent, I claim the means herein described for introducing a supply
of heated air into furnaces so as to insure a strong eddy and a thorough
admixture of the gases of combustion therewith for the purpose herein set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-seventh day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
o Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)