IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO STEAM? BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Firm of Wm. P.
Thompson and Co., Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
APPERTAINING TO STEAM? BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES." A communication
LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Firm of Wm. P.
Thompson and Co., Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
APPERTAINING TO STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES." A communication
from abroad by Orland D. Orvis, of Chicago, County of Cook, and State
of Illinois, one of the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th March 1881.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of Wm. P. Thompson and Co.,
Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES."
A communication from abroad by Orland D. Orvis, of Chicago, County of Cook,
and State of Illinois, one of the United States of America.
The following is an exact copy of the Specification forwarded to mo by my
American correspondent with orders to filo.
The objects of this Invention are, first, to provide means for inducing into the
furnace in the required proportions combined streams of steam and air in sufficient
quantities to divest the smoke or rising products of combustion of their carbonic
acid gases, and at the same time to supply air for causing the ignition of the hydro-
carbons and olefiant gases thus released; second, to provide a vacuum chamber
intermediate the steam and air supply pipes; third, to provide an auxiliary
vacuum chamber in the air supply pipes themselves, so that by the combined
operation of said vacuum chambers a stronger and steadier current of air with
a given amount of steam will be induced into the furnace through a given size of
pipe than has heretofore been done; fourth, to introduce a series of streams of
combined steam and air into a furnace in a horizontal plane just above the surface
Prine 1021

page_text: of the burning fuel from the sides of the furnace and at an oblique angle to the
sides and towards the rear end of the same, so that said streams will create a draft
and will intersect and intermingle with each other at the centre of width of the
furnace; fifth, to adjust the height of the inlet pipes above the burning fuel as the
depth of said fuel is increased by its frequent supply to the fire chamber; sixth, to
rigidly maintain the inlet pipe at the desired adjustment; and, finally, to deaden
the noise caused by the rush of air and steam to the inlet pipe.
I attain these objects by devices illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, in
which Fig. 1 is a perspective of a bridge wall furnace embodying this Invention;
Fig. 2, a plan view of the same with the boiler removed and the central jet in
front omitted; Fig. 3, a perspective of a railroad or locomotive boiler furnace in
which no bridge wall is used; Fig. 4, a perspective view of the air and steam
supply and inlet pipes, the adjusting lever and spring catch for the same, with a
part of the air supply pipe broken away, showing the cone for deadening the noise
and providing the auxiliary vacuum chamber; Fig. 5, a modification of the inlet
pipe used in the centre of the front of the furnace; Fig. 6, a perspective of the
vacuum chamber proper with its side broken away to show the position of the
steam jet therein; Fig. 7, enlarged view of pipe E.
Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figs. of the
Drawings.
A represents the boiler; B, the fire chamber; a, the dome; and b, the furnace
-door of an ordinary locomotive boiler.
In the fire chamber of locomotive boilers the rapidity of combustion of the fuel
is so great that notwithstanding the strong draft of air through the same, which
is superinduced by the escape of the exhaust, steam into the stack, volumes of smoke
and valuable gases escape unconsumed and are therefore wasted. To obviate this
difficulty I have provided the fire chamber with a series of steam and air injecting
and inlet pipes, the construction of which will be presently described, for introducing
a series of streams of oxy-hydrogen from the sides and ends or ends of the fire
chamber and at an angle to the length of the same, so that said streams will unite
and intermingle with each and with the rising products of combustion without
obstructing the draft, but, on the contrary, increasing it so that perfect combustion
will be maintained and the temperature of the heat be increased with a given
amount of fuel.
d
C represents a downwardly extending steam supply pipe terminating in an
ordinary jet c, said pipe connecting with the dome of the boiler by means of a take
off pipe c'. The jet c enters a hollow globe D in a horizontal plane and extends to
nearly the opposite side of said globe, as shown in Fig. 5 of the Drawings. This
globe, which I designate as a vacuum chamber, is provided with a removable cap
for convenience in extracting obstructions from the steam jet, and with openings
for receiving inlet pipe E and air supply pipe E¹, the former of which enters the
fire chamber at a right angle to the length of the same, and is then bent at an
oblique angle, as indicated in Fig. 2, or else terminates in an elbow whose inner
end e is at an oblique angle as shown.
