IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEAK BOILERS AND FURNACES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR PREVENTING SMOKE
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Adams, of Landport, Portsmouth, in the
County of Hants, Naval Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAK BOILERS AND FURNACES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH FOR PREVENTING SMOKE."
Sealed the 29th December 1871, and dated the 21st August 1871.
--
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Adams at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st August 1871.
I, JOHN ADAMS, of Landport, Portsmouth, in the County of Hants,
Naval Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS AND FURNACES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH FOR PREVENTING SHOKE," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention relates to means for bringing the
whole amount of heat generated in the furnace of a steam boiler into
2

page_text: contact with the water in the said boiler so that the water necessarily
absorbs all the flame, hot air and incandescent products of combustion
and every particle of heat produced passes through the engine before
being allowed to escape.
This purpose is effected in the following manner :- The furnace and 5
ash-pit doors are made air tight, and the air necessary to support com-
bustion is forced in beneath the fire by a fan or blowing engine at a
pressure slightly exceeding that of the steam in the boiler. A valve
placed at the top of the furnace permits the air to pass therefrom into
the boiler, but prevents its return. Above this valve is a perforated 1
plate through whose openings all the flame, hot air, and products of
the fire are forced in small jets into the mass of water contained in the
boiler, and are distributed through the same in such manner that every
atom of heat is utilized in the fluid to be evaporated, thereby gene-
rating an immense quantity of steam from the heated gases which are 1
ordinarily allowed to escape by the chimney. If desired the boiler
may have an internal chamber with descending return pipes to produce
circulation.
The flame and gases may be taken from the top of the furnace and
treated as described, the air necessary to support combustion being 2
allowed to enter the ash-pits in the ordinary manner.
:
In condensing engines the flames instead of being forced into the
water as above described may be forced into a separate boiler under
great pressure. In either case the escaping gases may be made to
assist in driving the engine. A large quantity of air in a highly heated 21
condition is supplied to the water to be evaporated.
In marine engines no superheating apparatus will be required, and
the ordinary surface or other condensing apparatus may be dispensed
with. No flue tubes or flues are needed in the boilers. All the heat
passes through the engines. In war ships no smoke can escape to 30
betray their position to the enemy. A separator may be fitted to the
boiler to remove the products of combustion from the water.
The second part of the said Invention relates to the prevention of
smoke. I obviato the obnoxious discharge of smoke, and therefore the
necessity of constructing the long and expensive chimneys now in use, 8
by forcing the heated gases and smoky products of combustion after
they have left the boiler into a small boiler or tank containing water,

page_text: in such a manner that the fluid absorbs and detains all the solid particles
proceeding from the furnace. The steam generated by this means can
be applied to drive the fan or blowing engine, which may either force
the air beneath the fire or draw the smoke and gases from the flues of
the boiler as before-mentioned, as preferred. This arrangement will
effectually prevent the discharge of smoke without diminishing the
power of the boiler to which the apparatus may be applied, and the
draught of air to the fire can thus be regulated to ensure perfect
combustion of the fuel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Adams in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st February 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN ADAMS,
of Landport, Portsmouth, in the County of Hants, Naval Engineer,
send greeting
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Adams, Her special licence
that I, the said John Adams, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Adams, 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 STEAM BOILERS AND
FURNACES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR PREVENTING SMOKE,”
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Adams, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: •
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 John Adams, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be 5
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing
forming a part of this Specification :-
According to the first part of this Invention I bring the whole
amount of heat generated in the furnace of a boiler into actual contact 1
with the water so that the water necessarily absorbs all the flame, hot
air, and incandescent products of the fire, every particle of heat pro-
duced going through the engine before escaping, whereas with the
ordinary steam generating apparatus an immense quantity escapes
up. the chimney without producing any useful effect. This object is ]
effected in the following manner:-The furnace, ash-pit, doors, and
funnel are made air tight, and the air necessary to support combustion
is forced in beneath the fire by a pump, fan, or blowing engine at a
pressure slightly exceeding that of the steam in the boiler, or water
may be forced into the furnace in the form of spray by a small pump,
and a jet of steam from the boiler may be used to assist combustion if:
air is not found sufficient for the purpose. By an opening or series of
openings leading from the top, sides, or any convenient part of the
furnace into the boiler, all the flame, hot air, and products of the fire
aro forced in small jets under and distributed through the mass of
water contained in the boiler in such manner that every atom of heat
comes in contact with the fluid to be evaporated. By this means a
large quantity of steam is generated from the heated gases which are
ordinarily allowed to escape by the chimney. It will be as well to
allow the funnel to pass just through the boiler, and to provide it with
a strong lid or cover, to he opened only when the engine is stopping
or delayed from any cause to prevent the extinction of the fires.
All the heat passes where it is required, viz., through the water in
the boiler.
In war ships no smoke can escape to betray the position to the cnomy,
Coke is preferred, but coal or other fuel may be used. A separator may
be fitted to the boiler to remove the products of combustion from the
water.

