Improvements in or relating to Smoke Consumers for use in connection with Steam Boiler Furnaces and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Smoke Consumers for use in
connection with Steam Boiler Furnaces and the like.
I, JOHN MILTON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at
Dunbarton Hotel, 623 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, in the District of
Columbia, Engineer, 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 :—
My invention is directed to smoke consumers for use in connection with steam
boiler furnaces and while the same is applicable with equal advantage to various
kinds and types of furnaces it is especially adapted for the furnaces of the locomotive
boiler pattern.
My invention contemplates the application of the principle of admitting air into
the furnace in order that by its admixture with the products of combustion the
smoke and gases may be entirely consumed and all smoke and cinders be prevented
from being discharged into the outer atmosphere. Various attempts have been
previously made to successfully utilize this principle, with the result of only a
partial consumption of the products of combustion: the failure being due to many,
causes, but principally to the improper location of the air discharging outlets with
relation to the bed of fuel, and to the imperfect distribution of the air from the
tubes or pipes by which it is conveyed, to the ascending products, and especially
owing to the inadequacy of the devices used to withstand the great heat generated
in such furnaces.
I have found out by experiment that in order to produce a combustion of the
smoke and gases resulting from burning fuel, a quantity of air must be intimately
mixed with the products, and the said mixture in order to produce ignition must
take place as close as possible to the surface of the fuel, or before the heat generated
shall have been reduced in temperature.
My invention' is susceptible of being carried out in many ways; and while I have
shown and will presently describe one form of construction of consumer capable of
attaining the desired results, I do not wish it understood that I confine myself to
the employment of that particular mechanism.
My invention consists essentially in intimately combining in a furnace, air
under pressure, with the smoke gases and other products at the true plane of'
combustion.
+1..
My invention also consists in the construction, relative arrangements and
operation of the several parts constituting my smoke consumer, all of which will
hereinafter fully and clearly appear from a reading of the following description
taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this
Specification, and in which I have shown my invention as applied to the furnace of
a steam locomotive boiler, although as before stated the invention is susceptible of
application' to furnaces of other types.
In the said drawings―
..
Figure 1, is a vertical longitudinal central section of enough. steam
of a
locomotive with my 'invention applied thereto to illustrate the construction and
application thereof.
Figure 2, is a horizontal longitudinal section taken on line -x of Figure 1.
Figure 3, is a front elevation of the forward end of the smoke box, showing the "
air receiving funnel.
Figure 4, a detail view enlarged of the device for controlling the valve of the"
steam pipe.
Figure 5, a sectional view of a portion of the steam pipe showing the valve for
controlling the passage of steam to the air pipes

page_text: Figure 6, is a detail plan view of a portion of the air tubes, and their support,
showing the manner of application.
Figure 7, is an end view of one of the sections of the air tubes.
Referring to the said drawings in which the same letters of reference denote the
same parts, A denotes the furnace or fire box; B, the water space or jacket
which partially surrounds said fire box; C, is the boiler; D D the boiler flues;
and E, the smoke box, these parts being of ordinary construction.
Within the fire
box are arranged the tubes for delivering the air to be mixed with the products of
combustion. These tubes are preferably four in number although more or less
may be employed, and are shown at F F F F. In order to resist the action of the
intense heat I form these tubes of fire clay, or other refractory material, and the
same are preferably made up of sections ff each of which is formed with two
longitudinal parallel passages g g for the air, registering with the passages of the
adjacent sections. Air distributing outlets or passages h h extend laterally and
outwardly from the passages g at or about a horizontal plane, and if desirable, and
as shown, the ends of the sections may be cut away centrally at i to permit of the
location of similar inwardly extending passages. Each of the sections are provided
at one end with tenons f¹¹ and at the other end with mortises 22 whereby
when the sections are in place an inter-engagement is permitted, and lateral
displacement is prevented. employ two series of sections, one on each side
of the centre of the fire box, thus providing four air distributing pipes, and
each series of sections are supported upon two water pipes jj which extend
from a point a short distance above the feed door a of the furnace inclining
downward to a point below the flues of the boiler. The sections are provided
on their lower sides with depressions f³ ³ which partially surround the said
pipes and the air tubes are thereby supported and maintained in position with
their forward end slightly above the furnace door, and their rearward end on
line with the lower flues. The pipes j communicate with the water space or jacket
and are thereby supplied with water which increases the evaporating capacity of
the boiler and protects the pipes from the action of the heat from the fuel.
The innermost section of the air tubes is preferably made with the passages gat
the end next to the adjacent section but the two passages are merged into one inlet
passage at the other end of the section in order that one air supply pipe will
suffice for each series of sections.
