Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Buildings and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by HENRI PIRON, of No. 50, Rue Bara, Brussels, in
the Kingdom of Belgium, Engineer.]
Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Buildings and the like.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In order to obtain the best results from a hot air heating apparatus it should
be so devised that, with the employment of a minimum of fuel, a maximum of
heating surface may always be maintained by a relatively low temperature of
from 80° to 100°, allowing the pipes, to be supplied with quantities of air in
excess at this temperature and consequently not vitiated. This desideratum is
obtained by means of the novel hot-air heating apparatus which forms the subject
of this invention.
This improved heating apparatus differs from the known forms of such appara
tus owing to an eminently rational combination of its essential parts.. The hot
air chamber which is preferably of refractory masonry, is cylindrical in form and
has double walls. Within the air chamber is concentrically arranged a cast metal
chamber in which circulate the combustion gases, leaving there almost the whole
of their heat and at the axis of this chamber rises directly from the furnace a
retort from the upper portion of which the combustion gases of the furnace pass
into the circulation chamber whence they proceed to the chimney.
The furnace which is of masonry comprises converging lateral walls which are
connected by a cylindrical portion surmounted by the vertical smoke consuming.
retort; the refractory bricks are formed in such a manner that their adjacent
sides constitute, on the one hand, an upwardly projecting nose and, on the other
hand, a downwardly projecting nose so that when merely placed one upon the
additional means,
other they mutually support each other without the use of
any
such as the thick layer of mortar which is indispensable in arches of the ordinary
description, which is a constant cause of fissures and crevices and consequently
of frequent and inevitable repairs, which defect is absolutely obviated by this
novel method of joining in which a very small quantity of cement is poured
between the joints simply for the purpose of ensuring tightness.
At the bottom of the furnace and in the front portion of the same is arranged
the grating serving for the combustion of the fuel and also for the production
of water gas. This grating is composed of bars having a large but. thin blade or
web which is immersed for the whole of its length and up to one half its height
in a receptacle for water provided or formed at the bottom of the furnace. Owing
to this construction the web highly heated by the fire produces steam which is

page_text: drawn into the furnace by the draught. The steam, coming in contact with the
incandescent fuel in a medium which is raised to a temperature of 1200°, becomes
dissociated, that is to say decomposed into its constituent elements-oxygen and
hydrogen; this latter mixes with the furnace gases and the air of combustion,
it forms a gaseous combustible which in burning gives out a very considerable
amount of heat. This is the explanation of the exceptional result obtained from
the fuel in the furnace of this form of heating apparatus. The steam coming
into contact with the red-hot fuel in reality causes the production of an exceed-
ingly rich water gas which mixes with the oxide of carbon of the fuel and
produces, in burning with this latter, a most intense heat which heats to a white
heat the refractory retort within which are consumed all the solid portions arising
from the fuel, so that from the upper part of the retort only the heated gases
freed from all material substances pass; it is thus essentially smoke-consuming.
The smoke-consuming retort passes centrally through the whole height of the
circular heat chamber for the heating of the air. This chamber, which is entirely
of metal, is formed by the cylindrical casing or cast metal chamber provided with
external ribs and by the cast metal bottom and cover through which pass vertically
the assemblages of tubes having internal ribs and forming air conduits, each
assemblage being separated from the adjacent assemblage by baffle plates open
alternately above and below, and each assemblage thus forms a sector of the
chamber containing a number of tubes proportionate to the diameter of the cham-
ber. These sectors are successively traversed by the products of combustion
entering the first sector by the tube and leaving the last through another tube.
The cast metal chamber having external ribs consists of a certain number of
segments jointed together by overlapping flanges. These flanges are connected by
means of bolts passing through a band of asbestos interposed between the joints,
which are thus rendered hermetically tight in order to prevent the combustion
gases from mingling with the heating air. Above and below, this wall built
up of segments is inserted in circular grooves in the covers which are likewise
provided with a band or strip of asbestos so as to obtain an hermetically tight
joint as in the case of the longitudinal joints. The conduits or tubes possess a
larger heating surface owing to the novel application of internal ribs which afford
a very considerably increased amount of heat, and in all respects greatly con-
solidate the tubes. In order that they may be hermetically inserted in the covers
of the casing they are provided, adjacent to their extremities, with collars which
enter corresponding recesses in the covers, the collars resting upon rings of asbestos
arranged upon the edges of these recesses the whole being then strongly
tightened, forming joints which are absolutely tight.
