IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE CONSUMPTION OF SMOKE IN STEAM BOILER AND OTHER SIMILAR FURNACES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Gall, of Bridgnorth, in the County of
Salop, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR EFFECTING THE CONSUMPTION OF SMOKE IN STEAM BOILER AND OTHER
SIMILAR FURNACES."
Sealed the 27th July 1866, and dated the 15th February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Gall at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th February 1866.
1, CHARLES GALL, of Bridgnorth, in the County of Salop, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE CONSUMPTION OF SMOKE IN STEAM BOILER AND OTHER
SIMILAR FURNACES," to be as follows, that is to say:--
This Invention refers to improved apparatus for regulating the admis-
sion of air under the beds of steam boiler and other similar furnaces,
and applying such air at the part of the furnace most requiring it, and
with this view employ a fire-bridge, either solid or hollow, with an opening
situate as near the top as possible; this opening is covered with a curved
plate bent over on the inside towards the fire, and furnished at its lower
edge with a flange or rest to receive one end of the fire-bars which lic
upon this flange; this top plate carries the bricks with which the opening
[Price 8d.]

page_text: in the bridge is covered. On the other or flue side of the bridge the open-
ing is guarded by a baffler or damper plate situate a slight distance from
the bridge, or in an inclined plane upwards from its lower edge, for the pur-
pose of distributing the air or throwing it into an upward current, as the
case may be. The draught or admission of air underneath the furnace bed
is governed by a valve, either vertical or horizontal, placed on the inside
or fire side of the bridge underneath the curved plate already named; the
closing of this valve is regulated by apparatus placed in front of the
furnace communicating with the valve by a rod and lever under the bed
of the fire. This regulating apparatus may consist of water power applied
by means of a vertical rod attached to the furnace door carrying on its
upper end half a toothed wheel working into a pinion upon whose spindle
is mounted a water wheel with an upward throw, a second smaller wheel,
and a winding cord. A small cistern being fixed above the wheels, and a
second cistern below, the opening of the fire-door causes the larger wheel
to throw the water from the under into the upper cistern. When the door
is closed the turning of a tap allows the water to descend through a pipe
upon the smaller wheel, causing it to wind the cord, which, being attached
to a short arm or lever connected to the bridge valve rod under the
furnace bed gradually closes that valve and cuts off the admission of air,
so that the greatest quantity of air is admitted when most wanted, when
fresh fuel is put on and the supply is cut off, save what comes in under
the fire-bars, when the fire is bright and clear. Another form of regulating
apparatus would consist in the employment of sand or shot, or other
granular substance, operating after, the manner of an hour glass, the running
of which sand or shot may be made to operate a rod and levers in connec-
tion with the valve rod, and thus effect the same result.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Gall in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLes
GALL, of Bridgnorth, in the County of Salop, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth

page_text: year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Charles Gall, Her special license that I, the said
Charles Gall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Charles Gall, 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 APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE CONSUMPTION OF SMOKE IN
STEAM BOILER AND OTHER SIMILAR FURNACES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Gall, 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 Charles Gall, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the saine is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say);--
This Invention refers to improved apparatus for regulating the admission
of air under the beds of steam boiler and other similar furnaces, and applying
such air at the part of the furnace most requiring it, and with this view 1
employ a fire-bridge, which may be either solid or hollow, and having an
opening situated as near the top as convenient, which opening is covered
with a plate furnished at its lower edge with a flange or rest to receive one
end of the fire-bars; this plate carries also the bricks above the opening
in the fire-bridge. On the flue side of the bridge the opening is guarded by
a baffler or damper plate situate at a slight distance from the bridge, and
employed for the purpose of distributing the air or throwing it into an
upward current, as the case may be. The draught or admission of air
underneath the furnace bed is governed by a valve door hung either
vertically or horizontally on the inside or fire side of the bridge in the
opening already alluded to, the opening of this valve door being coincident
with the opening of the furnace door for the purpose of feeding the fire,
and its closing, which is gradual. being governed by regulating apparatus
in connection with the furnace door.
1

page_text: Figure is an end elevation of a steam boiler and furnace; Figure 2,
a longitudinal section of such portion of the same as my Invention applies
to Figure 3, a side elevation upon a larger scale of the water balance
regulator Figure 4, a plan of the same. Similar letters refer to similar
parts upon all the Drawings.
(a) are the fire-bars resting upon the flanges; (b) (c) is the covering
plate of the opening (d) in the bridge; (e) (f) is the baffler or damper
(g) the valve door hung on horizontal centres and connected by a link
coupling (h) to a rod (i) placed under the bed of the furnace, and to which
rod (i) is attached by a crank connection (j) a vertical rod () which is
pinned at its upper end to the under side of one of a pair of water cisterns
(1) and (m) seated on a platform (n) hung by a stud and strap (o) to the
boiler, upon which stud the platform (n) is free to work in the direction
shewn in the dotted lines (Figure 1). The cisterns (1) and (m) are
coupled together by a slotted band (p), (Figure 4), the slots therein
admitting of the exact fixing of these cisterns by the regulating screws
shewn, so that an accurate balance may be ensured; the cisterns (1) and
(m) are further connected by a pipe (g) and a second or smaller one (r)
the latter being furnished with a stop-cock. Upon the under side of the
platform (n) are fixed two T shaped levers or arms (r) and (y) between
which is a pointer or finger (s) attached by a crank to a vertical rod
(t) passing upwards from the rear side of the furnace door (v). Thus far
I have described only the parts of which the apparatus is composed: 1
will now proceed to shew its action, assuming that the apparatus is in the
position shewn in strong lines in the Drawings, which is that which it
would occupy when the furnace required feeding. The opening of the
furnace door (v) would through the action of the rod (t) and the finger (s)
operating upon the lever arm (c) tilt the platform (n) and the cisterns (1)
and (m) into the position seen in the dotted lines, causing the water in the
cistern (1) to flow through the pipe (q) into the cistern (m), and by means
of the vertical rod (k) and its connection to the rod (i) by which the valve
door (g) is worked the valve door (g) is opened at its widest at this time.
At first starting the apparatus, upon closing the furnace door (v) after
feeding, the engineer would turn the stop-cock in the smaller pipe (r) and
thus allow the water to run from the cistern (m) back into the cistern (1),
and thus reversing the action of the parts already described the valve door

page_text: (g) is gradually closed, until the feeding of the fire again requires the
admission of more air, when the same operation is repeated by the opening
of the furnace door.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I do not confine myself to these
precise details, but that which I claim is, the arrangement and combination
of the several mechanical appliances, herein described, and illustrated by
which a graduated draught or current of air is admitted to the fire of
steam boiler and other furnaces, at the time and at the part of the furnace
at which it is most requisite. thus ensuring the consumption or combustion
of the smoke and gases. as herein more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof. I. the said Charles Gall, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
CHARLES (L.s.) GALL