Improvements in and relating to Furnaces and Gas Producers.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 19th July, 1898-Accepted, 19th Nov., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Furnaces and Gas Producers.
I, CHARLES BOND, of Shank's Cottage, Whifflet, Lanarkshire, Bricklayer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in and relating to
the construction of furnaces and gas producers such as are used for the manufacture
of steel or the heating of steel and iron or of glass and such like, which furnaces are
heated by the combustion of gas from a gas producer for which a steam boiler may be
adapted by which great economy is effected both in first cost and in the amount of
fuel used while the products of combustion passing from the furnace are utilized
to raise steam in a boiler all smoke at the same time being consumed.
According to my improvements the furnace is erected on a suitable foundation
and has the gas producer erected at one or the front end, while the air to be
heated and mixed with the gas is introduced from the other or back end, whence
also the products of combustion are conveyed to the steam boiler flue.
The gas producer may be of an ordinary type constructed of brick work and
fitted with a hopper at its upper part, which hopper is preferably at a level suit-
able for conveniently filling in the fuel direct from a truck or waggon and is fitted
with two sliding doors in its neck for allowing the fuel to fall into the producer
without permitting escape of the gas. Instead of a brickwork producer a steam
boiler may be adapted to act as a gas producer the fuel being filled in at the top
in a similar manner and the gas produced in the furnace at the lower part the
heat generated being utilized to raise steam in the boiler. A small water tank is
placed below the gas producer furnace to assist in keeping the bars cool.
The gas
from the producer passes into a gas holder formed as an arched chamber,
at the front end of the furnace whence it flows through one or both of two ports
opened and closed by sliding valves actuated from the upper part and passes
downwards and around air heating passages and chambers, then flows upwards to
meet the heated air and be consumed over the hearth of the furnace. The fur-
nace is covered by the usual iron plating and the necessary doors are situated
along one or both sides to give access to the interior of the furnace.
The air to be heated and mixed with the gas to promote combustion enters pre-
ferably from the back end and is made to travel around a series of brickwork or
fireclay baffle plates erected in a heating chamber underneath the hearth the heat
of which is imparted to the air. From this chamber which is preferably divided
into two parts by a longitudinal partition extending to the front end of the fur-
nace the air passes through ports opened and closed by valves preferably of the
gridiron type actuated from one or both sides through an arched passage under the
gas holder and up passages on each side of the gas passages whence it is led over
the top of the gas holder to join the gas as it enters the combustion chamber of
the furnace. By this means the air is well heated by the heat from the combus-
tion chamber and the hot gases from the producer.

page_text: From the back end of the furnace the products of combustion pass by two ducts
or passages to the uptake flue passing through a steam boiler erected over the fur-
nace whence they pass to the chimney. In order that all the gas may be pro-
perly consumed and to prevent smoke these products of combustion are made to
pass through a smoke consuming appliance erected on the upper part of the fur-
nace at its back end. A small gas producer is erected within a chamber having
a tapered or pyramidal top perforated with holes and this chamber is surrounded
by passages through which part of the products of combustion pass thence along
with the gas from the small producer through perforations in a fireclay or brick-
work cylinder or ring within which they are mixed with heated air admitted near
the bottom of the furnace and heated by passing through chequered brickwork to
a passage or passages which admit it to the combining perforated ring. The
mixed gases and air then pass through the perforations in the ring into the boiler
flue in a state of perfect combustion.
Dated the 18th day of October 1897.
WR. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
I, CHARLES BOND, of Shank's Cottage, Whifflet, Lanarkshire, Bricklayer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being made to the accompanying drawings:-
-
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in and relating to
the construction of furnaces and gas producers such as are used for the manufac-
ture of steel or the heating of steel and iron or of glass and such like or it may
be for raising steam in a boiler, which furnaces are heated by the combustion of
gas from a gas producer, for which a steam boiler may be adapted, by which great
economy is effected both in first cost and in the amount of fuel used while the
products of combustion passing from the furnace are utilized to raise steam in a
boiler, all smoke at the same time being consumed.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have here-
unto appended two sheets of explanatory drawings in which Figure 1 on Sheet 1
is a longitudinal and vertical section of a furnace and gas producer arranged in
accordance with my invention Figure 1 being a sectional view of the part behind
the producer Figure 2 is a plan partly in section on the line 1-1 on Figure 1;
Figure 3 on Sheet 2 is also a sectional plan taken on the line 2-2 Figure 1;
Figure 4 is another sectional plan taken on the line 3-3 Figure 1 while Figure
is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 4-4 Figure 1 while Figure 6
is a vertical section of one half of a duplex arrangement of furnace and gas pro-
ducer.
Referring in Figures 1 to 5 of these drawings:-
According to my improvements the furnace is erected on a suitable foundation
and has the gas producer A erected at the front end, while the air to be heated
and mixed with the gas is introduced from the back end, whence also except in
the case of a duplex arrangement the products of combustion are preferably con-
veved to the flue of the steam boiler G.
The gas producer A though shown in the drawings as a steam boiler may how-
ever be of an ordinary type constructed of brick work and fitted with a hopper a