It will be noticed that the vacuum chamber has an inside diameter considerably
more than that of any of the pipes entering it, and is therefore of greater capacity
proportionately, the result of which is that a more perfect vacuum will be caused
in this chamber by the inflowing steam from the jet than if the air supply and
inlet pipes were continuous, in consequence of which a stronger and denser current
of air is caused to flow through the air supply pipe. Furthermore, the temperature
of the vacuum chamber is raised and the incoming air more or less heated by the
steam jet without perceptibly lowering the temperature of the steam before it is inter-
mingled with the air in its passage to the fire chamber, so that both the air and
steam are at a high temperature when they come in contact with the products of com-
bustion. The raised temperature referred to of the vacuum chamber and the reserved
vacuum, which said chamber constantly contains by reason of its increased capacity
over that of the pipes, induces a stronger and denser current of incoming air with a

page_text: given amount of steam than has heretofore been attained by analogous devices.
And I am enabled to supply the necessary oxygen and hydrogen in more effective
proportions at a higher temperature and with greater force, and to cause them to
penetrate and unite with the rising products of combustion to consume them, and
at the same time to maintain a given steam pressure with a reduced quantity of
fuel, notwithstanding the supply of steam furnished by the boiler to the fire
chamber; in other words, by creating a vacuum in the closed globe through the
introduction of steam a strong current of air is induced through the pipes below the
globe. The steam heats the air and vaporizes or commingles with it in the orifice
of the globe leading into the furnace; the steam itself entering the furnace separates
the mass of black smoke and divests it of its carbonic acid gases, while the air
itself completes the combustion of the olefiant gases and volatile hydrocarbons, its
velocity being sufficient to cause it to penetrate and thoroughly intermingle with
such gases and hydrocarbons.
3
The inlet pipe E is collared or sleeved to the vacuum chamber so that it may be
freely rotated in the same to raise its inner end as the fire bed gradually increases
in height so as to maintain its end opening into the fire chamber above the surface
of the burning fuel and prevent choking by the coals and ashes. This pipe is
manipulated by an angle lever F provided with a handle f, said lever having a pin
engaging with perforations in a curved spring in a plate G secured to the lower
part of the chamber, which plate serves to hold the lever and with it the inlet.
pipe in the desired position. Instead of independently operating each lever F:
where a series of them are used in connection with the corresponding number of
inlet pipes, the free ends of the lever may be connected by a bar and be simul-
taneously operated, said bar being provided with suitable devices to hold it so as to
maintain the levers and elbows in the desired position.
Much annoyance is experienced in this class of devices on account of the noise
caused by the rush of the inflowing steam and air, and to obviate this I have pro-
vided a hollow cone H, the apex of which extends into the air supply pipe, and its
base provided with a flange, by means of which the cone is secured to said pipe.
This cone has the inner edges of its base rounded to lessen the friction of the air,
and by having its apex extending upwardly into the air pipe serves to confine and
deaden the noise generated above it, in which function it is assisted by the vacuum
existing when in operation between its outer walls and the inner walls of the air
supply pipe. The vacuum chamber E³ thus formed by the cone is an auxiliary to.
the chamber D for inducing a strong and steady current of air into the inlet pipe,
the result of which is that the oxyhydrogen is thrown with great force, and
consequently more thoroughly intermingled with the rising products of combustion'
than if the cone were omitted.
The central pipe in the front of the furnace may be made to branch, as shown in
Fig. 6, to diverge the steam.
Although I have shown two inlet pipes upon each side of the chamber and one
upon each side of the door at the end, it is obvious that the number may be varied
without departing from the spirit of the Invention, though I prefer that there should
be at least one inlet pipe upon each side of the fire chamber, and that these two
pipes should be arranged opposite each other so that their streams will meet at the
centre of width of the fire chamber. The inlet pipes shown may be augmented by:
similar ones at the opposite end, or I may omit such pipes from the ends entirely.
and use only those upon the sides as above described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd September 1881.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of W. P. Thompson and Co.,
Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO STEAM-BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES."
