Improvements in Furnaces, and in the Steam Boilers in connection therewith.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 18th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 10th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Furnaces, and in the Steam Boilers in connection
therewith.
WILLIAM FREAKLEY Belmont Villa West End, Stoke-on-Trent, Consulting
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This my invention relates to improvements in steam-boiler furnaces, and its chief
object is to effect greater economy in the consumption of fuel, and to increase the
power, efficiency and safety of the boilers to which such improved furnaces are
applied, also to enable much higher furnace temperatures, and greater rates of
combustion to be used with safety and economy.
The boilers to which such improved furnaces are applied being kept at a
practically uniform temperature in all their parts, by reason of the rapid and
enforced circulation of the water across the heating surfaces of such furnaces, thus
avoiding the evil results of unequal expansion and contraction the furnace at the
same time being free to expand and contract without straining any part of the
boiler, to which such improved furnaces are attached, the said furnaces being
readily applicable to existing boilers of various types.
My invention also dispenses with fire bars and similar gratings for supporting
burning fuel which I cause to be carried directly upon the water-backed plates of
such furnaces enabling high furnace temperatures to be used, there being no dead-
plates, bars or other similar arrangement to melt or give way, the adherence of
clinkers is prevented thus rendering the removal of same a matter of ease, the
combustion of the fuel is also rendered practically complete, resulting in the
prevention of black smoke.
At the same time I am enabled to use forced draught
of a high pressure with such furnaces so as to consume refuse, coke or coal dust,
and inferior fuels to advantage, and greatly increase the evaporative power of the
boilers to which my improved furnaces are attached, and I construct such improved
furnaces in the form of a horizontal water jacketted cylindrical or other suitable
form, consisting of an inner fire-box and an outer shell connected together in a
suitable manner so as to form an annular space or water jacket, entirely surrounding
or partially surrounding the said inner fire box in a concentrically or other suitable
manner, so as to resist the pressure from the boiler.
The lower portion of the horizontal water jacketted furnace is fitted with
numerous small air pipes or tuyeres, conical or parallel in longitudinal section, and
made of iron, steel, copper, brass or other suitable material which extend radially
from the outside of the outer shell, across the annular water space to the interior of
the fire box, the said air tubes being fixed, expanded, screwed or secured in other
suitable manner in holes formed in the plates of the fire-box and outer shell so as to
be steam and water-tight, the said air-tubes or tuyeres form efficient stays, thus
giving strength and stiffness to the fire-box; when it is desirable to strengthen that
portion of the fire-box not occupied by the air tubes or tuyeres, screwed stays or
other suitable means are used. In some cases I adopt corrugated or similar fire-
boxes, in which case as a rule such screwed stays are dispensed with, the air tubes
being fixed in corrugated furnaces in a similar manner as in the plain furnaces.
The lower part of my improved water jacketted furnaces I make with one or
more inlet branches or pipes, and the upper part of such furnaces with one or more
outlet branches or pipes, which I attach to the outer shell of the furnace, and
communicate with the annular water space.
The lower portion of the outer shell of each of such furnaces being fitted
with a segmental or other suitably shaped air-box or casing of sheet iron or other

page_text: suitable material, which casing encloses the outer ends of the numerous small air
pipes, and is fitted with suitable slides or shutters, for shutting off a portion of the
said air-pipes if desired, and so preventing air entering such pipes, the air-box
having one or more branches or blast pipes fitted thereto in suitable positions with
a suitable regulating valve or valves, so that when a blast is forced into the casing
by a fan, steam-jet blower or other suitable means the quantity of air entering such
air-casing and tuyeres may be easily regulated or controlled.
Such air casing is also provided with suitable doors or apertures for permitting
the cleaning out of ashes therefrom and facilitating inspection. One end of such
improved horizontal barless furnaces are fitted with suitable doors for feeding or
charging the furnace with fuel, and for permitting the ready removal of clinkers
and refuse.
Suitable slides or shutters are also provided for controlling the quantity of air
entering the furnace above the fuel, such air being introduced either at atmospheric
pressure or by a blower to assist combustion, the other end of the furnace being
fitted with a concentrator formed of fire-brick or other suitable material for conceu-
trating the gases and ensuring proper combustion. The furnace may be provided
with one or more hoppers or boxes of suitable shape attached to the charging end
of the furnace fire-box or to any suitable part of the circumference of the outer shell,
the fuel being fed into the interior of the fire-box from the said hoppers by means
of vibrating flaps, reciprocating slides, worms or other suitable means through
orifices provided for the purpose. In one arrangement I introduce fuel from below
through the body of the fire through orifices formed at suitably arranged angles, the
feeding mechanism being suitably arranged.
