IMPROVEMENTS IN ASPHALTE APPARATUS
Year: 1881

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Brierley Denham Healey at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th October 1881.
BRIERLEY DENHAM HEALEY, of Brighouse, in the County of York, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ASPHALTE APPARATUS."
This Invention has reference to pans or apparatus used for melting pitch, and
producing hot bituminous compounds of tar and pitch, creosote and pitch, or other
similar products, and is an improvement on the apparatus described in the Specifi-
cation of my Patent, No. 2733, A.D. 1870.
According to my present Invention the method of collecting the pungent gases
is made more reliable in its action, and no regulators or valves are required, as this
part of the apparatus is now selfacting. There is also a great saving in the cost of
maintenance owing to the improved construction of the central flue which leads
from the fireplace to the back of the apparatus. The inconvenience arising from
the overflowing of the pan, when using ingredients which contain too much water,
has been considerably reduced by making a large overflow spout at the back end
of the pan immediately below the covering sheet.
In carrying my present improvements into effect I dispense with the lower pair
of doors hitherto used at front of the fireplace, and I make the firebox quite open
at the bottom to atmospheric pressure. I do not now draw the gases from the pan
into the firebox below the grate, but I siphon them by suitable pipes outside the
apparatus into the fireplace above the level of the firegrate.
From the front portion of the pan covering sheet I lead a pair of gas pipes
starting from suitable connections on the cover, and ending in the dome or mouth-
piece over the front of fireplace. One pipe is placed to the right and the other to
the left of the chimney, a clear space being left between the front of pan casing

page_text: and each pipe. The connections on the cover comprise a cast iron box for each
gas pipe, a loose flange below each box with a sliding frame between the box and
the flange, and a diaphragm of wire gauze in each sliding frame. I make the gas
tubes to rise well above the gauze boxes before turning them down to the fireplace,
by which menis the liquid pitch is prevented from flowing through them to the
fire when the ingredients of the pan froth up and overflow. The pungent gases
from the pan are cooled slightly in passing through the gauze diaphragms, and a
good siphon action is started as soon as the gas pipes become charged. The gases
on entering the fireplace are decomposed by the heat of the fire, whether they pass
over the fire or up the front flue of the apparatus, and the diaphragms prevent the
gases firing back into the pan.
The central flue over the fires of the large and medium sized apparatus I now
make of fire-clay blocks jointed along the crown, and the back part of these flues I
now make of mild steel or boiler plates, by which means the apparatus is enabled
to do more work, and the flues over the fires are more durable than hitherto. The
fire-clay blocks are held in their places by bent bolts, and the crown joint is
covered with tee or bar iron. The central flue for small sized apparatus I make of
mild steel or boiler plate with an extra plato or false crown over the fire; one plate
being about half an inch from the other allows of an air space, and renders the
front part of these flues more durable than with a single plate all through. At the
back end of every flue I put a fan-tailed plate ou the crown and a stop or baffling
plate near the casing end 30 as to direct the heated current to the side flues
without over-heating the end of the casing.
In order to provide against the inconvenience and risk arising from the
ingredients boiling over when they contain too much water, I now make the pan
with a large overflow spout at the back end immediately below the covering sheet.
This spout-projects-outwards-sufficiently-to-allow-the-overflowings-to-drop-into-a-
bucket placed below the tap, and it is put about three inches inwards to allow of
being luted with sand so as to prevent an undesirable escape of the gases from the
pan at that point. Having adopted the overflow spout which I have now
mentioned I am enabled to use a better form of charging hole covering. The rings
for the latter I now make of cast iron with a lip on the inner edge standing
upwards, and the covers for same I make with hinges and slightly flanged all
round. By this arrangement the rain water cannot get into the pan through the
charging holes, as was the case in my first Patent.
The pan of large sized apparatus contains about 600 gallons, the medium size
about 300 gallons, and the small size about. 150 gallons. The size of the gas pipes
is about two inches diameter for the large, one inch and a half for the medium,
and one inch and a quarter for the small sized apparatus. The open space for
gauze in sliding frames is thirty inches in area for large, twenty inches for medium,
and fourteen inches for small sized apparatus. The thickness of the fire-clay flue
blocks is about two and a half inches for the large, and about two inches for the
medium sized apparatus. The thickness of the back plato of large sized flue is
half an inch, and of the back plate of medium sized flue three-eighths of an inch,
the flue plate and false crown of small sized flue being each about a quarter of an
inch thick.
Having now described my Invention, and the best means I am acquainted with
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details described herein, but what I claim as my present Invention
is,-
First. Constructing asphalte apparatus with the improved arrangements for
collecting and decomposing the gases from the pan, as herein before described, or
any mere modification thereof.
Secondly. The use of an overflow spout at the back end of the pan, together
with the improved construction of the charging holes and covers, as herein before
described, for asphalte apparatus.

page_text: Thirdly. Constructing the central flues of asphalte apparatus with fire-clay
blocks and iron combined, and with iron false crown over fire of small sized
apparatus, as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Brierley Denham Healey, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
B. D. HEALEY. (x)

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Brierley Denham Healey at
tho Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th October 1881.
BRIERLEY DENHAM HEALEY, of Brighouse, in the County of York, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ASPHALTE APPARATUS."
This Invention has reference to pans or apparatus used for melting pitch, and
producing hot bituminous compounds of tar and pitch, creosote and pitch, or other
similar products, and is an improvement on the apparatus described in the Specifi-
cation of my Patent, No. 2733, A.D. 1870.
According to my present Invention the method of collecting the pungent gases
is made more reliable in its action, and no regulators or valves are required, as this
part of the apparatus is now selfacting. There is also a great saving in the cost of
maintenance owing to the improved construction of the central flue which leads
from the fireplace to the back of the apparatus. The inconvenienco arising from
the overflowing of the pan, when using ingredients which contain too much water,
has been considerably reduced by making a large overflow spout at the back end
of the pan immediately below the covering sheet.
In carrying my present improvements into effect I dispense with the lower pair
of doors hitherto used at front of the fireplace, and I make the firebox quite open
at the bottom to atmospheric pressure. I do not now draw the gases from the pan
into the firebox below the grate, but I siphon them by suitable pipes outside tho
apparatus into the fireplace above the level of the firegrate.
From the front portion of the pan covering sheet I lead a pair of gas pipes
starting from suitable connections on the cover, and ending in the dome or mouth-
pieco over the front of fireplace. One pipe is placed to the right and the other to
the left of the chimney, a clear space being left between the front of pan casing

page_text: and each pipe. The connections on the cover comprise a cast iron box for cach
gas pipe, a loose flange below each box with a sliding frame between the box and
the flange, and a diaphragm of wire gauze in each sliding frame. I make the gas
tubes to rise well above the gauze boxes before turning them down to the fireplace,
by which means the liquid pitch is prevented from flowing through them to the
fire when the ingredients of the pan froth up and overflow. The pungent gases
from the pan are cooled slightly in passing through the gauzo diaphragms, and a
good siplion action is started as soon as the gas pipes become charged. The gases
on entering the fireplace are decomposed by the heat of the fire, whether they pass
over the fire or up the front flue of the apparatus, and the diaphragms prevent the
gases firing back into the pan.
The central flue over the fires of the large and medium sized apparatus I now
make of fire-clay blocks jointed along the crown, and the back part of these flues I
now make of mild steel or boiler plates, by which means the apparatus is enabled
to do more work, and the flues over the fires are more durable than hitherto. The
fire-clay blocks are held in their places by bent bolts, and the crown joint is
covered with tee or bar iron. The central flue for small sized apparatus I make of
mild steel or boiler plate with an extra plate or false crown over the fire; one plate
being about half an inch from the other allows of an air space, and renders the
front part of these Blues more durable than with a single plate all through. At the
back end of every flue I put a fun-tailed plate on the crown and a stop or baffling
plate near the casing end so as to direct the heated current to the side flues
without over-heating the end of the casing.
In order to provide against the inconvenience and risk arising from the
ingredients boiling over when they contain too much water, I now mako the pan
with a large overflow spout at the back end immediately below the covering sheet.
This spout projects outwards sufficiently to allow the overflowings to drop into a
bucket placed below the tap, and it is put about three inches inwards to allow of
being luted with sand so as to prevent an undesirable escape of the gases from the
pan at that point. Having adopted the overflow spout which I have now
mentioned I am enabled to use a better form of charging hole covering. The rings
for the latter I now make of cast iron with a lip on the inner edge standing
upwards, and the covers for same I make with hinges and slightly flanged all
round. By this arrangement the rain water cannot get into the pan through the
charging holes, as was the case in my first Patent.
The pan of large sized apparatus contains about 600 gallons, the medium sizo
about 300 gallons, and the small size about 150 gallons. The size of the gas pipes
is about two inches diameter for the large, one inch and a half for the medium,
and one inch and a quarter for the small sized apparatus. The open space for
gauze in sliding frames is thirty inches in area for large, twenty inches for medium,
and fourteen inches for small sized apparatus. The thickness of the fire-clay flue
blocks is about two and a half inches for the large, and about two inches for tho
medium sized apparatus. The thickness of the back plato of large sized flue is
half an inch, and of the back plate of medium sized flue three-eighths of an inch,
the flue plate and falso crown of small sized flue being each about a quarter of an
inch thick.
Having now described my Invention, and the best means I am acquainted with
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine mysolf
to the precise details described herein, but what I claim as my prosent Invention
is,―
First. Constructing asphalte apparatus with the improved arrangements for
collecting and decomposing the gases from the pan, as herein before described, or
any mere modification thereof.
Secondly. The use of an overflow spout at the back end of the pan, together
with the improved construction of the charging holes and covers, as herein before
described, for asphalte apparatus.

page_text: Thirdly. Constructing the central flues of asphalte apparatus with fire-clay
blocks and iron combined, and with iron false crown over fire of small sized
apparatus, as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Brierley Denham Healey, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
B. D. REALE.
(4x)