A communication from abroad by Orland D. Orvis, of Chicago, County of Cook,
and State of Illinois, one of the United States of America.
The following Specification is word for word the communication sent to me with
orders to file.
My Invention relates to improvements in steam boiler furnaces, into which steam
and air are injected to supply the necessary oxyhydrogen to the products of
combustion for promoting perfect combustion.
It is well known that a mass of black smoke in order to be consumed must be
separated and divested of its carbonic acid gases, thereby setting free its olefiant
gases or hydrocarbons, which consist of about four volumes of carbon and four
volumes carburetted hydrogen. After it has been so converted and divested it
requires the introduction of a sufficient volume of oxygen and the necessary degree
of heat, which is about 830" Fah., to complete combustion. Steam alone does not
consume smoke; it only condenses or putties it together and throws it out in lumps
of soot or particles of carbon, for the reason that steam lacks the necessary amount
of air for complete combustion.
Nor is it practicable to consume smoke with the present construction of furnaces
with air alone, because the smoke requires too great a volume of air to supply the
necessary amount of moisture to wash or divest the smoke of its carbonic acid
gases.
The objects of my Invention are therefore,-
1st. To provide means for introducing into the furnace in the required proportions
combined streams of steam and air in sufficient quantities to divest the smoke or
rising products of combustion of their carbonic acid gases and at the same time to
supply air for causing the ignition of the hydrocarbons and olefiant gases thus
released.
2nd. To provide a vacuum chamber intermediate the steam and air supply
pipes.
3rd. To provide an auxiliary vacuum chamber in the air supply pipes themselves
so that by the combined operation of said vacuum chambers a stronger and
steadier current of air with a given amount of steam will be induced into the
furnace through a given size of pipe than has heretofore been done.
4th. To introduce a series of streams of combined steam and air into a furnace
in a horizontal plane just above the surface of the burning fuel from the sides or
front of the furnace and at an oblique angle to the sides and towards the rear end
of the same so that the said streams will create a draft and will intersect and
intermingle with each other at the centre of the width of the furnace.
5th. To adjust the height of the inlet pipes above the burning fuel as the depth
of said fuel is increased by its frequent supply to the fire chamber.
And,
6th. To rigidly maintain the inlet pipe at the desired adjustment.
finally, to deaden the noise caused by the rush of air and steam to the inlet

page_text: pipe.
in which
I attain these objects by devices illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bridge wall furnace embodying my Invention.
Fig. 2, a plan view of the same with the boiler removed, and the contral jet in
front omitted.
Fig. 3, a perspective view of a railroad or locomotive boiler furnace in which no
bridge wall is used.
Fig. 4, a perspective view of the air and steam supply and inlet pipes, the
adjusting lever and spring catch for the same, a part of the air supply pipe being
broken away, showing the end for deadening the noise and providing the auxiliary
vacuum chamber.
Fig. 5, a perspective of the vacuum chamber proper with its side broken away
to show the position of the steam jet therein.
Fig. 6, a modification of the inlet pipe used in the centre of the front of the
furnace.
Fig. 7, detached view of pipe E.
Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawings.
A represents the boiler; B, the fire chamber; a, the dome; and b, the furnace
door of an ordinary locomotive boiler.
In the fire chamber of locomotive boilers the rapidity of combustion of the fuel
is so great that notwithstanding the strong draft of air through the same, which
is superinduced by the escape of the exhaust steam into the stack, volumes of
smoke and valuable gases escape unconsumed and are therefore wasted.
To obviate this difficulty I have provided the fire chamber with a series of steam
and air injecting and inlet pipes, the construction of which will be prosently
described for introducing a series of streams of oxy-hydrogen from the sides and
ends or ends only of the fire chamber, and at an angle to the length of the same, so
that the said streams will unite and intermingle with each other and with the
rising products of combustion without obstructing the draft, but on the contrary
increasing it, so that perfect combustion will be maintained, and the temperature
of the heat be increased with a given amount of fuel,
C represents a downwardly extending steam supply pipe terminating in an
ordinary jet c (Fig. 5), said pipe connecting with the dome of the boiler by means of
a take off pipe c².