Deflectors of fire-brick or other suitable material are sometimes fixed within the
fire-box so as to ensure the proper distribution of the fuel, such deflectors being
sometimes made hollow and water or air caused to circulate through them, in one
arrangement the fire is supplied with forced blast through the water-lined deflectors.
The vibrating flaps being operated by mechanical power, or by hand as desired to
ensure a constant supply of fuel to the furnace. The fuel may be introduced in the
usual way through the fire door openings at the front end of such horizontal
furnaces, or the two methods of feeding can be used conjointly. The fuel can by
one arrangement be fed into the furnace by means of an intermittent steam or air
projector, which consists of a reservoir of suitable capacity for containing steam at
or below boiler pressure, or air under pressure, the said reservoir being provided
with a suitable valve or valves so arranged as to release the steam or air contained
in the said reservoir and be closed automatically, the expansion of the steam or air
so liberated projecting the fuel into the furnace, such reservoir being supplied with
steam by means of a pipe attached to any suitable part of the boiler, or with air by
means of a fan, blower or the like appliance, the air supply pipe being preferably
just large enough to fill the reservoir between each movement of the release valve,
thus reducing waste to a minimum, the steam nozzle being so arranged as to cause a
sudden influx of air to enter the furnace by induction when using very fine dust fuel,
so as to ensure its proper combustion at each charge.
The fuel in certain instances is fed in regulated quantities into the projector
boxes or nozzles by means of the before mentioned vibrating flaps, by first
regulating the amount of opening of the steam or air release the fuel will be
scattered evenly over the surface of the fire, sometimes I expand the air by heat,
or superheat the steam by means of the before mentioned hollow deflectors, or by
other suitable means, and I operate the said steam or air projectors by hand, or
they be actuated by mechanical means.
In carrying my invention into effect when applying same to an existing
Lancashire or two flued-boiler, I fix my improved barless water jacketted furnace
constructed in the manner as hereinbefore described in a horizontal or nearly
horizontal position, one furnace opposite or nearly opposite each of the flue tubes
of the boiler, the open ends of the furnaces being connected to the front end of the
boiler so as to be air tight and held in position by any suitable means, the furnaces

page_text: thus project from the front of the boiler with the fire-doors at their outer ends, the
inlet branches or pipes on the underside of the water-jacket are connected together
by means of suitable pipes to the lowest part of the boiler, either directly to the
front end plate below the flues of the boiler, or by pipes connecting the underside
of the boiler shell and the existing blow off branch when such branch is of sufficient
size, or to a branch or branches provided for the purpose, in all cases however the
communication from the bottom of the boiler to the bottom of the water-jacketted
furnace is free and spacious, and I attach the blow off cock of the boiler to the
lowest portion of the said connecting pipes, so that when such cock is open the
sediment will be blown out from the boiler and the water space or jacket of
the furnace at the same time, the outlet branches or pipes on the upper part of the
circumference of the water jacket being connected by suitable pipes to the upper
part of the boiler, at or a little above the water level, suitable blocks or branches being
provided for that purpose, such outlet pipes and their branches being larger than
the inlet pipes, in order to facilitate the passage of the heated water and steam
from the water jacket to the boiler. The mixture of water and steam being
conducted for a suitable distance along the boiler by means of an open top trough
or separator, the steam bubbles escaping into the steam space of the boiler, and
the water flowing on towards the back end of the boiler to again take part in the
circulation of the water. The fire when placed within the fire-box of the water
jacketted furnace rests directly upon the plate or plates forming such fire-box, the
air which enters the numerous small air pipes or tuyeres and the chimney draught
causes the fire to burn up, forced blust is then admitted through the whole or a part
of the small air tubes or tuyeres by regulating shutters or slides provided for that
purpose. When the body of the fire incandescent and the water in the furnace
jacket has become highly heated, such water is caused to circulate rapidly through
the water spaces and pipes and passing from the lowest part of the boiler into the
water jacket, sweeps through the spaces and escapes into the boiler to which such
furnace is attached by means of the pipes and separators before mentioned.