The addition of wings or ribs in the internal tubes and upon the external
chamber serves to cool the cast metal which forms the heating surface and pre-
vents it from being raised to a red heat, an advantage which is very important
in hot air heating apparatus, because the air intended for respiration thus never
comes into contact with metal surfaces raised to a red heat; from this it results
that the oxide of carbon, which is always present in larger or smaller quantities
in the combustion gases, can no longer traverse the walls of the apparatus and
mingle with the pure air, whilst this latter being raised to a lower temperature
than 100° does not acquire any properties deleterious to health.
The action of the heating apparatus composed of the novel elements in the
manner described, is as follows: The combustion of the fuel upon the grate
being assisted by the double doors of the furnace for the preliminary heating of
the air entering the furnace and by the water gas produced by the generating
grate, sends into the central refractory retort rich gases which are chemically
consumed owing to the high temperature which exists, in such a manner that
it only discharges through its upper lateral openings extremely hot gases having
no solid particles into the heat chamber whence they pass successively over each
set of air tubes or conduits arranged in the sectors to which they impart the whole
of their heat in passing first beneath the first baffle plate above the second, then

page_text: under the third and so on in succession until they pass above the last in order
to finally escape into the chimney while each battery or set of tubes at the same
time receives the heat radiating from the refractory retort. The air inlet being
situated beneath the chamber containing these batteries of tubes, the pure external
air rises in the winged or ribbed conduits and becomes heated in passing over
the interior surfaces, proceeding whence it accumulates above the upper cover
and from there issues into the system of pipes through suitable registers. As the
conduits are heated only by means of gases free from all solid particles, and by
radiation they are never raised to a red heat, and so cannot vitiate the air which
is always pure and cannot carry with it any trace of oxide of carbon, and as this
temperature can be produced and maintained by the expenditure of a very small
quantity of fuel owing to the arrangement of the furnace combination with the
water-gas grate and the smoke-consuming retort, the heating to a low tempera-
ture (80° to 100°) of a very large volumes of air by means of a small quantity of
fuel, this being indispensable for complying with the essential conditions for
obtaining a heating apparatus which is both hygienic and economical; the furnace
may be supplied with either coal, charcoal, coke or any other suitable fuel.
The form of hot air heating apparatus above described may be so arranged as
to act with a continuous feed, The heat chamber in this case is similar to that
above described, except that the smoke-consuming retort arranged in the centre
is of cast metal instead of being of some refractory substance.
'
The shape of the furnace is similar to that in the arrangement first described,
but its walls are formed by a cast metal box externally provided with wings or
ribs. This furnace is connected with the smoke-consuming retort by means of a
tube which is also provided with wings upon its external circumference. The
upper face of the furnace box is provided with a rectangular conduit inclined at
an angle of 45° into which fits a conduit or hopper of cast metal of the same
section, which is closed at its upper extremity by means of a cover. The fuel
intended to supply the furnace for a given time is fed into this hopper; the fuel
automatically feeds itself upon the grate.
The grate does not differ from that above described; the webs of its bars how-
ever are not immersed in water, but the apparatus may, if desired, also act with
a water reservoir as in the preceding case.
The admission of air beneath the grate is regulated by means of a screw closing
device whereby the opening through which air is admitted may be varied, so
that, for example, only that very small quantity of air may be allowed to enter
which is strictly necessary in order that the fire may not become extinguished
for a certain number of hours, during the night for instance.
An opening, closed by means of a cover is also provided which permits of the
inspection of the combustion and also the cleaning of the grate when required.