page_text: It is found by experiments with the best boilers hitherto made, that
the heated gases, flame, and other products of combustion which pass
into the chimney after as much heat as possible has been abstracted from
them to make steam have a temperature of between 800 and 1500
degrees Fahrenheit. This waste heat which cannot be arrested in com-
mon boilers has no less than three times the temperature of the steam
in the boiler. It will therefore be plainly seen that a greater quantity
of heat escapes by the chimney and is lost than is usefully employed.
But in my improved apparatus all this heat is utilized.
It has been fully proved by repeated experiments that the presence
of air in water greatly increases the quantity of steam generated by a
given quantity of fuel. Water which contains no air can be heated to
a temperature of 276 degrees Fahrenheit before boiling, whereas if it
contains air it will evaporate quickly at 212 degrees.
By my Invention not only is a large quantity of air supplied to the
water to be evaporated, but the air is in a highly heated state, having
nearly three times the heat of the water. This large amount of heat
is allowed to escape by the chimneys of ordinary boilers.
Oxygen, hydrogen, or other gases either separate or mixed in any
proportion deemed advisable may be forced into the ash-pit or furnace to
assist combustion, with or without the admixture of atmospheric air.
According to the second part of my Invention the discharge of smoke
and therefore the necessity of constructing the long and expensive
chimneys now in use are obviated by forcing the smoke, heated gases,
and other products of combustion after they have left the boiler into a
small boiler or tank containing water, which absorbs. and detains all
the solid particles from the furnace. The steam generated by this
means may be applied to drive the pump, fan, or blowing engine which
may either force the air beneath the fire or draw the smoke and other
matters from the flues of the boiler, as preferred. This arrangement
will effectually prevent the discharge of smoke without diminishing
the power of the boiler to which the apparatus is applied, and the
draught of air, or steam, or water in the shape of spray to the fire can
thus be so regulated as to ensure perfect combustion of the fuel.
A large amount of steam will be generated by this smoke preventing
apparatus, and may be utilized in the engine, thus economizing fuel.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
'
Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved steam boiler provided
with a blowing engine. In this Figure, A is the boiler; B is the
chimney or main flue provided with a valve or cover V which is kept-
in its scating and made air-tight by means of a weight Z; B', B", are t
flue tubes with valves S¹, S"; C is the furnace; D is the ash-pit;- E is
the cylinder of the blowing engine; F is the air pump of the same; L
is the air pipe; H is a distributing plate pierced with small holes; I is
the main steam pipe for conducting the steam from the boiler to the
engine to be supplied thereby.
.
When the fire is first lighted in the furnace O the cover or valve V
on the top of the chimney or flue B is raised by means of the rod X to
allow a free passage through the chimney. The air enters the ash-pit
in the ordinary manner, and steam is raised in the boiler A precisely as
in other boilers. When the steam has attained a pressure sufficient
to work the blowing engine Y, the furnace and ash-pit doors are closed.
air-tight and the valve V.is lowered to hermetically close the chimney.
The fire is thus cut off from all communication with the external air. -
The blowing engine is then put in motion; the fire in the furnace O
will be thereby supplied with air through the air pipe L to support 2
combustion. When the pressure of the heated gases in the fire is
slightly greater than that of the steam in the boiler A they will pass
down the small flues or tubes B¹, B", lifting the valves S¹, S", and thus
enter the water in the boiler, the valves S₁, S", allowing the highly
heated gases to enter the boiler, but preventing their return and the 2
entrance of water into the tubes B³, B",
The distributing plate is so arranged as to spread the smoke and
other products of combustion over as wide an area as possible, thus
mingling the proceeds of the furnace with the water, so that all the
caloric generated in the furnace comes in actual contact with the water 3
to be evaporated.
·
The valve or cover V being kept in its seating and made air-tight by
the weight will act as a safety valve to the flues and furnace.
The air pump for supplying air to the ash-pit D to support combustion.
may, if preferred, be driven from the steam engine connected with the 3
boiler.