The jet centers a hollow globe D in a horizontal plane, and extends to nearly
the opposite side of said globe, as shewn in Fig. 5 of the Drawings.
This globe, which I designate as a vacuum chamber, is provided with a removable
cap d, for convenience in extracting obstructions from the steam jet, and with
openings for receiving inlet pipe E (Fig. 4) and air supply pipe E¹, the former of
which enters the fire chamber at a right angle to the length of the same, and is then
bent at an oblique angle, as indicated in Fig. 2, or else terminates in an elbow
whose inner end e is at an oblique angle, as shewn.
It will be noticed that the vacuum chamber has an inside diameter considerably
more than that of any of the pipes entering it, and is therefore of greater capacity
proportionally, the result of which is that a more perfect vacuum will be caused in
this chamber by the inflowing steam from the jet than if the air supply and inlet
pipes were continuous, in consequence of which a stronger and denser current of
air is caused to flow through the air supply pipe.
Furthermore the temperature of the vacuum chamber is raised and the incoming
air more or less heated by the steam jet without perceptibly lowering the tempera-
ture of the steam before it is intermingled with the air in its passage to the fire
chamber, so that both the air and steam are at a high temperature when they come
in contact with the products of combustion.
The raised temperature referred to of the vacuum chamber, and the reserved
Vacuum which said chamber constantly contains by reason of its increased capacity
over that of the pipes, induces a stronger and denser current of incoming air

page_text: with a given amount of steam than has heretofore been attained by analogous
devices.
And I am enabled to supply the necessary oxygen and hydrogen in more effective
proportions at a higher temperature and with greater force, and to cause them to
penetrate and unite with the rising products of combustion to consume them, and
at the same time to maintain a given steam pressure with a reduced quantity of
fuel notwithstanding the supply of steam furnished by the boiler to the fire
chamber.
In other words, by creating a vacuum in the closed globe through the
introduction of steam, a strong current of air is induced through the pipe below
the globe.
The steam heats the air and vaporizes or commingles with it in the orifice of
- the globe leading into the furnace, the steam itself entering the furnace separates
the mass of black smoke, and divests it of its carbonic acid gases, while the air
itself completes the combustion of the olefiant gases and volatile hydrocarbons, its
velocity being sufficient to cause it to penetrate and thoroughly intermingle with
such gases and hydrocarbons.
The inlet pipe E is collared or sleeved to the vacuum chamber so that it may be
fully rotated in the same to raise its inner end as the fire bed gradually increases
in height, so as to maintain its end opening into the fire chamber above the surface
of the burning fuel, and prevent choking by the coals and ashes. This pipe is
manipulated by an angle lever F, Fig. 4, provided with a handle of said lever
having a pin engaging with perforations in a curved spring plato G secured to the
lower part of the chamber, which plate serves to hold the lever and with it the
inlet pipe in the desired position.
Instead of independently operating each lever F where a series of them are used
in connection with the corresponding number of inlet pipes the free ends of the levers
may be connected by a bar, and be simultaneously operated, said bar being provided
with suitable devices to hold it, so as to maintain the levers and elbows in the
desired position.
Much annoyance is experienced in this class of devices on account of the noise
caused by the rush of the inflowing steam and air, and to obviate this I have
provided a hollow truncated cone H, the apex of which extends into the air supply
pipe, its base being provided with a flange, by means of which the cone is secured
to said pipe.
This cone has the inner edges of its base rounded to lessen the friction of the air,
and by having its apex extending upwardly into the air pipe serves to confine and
deaden the noise generated above it, in which function it is assisted by the vacuum
existing when in operation between its outer walls and the inner walls of the air
supply pipe.
"
The vacuum chamber E thus formed by the cone is an auxiliary to the
chamber D for inducing a strong and steady current of air into the inlet pipe, the
result of which is that the oxy-hydrogen is thrown with greater force, and conse-
quently more thoroughly intermingled with the rising products of combustion than
if the cone were omitted.
