A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE OR MODES OF CONSUMING MORE EFFECTUALLY THE GAS AND GASEOUSRING
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Bennett Howell, of Sheffield, in the County
of York, Steel Manufacturer, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
MODE OR MODES OF CONSUMING MORE EFFECTUALLY THE GAS AND GASEOUS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Bennett Howell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th May 1855.
I, JOSEPH BENNETT HOWELL, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Steel
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A
NEW OR IMPROVED MODE OR MODES OF CONSUMING MORE EFFECTUALLY THE GAS AND
GASEOUS PRODUCTS EVOLVED DURING THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL" to be as follows:-
It consists in the application and adaptation of platina to the purpose of
consuming more perfectly and effectually the gaseous products evolved from
fuel during its combustion in furnaces.
My first improvement consists in the application and use of perforated
platina tubing for effecting complete combustion between the gases, by the
admission of atmospheric air through the platina tubing, the supply of air
being furnished by means of a flue open to the external atmosphere, or by a
blowing apparatus, as occasion may require.
My second improvement consists in the use and application of platina in
the form of thin plates, perforated with holes, or cut so as to form teeth like a
comb, or in a spongy or other form, calculated to expose a large surface to the

page_text: gaseous products. The platina so prepared is placed so that the gases on
leaving the furnace are necessarily brought in contact with it.
This mode of applying the platina is more particularly applicable to those
cases in which a sufficient quantity of oxygen is admitted into the furnace to
consume the combustible gases, but which, from a deficiency of heat, still
remain simply in a state of mechanical mixture. By these means I am
enabled to construct smoke-consuming apparatuses, by which the nuisance of
smoke is prevented, and economy of fuel obtained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Bennett Howell in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
BENNETT HOWELL, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Steel Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Joseph Bennett Howell, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Bennett Howell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Joseph Bennett Howell, 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 "A NEW
OR IMPROVED MODE OR MODES OF CONSUMING MORE EFFECTUALLY THE GAS AND
GASEOUS PRODUCTS EVOLVED DURING THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Bennett Howell, by an instrument 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 Joseph Bennett Howell, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-

page_text: This Invention consists in the application and adaption of platina or other
metal plates or tubing for the purpose of consuming more perfectly and
effectually the gaseous products evolved from fuel during its combustion in
furnaces. These plates or tubing are perforated for effecting complete com-
bustion between the gases, by the admission of atmospheric air through the
platina or other metal plates or tubing, the supply of air being furnished by
means of a flue open to the external atmosphere, or by a blowing apparatus,
as occasion may require; also for the use and application of platina in the
form of thin plates, perforated with holes, or cut so as to form teeth like a
comb, or in a spungy or other form calculated to expose a large surface to the
gaseous products. The platina so prepared is placed so that the gases on
leaving the furnace are necessarily brought in contact with it.
This mode of applying the platina is more particularly applicable to those
cases in which a sufficient quantity of oxygen is admitted into the furnace to
consume the combustible gases, but which, from a deficiency of heat, still
remain simply in a state of mechanical mixture; and also I am enabled by
the above means to construct a smoke-consuming apparatus, by which the
nuisance of smoke is prevented, and economy of fuel obtained.
In the accompanying Sheets of Drawings I have illustrated three modes of
applying my Invention.
Sheet 1, Fig. 1, is a longitudinal section of a fire box of a tubular boiler
with my apparatus, and an elevation of a blowing machine; Fig. 2 is an end
view of the same; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the apparatus through the
line X, X, of Fig. 5; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view, looking at the end of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a plan of the same; Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation of the air and
steam generating tubes; Fig. 7 is a plan of the same; Fig. 8 is a plan of
another form of the air and steam generating tubes, the elevation being the
same. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several
Figures.
In the combustion of fuel for the purpose of generating steam or otherwise,
the object is to obtain during any given space of time a certain amount of
heat. This heat is obtained by the oxydation of fuel, and as the amount
of heat that can be obtained by the oxydation of any given amount of fuel is
definite and limited, it is very evident that to obtain a large development of
heat a large consumption of fuel is necessary. In all ordinary furnaces the
oxygen required for the combustion of the fuel is derived from the air, which
enters at or near the front of the fire, and which coming in contact with the
fuel at a high temperature is robbed of the oxygen which it contains in a
greater or less degree, according to the construction of the furnace, Were

