IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR ECONOMISING FUEL AND CONSUMING Smoke
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Burdekin, of the Prestolee Alkali Works, near
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Chemical Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR ECONOMISING FUEL AND CONSUMING Smoke,”
Sealed the 19th April 1876, and dated the 18th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Burdekin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th February 1876.
GEORGE BURDEKIN, of the Prestolee Alkali Works, near Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Chemical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR
ECONOMISING FUEL AND CONSUMING SMOKE."
My Invention is applicable to furnaces used for manufacturing chemicals, iron,
glass, and various other purposes, and consists in a combination and arrangement
of the furnace.
One modification applicable for rectifying vitroil and for like and various
other purposes, consists in arranging the fire-bars as for the ordinary fire-place and
then forming a hanging bridge over the fire-bars and feeding the fuel into a hole
or hopper above the fire-bars, which hole or hopper is covered after each supply of
fuel, and the inflammable gases generated from the fresh fuel descend under the
hanging bridge, and pass through the incandescent fuel on the fire-bars, and then
the heat, flame, and gases pass over the ordinary fire-bridge at the back end of the
fire-bars. The incandescent fuel is pushed forward to make room for a fresh supply
as required through the door which forms the door of the ordinary fire-place.
Another modification of my Invention consists in placing the fire-bars at a
considerable angle or inclination, say about 45 degrees, the upper ends of the fire-
bars commencing at the "dead plate" and the lower ends extending to within a few
inches of the bottom of the ash-pit. There is combined with these inclined fire-bars
a hanging bridge, the under side of which comes to about a level with the "dead
plate" there is then a space beyond the hanging bridge and then the ordinary fire-
bridge. The interior space of the furnace from the fire-bars to the fire-bridge wall
up to the level of the under side of the hanging bridge is full of incandescent fuel,
and the fresh fuel is fed on to this incandescent fuel until above the level of the
under side of the hanging bridge; the inflammable gases generated from the fresh
fuel is thus made to descend under the hanging bridge and to pass through the

page_text: incandescent fuel. Air may be admitted as required into the space at the front or
behind the hanging bridge.
A modification of the furnace above described may be applied for generating
steam and boiling liquids, more especially in external furnace boilers and fire-box
boilers, and the hanging bridge may be made hollow of metal and made to form
.part of or communicate with the liquid in the boiler if desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Burdekin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th August
1876.
GEORGE BURDEKIN, of the Prestolee Alkali Works, near Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Chemical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR
ECONOMISING FUEL AND CONSUMING SMOKE."
My Invention is applicable to furnaces used for manufacturing chemicals, iron,
glass, and various other purposes, and consists in a combination and arrangement
of the furnace.
One modification applicable for rectifying vitroil, and for like and various other
purposes, consists in arranging the fire-bars as for the ordinary fire-place, and then
forming a hanging bridge over the fire-bars and feeding the fuel into a hole or
hopper above the fire-bars, which hole or hopper is covered after each supply of
fuel, and the inflammable gases generated from the fresh fuel descend under the
hanging bridge, which extends down to the incandescent fuel on the bars and pass
through it, and then the heat, flame, and gases pass over the ordinary fire-bridge
at the back end of the fire-bars. The incandescent fuel is pushed forward to make
room for a fresh supply as required through the door which forms the door of the
ordinary fire-place.
Another modification of my Invention consists in placing the fire-bars at a
considerable angle or inclination, say about 45 degrees, the upper ends of the fire-
bars commencing at the dead plate and the lower ends extending towards the back
of the furnace to within a few inches of the bottom of the ash-pit. There is com-
bined with these inclined fire-bars a hanging bridge, the under side of which comes
to about a level with the dead plate; there is then a space beyond the hanging
bridge and then the ordinary fire-bridge. The interior space of the furnace from
the fire-bars to the fire-bridge wall, up to the level of the under side of the hanging
bridge, is full of incandescent fuel, and the fresh fuel is fed on to this incandescent
fuel in front of the hanging bridge until above the level of the under side of the
hanging bridge; the inflammable gases generated from the fresh fuel is thus made
to descend under the hanging bridge and to pass through or between the interstices
of the incandescent fuel. Air for the combustion of the gases passes through the
fire-bars and incandescent fuel, and may also be admitted as required into the space
at the front or behind the hanging bridge.
The furnace above described may be applied for generating steam and boiling
liquids, more especially in external furnace boilers and fire-box boilers, and the
hanging bridge may be made hollow of metal and made to form part of or com-
municate with the liquid in the boiler if desired.
The Figures upon the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings illustrate my In-
vention in its application to furnaces for various purposes.
Fig. 8 is a vertical section through a furnace, according to one modification of
my Invention, applicable for rectifying vitroil and like purposes. a, fire-door;
b, grate bars; c, hanging bridge, extending across the furnace; d, hole or hopper
for feeding the fuel on to the grate bars near the fire-door and in front of the
hanging bridge (c). This hole or hopper (d) is closed by a cover or door when the
fuel is supplied. The fuel fills up the space between the upper side of the grate
bars b and the under side of the hanging bridge c, and the fuel upon the grate bars.

