IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES, AND CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR ENSURING THE PROPER COMBUSTION OF FUEL THEREIN
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
and Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES, AND
CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR ENSURING THE PROPER COMBUSTION OF FUEL
THEREIN." A communication from abroad by James Wolstenholme, of
Buffalo, New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd November 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO
FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES, AND CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR ENSURING THE PROPER
COMBUSTION OF FUEL THEREIN." [A communication from abroad by James
Wolstenholme, of Buffalo, New York, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to improvements in and connected with furnaces or
apparatus for burning fuel, whereby a more perfect combustion is provided for than
is possible in apparatus heretofore constructed for the same purpose, and the said
Invention consists partly in providing one or more air-pipes having their inlet
openings in the outer or free air, and connected with a pipe or coil, or a series of
pipes having their outlet openings terminating in a long narrow opening, arranged
within the furnace at an angle to the path of the gases, in combination with a
substantially air-tight combustion chamber. My said Invention further comprises
certain improvements in the furnace-door which render it less liable to be affected
by expansion and contraction than would otherwise be the case, and provides the
means whereby the progress of the fire may at all times be seen without the
necessity of opening the door.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I arrange in the chimney such as is
usually employed one or more tubes having an opening or mouth into which the
cold air enters into the tubes or flues, and from thence into and down another flue
connected therewith, where it receives a portion of the heat that is usually lost by
passing up the chimney, and it then passes into and through a coil surrounding the

page_text: เ
fire chamber, in which case the pipe would be connected with the coil in the usual
manner, and bell-shaped mouths would be placed at a suitable point. The coil
may be composed of straight lengths of pipe held together by curved elbows made
in the usual manner. The air after it becomes sufficiently heated issues from a
long narrow opening in the combustion or fire chamber, which opening is arranged
at an angle to the direction of the furnace draught, where it meets the gases from
the fire or fuel, and a more perfect combustion takes place. The products of com-
bustion take the usual course to the chimney through the boiler or other device
with which my Invention may be combined. I do not confine myself to the precise
arrangement described, as there may be one or more tubes, and in some cases the
tubes in the chimney may be dispensed with, and the coil may terminate in a
flaring mouth-piece arranged directly under or near the furnace or boiler, the
object being to have the column of fresh air heated up to as near the temperature
of the gases as possible when it issues from the long narrow opening in the fire-
chamber. The induced upward current of air in the tubes is sufficient to force the
more heated air through the various tubes mentioned, while the draught of the
chimney assists, as will be readily understood. My said Invention is as well
adapted to a stove as to a tubular or other boiler or furnace. I sometimes
introduce steam as an auxiliary into the air conductors at a point after the air has
become heated to about an even temperature with it, which becoming mixed with
said air issues from the opening in the fire-chamber, as above stated.
My object in placing the head of the columns of air within the chimney with
their feet at the bottom or near the ground is to obtain from it without cost the
maximum of heat passing off there; the same is the object of placing the tubes
containing the balance of column under or around the fire-box. The place, the
position, the calibre, and length of the column will vary with the circumstances to
which it will have to conform, but it is essential that it shall be always a closely
confined cclumn having its commencement in the outer air at some point as near
the ground as practicable and having its issue at a point (or points) in the furnace
in a direction reciprocally across the path of the gases. The form may also be
adapted to the circumstances to be met. The heating to a high but indefinite heat
and conveying said heated air to meet the uncombusted inflammable gases between
the furnace and the object of the fire for the purpose of expanding said gases,
obtains the maximum of their heating power for any purpose, and the arrangement
of the way in which that point is obtained varies with the kind of furnace to which
it is applied, which furnace may be formed of any suitable material, and receive its
air from a column having its base in the open air, subject to the circumstances of
its use whether it be stationary, steamboat, or other uses, or stoves of any kind,
and having the issue for the hot air, as herein before specified.
In a modified form of my Invention instead of the coil a cone-shaped case having
its inlet or mouth in the free air outside and its issue inside may be used, the air
passing up through the annular space and out at the top for the purposes before
mentioned.
