Improvements in Furnaces for Burning Sulphur and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1891-Accepted, 6th June, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Furnaces for Burning Sulphur and the like.
I, CHARLES HENRY FISH, of Manchester County of Hillsborough, State of
New Hampshire, United States of America, Manufacturer 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 :-
My invention relates to furnaces for burning sulphur for the production of
sulphur fumes to be used in making sulphurous acid.
Furnaces for this purpose as heretofore made consist of a long horizontal tight
chamber which may be made of cast iron and which has at one end a feed door
through which the sulphur to be burned is introduced and at the other or rear
end an outlet opening connected with a pipe or duct through which the fumes
produced by burning the sulphur are led away.
These furnaces have heretofore been made tight at their rear or discharge ends
and consequently the accumulations of dirt or ash arising from the combustion of
the sulphur, which usually contain more or less impurities, have had to be with-
drawn through the feed door at the front of the furnace, an operation which
interferes with the proper burning of the sulphur and is also attended by a
considerable waste of the sulphur which has been previously introduced into the
furnace and partly burned.
The object of the present invention is to produce a furnace having means for
the removal of the ash or accumulation or dirt without interfering with the burning
of the sulphur and also without producing any waste.
To accomplish this result, the furnace embodying this invention is provided
with an ash receptacle at the rear of the furnace proper in which the sulphur is
burned, into which receptacle the dirt or ash is carried during the operation of
the furnace and from which the said accumulated ash may be removed from time
to time through a suitable opening provided with a cover or door.
By this construction the furnace may be fed with fresh sulphur from time to
time at the front end, the previously introduced and partially consumed sulphur
being gradually carried towards the rear end and the dirt or ash being carried
along with it and delivered from the rear end into the ash receptacle from which
it is removed from time to time as it accumulates in sufficient quantities.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a furnace for burning sulphur, embodying this
invention.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section thereof.
Figure 3 is a front end elevation,
Figure 4 is a rear end elevation, and
Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section of the same.
The main portion or body a of the furnace may be of usual construction, being
a long substantially horizontal chamber or drum having an arched top and flat
bottom which latter is depressed for the greater portion of its length below the
level of the openings at the ends of the drum as best shown in Figure 2, the said
bottom rising by gradual inclines a², a³, towards the said openings.
At the forward end the furnace is provided with a mouth piece b having the
feed door e which rests against an inclined seat as shown and is provided with a
lifting cord or chain c², passing over pullies c³ and provided with a counter
weight to enable it to be raised for the purpose of opening the front of the
furnace to permit the sulphur to be fed in.
The said door c has an opening c³, see Figure 3, for the admission of air to

page_text: support the combustion of the sulphur which when ignited melts and burns on
the floor of the furnace in a semi-fluid condition being prevented from flowing out
by the inclines a², a³ near the ends of the floor.
The furnace is supported in a slightly inclined position with the rear or outlet
end a little below the level of the mouth piece b through which the fuel is fed,
as shown by reference to the horizontal dotted line Figure 2, so as to give the
fuel a slight tendency to move from the front towards the rear end of the furnace
and as the sulphur burns the sand, dust, or earthy impurities constituting a kind
of ash, will become separated from the sulphur which is itself entirely consumed.
The ash resulting from the impurities has to be removed from time to time as
it accumulates, and in furnaces of this kind as heretofore constructed it has had
to be removed from the front or feeding end of the surface thus necessitating the
keeping of the feed door open and thereby greatly interfering with the proper
burning of the sulphur and also involving a considerable waste of the sulphur,
which is withdrawn with the ash during the cleaning process.
In order to obviate this objection the furnace herein shown is provided with
supplemental chamber d connected with the rear end of the furnace and provided
with the outlet opening d³ to which the duct for carrying away the fumes is
connected.
The main body of the chamber d is on the level with the outlet opening of the
main body a of the furnace but it is provided at its bottom with a depressed
chamber or receptacle e having an opening, shown in this instance as made at
the end, which is provided with a removable cover e² which normally stands in
position to close the said opening and thus prevent communication between the
inside of the supplementary chamber d and the external air.
The supplementary chamber d with the receptacle e receives the ash which is
gradually separated from the sulphur as the latter is consumed, and is pushed
to the rearward in said furnace, said ash collecting in the receptacle e from which
it may be removed from time to time as required, by opening the cover e² and
raking or drawing out the ash.
In the operation of the furnace the fresh sulphur is introduced as required
through the door c and tends to displace the sulphur that is already burning
which thus gradually moves to the rearward in proportion as the fresh material
is fed in at the front, the ash being carried along towards the rear and up the
incline a³ into the chamber d where it settles in the receptacle e substantially
free from sulphur, and from which it is removed from time to time as before
stated.
By this construction the feed door c does not have to be kept open for any
great length of time, it being necessary to open it only while the new material
is being introduced and the previously partially consumed sulphur and ash is
pushed to the rear, the contents of the furnace always moving from the front to
the rear of the furnace, and never having a retrograde movement as is the case in
furnaces of this kind as heretofore made and operated.
The body a of the furnace is set in the usual water pan f and is kept cool by
water dripping upon it from sprinkling pipes in the usual manner.
While the furnace has been described as employed for burning sulphur, it is
obvious that the same construction is useful, wherever any material having the
same characteristics is to be burned or ignited.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is -
First. A furnace for burning sulphur or equivalent operation having a feed
opening at one end combined with an ash receptacle at its other end, substantially
as and for the purpose described.
Second. The main body of the furnace having a feed door at one end and a

page_text: supplemental chamber provided with an ash receptacle at its other end, the floor
of said furnace being depressed below its end portions and said ash receptacle
having an outlet opening and cover therefor, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Dated this 5th day of May 1891
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.