IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA- RATUS FOR PREPARING ASPHALTE
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Brierley Denham Healey, of Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR PREPARING ASPHALTE."
Sealed the 29th December 1876, and dated the 3rd July 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Brierley Denham Healey
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd July 1876.
BRIERLEY DENHAM HEALEY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING ASPHALTE"
This Invention has reference to those boilers which are used for preparing
asphalte from tar, creasote, pitch, and similar products. The top of the boiler
commonly used is open, and the pungent vapours and gases escape to the atmo-
sphere, and create a nuisance which is both destructive and unhealthy.
According to my present Invention the nuisance above referred to is abated by
arrangements for collecting the vapours and gases, which are conducted to the fire-
grate, where they are decomposed by combustion, or to the chimney, where they
are also ignited and decomposed.
In carrying these arrangements into effect I make the top of the boiler in one
or more parts, but so fixed or placed upon the main casing in lutes that access
may be had to the interior by lifting off the top or by lifting off only one part of
the top. With such a top the boiler may be said to be closed in, and thus allows
of syphoning the collected vapours and gases, or by pressure and draught combined
the syphoning may be assisted.
The arrangement I prefer to use has the top of the boiler made flat. The upper
part of main casing has trough iron lutes, in which rests the boiler top; charging
holes are made in the top and are provided with stoppers and sleeves, through
which the ingredients are or ought to be put into the boiler. Conducting pipes
for the vapours and gases lead from the under side of boiler top to the fire-grate;
these are provided with valves and suitable regulators and burners.
In adapting these improvements to boilers with open tops, therefore to boilers
TD G21

page_text: of the common type now used, the boiler may be covered with a curved or sloping
roof, the vapours and gases being conducted to the chimney and there ignited, or
the end of the conducting pipe may open to the atmosphere and combustion may
be kept up there.
It is obvious that these two arrangements may be modified so as to form a third
method, for in the first the vapours and gases may be dealt with as in the second,
and in the second they may utilised as in the first arrangement; the real object
being to collect and decompose them, and to abate the nuisance before named.
The general design of the boilers, their carriages, shafts, and fire-grates, arc
similar to those now used, but I line the flues with fire-bricks, the central flue
having curved blocks with grooved joints, and the front of the fire-grate is made
moveable so as to allow access to the interior of the main casing.
The boilers are made of various capacities, and in the small size, known as the
hand boiler, it is not necessary to use fire-brick linings or central flue blocks.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Brierley Denham Healey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
January 1877.
BRIERLEY DENHAM HEALEY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Civil
Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING ASPHALTE."
My said Invention has reference to those boilers which are used for preparing
asphalte from tar, creasote, pitch, and similar products. The top of the boiler
commonly used is open, and the pungent vapours and gases escape to the atmo-
sphere, and create a nuisance which is both destructive and unhealthy.
According to my present Invention the nuisance above referred to is abated by
arrangements for collecting the vapours and gases, which are conducted to the fire-
grate, where they are decomposed by passing through the incandescent fuel on
the bars.
In carrying these improvements into effect I make the top of the boiler in one or
more parts fixed or placed upon the casing, and luted in such a manner that access
may be readily had to the interior of the pan. With such a top the boiler may
be said to be closed in, and the vapours and gases may be collected and conducted
to the fire-grate by pressure or draught, or by pressure and draught combined.
In the arrangement which I prefer to use the top of the pan is made flat, tlie
upper part of main casing has wrought-iron lutes, and charging holes are made in
the top, through which the ingredients are put into the pan. These charging holes
are provided with suitable covers, and have each a small stirring hole, which is
covered by a moveable slide, so that the ingredients may be stirred without taking
off the covers. A conducting pipe for the vapours and gases leads from the boiler
top to the fire-grate, and this is provided with a valve; and a suitable regulator is
fixed in the chimney to regulate the draught. The pan casing rests on the main
casing by means of wrought iron, luted with red lead, putty, or other suitable
cement, and the top of the pan is luted with similar material.
In adapting these improvements to boilers with open tops of the common type
now used, the top of the pan may be curved or sloping as hitherto made; the con-
ducting pipe may be fixed to the top of same, the upper end opening to the atmo-
sphere, where combustion of the gases is kept up by a special fire, as the gases will
not burn continuously of themselves owing to the vapours they contain.
It is obvious that these arrangements may be modified, for instance, in newly
made boilers the gases may be made to pass through the special fire, and for further

