IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Henry, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City
of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FURNACES." A communication from abroad by Jean Gérard Charles
Tenbrinck, of 33, Boulevard Saint Martin, Paris, Engineer.
Sealed the 15th August 1861, and dated the 19th February 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Henry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
February 1861.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FURNACES," communicated to me from abroad by Jean Gérard Charles
Tenbrinck, of 33, Boulevard Saint Martin, Paris, Engineer, to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to furnaces applicable for locomotives and other
purposes. My improved furnace consumes its own smoke, and economizes
fuel, the feed of fuel being continuous and regular on to the whole surface of
the grate or fire bars, and air is supplied in properly regulated quantities on to
the fuel while undergoing distillation. It is proposed to employ a set of fire
bars or grate inclined at a suitable angle; to subject the fuel to distillation on
a plane or side or surface without apertures or openings; to admit air by a
valve or damper just above the place where the fuel is being distilled, regu-

page_text: lating the supply as required; and to fit a water space in such position as to
throw over or drive back the flames in such a direction or manner as to bring
them against the fuel as it comes down, which they thereby ignite and distil,
and this arrangement also effects an admixture of the
gases.
I propose to construct a furnace carrying out these improvements, in which
there is a hopper feed mouth or feed shoot so inclined that the fuel shall
regularly descend down it naturally, and its lower side consists of a plate,
plane, or surface which extends or is prolonged to the fire bars, but is formed
without openings or means of admitting air; an inclined water space is fixed
above the fuel by tubes which leave it free to expand, and it is placed in such
position as to force the flames to pass before it or round one end of it, and
ignite the fresh fuel issuing from the feed and distil, and coke it before it
comes on to the fire bars. The upper supply of air (which is needed to effect
the burning of the carbonized hydrogen given off) is admitted by a valve or
damper placed above the fuel, opened and closed to an extent regulated at
pleasure (which may be conveniently done by a handle or rod adjustable in a
notched segment), so as to admit air in larger or smaller sheets as required,
its position being such as to inject air just over the part where the fuel is
being distilled or coked; the cinders and residua may fall on to a horizontal
grate, and be readily removed by a screw, rod, or otherwise. The water space:
being inclined its deposits or impurities may drop into the furnace.
The particular construction of fire bar preferred in many cases is such as to
prevent very small particles of fuel passing through.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section, and
Figure 2 a plan of a fragment of such a furnace, shewing the fire-bars
according to one arrangement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters' Patent filed.
by the said Michael Henry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
August 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto

page_text: me, the said Michael Henry, her special licence that I, the said Michael
Henry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Michael Henry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FURNACES,"
,” communicated to me from abroad by Jean Gerard Charles Ten-
brinck, of 33, Boulevard Saint Martin, Paris, Engineer, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Michael Henry, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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 Michael Henry, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, as communicated to me, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to furnaces constructed of metal applicable for loco-
motives and other purposes. My improved furnace is what is called smoke-
consuming, and economizes its fuel, the feed of fuel being continuous and regular
on to the whole surface of the grate or fire-bars, and air being supplied in
quantities which may be properly regulated on to the fuel while undergoing
distillation. For these purposes a set of fire-bars or grate is employed inclined
at a suitable angle (as herein-after explained) the fuel is subjected to distilla-
tion on a plane or side or surface without apertures or openings; air is admitted
by a valve just above the place where the fuel is being distilled, the supply
being regulated as required, and a water space is fitted in such position as to
throw over or drive back the flames in such a direction or manner as to bring
them against the fuel as it comes down, which fuel they thereby ignite and
distil; this arrangement also effects an admixture of the gases.
It is proposed to construct a furnace carrying out these improvements in
which the hopper feed mouth or shoot is so inclined that the fuel regularly
descends down it naturally; its lower side consists of a plate, plane, or surface
extended or prolonged to the fire-bars, and formed without any openings in it
for admitting air. An inclined water space is fixed in the furnace above the
fuel by tubes (leaving it sufficient play or freedom to expand) and it is placed