page_text: Figure 2 is a longitudinal section showing the application of my
said Invention to a horizontal boiler. In this Figure A is the boiler;
C, the furnace; M the furnace door made to fit air-tight; N, the ash-pit
door also made air-tight; L is the air pipe from the blowing engine;
B is a combustion chamber lined with fire-clay. I prefer to construct
the boiler with this chamber, so that as much smoke as possible may
be consumed before entering the boiler.
W, W, W, are small pipes leading from the ash-pit D to the 'said
combustion chamber. These pipes are provided to allow a small quantity
of air to pass into the combustion chamber B to complete the com-
bustion of the smoke. H is the distributing plate properly arranged
and pierced with small holes to spread the smoke and other products
of combustion over as wide an area as possible, the smoke and other
products passing through the water in small jets at T, T, as before
described. 8¹ is the valve through which the smoke and other matters
pass into the interior of the boiler, the said valve preventing the return
of the same and the escape of the water from the boiler, as above
'described. O is a safety valve box; I is the main steam pipe.
'
If preferred a flue, as shewn by the dotted lines, may lead from the
top of the combustion chamber B beneath the distributing plate H. In
this case the valve S must be closed, that on the end of the said flue
taking its place. J is a flue which may be opened when raising steam,
but which is afterwards closed as in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of a boiler shewing my improved
smoke preventing apparatus applied to the same. In this modification
of my Invention the boiler A, furnace O, and other parts are worked..
like these shewn in Figure 2, except that instead of forcing the hot air.
and other products of combustion into the water in the boiler I pass.
it through tubes B, B, and it is forced into the smoke preventer G.
through the non-return valve S', and through the distributing plate H.
in jets at T. The water in Ģ thus absorbs every particle of smoke.
This Figure illustrates the manner in which the smoke preventing
apparatus may be attached to an ordinary boiler. All that is required
is to make the furnace door M.and the ash-pit door N air-tight, and to
place the smoke preventer G at the back of the boiler, closing the
chimney when the steam is up and arranging and using a blowing
engine as above described.

page_text: •
"
•
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a boiler with flues and smoko
preventing apparatus illustrating another modification of my Invention,
which differs from that shown in Figure 3, only in the following “par-
ticulars, that is to say:-The furnace door is worked in the ordinary
manner. The ash-pit door is left open to allow a free passage of air
into the furnace. C. The smoke, hot air, and other products of com-
bustion after passing through the flues B, B, are drawn through tho
non-return valve S' by the force pump F which is driven by the auxiliary
engine E and they are forced through the non-return valve S" into the
smoke preventer G. The water in the said smoke preventer absorbs
every partiole of smoke. The steam generated in the smoke preventer Q
may he used for driving the auxiliary engine E or passed into the main
steam pipe as preferred, or the heated gases and smoke may be pumped
or forced direct through the water in the boiler. If desired an ex-
hausting fan may be used instead of the pump shewn in the Drawing,
but in that case there must be an opening at the top of the smoko
preventer communicating with the atmosphere, and the depth of water
in the preventer must be considerably reduced. The small pump or
apparatus worked by steam and water combined when required to force
water into the closed furnace in the form of spray, and the pipe from the
boiler to emit jets of steam to assist combustion are not shown in the
Drawing, as they may he readily understood.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it understood that I claim,―
⚫ First. A steam boiler with a furnace and ash-pit so constructed and a
provided with means for supplying air, steam, or water in the form of
spray to the furnace, and for maintaining combustion therein under a
pressure exceeding the pressure in the boiler that the whole of the
products of combustion are made to pass from the furnace into the
water in the said boiler, whereby the whole of the heat is brought into a
actual contact with the water and utilized, and the escape of smoko by
the chimney is completely prevented.
Second. A steam boiler with its furnaco and ash-pit made air-tight or
hermetically closed, and whose chimney or flues are provided with a
valve or cover, and with which are combined a blowing engine or fan 3
and an arrangement of pipes and valves substantially as described, whereby.

page_text: the smoke, gases, and other products of the fire are forced from the
furnace into the water contained in the boiler as herein set forth.
Third. In combination with the said furnace, the perforated distri-
buting plate H placed within the boiler above the valves S¹, S",
substantially as herein set forth for the purpose specified.
Fourth. A tubular boiler with an air-tight furnace and ash-pit, and
with its tubes in communication with an auxiliary boiler or tank into
which the products of combustion are forced or drawn, and in which
the smoke is absorbed, as herein set forth.
Fifth. The use of a pump or blowing engine to draw the heated gases
and smoke from the furnace, and force the same through the water in
the boiler or auxiliary boiler or water tank as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Adams, have. hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
JOHN ADAMS. (L.s.)