The advantages of this form of heating apparatus over that previously described
are that it requires absolutely no superintendence; when once the hopper has
been filled for a given period of time and the air admission opening regulated
it requires no watching, the combustion proceeding regularly until all the fuel
is consumed. In addition to this, when the apparatus is not required to act for
a certain length of time, it is not necessary to extinguish it, but it may be allowed
to continue to burn at a very slow rate of combustion, by suitable regulating the
admission of air so that only an insignificant quantity of fuel is consumed.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Buildings and the like.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
.. In order to obtain the best results from a hot air heating apparatus it should
be so devised that, with the employment. of a minimum of fuel, a maximum of
heating surface may always be maintained at a relatively low temperature of from
80° to 100°, allowing the pipes to be supplied with quantities of air in excess at
this temperature and consequently not vitiated. This desideratum is obtained
by means of the novel hot air heating apparatus which forms the subject of this
invention, and which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the enclosing plate with the door of the grate.
Figure 2 is a vertical section through the same.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section through the same.
Figure 4 is a vertical section through the complete apparatus, and
Figure 5 is a horizontal section through the same.
Figure 6 is a transverse section through the furnace drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figures 7 and 8 are sections partly in elevation of the grate bars.
Figure 9 are plan views of such bars.
Figure 10 shews a horizontal section through a segment of the external casing
provided with wings or ribs of the heating chamber and the method of assembling
these segments.
Figure 11 is a partial vertical section through the same.
Figure 12 is a vertical section and
Figure 13 a horizontal, section of the conduits provided with internal ribs for
the passage of the air into the heating chamber.
Figures 14, 15 and 16 are respectively longitudinal, horizontal and cross sec-
tions through the masonry of the furnace, and
Figures 17 and 18 shew in vertical and horizontal section respectively a modi-
fication of the heating apparatus having an inclined feed conduit likewise of cast
metal which distributes the fuel directly and automatically upon the grate of the
furnace.
This improved heating apparatus differs from the known forms of such apparatus
owing to an eminently rational combination of its essential parts. The hot air
chamber, Figures 4 and 5 which is preferably of refractory masonry, is cylindrical
in form and has double walls. Within the air chamber is concentrically arranged
a cast metal chamber E in which circulate the combustion gases, leaving there
almost the whole of their heat and at the axis of this chamber rises directly from
the furnace a retort C from the upper portion of which the combustion gases of the
furnaces pass into the circulation chamber whence they proceed to the chimney.
The furnace F which is of masonry comprises converging lateral walls which are
connected by a cylindrical portion surmounted by the vertical smoke-consuming
retort C; the refractory bricks are formed in such a manner that their adjacent
sides constitute on the one hand, an upwardly, projecting nose t and, on the
other hand, a downwardly projecting nose t¹ (Figure 16) so that when merely
placed one upon the other they mutually support each other without the use of
any additional means, such as the thick layer of mortar which is indispensable
in arches of the ordinary description and which is a constant cause of fissures and

page_text: crevices and consequently of frequent and inevitable repairs, which defect is abso-
lutely obviated by this novel method of joining in which a very small quantity of
cement is poured between the joints simply for the purpose of ensuring tightness.
The transverse and longitudinal laying is sufficiently indicated in the drawing
to obviate the necessity for a description at greater length.
At the bottom of the furnace and in the front portion of the same is arranged
the grating serving for the combustion of the fuel and also for the production of
water gas. This grating is composed of bars B Figures 4, 6 7, 8 and 9 having a
large but thin blade or web which is immersed for the whole of its length and
up to one half its height in a receptacle for water provided or formed at the bottom
of the furnace. Owing to this construction the web highly heated by the fire
produces steam which is drawn into the furnace by the draught. The steam,
coming in contact with the incandescent fuel in a medium which is raised to a
temperature of 1200°, becomes dissociated, that is to say, decomposed into its con-
stituent elements-oxygen and hydrogen; this latter mixes with the furnace gases
and the air of combustion, it forms a gaseous combustible which in burning gives
out a very considerable amount of heat. This is the explanation of the exceptional
result obtained from the fuel in the furnace of this form of heating apparatus.
The steam coming into contact with the red hot fuel in reality causes the produc-
tion of an exceedingly rich water gas which mixes with the oxide of carbon of
the fuel and produces, in burning with this latter, a most intense heat which heats
to a white red heat the refractory retort C within which are consumed all the solid
portions arising from the fuel, so that from the upper part of the retort only, the
heated gases freed from all material substances pass; it is thus essentially smoke-
consuming.
