Improvements in Furnaces.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1900
Improvements in Furnaces.
I, JAN PANDEL, of Ogrodowastrasse 25, Warschau, in the German Empire,
Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This invention relates to furnaces with the object of providing a fire-box
attaining greater efficiency than it is possible to obtain by those at present in
use.
To this end, I construct a fire-box consisting essentially of a series of grates
disposed tierwise, and adjacent air-ways or passages for conveying and heating
air, the whole being arranged in such a manner as to procure very complete com-
bustion and thereby obtain the maximum of heat with the minimum of fuel.
I will fully describe my invention in reference to the accompanying drawings
which show various views of a fire-box constructed in accord with it. Of thesc
views, Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section; Fig. 2 is a transverse section
on the line E-F in the previous figure; and Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal sections
respectively on the lines A-B and C-D in Fig. 1.
The drawings represent the fire-box of a somewhat horse shoe shape with
brickwork walls, roof and floor, but, of course, the shape and construction will
be decided by the application, which may be various. f designates the fire-
bridge, and between it and the front wall of the box the grates a, a, a, a³ and
at are fitted at convenient intervals, the distance apart of the bars forming every
grate, and preferably the area of each grate, gradually diminishing from the
top grate a to the bottom grate a, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. By this
grate arrangement, portions of the fuel on one grate may pass through the spaces
between the bars to the next grate below, the refuse finally falling from the
grate a into the ash-pit underneath. The bars of the lower grates may be of metal
but those of the upper grates are best made of fireproof material. Each grate
is furnished with a door-controlled opening or openings for charging and clean-
ing purposes, these openings being made in the front of the fire-box as illustrated
in Fig. 1 and their number to one grate determined by the area of same; in the
example, the grate a has two openings as shown in Fig. 3, and the others one
opening as in Fig. 4. The doors are arranged so that they may be closed
hermetically.
The major part of the air to support combustion enters by way of the ash-pit,
the necessary draught being produced by a suitable chimney in connection with
the flue at, and leading from, the top of the bridge f and connecting with, and
conveying the heat to, the desired place; or the draught may be otherwise
obtained as will be well understood. The bridge f is constructed with air-ways
or passages c, and e, the lateral passages e and e preferably merging into the
central one d as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. These passages communicate

page_text: at one end with the ash-pit and at the other with the outlet flue, and for con-
trolling them, the dampers c', d' and e¹ are provided and adapted to be con-
veniently operated.
A minor supply of air is obtained by the passages or air-ways g, h formed in
the sides and uniting in the roof of the fire-box; the ends of these passages are
open to the exterior air at or near the level of the ash-pit as indicated by the
arrows in Fig. 4 and they communicate with a grate a' by the ducts g¹, h¹ in the
roof, rigs. 1 and 2.
The air enters the passages c, d, e, g and h from the front of the fire-box, and,
as will be evident, it becomes heated in traversing them whereby great benefit
accrues when it meets with the gases arising from the combustion of the fuel,
as will be presently explained.
b, b1, b2 and 63 are ducts establishing a connection between the passage d and
the spaces between the grates so that if a stoppage occurs in any space from
any cause, the gases can escape, thereby avoiding the risk of an explosion.
in the foregoing, I have described the construction of my improved fire-box,
now I will explain its practical operation, premising that the arrows in Fig. 1
indicate the direction of air flow, the ascent of the gases resulting from the com-
bustion of the fuel, and the outflow of the heat. To start the fire, all the grates
are fed with fuel through the charging openings, the fuel placed upon the
grate a being in as large pieces as possible; when the fuel is lighted and the
fire fairly away, then, for normal working; the doors controlling the grates a, a³,
a, a3 are tightly closed and the grate a only fed with fuel, the air to support
the combustion entering at the ash-pit and the ducts g¹, h. As the fuel is burnt,
any, not completely consumed on one grate, is free to, and will, on becoming
sufficiently reduced, fall to the next grate to be further burnt until it finally
reaches the grate a where its combustion is completed as far as possible. Simul-
taneously with the descent of the fuel, the gases evolved on the grates a, a³,
a and a ascend and pass through the fuel lying on the superposed grates or
grate whereby they not only assist or effect the decomposition of the fuel, but
their combustion is also aided by same, and when they reach the space above
the grate a, they meet a supply of heated air from the ducts g¹, h¹ whereupon
admixture takes place and very complete combustion results, the heat passing
away through the outlet flue to the Hue or flues of the chamber, receptacle or
body to be heated.
In the event of the ascent of the gases being hindered by the fuel caking on
the grates or the spaces between the bars being obstructed, then the gases, instead
of accumulating dangerously in the spaces between any two adjoining grates,
escape through one of the ducts 6, 61, 6 or 63, that may be appropriate, into the
passage d where they meet with the warm air passing therethrough and become
finally consumed at the top of the bridge f.
Thus it will be seen that I obtain, in a simple way, very effective combustion
with the accompanying advantages.
Fire-boxes arranged as described are applicable, as will be obvious, to various
services, such as zinc-forges, lime-kilns, cement-ovens and boiler-furnaces, and
though I have described one particular construction, yet it may be modified if
necessary to adapt it to different circumstances without departing from the
nature of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1-A fire-box constructed and arranged substantially as described in reference
to, and illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.
2-A fire-box consisting of a series of superposed grates provided with charg-
ing and cleaning openings, air-ways or passages communicating with the ash-
pit, the space between each grate, and the outlet flue, and air-ways or passages

page_text: connecting the exterior of the fire-box and the top grate, all arranged or adapted
for use substantially as set forth.
3-In a fire-box, the use of a series of grates arranged tierwise, each grate
having the distance apart of the bars forming it gradually diminishing from the
top grate to the bottom grate so that the fuel is free to fall from one grate to
the next while the gases resulting from the combustion ascend, whereby very
complete combustion is obtained, substantially as described.
4-In a fire-box, the use and arrangement in combination with a series of super-
posed grates, of passages or air-ways such as c, d, e, g, h, g¹, h¹ and ducts such
as b, b, 68, 68, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
D09-11
T
1000
For the Applicant,
J. A. HARVEY,
Associate Patent Agent, 3, St. Nicholas' Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne.