IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO THE FURNACES OF STEAM BOILERS AND TO OTHER FURNACES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hays. Wilson, of the Firm of John Hays Wilson and
Company, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING
ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO THE FURNACES OF STEAM BOILERS AND TO OTHER
FURNACES."
Sealed the 20th March 1877, and dated the 21st September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hays Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st September 1876.
JOHN HAYS WILSON, of the Firm of John Hays Wilson and Company, of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers.
OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO THE FURNACES OF STEAM
BOILERS AND TO OTHER FURNACES,"
This Invention relates to a method of supplying atmospheric air to the furnaces
of steam boilers and to other furnaces at the time of and immediately after such
furnaces shall have been supplied with fresh fuel, so that such atmospheric air will
induce combustion, and thereby consume the smoke and the waste gases which
otherwise would be drawn up the chimney and detrimentally wasted, and further
to a method of shutting off or stopping such supply of air after the fresh fuel shall
have become incandescent. The admission of atmospheric air afterwards only enters
between the fire-bars in the usual way. The result of this method is, the smoke
and gases are consumed, and thereby a better result is obtained from a given
quantity of fuel than has before been effected.
The apparatus according to this Invention used to carry out the before-mentioned
method and effect such result consists,-
Firstly. Of a mouth piece formed on the inside of the furnace door projecting and
opening into the furnace.
Secondly. Of a fan ventilator consisting of two plates having radial slots, one
plate working over the other, which is formed on the furnace door in front of the
mouth piece, and which regulates the admission of air through the mouth piece into
the furnace.

page_text: Thirdly. To a clockwork mechanism, being a train of toothed wheels driven by a
spring or weight, which is fixed on the fan ventilator and arranged so that it
actuates such ventilator; for example, the clockwork is arranged so that the
ventilator may remain open after stoking for, say five minutes, after which the
ventilator is gradually closed by the clockwork. The clockwork is arranged so that
when the furnace door is opened the stoker opens the fan ventilator and thereby starts
the clockwork, which goes for a given time; or the clockwork is so arranged that
upon the furnace door being opened the fan ventilator is opened and the clockwork
is automatically started by the action of a lever working on a cam or like contrivance.
It will thus be seen that after stoking the ventilator admits a volume of atmospheric
air through the fan ventilator and mouth piece on to the fresh fuel for a given time,
after which as the fuel becomes incandescent this supply of atmospheric air is
gradually shut off by the clockwork closing the fan ventilator. The result is
perfect combustion, as the apparatus can be regulated to supply atmospheric air as
required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Hays Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th March
1877.
JOHN HAYS WILSON, of the Firm of John Hays Wilson and Company, of
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD
OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO THE FURNACES OF STEAM
BOILERS AND TO OTHER FURNACES."
This Invention relates to a method of supplying atmospheric air to the furnaces
of steam boilers and to other furnaces at the time of and immediately after such
furnaces shall have been supplied with fresh fuel, so that such atmospheric air will
induce combustion, and thereby consume the smoke and the waste gases which
otherwise would be drawn up the chimney and detrimentally wasted, and further
to a method of shutting off or stopping such supply of air after the fresh fuel shall
have become incandescent. The admission of atmospheric air afterwards only enters
between the fire-bars in the usual way. The result of this method is the smoke
and gases are consumed, and thereby a better result is obtained from a given
quantity of fuel than has before been effected.
The apparatus according to this Invention used to carry out the before-mentioned
method and effect such result consists,-
Firstly. Of a mouth piece formed on the inside of the furnace door projecting and
opening into the furnace.
Secondly. Of a fan ventilator consisting of two plates having radial slots, one
plate working over the other, which is formed on the furnace door in front of the
mouth piece, and which regulates the admission of air through the mouth piece into
the furnace.
Thirdly. To a clockwork mechanism, being a train of toothed wheels driven by a
spring or weight, which is fixed on the fan ventilator and arranged so that it
actuates such ventilator; for example, the clockwork is arranged so that the
ventilator may remain open after stoking for, say five minutes, after which the
ventilator is gradually closed by the clockwork. The clockwork is arranged so that
when the furnace door is opened the stoker opens the fan ventilator and thereby
starts the clockwork, which goes for a given time; or the clockwork is so arranged
that upon the furnace door being opened the fan ventilator is opened and the clock-
work is automatically started by the action of a lever working on a cam or like
contrivance. It will thus be seen that after stoking the ventilator admits a volume
of atmospheric air through the fan ventilator and mouth piece on to the fresh fuel
for a given time, after which as the fuel becomes incandescent this supply of
atmospheric air is gradually shut off by the clockwork closing the fan ventilator.