page_text: in such position as to force the flames to pass before it or round one end of it
to distil and coke the fresh fuel (issuing from the feed) before it comes on to
the fire-bars. The upper supply of air which is needed to effect the burning
of the carbonized hydrogen given off is admitted by a valve placed above the
fuel opened and closed to an extent regulated at pleasure (which can be con-
veniently done by a handle or rod adjustable in a notched segment) so as to
admit the air in larger or smaller sheets as required, its position being such
that the air is injected just over the part where the fuel is being distilled or
coked as described. The cinders and residua may fall on to a horizontal grate
and be readily removed on opening it by a screw, rod, or otherwise. The
water space being inclined its deposits or impurities drop into the water casing
of the furnace.
The particular construction of fire-bar preferred, in many cases is such as to
prevent small particles of fuel passing through them. The accompanying
Drawings show the fire-bars according to this arrangement.
In order that the nature of the Invention and the mode of carrying it into
effect may be fully understood, I proceed to describe the same with reference
to the accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of a
furnace to which these improvements are applied; Figure 2 is a plan on the
lines c, d, and e, f, of Figure 1. H is a hopper or feed shoot inclined at such
an angle that the fuel descends down it naturally, that is to say, regularly or
gradually by its own gravity; the lower side of this hopper extends down to
the fire-bars A, and consists of a cast-iron plate formed blank or without
perforations, so that no air can pass through it. A, A, is the grate or set of fire-
bars, which is also fixed in an inclined position at a suitable angle, by which
I mean at such an angle that the fuel may descend down it naturally or
regularly and gradually by its (the fuel's) own gravity (without requiring to
be shaken or to be stirred for the purpose by the fire-iron (or poker) or such
like instrument; B is a water space fitted in an inclined position above the
Jayer of fuel, it is supported by means of tubes C, which are connected with
the sides of the furnace, but allow it sufficient play or freedom for its metal to
expand under heat; the position and arrangement of this water space are as
shewn in the Drawings, such that the flames and hot gases given off by the
incandescent fuel on the fire-bars are forced to pass in front of or round one
end of it, as indicated by the arrows, and are thereby brought to the fresh fuel,
that is to say, the fuel emerging from the hopper, which they thus heat, and
cause to commence distilling before it reaches the fire-bars. The air necessary
for effecting the combustion of the carbonized hydrogen gases given off by this
distillation is supplied through an opening in the furnace formed above the

page_text: layer of fuel and opened and closed to the required extent by means of the
valve D, which is adjusted at the desired, position by the handle E, the handle
being retained thereat by fitting it into the corresponding notch of a toothed
segment or catch plate F, the extent to which the valve is opened regulates
the quantity of air thus supplied to the interior of the furnace at this point.
The position and arrangement of this valve which admits air just over the point
where distillation is carried on as explained is a very important feature. If
the valve were placed higher up it would not accomplish the same object.
By the time the fuel reaches the fire-bars A it is already coked and red hot,
I and does not emit smoke.
When the fuel arrives on the fire-bars its combustion is accomplished by the
oxygen of the air admitted through their interstices, and the hot products of
combustion given off are directed, as before explained, round the front end of
the water space B against the fresh fuel in H. The solid residua, ashes, and
clinkers, drop on to the grate or set of horizontal bars G, whence they can be
removed by opening this grate by means of a screw rod, the furnace constructed
as described, is thus wholly what is called smoke-consuming, the attendant can
always entirely prevent the production of smoke by taking proper care to
regulate the adjustment of the valve D, so as to admit the necessary volume
of air according to the nature and condition of the fuel employed. This supply
of air is quite essential, and does not at all interfere with the production of
the steam which is obtained in abundant and sometimes excessive supply.
The flames being forced by the position of the water space B to take the direc-
tion described, the admixture of the hot gases with the supply of atmospheric
air is materially assisted. In these furnaces, even very smoky coals may be
used. The feed of fuel from the feed mouth to the fire-bars being self-acting or
self-supplying, so to speak, and going on in an uniform and regular manner,
requires no skill or attention on the part of the attendant, and steam is readily
kept up to a nearly constant pressure.
The form of fire-bars shewn is that which I prefer to adopt, as they do
not allow small coal to drop through their interstices, so that a larger propor-
tion thereof than usual may be employed.
Furnaces constructed according to these improvements are applicable to
stationary engines as well as to portable and locomotive engines.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner
the same may be carried into effect, I declare that the Invention relates to the
construction of furnaces made of metal, and that what I claim is,―
First, the combination therein of the four herein-before described features,
that is to say, the grate or set of fire-bars inclined at what I herein-before

page_text: call a suitable angle; the plate having no perforations or openings through it,
and extending to the fire-bars, so that fuel may be distilled upon it; the valve
so placed and arranged as to admit air in films or sheets of greater or less
volume at pleasure over the fuel just at the point where distillation goes on,
and the inclined water space arranged so as to facilitate the distillation of the
fuel and the admixture of the gases.
Second, the particular mode of arranging and combining the four aforesaid
features represented in the accompanying Drawings; and herein-before
.described.
Third, the combination of the set of fire-bars, valve, and water space described
in my first claim, even when not combined with the plate without perforations,
and I especially claim the combination of these three features (fire-bars, valve,
and water space) when arranged and combined in the particular manner
herein-before described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Henry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of August, in the year One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
S. E. A. NEWSOME,
Patent Agent,
84, Fleet Street, London.
M. HENRY. (L.S.)

page_text: LONDON: Printed by GEORGE EDWARD EYRE and WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE,
Printers to the Queen's most Excellent Majesty. 1861.