IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE BOILER FURNACES. AND IN FEEDING THE SAME
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Humphrys, of Deptford, in the County of
Kent, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE BOILER
FURNACES. AND IN FEEDING THE SAME."
Sealed the 3rd September 1860, and dated the 3rd March 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Humphrys at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd March 1860.
I, EDWARD HUMPHRYS, of Deptford, in the County of Kent, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE
BOILER FURNACES, AND IN FEEDING THE SAME," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the employment of furnaces of marine steam
boilers of such a size as will permit of their being fed with fuel mechanically
in combination with machinery for creating an artificial draught through the
furnaces, and for supplying such furnaces with fuel.
The manner in which my Invention may be performed is as follows, but I
do not limit myself thereto :-I construct my furnaces from about two feet to
about two feet and a half in length by about six feet in breadth, but I do not
limit myself to these precise dimensions; over the furnace 1 place a horizontal
revolving cylinder or roller, which extends across the whole breadth of the
furnace, and is divided into several compartments capable of containing fuel,
which is supplied from a hopper opening directly into the fuel cylinder; at
[Price 8d.]

page_text: bottom the cylinder opens into a shoot or passage leading into the furnace.
The fuel cylinder is caused to rotate, the number of revolutions per hour being
regulated according to requirements.
In order to ensure the due supply of air to support combustion, I either
place an exhausting fan in the smoke box or other convenient position at the
back of the furnace; or I employ a fan to drive in air at the front of the
furnace or through the furnace bars. employ for my furnace bars simple
bars of iron, which may be slidden in through the front of the furnace, and
made to rest at back upon a flange provided for the purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Humphrys in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
IIUMPHRYS, of Deptford, in the County of Kent, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS 1ler most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of March. in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Edward Humphrys. Her special licence that I. the said
Edward Humphrys, my executors. administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Edward Humphrys, 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 MARINE BOILER FURNACES. AND IN FREDING THE SAME."
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Humphrys, my
executors or administrators, 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 Edward Humphrys, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
The object of my Invention is to reduce the fire-bar area of marine boiler
furnaces for the purpose of rendering it practicable and convenient to employ
machinery for firing the same. The grate surface of marine boilers has
heretofore been too extended to admit of such machinery being conveniently
and efficiently applied, but there would be no practical impediment to its
application provided that the said surface is considerably reduced. say. to about
one-fourth or less of its present extent. It would not be practicable, however,
to effect such a reduction as this in the grate surface and at the same time to
secure a sufficient supply of steam, unless means were provided for quickening
the process of combustion in the furnace, and thus augmenting the amount of
heat generated upon each square foot of the grate surface; this can only be
accomplished by increasing the draught or supply of air to the burning fuel.
My Invention therefore consists in the employment of machinery of any
suitable kind for feeding fuel with other machinery of any suitable kind for
creating an artificial draught, both being used in combination and applied to a
furnace or furnaces in which the grate surface or fire-bar area is reduced in
about the proportion before stated (that is, to about one-fourth or less
of its present extent). I do not confine myself to the employment of any
particular forms of feeding or blowing apparatuses.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have illustrated one method of carrying
my Invention into effect.
Figure is a front elevation of a marine boiler fitted with my improve-
ments; Figure 2 is a back elevation; and Figure 3, a longitudinal section of
the same; Figure 4 is a section through A, B, of Figure 3; and Figure 5, a
section through C, D, of Figure 3.
Over each of the furnaces E, E, 1 place a horizontal revolving cylinder or
roller F. which extends across the whole breadth of the furnace, and is divided
into several compartments capable of containing fuel, which is supplied to it
At bottom this
from a hopper G opening directly into the fuel cylinder F.
cylinder F opens directly into a shoot or passage H, leading down to the centre
of the fire-bars I, 1. The fuel cylinder F is caused to revolve at a speed
suitable for supplying the necessary quantity of fuel to the furnace. In this
case I obtain the requisite draught by placing a revolving fan K in the smoke
box or uptake L of the boiler, the fan K being driven at such speed as will
draw air in sufficient quantity through the furnaces. The fire-box and case is a
separate and distinct piece from the tube case, the one being merely secured to
the other by a few bolts and a smoke joint, so that the fire-box may be either

page_text: made entirely of copper or be made of iron, and' renewed as often as may be
necessary. The fire-bars I, I, are simple pieces of fire-bar iron cut roughly
to lengths, and supported on bearers in a manner similar to that adopted in
puddling and shingling furnaces. These project from the front of the furnace as
shown in Figure 3 at i, i, and may be drawn out singly, cleaned, straightened,
cooled, and replaced. Instead of placing the fan in the uptake and employing
it to exhaust from the furnace, I sometimes close in the ash-pit and use
the fan for blowing air into it, and forcing it through the fire-bars into the
furnace.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the combination of a
mechanical feeding apparatus with a mechanical apparatus for creating an
artificial draught, both being employed with a furnace having a small grate
surface in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Humphrys, have hereunto.
set my hand and seal, this Third day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty.
EDW. HUMPHRYS. (L.S.)