AN IMPROVEMENT IN SUPPLYING AIR ABOVE THE FUEL IN FURNACES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Gilbertson, of Hertford, in the County of
Herts, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SUPPLYING AIR ABOVE
THE FUEL IN FURNACES."
Sealed the 26th September 1854, and dated the 28th July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Gilbertson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
July 1854.
I, JAMES GILBERTSON, of Hertford, in the County of Herts, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SUPPLYING AIR
ABOVE THE FUEL IN FURNACES" to be as follows:-
The Invention consists in applying a perforated tube above the fuel of the
furnace, so that the tube may become highly heated by the fire, and thus heat
the air as it passes in the tube. In applying such perforated tube (which may
be of iron or other suitable material) it is arranged so as to be over the fuel on
the two sides of the furnace, and also across the end of the furnace near the
bridge; hence there will be numerous streams of heated air passing out of the
perforated tube, and such streams of air will surround the products on all sides
of the furnace, as such products arise from the fuel on the bars, and the open-
ings into each perforated tube may have valves or slides to regulate the
pressure of air into them.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Gilbertson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
GILBERTSON, of Hertford, in the County of Hertford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Gilbertson, Her special licence that I, the said James Gilbertson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Gilbertson, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SUPPLYING AIR
ABOVE THE FUEL IN FURNACES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Gilbertson, 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
bo 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 James Gilbertson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invontion, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say) :-
The Invention consists in applying a perforated tube or tubes above the fuel
of the furnace, so that the tube may become highly heated by the fire, and,
thus heat the air as it passes through the tube.
In applying such perforated tube (which may be of iron or any other suit-
able material), it is arranged so as to be over the fuel or on the two sides of the
furnace, extending from the front of the furnace to, over, or beyond the bridge,
as requisite. By such arrangements there will be numerous streams of heated
air passing out of the perforated tube, and such streams of air will intimately
mix with the products of combustion in all parts of the furnace, as such
products arise from the fuel on the bars, thereby causing the consumption
of the smoke.

page_text: The openings into each perforated tube may have valves or slides to regulate
the quantity of air passing into them.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a transverse section, Figure 2 a longitudinal section, and
Figure 3 a horizontal section, of a furnace, having my Invention applied
thereto. a, a, is a perforated tube on each side of the fire, and opening out at
the front of the furnace, where there may be slides or valves to regulate the
passage of the air; the tubes a are connected at the back of the furnace at the
bridge b, so that there are numerous streams of air which pass from the tubes
a, a, from the sides of the furnace above the fuel, and there are also numerous
streams of air from the tubes a at the bridge.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would remark, that I am aware that various means
have before been resorted to for supplying air to the sides and at the bridges
of furnaces; I do not therefore claim to do so generally; but what I claim is,
the supplying numerous streams of air above the fuel in furnaces by means of
a perforated tube or tubes, as herein explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Gilbertson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
JAMES COOPER,
Hertford.
JAMES GILBERTSON. (L.s.)