page_text: from the front of the hanging bridge to the back ends of the fire-bars (furthest from
the fire-door) is allowed to become incandescent, and thus the gases formed from
the fresh fuel fed in front of the hanging bridge descends under the hanging
bridge, and is burnt by passing through the incandescent fuel meeting air passing
through the grate bars. When the fuel in front of the hanging bridge has given off
its inflammable gases the fire-door (a) may be opened and the fuel pushed forward on
the fire-bars under the hanging bridge, when another supply of fresh fuel is placed
on the grate bars in front of the hanging bridge. The heated gases and products
of combustion pass from the furnace over the fire-bridge or into the flue, to pass in
contact with the apparatus to be heated.
Fig. 7 shows a longitudinal section of a modification of my Invention applied
to a furnace for rectifying vitroil and for like purposes, which I prefer to use;
a, fire-door; e, dead plate; c, hanging bridge; b, grate bars inclined at about an
angle of 45 degrees; these bars hook and rest upon cross bars 6', as shown, and the
lower ends of the fire-bars terminate a few inches above the bottom of the ash-pit,
as shown; is the flue leading to the apparatus to be heated; g, damper; and h,
flue to chimney. The space between the fire-bars and the back or fire-bridge end
of the furnace is filled with incandescent fuel, up to the level of the dead plate and
the under side of the hanging bridge, and the fresh fuel is supplied upon that part
of the incandescent fuel in front of the hanging bridge. The inflammable gases
from the fresh fuel descend under the hanging bridge (c) and pass through the
incandescent fuel or through its interstices, and meet with hot air passing through
the fire-bars. As the fuel burns it descends the fire-bars, and can be assisted in
its descent and pushed towards the back of the furnace by the fireman's tools, the
ashes descending to the space left between the lower ends of the fire-bars and the
bottom of the ash-pit.
Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line C, D, Fig. 2, which is a plan
section on the line A, B, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on the
line E, F, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the furnace and illustrating my
Invention as applied to reverberatory furnaces, such as black ash, calcining, and
puddling furnaces; a, fire-doors made to slide vertically with chain and balance
weight; e, dead plate; b, fire-bars; b¹, cross bars; c, hanging bridge; f1, fire-
bridge; i, cover on the top front of the furnace. These furnaces are worked as
herein-before described in reference to Fig. 7. There is a small hole c¹ through the
hanging bridge (c) to allow air to pass, but when there is a strong draught from the
chimney this is not required; j, hearths of the furnace; k, outlet to flue or chimney.
Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of a furnace for a caustic soda pot or
brewers' pan; and Fig. 6 is a plan of the pot or pan, and a section below it, on the
line A, B, Fig. 5; a, sliding fire-door; e, dead plate; b, fire-bars; b¹, bars sup-
porting fire-bars; c, hanging bridge; f, flue to pot; k, pot or pan; g, damper; h,
flue to chimney.
Fig. 9 is a partial side sectional elevation of a steam boiler with a furnace
exterior to the boiler, according to my Invention; a, fire-door; e, dead plate;
b, fire-bars; b, supporting cross bar; c, hanging bridge; f, flue; k, part of boiler.
Fig. 10 is a longitudinal elevation in section, showing the fapplication of my
improved furnace to that class of steam boiler known as
kr The Crosland Boiler;"
a, is the fire-door; e, the dead plate; b, fire-bars; b1, bar, carrying lower ends of
the fire-bars; c, hanging bridge; 1, plate forming bottom of ash-pit; f1, fire-bridge;
f, flue, passing as shown by the arrows to the chimney.
Fig. 11 is a vertical longitudinal section illustrating the application of my
Invention to the fire-box class of boilers; a, opening for the fire-door; b, grate
bars; b, cross bars for carrying the grate bars; c, hanging bridge, which is made
hollow and communicates with the water in the boiler; m, cone water tubes in
flue; n, flue tubes; p, smoke box; q, chimney.
The hollow water bridge may have one or more hollow stays through it for air
to pass through if required.

page_text: The furnaces for steam boilers are supplied with fuel as herein-before explained
in reference to the furnaces illustrated on Sheet 1.
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention and the mode of
carrying it into effect, and claim as my Invention,---
Firstly. The combination and arrangement of furnaces with a hanging bridge
descending into the incandescent fuel on the fire-bars, the fresh fuel being supplied
in front of the hanging bridge, substantially as herein-before described and illus-
trated by Fig. 8 of the Drawings.
Secondly. The combination and arrangement of furnaces having fire-bars at a
considerable inclination descending from the dead plate or fire-door to the back of
the furnace with a hanging bridge descending into the incandescent fuel upon the
fire-bars, the fresh fuel being supplied in front of the hanging bridge, substantially
as herein-before described and illustrated in reference to furnaces for various
purposes by Figs. 1 to 7 and 9 to 11 inclusive of the Drawings.
'
In witness whereof, I, the said George Burdekin, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Tenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
GEORGE BURDEKIN. (L.S.)