The burning fuel which rests or lies upon the lower part of the inner plate of the
furnace and the flames and radiant heat which act on the upper portion of the
furnace rapidly impart heat to the water passing through the annular water space
or jacket, while the high rate of circulation renders the plates firm to prevent
injury when using high furnace temperatures, heat being rapidly transmitted by the
circulating water. The furnace is made free to expand and contract without
straining any part of the boilers to which it is applied.
In some cases I use only one furnace to each boiler instead of two, the gases
being conducted to both flues of the boiler (Lancashire or other two-flued boiler)
by suitable connections, the circulating pipes being suitably arranged, in some cases
I employ three or more furnaces according to circumstances. The flue of the
boiler to which such furnaces are attached being lined for a suitable distance of
their length with fire-brick, gannister or other suitable refractory material which
terminate in a perforated concentrator made of or from the same material extending
across the said flue tubes, the hot gases in their passage through such flues
impinging upon the refractory lining and concentrators which become heated to
incandescence and ensure the proper combustion of the gases raised in the furnace
and consequently prevent the issue of smoke. My improved furnace I apply to a
Cornish or single Hue boiler in a similar manner, one or more furnaces being used
as desired.
My said invention is also applicable to boilers of the tubulous type, marine and
other similar multitubular boilers, superposed boilers, plain cylindrical boilers,
Elephant, locomotive and similar types of boilers.
In cases where is not sufficient room in the stoke-hold, the improved furnaces
may be inserted wholly or partially into the boiler flues either centrally or eccen-
trically, the circulating pipes, air-boxes and their connections being suitably
arranged.
When applying my improved furnace to a water tube or tubulous type of boiler,

page_text: .
such as Roots's or Babcock and Wilcox boilers I use one or more furnaces either
superposed, side by side, or otherwise suitably arrange them according to the kind
of fuel to be consumed, and the power required to be obtained, in all such cases the
furnaces are arranged to cause the complete combustion of the furnace gases in
suitable chambers lined with refractory material before the said gases, come into
contact with the water tubes of the boilers to which they are, connected, thus pre-
venting condensation of the gases and avoiding black smoke, the circulating pipes
are also arranged to give a rapid circulation from the lowest to the highest internal
parts of the boiler without retarding the circulation through the main water..
tubes.
In adapting my improved furnaces to plain cylindrical boilers, elephant and
similar externally fired boilers I use one or more furnaces according to circum-
stances, the furnaces being arranged in suitable positions, and furnished with
suitable combustion chambers lined with fire brick or other suitable material, the
water being caused to circulate from the lowest and coldest part of the boiler to
the highest part, thus rendering all parts of such boilers of nearly equal tem-
perature, the air-chambers being formed of sheet iron, brickwork or other suitable
material. When applying a furnace made according to my invention to a locomotive
type of multitubular boiler, such water jacketted bar-less furnace is connected to the
front, sides or bottom of the ordinary fire-box of such boilers in such a manner as
to cause the gases after leaving the fire box of the furnace, to expand into the
ordinary fire box of the boiler to which such improved bar less furnace is attached,
which fire-box is wholly or partially internally lined with fire-brick or other
refractory material, by regulating the admission of air such lined fire box is
converted into an efficient combustion chamber.
The improved har-less furnace in some cases projects partly or entirely into the
combustion chamber formed in the fire box of the boiler, the circulating pipes being
suitably arranged to cause water to circulate from the lowest part of the water
spaces of the boiler through and around the water space of the barless furnace, the
steam and water being caused to enter the boiler at or about water level. The
water circulating pipes are attached either inside or outside of the combustion
chamber according to circumstances, a rapid circulation being set up in all the
water spaces of the boiler, thus keeping such spaces free of deposit and sediment,
beside avoiding unequal strains.
In applying my invention to superposed, compound-Cornish and multi-tubular
boilers I attach such bar-less furnaces to the boiler tubes in a similar manner to
that described in connection with Cornish and Lancashire-boilers, the circulating
pipes being arranged so as to cause a powerful and rapid circulation of the water
from the lowest part of the boiler, through the water-jacket of the said bar-less.
furnace, the steam and heated water entering the boiler at or about water level,
thus maintaining all parts of the boiler to which such bar-less furnace or furnaces
are attached at a practically uniform temperature. I wish it to be understood that
I do not confine myself to the types of boilers herein mentioned, as I am able by
slight modifications to attach the said bar-less water jacketted circulating furnaces
to boilers of other types in such a manner as to secure all the advantages indicated
in the foregoing Specification.