For economy of space, and in order to adapt the consumer to existing types of
locomotive boilers without altering the construction, I propose to employ certain of
the flues as air pipes for supplying air to the tubes. These flues, or pipes as I will
now term them, are shown at d d and each of them are connected with the inlet
passage of the innermost section.
Air under sufficient pressure is supplied to the flues in any desired manner, as for
instance from a compression cylinder, by a forced draught, or by a natural draft.
1 prefer to employ the latter plan for economy of construction, as I find that
sufficient pressure of air is obtained while the locomotive is in motion to answer all
purposes.
The air is taken in at the forward end of the locomotive, a funnel k
being formed in the head e of the smoke box for this purpose, and from the inner
end of the funnel extend two pipes which connect with the forward ends of the
flues d d and thus a direct communication between the outer atmosphere and the air
tubes is established. The inner end of the funnel between the pipe connections
is formed wedged-shaped to deflect the currents of air to said pipes as will be
understood.
I provide means for maintaining the air draught when the locomotive is at a
stand still or is moving under a slow headway, as follows: m is a steam pipe of
comparatively small diameter which is led into the boiler and extends forward
preferably on the outside of the same beneath the running board, to a point near
the head of the smoke box, through which latter it is then passed and terminates in
two sections n n which penetrate the upper side of the funnel and have at their
ends funnel-shaped nozzles n' n' arranged in line with the pipes and terminate

page_text: at a point coincident with or nearly to the connection between the pipes and funnel.
In this steam pipe is arranged a butterfly valve o which is preferably located near
the forward end of the running board. One end of the spindle o' of this valve
projects outwardly beyond the pipe to permit of the connection therewith of a wind
vane p, by which latter the valve is actuated, and the passage of steam controlled.
This vane is normally held in a vertical position by the action of a coil-spring q
connecting to the spindle and to the running board or a bracket thereon, and while
in this position the valve is open and steam is allowed to enter the pipes dd to
induce an air draught. When the locomotive is under headway however the impact
of the air causes the vane to move rearwardly and to close the valve, and shut off
the steam, as the movement of the locomotive will cause a sufficient draught, and
these positions of the parts will be maintained until the speed of the locomotive is
slackened sufficiently to cause the spring to overcome the impact of the air.
If desirable, separate steam pipes may be employed for each pipe d. In this
event the pipes ll and the valves and vanes would be duplicated on each side of
the locomotive, the action in both cases would however be the same.
The close proximity of the air tubes to the surface of the fuel causes them to be
heated to an intense degree, and the air in its passage is rendered incandescent, and
is discharged in this condition through the outlets or perforations in the form
of a thin sheet or diaphragm through which the products of combustion must pass
before they find an outlet. The smoke and gases and other products when brought
into contact with the air are instantly ignited and completely consumed, inasmuch
as the admixture takes place at the proper time and location and all discharge of
smoke and cinders is thereby prevented. By the complete consumption of the
products of combustion, a great saving of fuel is attained, and the cost incidental to
running a locomotive engine is very materially reduced.
The air tubes are placed with relation to the bed of fuel at such a distance
therefrom as that the sheet of air will cover the entire smoke producing surface of
the fire; and said tubes are also placed at such a distance from each other as that
their relative location will define the true plane of combustion.
Having now fully ascertained the nature of my invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim and desire to secure
by Letters Patent is :
1. A smoke consumer for furnaces consisting of a series of air tubes laterally
perforated and located above the fuel at the plane of combustion.
2. A smoke consumer for furnaces, consisting of a series of air tubes of fire clay
or other refractory material perforated on opposite sides, and resting on and
supported by a series of water circulating pipes.
3. A smoke consumer for locomotive boiler furnaces consisting of a series of air
tubes laterally perforated and located above the fuel at the plane of combustion,
air pipes or flues leading to said tubes, and a funnel or funnels in said pipes.
4. In a locomotive boiler furnace, a series of air tubes of fire clay or other
refractory material perforated on opposite sides, and resting on and supported by a
series of water circulating pipes, air pipes or flues leading to said tubes, and a funnel
or funnels in said pipes or flues.
5. In combination with a locomotive boiler furnace, a series of air tubes of fire
clay or other refractory material perforated on opposite sides, and resting on and
supported by a series of water circulating pipes, air pipes or flues leading to said
tubes, a funnel or funnels in the forward end of the locomotive connected to the
flues, a steam pipe or pipes leading to the flues, a valve in said steam pipe and a
wind vane in connection with said valve for the purpose set forth.
Dated the Twenty-fourth day of August 1892
JOHN MILTON,
By W. Fairburn-Hart,
A gent