page_text: at its upper part, which hopper a is preferably at a level suitable for conveniently
filling in the fuel direct from a truck or waggon and is fitted with two sliding
doors a¹ in its neck for allowing the fuel to fall into the producer without per-
mitting escape of the gas. Instead of a brickwork producer a steam boiler is
however shown adapted to act as a gas producer the fuel being filled in at the top
through a hopper a in a similar manner to that described and gas produced in the
furnace at the lower part, the heat generated being utilized to raise steam in the
boiler.
The boiler has a closed ashpit A¹ over a water tank into which compressed air
from any fan, blower, or other source of supply is introduced by the nozzles A².
The grate A³ supports the incandescent fuel and fresh fuel is fed into the interior
from the hopper a through the duplex sliding doors a¹ beneath which the cone as
is fitted to spread the fuel as it falls, or the cone may be suspended from the end
of a lever actuated from the outside to act as the closing door or valve. Tubular
openings A are formed through the shells and water space of the boiler for the
introduction of bars for stirring up the fuel within, and these openings may be
closed by covers or plugs. Tubes A5 are also provided closed with blind flanges to
give access to the interior when desired, or they may be used for coupling one
gas producer to another where more than one are used: The boiler would be
further provided with a manhole door, water injecting apparatus, a safety valve
and other fittings which it is unnecessary to show in the drawings.
The upper
part of the boiler is formed with an annular steam space and is lined with refrac-
tory material.
The gas generated in the producer passes through the short pipe B into gas
holding chambers B¹, one on each side, which are connected by the arched pas-
sage B2, and through ports B3 shown in Figures 1, 1 and 5 and opened and closed
by the suspended valves B4 in Figures 1 and 1 whence they pass by the duct B5
to be consumed within the furnace C.
The air to be heated and mixed with the gas to promote combustion enters either
by forced or natural draught preferably from the back end and is made to travel
around a series of brickwork or fireclay baffle plates erected in a heating cham-
ber formed below the hearth and which is divided into two by the partition
wall C2 and provided with the baffles C. The air for admixture with the gas to
be consumed enters or is forced in by the openings C4, and on its way to the fur-
nace circulates around the baffles C³ to be heated. From this heating chamber
the air passes through inclined gridiron valves 1), actuated from the outside by
the bars II secured to them, up the passages E Figure 4, E Figure 3 filled with
chequer brickwork whence it passes by an interior duct to the heating chamber E³,
Figure 2, filled with walls or chequers of brickwork, where it is heated by the hot
gas on each side and below, and from which it passes through top openings by the
passage E Figure 1 to the furnace C when it mixes with the gas to consume it.
From the back end of the furnace C the products of combustion pass by two
ducts or passages C5 to the steam boiler G erected over the furnace end whence
they pass away to the chimney. In order that all the gas may be properly con-
sumed and to prevent smoke, these products of combustion are made to pass
through a smoke consuming appliance erected at the back end of the furnace. A
small gas producer indicated at H is erected within a chamber having a tapered
or pyramidal top perforated with holes and this chamber is surrounded by passages
through which part of the products of combustion pass thence along with the gas
from the small producer through perforations in a fireclay or brickwork cylinder
or ring I within which they are mixed with heated air admitted near the bottom
of the furnace and heated by passing through chequered brickwork to a passage
or passages which admit it to the combining perforated ring I. The mixed gases
and air then pass through the perforations in the ring into the boiler flue in a
state of perfect combustion.
Figure 6 on Sheet 2 illustrates the application of the invention to a duplex
arrangement of heating furnace only one half of which is shown, the other half

page_text: being merely a duplication of the same in all its details. In operating this
duplex furnace the producer gas and air is introduced to the furnace C from each
end alternately by opening and closing the valves B and D), the products of com-
bustion passing through the whole length of the furnace and passing down the
passages B5 through the opening B indicated in dotted lines to the interior of
the chamber G¹, to heat the boiler G. The gas and air currents are thus reversed
intermittently and in the case of a melting furnace this duplex arrangement is
very advantageous.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
First. In a gas heated furnace the combination with the furnace of a gas pro-
ducer constructed as a steam generator, the gas holding chambers and passages,
air heating chamber and passages and a steam boiler fitted with smoke consuming
appliances, all substantially as herein described and illustrated by the accompany-
ing drawings.
Second. In combination with a gas heated furnace a gas producer constructed
as a steam generator all substantially as herein described and illustrated by
Figures 12, 3 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Third. In combination with a gas heated furnace a gas producer constructed as
a steam generator having an upper annular steam space lined with refractory
material and fitted with a hopper feeding device, inspection openings and gas duct,
all substantially as herein described and illustrated by Figures 1, 3 and 6 of the
accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In a gas heated furnace the combination of a gas producer and the air
heating chamber fitted with baffles, the air passages and heating chamber with
the gas passages and valves for regulating the supply of heated air and gas sub-
stantially as herein described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 18th day of July 1898.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.