My improved barless furnaces I attach to marine boilers in such a manner so
that such furnaces are free to expand and contract without straining or causing the
tube plates and other parts of such boilers to deflect, the circulating pipes being
arranged to ensure a compulsory passage of the water through all the water spaces,
the furnaces being so arranged as to cause a thorough combustion of the fuel used,
and to prevent the unequal heating of the flue tubes of such boilers, and the con-
sequent curvature and change of form of such flue tubes, in some instances I attach
such improved barless furnace or furnaces directly to the combustion chamber or
chambers of such boilers so as to be air-tight; but free to expand and contract
independently of the boiler. The advantages herein before enumerated combined
with absence of fire bars render the marine boilers to which such furnaces are

page_text: attached capable of using forced blast of high pressure, thus greatly increasing
their power and degree of economy, and avoiding the serious injury and danger
which has hitherto attended most attempts to use high pressure blast on board-
ships.
L1000
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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
J.1
Improvements in Furnaces, and in the Steam Boilers in connection
therewith.
I, WILLIAM FREAKLEY, 8- Woodhouse Terrace, Stoke on Trent, Staffs,
Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :—
This my invention relates to improvements in steam boiler furnaces, and its chief
object is to effect greater economy in the consumption of fuel, and to increase the
power, efficiency and safety of the boilers to which such improved furnaces are
applied, also to permit much higher furnace temperatures, and greater rates of
combustion to be used with safety and economy.
The boilers to which such improved furnaces are applied being kept at a
practically uniform temperature in all their parts by reason of the rapid and
enforced circulation of water across the heating surfaces of such furnaces, thus
avoiding the injurious results of un-equal expansion and contraction, the furnace
being free to expand and contract without unduly straining any part of the boilers
to which such improved furnaces are attached, the said furnaces being readily
applicable to existing boilers of various types.
1
In carrying my invention into practice I dispense with fire bars and similar
gratings for supporting burning fuel, by causing such fuel to be carried directly
upon the water backed plates of such furnaces thus enabling high furnace
temperatures to be produced, there being no dead plates, bars or other similar
arrangement to melt or give away, the adherence of clinkers is prevented thus
causing the removal of such clinkers an easy matter, the combustion of fuel being
rendered practically complete, thus preventing the formation of black smoke.
With such furnaces I am able to use forced draught of high pressure so as to
consume refuse coke or coal dust, and inferior fuels to advantage and greatly
increase the evaporative power of the boilers to which such improved furnaces are
attached.
Such furnaces I construct by any suitable means in the form of a horizontal
water jacketted cylinder or other suitable form, and consisting of an inner fire box
and an outer shell connected together by any suitable means so as to form an
annular space or water jacket between such inner and outer shell entirely
surrounding or partially surrounding the said inner shell or fire box concentrically,
or nearly so.
In order that my said invention may be more readily understood and explained
in detail have hereunto annexed two sheets of drawings on which letters of
reference are marked on corresponding parts on all the figures alike.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.

page_text: Figure 2 is a side sectional elevation of the fore part of the boiler shewn at
Figure 1, and of one of the furnaces attached thereto.
.
Ön reference to the drawings hereunto annexed a represents the front part or
portion of a two flued or Lancashire boiler, to the front end of each flue of
which boiler I have shewn attached by means of a metallic ring a horizontal
barless furnace c, provided with a door c², and a suitable number of air inlets
or tuyeres d, a ring a³ of fire-brick or other refractory material being fitted or
placed in the interior of such furnaces between their inner and outer plates at
their ends. A metallic casing e is fitted on to each of the said furnaces by
angle iron, rivets or other suitable means, and is for the purpose of conducting
forced blast, air or steam under pressure, or air and steam under pressure
through the several tuyeres d into the furnaces c, the said blast being conveyed
by the pipes ff" and f³ into the said casing e, and the supply of the blast to
the interior of the said casings e is regulated by suitable valves or dampers g
fitted to the lower interior part of the blast conducting pipes f³, f³, fuel being
fed from the lower part of the hoppers attached to the front end of the
furnaces c to the interior of such furnaces by means of toothed quadrants and
sliding plates, reciprocating motion being transmitted to the said plates by
excèntrics j, rods k, levers and shafting m driven by steam or other motive
power, a sight-hole being fitted to each hopper to facilitate inspection of the
interior of furnace.
