IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO STEAM-BOILER FURNACES FOR THE ECONOMISATION OF FUEL AND CONSUMPTION OF SMOKE THEREIN
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Ireland, of Macclesfield, in the County of
Chester, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE
TO STEAM-BOILER FURNACES FOR THE ECONOMISATION OF FUEL AND
CONSUMPTION OF SMOKE THEREIN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Ireland at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd September 1881.
WILLIAM IRELAND, of Macclesfield, in the County of Chester, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO STEAM BOILER FURNACES FOR THE
ECONOMISATION OF FUEL AND CONSUMPTION OF SMOKE THEREIN."
In carrying out my Invention I employ a series of air passages communicating
at one end with the ash-pit of the furnace and passing up in front of the bridge,
and thence continued up the flue sufficiently far to ensure the currents of air
passing through such passage becoming highly heated, and which currents of air
escape out of such passages through suitable grids or gratings into the flue and
commingling with tho smoke and other products of combustion so assist in burning.
In case the draught in the flue is too powerful I arrange such air
passages after proceeding up the flue as aforesaid to return again towards the
bridge and there to escape through a grating at the back by which means a higher
degree of temperature is imparted to the air.
the same.
I construct these air passages by preference in cast iron and in separate pieces,
placed side by side across the furnace, and thus I practically form a hollow bridge,
having several air passages formed through the same as and for the purposes
aforesaid.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Ireland in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
March 1882.
WILLIAM IRELAND, of Macclesfield, in the County of Chester, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO STEAM-BOILER' AND OTHER FURNACES
FOR THE ECONOMISATION OF FUEL AND CONSUMPTION OF SMOKE THEREIN."
In carrying out my Invention I employ a series of air passages communicating
at one end with the ash pit of the furnace and passing up in front of the bridge,
and thence continued up the flue sufficiently far to ensure the currents of air
passing through such passages becoming highly heated, and which currents of air
escape out of such passages through suitable grids or gratings into the flue and
commingling with the smoke and other products of combustion so assist in burning
the same. And in order that my said Invention may be more readily understood
and carried into practical effect I have hereunto annexed a Drawing of a steam
boiler furnace baving my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 1 represents a side
sectional view, and Fig 2 a sectional plan of so much of a steam boiler furnace as
is necessary to illustrate the application of my improvements, and Fig. 3 is a
transverse section of Fig. 1 across the line a, b. In all the views A is the furnace
and B the furnace bars, which are of the ordinary construction. C, C, C, are my
improved series of air passages formed by preference of cast iron and which are
placed side by side across the furnace as illustrated and so thus form a cellular
bridge to the furnace. These air passages Care open to the ash-pit D at one end
and are continued up the flue E, as seen more clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, sufficiently
far, to ensure the separate currents of air which pass through them in the direction
of the arrows, becoming highly heated, and which currents in their heated state
escape out of such passages through the grids or gratings F into the flue E and
there commingling with the smoke and other products of combustion passing
over such cellular bridge so materially assist in burning the same. It will be
observed that each part of this construction of hollow or cellular bridgo is rounded
so as to form on the outside a series of corrugations which present a large area of
heating surface to the passing flames, and that such corrugations being hollow the
air which enters through the bridge is subdivided into separate streams and is
again divided by passing through the grids or gratings F and thus the heated air
is presented to the smoke and other products of combustion in a proper state for
assisting in their perfect combustion. At the bottom of each air passage I arrange
a slot G which is situated immediately opposite the grating F for the purpose of
permitting any dust which might otherwise accumulate at this part to fall through
behind the bridge. In the case of applying my Invention to a furnaco having a
flush draught or to an externally fired boiler I arrange by preference a second
bridge behind the grating F and continue the same sufficiently far up the flue to
prevent the hot air falling before it mixes with the products of combustion.
Although only bereinbefore described as applicable to steam boiler furnaces, it
will be readily apparent that these improvements are equally applicable to other
descriptions of furnaces.
Having thus particularly described the nature of my said Invention, together
with the best methods with which I am acquainted for carrying the same into
practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim,-
The use and application to steam boiler and other furnaces of a hollow or
cellular bridge, formed of a series of separate air passages fitted with grids or

page_text: gratings, and each communicating with the ash-pit, substantially as and for the
purposes herein before described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Ireland, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
WILLIAM IRELAND. (L.S.)