The door of the furnace should be made to fit closely without a damper or
opening of any kind, so that no air shall pass in except the heated air through the
opening in the fire chamber (of which openings there may be one or more) and that
which passes up through the grate and fuel.
The ordinary door, if it be of cast iron, will be liable to expand and contract by
the heat so as to crack and let in the air. In order to obviate this objection the
door is sometimes perforated, but that would also let in the air. The form of my
improved door is that of a tapering tube which avoids the objection of cracking
and adapts it to be made of wrought iron if desired.
A transparent plate of glass or other suitable material is secured at the outer end
of the tube, and is held in place by a flange and an annular rim by bolts between
which is a packing of asbestos or other suitable material to ensure its being air-
tight; through this the operator can see the condition of the fire without the

page_text: necessity of opening the door. The glass being at the outer end of the tube is not.
liable to be injured by the heat, and is out of the reach of dirt or smoke of any
kind. The door is connected to the furnace in the usual manner by hinges and a
suitable fastening. By having the furnace door as nearly air tight as practicable
so that no air can get in except that which passes in through the grate and opening
in the fire chamber, the draught of the chimney can act to much better advantage
in drawing the fresh heated air through the said opening, and thereby draw a
strong blast of fresh heated air into the combustion chamber at the proper point
to produce a more perfect combustion without the aid of a blower or any other
air forcing device.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st May 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO
FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES, AND CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR ENSURING THE PROPER
COMBUSTION OF FUEL THEREIN." A communication from abroad by James
Wolstenholine, of Buffalo, New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in and connected with furnaces or
apparatus for burning fuel, whereby a more perfect combustion is provided for than
is possible in apparatus heretofore constructed for the same purpose, and the said
Invention consists partly in providing one or more air-pipes having their inlet-
openings in the outer or free air, and connected with a pipe or coil, or a series of
pipes having their outlet-openings terminating in a long narrow opening arranged
within the furnace at an angle to the path of the gases in combination with a
substantially air-tight combustion-chamber. My said Invention comprises certain
improvements in the furnace-door which renders it less liable to be affected by
expansion and contracting than would otherwise be the case, and provides means
whereby the progress of the fire may at all times be seen without the necessity
of opening the door, which will be more clearly hereinafter shown by reference
to the Drawing, in which
Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section through a steam-boiler, and
shows in side elevation my said Invention as applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a plan or top view of a modified form of the coil of pipe shewn in
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan or top view of a portion of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a vertical section through the centre of a chimney on the line x, x,
Figure 5, and a front view of the pipes as arranged therein, a part of the upper
portion of the central pipe being in section.
Figure 5 is a vertical central section through a portion of a chimney and central
tube, and
Figure 6 represents a vertical central section through a modification of the said
Invention.
A represents a chimney such as is usually employed, in which I arrange one or
more tubes B, each having an opening or mouth Ċ into which the cold air enters in
the direction of the arrows passing into the tube or flues B, and from thence into
and down the flue D connected therewith, where it receives a portion of the heat
that is usually lost by passing up the chimney, and it then passes into and through
a coil E surrounding the fire-chamber, in which case the pipe would be connected
with the coil in the usual manner, and the bell-shaped mouths H, as shown in
Figure 1, would be placed at the point C, shown in Figure 4.
In Figure 2 is represented a modification of the coil composed of straight lengths
of pipe held together by curved elbows made in the usual manner. The air
after becoming sufficiently heated issues from a long narrow opening G into the
combustion or fire-chamber (see Figures 1, 2, and 3), which opening is arranged at
an angle to the direction of the furnace-draught, where it meets the gases from the
fire or fuel and a more perfect combustion takes place. The products of combustion
take the usual course to the chimney through the boiler or other device with which
the said Invention may be combined. do not confine myself to the precise
arrangement shown, as there may be one or more tubes B, and in some cases the
tubes in the chimney may be dispensed with, and the coil E may terminate in a

page_text: flaring mouth-piece H arranged directly under or near the furnace or boiler, as
seen in Figure 1, the object being to have the column of fresh air heated up to as
near the temperature of the gases as possible when it issues from the opening G.