Whilst fuel in the interior of such furnaces is becoming incandescent, the
water in the space between the inner and outer plates c and c is rapidly
heated, and flows from such water jacketted furnaces through pipes in the
direction shewn by the arrows 2 into the interior of the boiler a and circulates
therein, the coolest water, or the water at the lower part of such boilers
into the lower
flowing therefrom through pipes pas indicated by arrows
portion of the water space of the said furnaces c, the water being kept in a
Heat and smoke from
state of circulation until steam is generated therefrom.
the fires of such furnaces passes into fire brick or other chambers a' formed
from refractory material a' in the front portion of each flue of the boiler a and
passes therefrom in the direction indicated by arrows a through the opening a
into and through the several flues of the boiler setting into the chimney stack
from whence it escapes into the atmosphere.
It will be understood that the refractory material or materials of which the
combustion chambers a' are made, when rendered sufficiently incandescent by the
heat from the fires destroys the noxious constituents of the flames and smoke.
The lower portion of such horizontal water jacketted furnaces are fitted with
numerous small air pipes or tuyeres, conical or parallel in longitudinal section and
made of iron, steel, copper, brass or other suitable material, which pipes extend
radially from the outside of the outer shell c across the water space between the
inner and outer plates, and through the inner plate to the interior of the fire-box
or furnace c, the said tubes being fixed, expanded, screwed or secured in other
suitable manner into holes formed through the plates of the fire box and outer
shell so as to be steam and water-tight and form efficient stays. When it is.
desirable to strengthen that portion of the fire box without air tubes or tuyeres,
screwed stays or other suitable means are used. In some cases use corrugated
or similar fire boxes, in which cases as a rule screwed stays are dispensed with, the
air tubes being fixed in corrugated furnaces in a similar manner as in the plain
furnaces.
I
The lower part of such water jacketted furnaces I make with one or more inlet
branches or pipes, and the upper part of such furnaces with one or more outlet
branches or pipes which I attach at one end to the front plate of boiler, and the
other end of such inlet and outlet pipes to the outer shell of the annular water
space. The lower portion of the outer shell of each of such furnaces being fitted
with a segmental or other suitably shaped air box or casing made of or from sheet
iron or other suitable material, which casing encloses the outer ends of the several

page_text: air pipes, the said air box having one or more blast pipes fitted thereto in suitable
positions, with a suitable regulating valve or valves, so that when a blast is forced
into the said casing by a fan, steam-jet blower or other means, the quantity of air
entering such air casing and tuyeres may be readily regulated or controlled, and
the said air casings I fit or provide with a suitable door or apertures for permitting
ashes to be cleaned out from such casings, and to facilitate inspection.
I wish it to be understood that such water-jacketted barless furnaces may be
used in connection with various types of boilers without the combustion chambers
lined with refractory material, or without an air casing, or both such combustion
chambers and air casings may be dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is;-
1. The adaptation of horizontal barless furnaces made of or from steel, iron,
copper or other suitable material to Lancashire and Cornish boilers, such furnaces
being provided with a fuel hopper or hoppers and suitable automatic feeding
mechanism, suitable inlet and outlet pipes for the circulation of water throughout
such furnaces and the boilers to which they are attached, and suitable combustion
chambers built or arranged within the fore end of the flues of such boilers in the
manner and for the purpose as herein substantially described, set forth and fully
illustrated on the drawings hereunto annexed.
2. The adaptation of horizontal barless furnaces made of or from steel, iron,
copper, or other suitable material to Lancashire and Cornish boilers, such furnaces
being provided with a suitable fuel hopper or hoppers and automatic feeding
mechanism, suitable inlet and outlet pipes for the circulation of water throughout
such furnaces and the boilers to which they are attached, with combustion chambers
or without, and operated with natural or forced draught as herein substantially
described and set forth.
3. The adaptation of horizontal barless furnaces made of or from steel, iron,
copper or other suitable material to egg-end and other plain cylindrical boilers,
marine and other multitubular boilers, Babcock and Wilcox, Roots and similar water
tube boilers, vertical boilers, and Elephant or French boilers, such furnaces being
provided with a suitable fuel hopper or hoppers and feeding mechanism, suitable inlet
and outlet pipes for the circulation of water throughout such furnaces and the boilers
to which they are attached, and with or without combustion chambers and blast
pipes suitably arranged, in the manner and for the purpose as herein substantially
described and set forth.
Dated this 15th day of December 1893.