The central pipe in the front of the furnace may be made to branch, as shewn in
Fig. 6, to diverge the stream. Although I have shewn two inlet pipes upon each
side of the chamber, and one upon each side of the door at the end, it is obvious
that the number may be increased or diminished without departing from the spirit
of my Invention, though I prefer that there should be at least one inlet pipe upon
each side of the fire chamber, and that these two pipes should be arranged opposite
each other, so that their streams will meet at the centre of width of the fire
chamber.
The inlet pipes shewn may be augmented by similar ones at the opposite end;
or I may omit such pipes from the ends entirely, and use only those upon the sides,
as above described.
The exact height above the surface of the fuel at which the jets should enter

page_text: cannot be stated by any hard and fast line; the way to estimate this however is to
take care that the jet enters the clear hot space, which usually forms between the
burning fuel and the smoke which forms above it. This rule will give a height
varying from about 2 to 10 inches in ordinary cases; thus where the boiler lies low
upon the fire with a sluggish draft the jet should enter very near the surface of the
fuel, say, two to three inches above it; but in the case, for instance, of a locomotive
furnace, where the top of the fire box is several feet above the fuel, and there is a
strong draft, the distance might well be increased to nearly a foot. Fig. 1, as stated,
shows the application of my Invention to a horizontal stationary boiler externally
fired, and is practically the same as that shown in Fig. 2. In the case of a boiler fired
internally I prefer to omit the side jets, and employ only those from the front; this
saves perforating the boiler shell, as the front jets can be introduced through the
fire door plates. I have described the steam as being taken by a long pipe from
the dome, but of course I do not bind myself to that arrangement only; I may take
it by a small branch from the main steam pipe, or direct from the boiler, if that be
more convenient, the important feature being that the steam shall be as dry as
possible. In the Drawings one stop cock only is shown upon the pipe, which
supplies the whole number of jets, but it is obvious that I may employ others when
required, as, for instance, one for every jet, so that it may be conveniently regulated
or shut off altogether.
Having now described my Invention and the method of performing the same, I
wish it to be understood that I am aware that steam and air have previously been
introduced into furnaces to aid combustion, and that what I claim as new and
desire to protect under the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. The combination with a furnace and with each other of the steam and air
inlet pipe E opening into the furnace in a horizontal plane above the burning fuel,
and at an oblique angle to and towards the rear end of the furnace, the air supply
pipe E, the vacuum chamber or globe D, the horizontal steam jet c entering the
vacuum chamber, and the steam supply pipe c³, said pipes and globe. being
arranged upon the outside of the furnace, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. The combination herein before set forth with the steam and air supply pipes,
the inlet pipe, and an intermediate. vacuum chamber, of an auxiliary vacuum
chamber arranged within the air supply pipe, whereby a strong and steady current
of oxyhydrogen is induced into the furnace.
3. The combination with the furnace and with each other of combined steam
and air inlet pipes, oppositely arranged upon and entering the sides of the furnaco
in a horizontal plane just above the burning fuel at an oblique angle to and towards
the rear end of the same, whereby said inlet pipes are adapted to direct streams of
air and steam from opposite sides and towards the rear of the furnace, so that said
streams will intersect and intermingle with each other at the centre of width of the
furnace.
4. In a furnace the combination with steam and air inlet pipes oppositely
arranged upon and entering the sides of the furnace in a horizontal plane just above
the surface of the burning fuel, and at an oblique angle to and towards the rear end
of the same, of steam and air inlet pipes, arranged upon and entering the front of
the furnace, so as to converge at the centre of width and towards the rear of
the same.
5. The combination with the combined steam and air supply pipes of a hollow
cone arranged within the latter, as described and shown, whereby the noise caused
by the rushing steam and air is diminished.
6. The combination with a furnace of one or more elbow shaped steam and air
inlet pipes upon the sides or front, or both, of the furnace, so arranged that they
may be worked upon their axes, whereby said inlet pipes are adapted to be adjusted
to varying depths of fuel within the fire chamber of the furnace.
7. In a furnace the combination with the adjustable sleeve pipe E of the lever F

page_text: and spring G, said lever and spring engaging with each other, as and for the
purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Phillips Thompson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty first day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
W¼. P. THOMPSON. (L.S.)