IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Otto John Theodore Gössell, of Moorgate Street, in
the City of London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES." -A communication from
abroad by Louis Stössger, of Breslau, in the Kingdom of Prussia.
Sealed the 1st June 1860, and dated the 5th January 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Otto John Theodore
Gössell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th January 1860.
I, OTTO JOHN THEODORE GÖSSELL, of Moorgate Street, in the City of
London, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to improved means for supplying the fire-places of
locomotive engines with air to support combustion, and enable them to burn
coal without giving off smoke. To this end the engine is fitted with a bent
tube or air channel, which extends from the back of the engine to the centre
of the grate, and stands up above the grate bars, thereby forming a heating
chamber for the incoming air. This tube is covered at the parts exposed to
the fire with fire-clay, and it is closed at top with a grating, for the purpose of
preventing the coals when carelessly thrown into the fire-place entering the
air channel. At or near the bend of the pipe is also a second grating.
bent tube passes down through the ash-pit, and its outer and lower end is
The

page_text: closed by a valve or damper, which is operated by a lever or rod to allow of
air being let on to or cut off from the fire as required. A plate of sheet iron
runs up the centre of the air channel.
When applying the Invention to locomotive engines already constructed, it
is proposed in order to impart strength and firmness to the fire-boxes, and
increase the heating surface, to apply double walls thereto made of copper, one
being situate on either side of the central air supply tube or channel. This
tube is provided at top with a small cylinder of fire-clay, to assist in raising
the temperature. The stiffening walls slant in height from the back of the
fire-box towards the tube plate, and the space which they enclose is covered in.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Otto John Theodore Gössell in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th July 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, OTTO Jonn
THEODORE GOSSELL, of Moorgate Street, in the City of London, Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, -give and grant unto me,
the said Otto John Theodore Gossell, Her special licence that I, the said
Otto John Theodore Gossell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Otto John Theodore Gossell, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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, excrcise, 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 LOCOMOTIVE
ENGINES," being a communication from abroad by Louis Stossger, of Breslau,
in the Kingdom of Prussia, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Otto John Theodore Gossell, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Otto John Theodore Gossell, 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 Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that is to say) :-
-
This Invention, as communicated to me from abroad, relates to improved
means for supplying the fire-places of locomotive engines with air to support
combustion, and to enable them to burn coal without giving off smoke. To
this end the engine is fitted with au air tube or channel, which extends from
the back of the engine to the centre of the grate, and stands up above the
grate bars, and thereby forms a heating chamber for the incoming air. This
air tube at the parts exposed to the fire is either covered with or composed of
fire-clay, and it is covered at top with a shield, for the purpose of preventing
the coals when carelessly thrown into the fire-place from entering the air
channel. The air tube passes down through the ash-pit, and its outer and
lower end is closed by a valve or damper, which is operated by a rod to
regulate the supply of heated air to the fire, or to cut off the supply when
required.
In Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings the manner of applying the
Invention to locomotive engines already built is shewn; but when building
new engines it is preferred to carry out the Invention as shewn in Sheets II.
& III.
Fig. 1 (Sheet I..) is a plan view of an ordinary locomotive furnace or fire-
box fitted according to this Invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, taken
in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a cross section taken at the line 3, 4,
of the same Figure. In these Figures A is the fire place, and B, B, the fire
bars, through the middle of which stands up the apparatus for supplying
heated air to the furnace. This apparatus consists of a four-sided chamber a
inserted in the ash-pit, and formed of sheet iron, with an upturned end pro-
jecting into a four-square tube b. Over this square tube is placed a cast-iron
flange piece c, for supporting a round tube made of rings of fire-clay d, d'.
On the top of this tube is placed an iron ring e, which is cast with lugs on its
inner face to receive binding rods f, f. The lower ends of these rods enter
lugs cast for them in the square tube b, and the binding together of the several
parts b, c, d, d', and e is effected by passing these rods through cross bars 9, 9,
and keying them up, as shewn in the Drawing. In these cross bars 9, 9,.
sockets are made to receive a central rod h, which carries at its upper end an
iron shield i, which covers the opening of the air tube, so as to prevent coal
from falling therein when the fire place is carelessly fed by the toker. This

page_text: cover acts also as a deflector to the heated air, and causes its thorough
diffusion through the furnace. The entrance of air to the chamber a is
governed by a flap valve or damper j, which is secured to the boiler casing by
a hinge, and is operated by means of a notched bar jointed to the damper.
Into the notches of the bar a click takes, for holding the bar in suspension
and keeping the damper opened at any required angle, whereby the amount of
air supplied to the chamber may be adjusted. To perinit of air being admitted
to the furnace between the fire bars, the upper part of the chamber a may be
hinged and secured in position by a bolt or catch. In order then to direct
the air to the fire bars, it will only be necessary to let down this hinged piece,
as indicated by dots in Fig. 2, and the central air passage will be closed, and
the air entering by the open damper will ascend to the furnace through the
openings in the fire bars. From the above description it will be understood
that the air as it passes up the air channel in the direction of the arrows,
Fig. 2, will have its temperature considerably raised, and when issuing out at
the top of the air supply tube and mingling with the combustible gases evolved
from the burning fuel, it will effectually ensure their conversion into flame,
and prevent the discharge of smoke from the furnace.
In Sheets II. & III. the mode of adapting the Invention to locomotives in
course of construction is shewn in several views, Fig. 4 being a longitudinal
section of the furnace with the improvements applied; Fig. 5, a plan view;
Fig. 6, a sectional plan, taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 4; Fig. 7, a transverse
vertical section, taken in the line 3, 4, of Fig. 5, and looking to the right;
As will be observed, the
and Fig. 8, a similar section, looking to the left.
principle of construction so far as the supply of air to the fire place is
concerned, is the same in this as in the above described arrangement, but in
this arrangement increased heating surface is provided. The atmospheric air
passes by the open valve or damper j into the tube or chamber a, where it is
warmed, and on arriving at the discharge opening a, it is completely heated,
by reason of the opening being furnished with edges of fire-clay a², a², as
shewn best at Figs. 7 and 8, and fitted with a cylindrical core of fire-clay a³
fixed in the middle of the tube a, and over which the air must pass on its exit
from the tube. There are double wallings in the middle of the fire-box (sce
Fig. 4), which divide the fire-box into two compartments, and form a middle
water space. These wallings are constructed after the ordinary manner of the
casing of locomotive fire-boxes, and are intended to give firmness and stiffness
to the case to secure it against high steam pressure, while at the same time
they present a great increase of efficient heating surface. This division of the
fire place assists in obtaining uniform firing, and therefore essentially furthers

page_text: the economical consumption of the fuel employed. By reason of the slanting
construction of the roof of the middle walling from A to C the water at the
highest temperature is in constant contact with the copper wallings, so that
the liability of steam bubbles collecting, and consequently of the copper being
burned at the part where these collect, will be prevented.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of improvements in the
construction of locomotive engines, as communicated to me from abroad, 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,
supplying the furnaces of locomotive engines with heated air, and otherwise
economizing the heat derived from the burning fuel by the means above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Otto John Theodore Gossell, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Fifth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFAtt,
66, Chancery Lane.
OTTO GOSSELL. (L.S.)