The induced upward current of air in the tubes B is sufficient to force the more
heated air through the various tubes mentioned, while the draught of the chimney
also assists, as will be readily understood. The said Invention is equally well
adapted to a stove as to a tubular or other boiler or furnace.
I sometimes introduce steam as an auxiliary into the air-conductors at a point
after the air has become heated to about an even temperature with it, which steam
becoming mixed with the said air issues from the opening G, as above stated.
My object in placing the head of the columns of air within the chimney with
their base at the bottom or near the ground is to obtain from the heated. products
of combustion without cost the maximum of heat passing off through the said
chimney; with the same object the tubes containing the balance of the column of
air are placed under or around the fire-box. The place, the position, the calibre,
and the length of the column of air will vary with the circumstances to which it
will have to conform, but it is essential that it shall always be a closely confined
column having its ingress or commencement in the outer air at a point as near the
ground as practicable, and having its egress or issue at a point (or points) in the
furnace in a direction reciprocally across the path of the furnace-gases. The form
may also be adapted to the circumstances to be met. The heating to a high but
indefinite degree, and conveying the said heated air to meet the unconsumed
inflammable gases between the furnace and the object of the fire will cause the
expanding of the said gases so as to obtain the maximum of their heating power
for any purpose, and the arrangement of the means by which this result is obtained
varies with the kind of furnace to which it is applied. The furnace may be
formed of any suitable material, and receives its air from a column having its base
in the' open air subject to the circumstances of its use, whether it be for stationary,
steam-boat, or other uses, or stoves of any kind, and having the issue for the hot
air as hereinbefore specified.
In the modified form of this Invention shewn in
shewn in Figures 1 and 3, a cone-shaped case L is
mouth at M in the free air outside and its outlet or
air passing up through the annular space and out
mentioned.
Figure 6, instead of the coil, as
employed, having its inlet or
point of issue inside at N, the
at N, for the purposes before
The door J of the furnace should be made to fit closely without a damper or
opening of any kind, so that no air shall pass into the said furnace except the
heated air through the opening G (of which there may be one or more) and that
which passes up through the grate K and the fuel thereon.
The ordinary door, if it be made of cast iron, will be liable to expand and contract
by the heat to such an extent as to crack and let in the air. In order to obviate
this objection the door is sometimes perforated, but that would also let in the air.
The form of my improved door is that of a tapering tube J, which avoids the
objection of cracking, and enables it to be made of wrought iron if desired.
A transparent plate of glass or other suitable material S is secured at the outer
end of the tube J, and is held in place by means of a flange P and an annular rim r
connected by bolts a. Between the said flange and rim is a packing Q of asbestos
or other suitable material to insure its being air-tight; through this glass the
operator can see the condition of the fire without the necessity of opening the
door. The glass being at the outer end of the tube J is not liable to be injured by
the heat, and is out of the reach of dirt or smoke of any kind. The door is con-
nected to the furnace in the usual manner by hinges f and a suitable fastening f¹.
By having the furnace-door as nearly air-tight as practicable, so that no air can
enter except that which passes in through the grate and opening G, the draught of
the chimney can act to much better advantage in drawing the fresh heated air
through the said opening G, and thereby draw a strong blast of such fresh heated
*

page_text: air into the combustion chamber at the proper point to produce a more perfect
combustion without the aid of a blower or any other air-forcing device.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. A furnace or other heating device having the usual chimney for producing
the necessary draught, a substantially air tight door and the usual open grate for
admitting air to the fuel, in combination with a tube or coil having its inlet-opening
in the outer air and its outlet-opening terminating in a long narrow opening G,
adapted for conducting the heated air across the path of the gases in their course to
the chimney, as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Second. In a furnace-door the combination of the tube J, the flanges P, the
rim R, and the transparent plate S, as above set forth and for the purposes
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.