page_text: The result is perfect combustion, as the apparatus can be regulated to supply
atmospheric air as required.
In order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I will now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner, in or under which the
same is, or may be used, or practically carried into effect, reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters of reference marked
thereon, like letters and figures denoting similar parts throughout the various views.
Figures 1 to 5 inclusive are drawn to the scale of three inches to the foot;
Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9, are full size.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a furnace door with my improvements in apparatus
for supplying atmospheric air applied thereto; Figure 2 is a section through A, B,
Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section through C, D, Figure 1; Figure 4 is a modified
arrangement of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a side section through A, B, Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a full-sized side elevation showing the clock mechanism as applied
in Figure 1; Figure 7 is a plan of Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a full-sized side elevation showing the clock mechanism as applied in
Figure 4; Figure 9 is an end elevation in section of Figure 8.
Upon reference to the Drawings, Figures 1, 2, and 3, it will be seen that A is a
furnace door upon which is formed a funnel-shaped mouth piece B projecting into and
opening into the furnace. C is a fan ventilator consisting of two plates a and b,
having radial slots, a being the plate forming the furnace door and b a plate centred
on the pin e and working on the face of the plate a. E is a clockwork mechanism,
being a train of toothed wheels driven by a spring. The clockwork E is attached
to the furnace door by the plate F and arranged so that the pin e is common to the
plate b and the movement wheel h of the clock mechanism; the clock mechanism
is wound up by the handle K, the pointer and index S being used to record the
amount of winding, so that the clockwork may be set to go for a given time.
clockwork E is so arranged that the ventilator, being the plate b, may remain
stationary and open after winding for a given period, after which the ventilator
being the plate b is gradually closed by the clockwork; this is effected by forming
the wheel i (see Figures 6 and 7) without teeth for a given portion of its circum-
ference; this allows the clockwork E to go for a given period before the wheel i
comes into gear with the wheel h, and thereby actuates the ventilator, being the
plate b, by means of the pin or shaft e.
The
Upon reference to Figures 4, 5, 8, and 9, it will be seen that a modified arrange-
ment of my Invention consists in hinging the plate 6 at X and attaching such plate by
means of a chain V to a lever Y which is operated by the detached clock mechanism E
(see Figures 8 and 9).
In operation when the furnace door A is opened the stoker opens the fan
ventilator C by means of the handle K, which also winds up and starts the clock-
work; the furnace door is then closed. The clockwork, which goes for a given time,
regulates the action of the ventilator plate b, thereby admitting a volume of air
through the mouth-piece B into the furnace (after stoking), such volume of air being
gradually shut off or stopped by the action of the clockwork as the fresh fuel
becomes incandescent. The action of the fan ventilator, as shown at Figure 4, is
automatic. As the furnace door A is opened the balance weighted lever Y
automatically opens the ventilator plate b by means of the chain V and simultaneously
winds up the clockwork E, which goes for a given time, gradually shutting off the
supply of air as the fuel becomes incandescent:
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the arrangement and construction of a furnace door such as A
fitted with a ventilator such as C operated by a clock mechanism such as E, the
parts arranged in relation to each other, as shown in the accompanying Drawings,
and operating so that upon the opening of the furnace door and closing of the same
a volume of atmospheric air is supplied for a given period into the furnace through

page_text: the mouth piece B, such supply being gradually shut off by the clockwork E as the
fuel becomes incandescent, as set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hays Wilson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JOHN HAYS (L.s.) WILSON.