IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FURNACES OF STEAM BOILERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSUMING SMOKE AND ECONOMIZING FUEL
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Morton, of Oldham, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF THE FURNACES OF STEAM BOILERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSUMING SMOKE
AND ECONOMIZING FUEL."
Sealed the 14th August 1874, and dated the 17th February 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Morton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th February 1874.
I, DAVID MORTON, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF THE FURNACES OF STEAM BOILERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSUMING
SMOKE AND ECONOMIZING FUEL," to be as follows:-
The principal feature of novelty in this Invention is that there is
always a down draught through the fire, so that all the smoke and
gases from the fuel are compelled to pass through the clear red fire, and
thus become consumed, whereby a great economy in the amount of fuel

page_text: required for producing a given amount of steam is effected, and other
benefits arising from a more perfect combustion are attained.
The ash-pit is closed by a door in front and open at the back to the
flue, whilst the furnace is open at the front and closed at the back,
where the bridge is usually placed, so that no air enters the ash-pit
direct; but the air enters at the furnace doors, and mixing with the
smoke, inflammable gases, and other products of combustion, carries the
same downwards through the bright red fire and between the furnace
bars into the ash-pit, and thence to the flue, so that all the smoke and
inflammable gases being mixed with oxygen and compelled to pass
through the fire becomes entirely consumed, and no smoke or soot is
carried away or deposited in the flues or economizers, and therefore a
much cleaner and better heating surface is obtained.
The wall which closes the back of the furnace in place of the ordinary
bridge may be made solid of fire-brick, or it may be made hollow of
metal, having openings or communications between the interior and the
water space of the boiler, so that the water circulates through it, and
thus an additional heating surface is gained.
The door in front of the ash-pit is to be opened when the ashes require
to be removed, but kept closed when the furnace is at work, a small
slide being provided in the centre, through which the fireman can at any
time see what amount of ashes have accumulated.
The fire can be "damped" instantly at any time by opening the ash-
pit door and closing the furnace door, which will stop the draught
through the fire.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said David Morton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th August 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
MORTON, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in
the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
"
3

page_text: successors, give and grant unto me, the said David Morton, Her special
license that I, the said David Morton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said David Morton, 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 THE CON-
STRUCTION OF THE FURNACES OF STEAM BOILERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSUMING
SMOKE AND ECONOMIZING FUEL," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said David Morton, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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 David Morton, 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 and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
The principal feature of novelty in this Invention is that there is
always a down draught through the fire, so that all the smoke and gases
from the fuel are compelled to pass through the clear red fire, and thus
become consumed, whereby a great economy in the amount of fuel
required for producing a given amount of steam is effected, and other
benefits arising from a more perfect combustion are attained.
The ash-pit is closed by a door in front and open at the back to the
flue, whilst the furnace is open at the front and closed at the back, where
the bridge is usually placed, so that no air enters the ash-pit direct; but
the air enters at the furnace doors, and mixing with the smoke,
inflamable gases, and other products of combustion carries the same
downwards through the bright red fire and between the furnace bars
into the ash-pit, and thence to the flue, so that all the smoke and
inflammable gases being mixed with oxygen and compelled to pass
through the fire become entirely consumed, and no smoke or soot is
carried away or deposited in the flues or economizers, and therefore a
much cleaner and better heating surface is obtained. .

page_text: The wall which closes the back of the furnace in place of the ordinary
bridge may be made solid of fire-brick, or it may be made hollow of
metal, having openings or communications between the interior and the
water space of the boiler, so that the water circulates through it, and
thus an additional heating surface is gained.
The door in front of the ash-pit is to be opened when the ashes require
to be removed, but kept closed when the furnace is at work; a small
slide being provided in the centre, through which the fireman can at
any time see what amount of ashes have accumulated.
The fire can be "damped" instantly at any time by opening the ash-
pit door and closing the furnace door, which will stop the draught
through the fire.
•
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention I will now
proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be
or may be performed or carried into practical effect, and in order that
the same may be clearly understood I have annexed hereuntoa Sheet
of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof :-
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawing is a longitudinal section of the furnace.
end of a steam boiler, showing the application of my Invention thereto;
Fig. 2 is an end view of the same; Fig. 3, a transverse section of the
flue through the line A, B; Fig. 4, a section through the line C, D; and
Fig. 5, a transverse section of one of the fire-bars, drawn full size.
a, a, is part of the shell of the boiler; and b, b, the flue; c, c, is the 1
dead plate; d, d, the front bearer of the fire-bars; e, e, the fire-bars, and
ff, the back bearer for the same; g, g, is the ash-pit; h, h, the ash-pit
doors; and i, i, the fire doors. The front bearer d, d, is cast hollow, and
is provided with a supply pipe k, k, communicating with the water space
in the boiler (see Figs. 1 and 3) the said pipe having a sliding joint
at 1, l, to allow for expansion and contraction. The fire-bars e, e, are
cast with a wrought-iron tube *, *, laid in the mould (see Figs. 1 and 5),
so that the water can pass through them into the back bearer f, f, which
is also cast hollow, and has an ascending pipe m, m, leading therefrom to
the water space of the boiler above the flue, so that the water of the
boiler is constantly circulating through the fire-bars to prevent them
from burning. It will be observed that the opening through the fire-

page_text: bars is only about a quarter of an inch diameter, and I find that this is
sufficient to prevent the melting or burning away of the bars, but not
sufficient to cool the bars so far as to interfere with the proper com-
bustion of the fuel. The top of the back bearer f, f, supports the
hanging bridge or wall n, n, of fire-brick or other suitable material,
which closes the back of the furnace.
Instead of forming the hanging bridge in this manner it may be made
all of metal in the shape of a pocket or cistern in direct communi-
cation with the water space above; or the back ends of the fire-bars
may be turned up to the crown of the flue, so as to form a solid wall;
in which latter case the wrought-iron tubes will have to be suitably
bent before placing them in the mould, and their backward ends pro-
jecting from the bars will communicate direct through the crown of the
flue with the water space.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be per-
formed or carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that
I claim as my Invention the construction and arrangement of the
furnace as herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawing
annexed, whereby a down draught is created through the fire-bars,
so that all the smoke and gases are compelled to pass through the clear
red fire and be thus consumed; or any mere modification or imitation of
such arrangement, constructed and operating in substantially the same
manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Morton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witnessed by
GEORGE DAVIES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
DAVID MORTON. (L.S.)