page_text: instance the gases from boilers of the common type before referred to may be
conducted to the fire-grate, the real object being to collect and decompose the
vapours and gases, and thereby abate the nuisance before named.
The general design of the boilers, their carriages, shafts, and fire-grates, will be
better understood by reference to the Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto
annexed.
And in order that this Invention may be understood in detail, I will now
describe it with reference to the said Sheet of Drawings, and the best manner I am
acquainted with of carrying it into effect.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the arrangement which I prefer to use;
Figure 2 is a transverse section of same; and Figure 3 is a side elevation of same.
According to this arrangement the boiler is provided with a pan A, which is
heated by the fire upon the grate B, the heat passing through the central flue C,
and return or side flues D, D, to the chimney outlet E, and thence to the chimney F,
the amount of draught being regulated by the regulator or damper L. The ingre-
dients are put into the pan A through the charging holes G, G, G, and these holes
are provided with suitable covers H, H, in each of which there is a small stirring
hole covered with a slide. When the ingredients commence to vapourise the gases
pass through the tube K to the under side of the fire-grate, the doors p being nearly
closed that the draught may induce the gases to flow from the pan. Should the
mixture shew signs of boiling over two of the charging holes are uncovered at
farthest end from fire-grate, that the liquid may overflow through them; and the
heat may be quickly reduced by closing the damper L, and opening the air slide M,
care being taken to close the doors O and p. The surface of the liquid in the pan
should be about 2 inches above the top of side flues D, D, as shewn on accompany-
ing Drawings. The gas valve N should be closed until the ingredients commence
to vapourise, but at all other times it may remain fully open.
When the proper
temper of the mixture has been obtained the damper must be closed, that the
temper may not change during the emptying of the pan, which is a drawback in
boilers which have no dampers.
The improved boilers I have now described are made of various sizes, but in tho
simallest size it is not necessary to use fire-brick linings. The parting joint J, J, is
adopted in all cases to allow of the pan being removed from the casing for repairs,
and this joint, as well as the pan cover, is luted with suitable putty. The larger
sizes are mounted upon springs, and the chimnies have hinged joints, as shewn on
the accompanying Drawings. Only one pair of wheels are used for each boiler irre-
spective of the size, and the tyres and spokes are of wrought iron, the bosses being
cast upon the spokes, and the tyres shrunk on afterwards." Moveable shafts Qare
provided for each size; they are shipped into sockets at the front end of boilers, the
smallest size being of wrought iron, and the larger sizes of wood with usual fittings
for yoking horses to. The side flues D, D, are lined with fire-bricks, and the
central flue C is formed of curved fire-clay blocks, all jointed and bedded in fire-
clay. The dome R is fixed to the pan cover, and in the smallest size the gas valve
is placed inside the dome; the rest S is provided for the larger sizes only, and is
made moveable or fixed at option.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the best means I am acquainted with of performing the same, I
wish it to be understood that I do not restrict myself to the precise details shewn
on the accompanying Drawings, or described herein with reference to such
Drawings, or with reference to the modification and adaptation to existing boilers;
but what I believe to be novel and original and claim as my Invention is the
herein described Invention of "Improvements in Apparatus for Preparing Asphalte"
in regard to such Invention, comprising,―
First. Constructing and using boilers for preparing asphalte or other similar
product with arrangements for collecting and decomposing the pungent vapours and
gases, as herein-before described, or any mere modification thereof.

page_text: Second. Constructing the apparatus shewn on accompanying Drawings with the
various details herein-before described, whether used in their entirety or in isolated
parts, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Brierley Denham Healey, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twelfth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight. hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
E. T. DAVIES,
56, Hunter St.,
Liverpool.
B. D. HEALEY. (L.S.)