AN IM- PROVEMENT IN THE COMBUSTION OF FOEL."
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Woodcock, of the Earl's Court Brewery,
Brompton, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IM-
PROVEMENT IN THE COMBUSTION OF FOEL."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Woodcock at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th August 1854.
I, WILLIAM WOODCOCK, of the Earl's Court Brewery, Brompton, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL" to be as follows (that is
to say):
The nature of my Invention consists in a particular mode of obtaining two
currents of air heated to the temperature required to produce combustion, and
in causing them to meet and combine with such certainty as to consume that
portion of the fuel which in common furnaces escapes in the form of smoke.
Aud I effect this object by constructing one or more flues on each side of the
fire-place within the grate, and uniting them in a common passage at or about
the top of the ordinary bridge of a furnace; and by placing a second and
inverted bridge in advance of this common passage, a second current of air,
heated to a temperature corresponding to that passing over the fuel, is thereby
compelled to meet and combine with the latter, by the position of the inverted
bridge.
.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Woodcock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th February 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WOODCOCK, of the Earl's Court Brewery, Brompton, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reigu, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and graut unto me,
the said William Woodcock, Her special licence that I, the said William
Woodcock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Woodcock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "AN IM-
PROVEMENT IN THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Woodcock, 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 William Woodcock, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):-
The nature of my Invention consists in a particular mode of obtaining two
currents of air, heated to the temperature required to produce combustion, and
in causing them to meet and combine with (such certainty as to consume) that
portion of the fuel which in common furnaces escapes in the form of smoke.
And. I effect this object by constructing one or more flues on each side of the
fire-place within the grate, and uniting them in a common passage at or about
the top of the ordinary bridge of a furnace; and by placing a second and
inverted bridge in advance of this common passage, a second current of air,
heated to a temperature corresponding to that passing over the fuel, is thereby
compelled to meet and combine with the latter, by the position of the inverted
bridge.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of a steam boiler furnace constructed
according to my Invention; and Figure 2 is a transverse section thereof, by
the aid of which Figures, and the following description thereof, a workman
will readily be able to understand my improvements in the combustion of
fuel, and will also be able to apply my Invention to steam boiler and other
furnaces.
A is the fire door of the furnace, which I prefer to have double, and perfo-
rated with numerous small holes, in order to apply streams of air over the fuel
on the fire bars; but I make no claim thereto, similar means having before
been resorted to for supplying streams of air to furnaces. B, B, are air flues,
one or more on each side of the fire-place, by which means heated air is sup-
plied to the interior of the bridges C and D. It is preferred that these air
flues B, B, should be completely in the interior of the fire-place or furnace, as
shown, in order that they may become highly heated, but this is not essential,
as they may be let or built more into the brickwork.
And I would remark that I am aware that side flues for supplying air to
the ordinary bridges of furnaces are not new; I therefore make no claim to
them separately. These air flues may unite in one common passage in the
ordinary bridge, and by having branch flues the heated air may be conducted
into the hollow perforated parts of the bridges C, D; but it is preferred that
one or more of the air flue or flues B should communicate with one of the
bridges, and the other or others of the air flues B should communicate with
the other of the bridges, and this is the arrangement shown in the Drawing.
D is the ordinary bridge, at the back end of the fire bars; it is made hollow,
and has at its back a plate of cast iron, pierced with numerous holes, in order
that the heated air which enters the hollow bridge D may pass out and be
divided into numerous streams at the back, in order to mix with the products
of combustion which pass over the bridge D. I would, however, state that I
am aware that it is not new to employ a hollow bridge with perforations at
the back end of the fire bars in order to supply streams of heated air to the
passing products of combustion; I do not therefore claim the same separately.
C is a hanging bridge, a little forward of the hinder or ordinary bridge D. The
bridge C is so arranged as to cause the products of combustion which rise up
from the fire in front of the bridge to be directed downwards below the hanging
bridge, which position, however, for a hanging bridge is not new, nor is it

page_text: claimed separately by me; but this bridge, as well as the bridge D, is built or
formed hollow, and is supplied with a current of heated air from one of the
air flues B, or by a branch flue or flues, if the flues B, B, have been united,
as before mentioned, by which the products of combustion rising up in the
space between the bridge C and the bridge D will be supplied with numerous
streams of heated air from the bridge C, and the products of combustion as
they pass over the bridge D will be further supplied by streams of heated air,
as above explained. It is preferred that the parts of the bridges C, D, which
front the fire, as well as the under part of C and the upper part of D, should
be made with fire brick or fire clay, and the backs of cast iron, perforated with
numerous holes.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the
combination herein described of the parts A, B, B, C, D.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Woodcock, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
WM WOODCOCK.