The smoke-consuming retort C passes centrally through the whole height of
the circular heat chamber for the heating of the air. This chamber which is
entirely of metal, is formed by the cylindrical casing or cast metal chamber.,E
provided with external ribs and by the cast metal bottom and cover CC through
which pass vertically, the assemblages of tubes T having internal ribs and forming
air conduits, each assemblage being separated from the adjacent assemblage by
baffle plates C (Figure 5) open alternately above and below, and each assemblage
thus forms a sector of the chamber containing a number of tubes proportionate
to the diameter of the chamber. These sectors are successively traversed by the
products of combustion entering the first sector by the tube 0 and leaving the last
through the tube T.
The casing E having external ribs consists of a certain number of segments
jointed together by overlapping flanges. These flanges are connected by means
of bolts (Figure 10) passing through a band of asbestos a interposed between
the joints, which are thus rendered hermetically tight in order to prevent the com-
bustion gases from mingling with the heating air. Above and below, this wall
built up of segments is inserted in circular grooves in the covers C C which
are likewise provided with a band or strip of asbestos so as to obtain an hermetically
tight joint as in the case of the longitudinal joint (Figure 10). The conduits
or tubes T possess a larger heating surface owing to the novel application of internal
ribs which afford a very considerably increased amount of heat, and in all respects
greatly consolidate the tubes. In order that they may be hermetically inserted in
the covers C¹ C¹ of the casing they are provided, adjacent to their extremities,
with collars c which enter corresponding recesses in the covers, the collars c resting
upon rings of asbestos a arranged upon the edges of those recesses, the whole being
then strongly tightened, forming joints which are absolutely tight (Figure 12).
The addition of wings or ribs in the internal tubes and upon the external chamber
E serves to cool the cast metal which forms the heating surface and prevents it
from being raised to a red heat, an advantage which is very important in hot air
heating apparatus, because the air introduced for respiration thus never comes
into contact with metal surfaces raised to a red heat; from this it results that the
oxide of carbon, which is always present in larger or small quantities in the com-

page_text: bustion gases, can no longer traverse the walls of the apparatus and mingle with
the pure air, whilst this latter being raised to a lower temperature than 1000 does
acquire any properties deleterious to health.
The action of the heating apparatus composed of the novel. elements in the man-
ner described, is as follows; The combustion of the fuel upon the grate being
assisted by the double doors p of the furnace for the preliminary heating of the.air
entering the furnace (Figures 12 and 3) and by the water gas produced by the
generating grate, sends into the central refractory retort rich gases which are
chemically consumed owing to the high temperature which exists, in such a
manner that it only discharges through its upper lateral opening 0 extremely
hot gases having no solid particles into the heat chamber E whence they pass
successively over each set of air tubes or conduits T arranged in the sectors to
which they impart the whole of their heat in passing first beneath the first: baffle plate
C, above the second, then under the third and so on in succession until they pass
above the last in order to finally escape into the chimney through the pipe T,
whilst each battery or set of tubes at the same time receives the heat radiating
from the refractory retort. The air inlet being situated at K beneath the chamber
containing these batteries of tubes, the pure external air rises in the winged or
ribbed conduits and becomes heated in passing over their interior surfaces, pro-
ceeding thence it accumulates above the upper cover and from there issues into the
system of pipes through suitable registers R. As the conduits are heated only
by means of gases free from all solid particles, and by radiation, they are never
raised to a red heat, and so cannot vitiate the air which is always pure and cannot
carry with it any trace of oxide of carbon, and as this temperature, can be pro-
duced and maintained by the expenditure of a very small quantity of fuel owing
to the arrangement of the furnace in combination with the water-gas grate and the
smoke-consuming retort, the desired result is obtained, that is to say, the heating
to a low temperature (80° to 100°) of very large volumes of air by means of a
small quantity of fuel, this being indispensable for complying with the essential
conditions for obtaining a heating apparatus which is both hygienic and economi-
cal; the furnace may be supplied with either coal, charcoal, coke or any other
suitable fuel.
