IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Simpson, of 8, Union Buildings, Leather
Lane, Holborn, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES."
Sealed the 22nd August 1854, and dated the 22nd June 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Simpson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
June 1854.
I, GEORGE SIMPSON, of 8, Union Buildings, Leather Lane, Holborn, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES"
to be as follows:--
This Invention consists of improvements in arranging or combining the
bridges and stops, with relation to the fire bars of furnaces, in such manner
that the products evolved from the front end of the furnaces shall, by suitable
stops, be forced to descend towards and pass over the more highly ignited fuel
on the fire bars beyond the stops, and thus to ensure a better combustion of
the fuel. For this purpose it is desirable to make the furnace bars between
the front end and the back bridge longer than is generally the case, in order
that the fire in front of the stops may be sufficient for getting the fuel into a
high state of combustion before it is forced back beyond the stops, and that
the stops and the bridges at the ends of the furnaces should be such a distance
apart as to have comparatively large quantities of highly ignited fuel to ensure
the complete combustion of all the products, which would otherwise pass off
in a black and denso form into the atmosphere. In constructing a furnace

page_text: according to the improvements, a stop is formed above the fire bars at a
distance from the front end of the furnace, in such manner as to prevent the
products evolved from the fresh charges of fuel from passing above, and to
ensure the products descending below the stop down towards and then over
the fire bars beyond the stop; and at the end of the furnace a bridge is forined,
which prevents the products passing in any direction except over it. The fire
bars may be stationary, or they may be arranged to move so as to cause the
fuel to pass progressively from the front to the back end of the furnace.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Simpson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st December 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SIMPSON, of 8, Union Buildings, Leather Lane, Holborn, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
'Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of June, 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 George Simpson, Her special licence that I, the said George Simpson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Simpson, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Simpson, by an instru-
ment 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Simpson, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, 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) :-
This Invention consists of improvements in arranging or combining the
bridges and stops, with relation to the fire bars of furnaces, in such manner

page_text: that the products evolved from the front end of the furnaces shall, by suitable
stops, be forced to descend towards, and pass over the more highly ignited fuel
on the fire bars beyond the stops, and thus to ensure a better combustion of
the fuel. For this purpose it is desirable to make the furnace bars between
the front end and the back bridge longer than is generally the ease, in order
that the fire in front of the stops may be sufficient for getting the fuel into a
high state of combustion before it is forced back beyond the stops, and that
the stops and the bridges at the ends of the furnaces should be such a distance
apart as to have comparatively large quantities of highly iguited fuel to insure
the complete combustion of all the products, which would otherwise pass off
in a black and dense form into the atmosphere. In constructing a furnace
according to the improvements, a stop is formed above the fire bars at a
distance from the front end of the furnace, in such manner as to prevent the
products evolved from the fresh charges of fuel from passing above, and to
insure the products descending below the stop down towards and then over
the fire bars beyond the stop; and at the end of the furnace a bridge is formed
which prevents the products passing in any direction except over it. The fire
bars may be stationary, or they may be arranged to move so as to cause
the fuel to pass progressively from the front to the back end of the furnace.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Drawing shows so much of a longitudinal section of a steam boiler and
furnace as will enable me to describe the nature of my improvements. The
furnace shown is similar in construction to those ordinarily employed, but the
length of the fire bars is increased, and offers a larger area of fire bars than is
sufficient for raising and maintaining a supply of steam in the boiler. It is
preferred that the fire bars in front of the stop a should be about half the
length ordinarily used for the size of boiler to which they are applied, and
that the fire bars beyond the stop a should be as much or more than what is
in front of the hanging bridge... It is not essential that so large an area of
fire bars should be employed, as a somewhat less extent of fire bars than what
is shewn night be used. The stop a is arranged below the boiler, in such
manner as to prevent the products of combustion rising from the fresh fuel
placed on the front fire bars b, passing without descending down below the
stop a, and consequently so as to come near the well-ignited fire which is on
the fire bars c, beyond the stop a. The fire bars in the arrangement shown
are stationary, but if preferred they may be moveable, so as to cause the fuel,

page_text: as it becomes more and more ignited, to be moved towards the back end of
the furnace, or bridge d of the furnace. By this arrangement, as there will be
constantly a bright fire beyond the stop a, the products from the fresh furl
placed on the bars 6 will be forced to pass over such bright fire and be con-
sumed. It may be remarked, that as the fuel will be burned under more
favorable circumstances, the whole quantity of fire at any time on the two sets
of fire bars should be kept somewhat under that quantity which would
ordinarily be under a like size and construction of boiler.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I am aware that hang-
ing bridges or stops have before been proposed to be used, but not in such
manner as to have an extent of bright fire on fire bars beyond such stops; I
do not, therefore, claim the use of stops or hanging bridges generally; but
what I claim is, the combining the use of stops a in furnaces, as berein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Simpson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
GEO. SIMPSON. (Ls.)