page_text: this process of oxydation the only chemical action going on in furnaces, there
would simply be a greater or less consumption of fuel according to the amount
of air entering at the front; and what was unconsumed at the end of any given
space of time would simply be left to be consumed when a sufficient supply of
air was admitted. Such, however, is not the case, but the heat generated
by the combustion of portion of the fuel acts upon the remainder, producing
what is termed a destructive distillation, and liberating a large amount of
olifiant gas and other carbo-hydrogens; these again are partly decomposed by
the further action of heat, and a large quantity of carbon is deposited in a fine
state of division, and is carried forward mechanically, and constitutes snioke.
This material is particularly difficult of oxydation under the circumstances in
which it exists, from the circumstance of the oxygen of the air having a much
greater affinity for a disposition to unite with the hydrogen which fuel contains;
from this fact, as well as from the nature of the chemical changes going on in
the furnace, the only rational principle of oxydising the smoke is to admit air
after the chemical changes which I have before described have taken place,
and whilst the finely-divided carbon and carbo-hydrogens are still at a sufficient
temperature to ensure combustion, that is, immediately bebind the fire.
The arrangement of one of the modes, Sheet 1, of my Invention for sup-
plying air immediately behind the fire, is, by having the top of the air chest E
perforated, (see Fig. 5,) as well as employing the use of platina or other metal
perforated tubing A, B, which are connected to the said air chest, as shewn,
and distributing it amongst and mixing it minutely with the carbon and carbo-
bydrogen gases, thus securing their perfect combustion. Each of the blow
pipes or perforated tubing A are made of platina or other metal, of the form
shewn in Figs. 6 and 7, or that of Fig. 8, where it will be seen there are two
pipes or tubes, one called the air turbe, for to allow the air to travel to the
pipe or tubing A', which is perforated on the under side, and the other pipe
called the water tube or steam generator, to contain water for a purpose
herein-after explained. These air and water tubes are connected by pieces of
metal a, as shewn, and through these connexions perforations or blow pipes are
made from the air tube to the gases before mentioned. The air is supplied to
them by the blowing apparatus C, through the pipe D, to the air chest E, or it
may be supplied by means of a flue open to the external atmosphere, and which
can be regulated by the valve F. Fig. 3. This valve has ports G opening to
similar ports II in the bottom of the air chest E. The tubing B is made of
platina, and is connected by the branch tubing B' to the air chest, and on the
said branch tubing there are fixed three or more comb-like pieces of platina J,
which are calculated to expose a large surface to the gaseous products, thereby

page_text: effectually consuming smoke. If any other metal besides platina be used for
the tubing A, it will be requisite to allow water to enter them, to prevent their
melting; this I contrive by fixing the other end of the tubes to that in the air.
chest in another plate K. This plate has two sides L, made of the form of.
the upper part of the fire box M, and steam tight. Through one of the pipes
N water enters, and goes down the parts A" of the tubing A, and the steam,
arising from this water may be conveyed to the boiler by the other pipe N, or
applied to any other purpose, thereby causing a great saving in the consumption.
of fuel, as steam will be generated very fast in these tubes or pipes. When
the blowing apparatus is not at work the draught enters from the front of the
fire box, as indicated by arrows.
Sheet 2, Fig. 9, is a longitudinal section of a fire box of a tubular boiler,
with the apparatus and an elevation of a blowing machine; Fig. 10 is an end
view of the same; Fig. 11 is an enlarged plan of the apparatus. Similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures. The
arrangement of this mode of supplying air immediately behind the fire is by
having blow pipes or perforating tubing 6 (of a similar construction and for the
sanic purpose to those before mentioned), fastened in any convenient manner
to the upper chamber c (of the form of the fire box, and which is in commu-
nication with it,) and to the lower chamber d, which is filled with water, and
communicates with the upper chamber by the spaces in the said blow pipe or
perforated tubing b. The air is supplied to them by the blowing apparatus e,
through the pipe f to the pipe g (fixed in the lower chamber), which has
branches h connected to the blow pipe or perforated tubing, the upper part of
which must be hermetically closed, so as to prevent the water from getting
into the air tubes, and a free passage made for the water to pass from the
upper to the lower chamber. With this apparatus more steam is generated
as the lower chamber is filled with water, and instead of employing pipes to
convey the water to and steam from the apparatus, it is in immediate com-
munication with the boiler or fire box.
It will be seen that by using my apparatus immediately behind the fire, as
shewn in Fig. 1, Sheet 1, and Fig. 9, Sheet 2, the air is mixed with the
carbon and carbo-hydrogen gases, which will secure perfect combustion, and
by.the.combustion of the former of course perfectly removing the smoke, and
saving a large amount of heat, and by the perfect combustion of the latter-
Saving a much larger amount of heat. This last saving of heat is not per-
fectly-effected by any other apparatus, and will of course greatly lessen the
consumption of fuel. The power of shutting off the draught is a-point-of-
great importance, in as much as I am enabled to supply the proper amount

page_text: of air without supplying too much, and of shutting off the supply when no
longer necessary, as all other apparatusses for consuming smoke have failed, on
account of not supplying the air at the right place, or of supplying too little
of it when a larger amount of smoke is being produced, and too much when
smoke has ceased. The shutting off the draught can be effected as well by the
blowing machine as by the valve in the first-mentioned apparatus.
Figs. 12 and 18, Sheet 2, shew another mode of applying air immediately
behind the fire. A perforated metal tube or pipe a' is placed just behind the
bridge, and to this tube is fastened a pipe b², to connect it with the blowing
apparatus c'. The tubes can be fixed in any convenient manner. The per-
forated tube a¹ may be of similar construction to those shewn at Figs. 6, 7,
and 8, and fastened to the sides of the fire box, for the purpose of allowing
water to enter therein, to prevent its melting.
Having thus fully described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is or may be carried into effect, I wish it to be distinctly
understood that I do not confine myself to any particular form of tubing,
neither do I confine myself to the position of the tubing, but to be arranged
according to the formation of the furnace; but what I claim is,―
First, the application of a blowing apparatus for supplying air, to be dis-
tributed amongst and mixed minutely with the carbon and carbo-hydrogen
gases, securing perfect combustion, substantially as shewn in Sheets 1 and 2.
Second, the application of the valve F, Fig. 3, Sheet 1, for the like purpose.
Third, the use of double tubing; the inner one an air tube, through which
the air is forced, and the outer one a water tube, to preserve the inner tubo
and generate steam, which I call a steam generator, as shewn in Figs. 6, 7,
and 8, Sheet 1.
Fourth, the use of platina in various forms, as herein described, for con-
suming smoke.
And, fifth, the use of the tubes and blowing apparatus in combination, or
the tubes without the blowing apparatus.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Bennett Howell, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
J. B. HOWELL. (L.S.)