The form of hot air heating apparatus above described may be so arranged as
to act with a continuous feed, as shewn in vertical and horizontal section re-
spectively in Figures 17 and 18. As will be apparent, the heat chamber is similar
to that above described, except that the smoke-consuming retort A arranged in the
centre is of cast metal instead of being of some refractory substance.
The shape of the furnace is similar to that in the arrangement first described,
but its walls are formed by a cast metal box 1) externally provided with wings or
ribs. This furnace is connected with the smoke consuming retort A by means of
a tube G, which is also provided with wings upon its external circumference. The
upper face of the furnace box is provided with a rectangular conduit H inclined
at an angle of 45°, into which fits a conduit or hopper I of cast metal of the same
section, which is closed at its upper extremity by means of a cover M. The fuel
intended to supply the furnace for a given time is fed into this hopper; the fuel
automatically feeds itself upon the grate.
The grate does not differ from that above described, the webs of its bars however
are not immersed in water, but the apparatus may, if desired, also act with a
water reservoir as in the preceding case.
The admission of air beneath the grate is regulated by means of a screw closing
device N, whereby the opening through which air is admitted may be varied, so
that for example, only that very small quantity of air may be allowed to enter
which is strictly necessary in order that the fire may not become extinguished for
a certain number of hours, during the night for instance.
P₁ is an opening, closed by means of a cover, which permits of the inspection of
the combustion and also the cleaning of the grate when required.
:

page_text: The advantages of this form of heating apparatus over that previously described
are that it requires absolutely no superintendence; when once the hopper has been
filled for a given period of time and the air admission opening regulated it requires
no watching, the combustion proceeding regularly until all the fuel is consumed.
In addition to this, when the apparatus is not required to act for a certain length
of time, it is not necessary to extinguish it, but it may be allowed to continue to
burn at a very slow rate of combustion, by suitably regulating the admission of air
so that only an insignificant quantity of fuel is consumed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention. and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A heating apparatus permitting the heating to a low temperature (80° to
1000) of quantities of air in excess with a minimum of fuel, characterised by the
arrangement of an air chamber X of masonry containing a concentrically placed
cast metal chamber for the circulation of the products of combustion and at the
centre of this latter a retort of some substance capable of resisting heat (refractory
stone or cast metal) surmounting the furnace and affording an issue at its upper
portion to the passage of the combustion gases into the chamber for the circulation
of air where the said gases part with almost the whole of their heat before escaping
into the chimney.
2. A heating apparatus of the kind described in Claim 1, with a special arrange-
ment of the air circulation chamber, characterised by its construction, in the form
of a drum or cylinder the outer circumference of which is provided with wings or
ribs E and divided into sections by vertical baffle plates C² such
cylinder being traversed from top to bottom. by air conduits T having
internal ribs and hermetically fitted into the ends or covers C₁₁ of the chamber,
as is also the wall of this latter, that is to say the segments of which it is com-
posed, by means of intermediate packing of asbestos a. a, in order to obtain
complete separation of the combustion gases from the pure air traversing the.
conduits and circulating round the chamber.
3. A heating apparatus as described in Claims 1 and 2, having a furnace F
constructed of bricks having nosest t¹ projecting alternately from the upper and
lower sides in order to prevent both the escape of gas and the necessity for using
mortar and having a retort C also constructed of refractory bricks permitting of a
very great degree of heat with the object of consuming the whole of the solid par-
ticles of the combustion gases, in combination with the grate having very deep
bars B capable of being immersed in water for the purpose of producing water gas
and thus increasing the smoke consuming qualities of the furnace and assisting
in economising fuel.
4. A heating apparatus as described in Claims 1 and 2 having a cast metal
furnace I provided externally with wings or ribs and capable of being auto-
matically supplied with fuel by means of an inclined hopper I, in combination,
with the cast metal retort A connected with the furnace by means of a bent tube G
also provided with wings and with a screw air-excluding device N permitting
of the regulation of the combustion with the object of enabling the apparatus to be
just kept alight (during the night for instance) with a very small consumption of
fuel.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.