IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES FOR THE PREVENTION OF SMOKE
Year: 1855

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Player and Luke Duncan
Jackson, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 6th March 1855.
We, JOSEPH PLAYER and LUKE DUNCAN JACKSON, of 2, Winchester Build-
ings, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES FOR THE PREVENTION OF
SMOKE" to be as follows:-
These improvements consist principally in the adaptation to furnaces of an
additional or auxiliary set of fire bars in combination with a hopper for
containing fuel, said hopper and fire bars being placed in front of the ordinary
dead plate and fire bars of the furnace, and at the outside of the brickwork or
setting thereof, said improvements being designed more particularly for
furnaces in which turf, peat, or other similar description of fuel is employed,
but may also be used in furnaces where coal is the fuel employed, and will be
found in either case to economize the consumption of the fuel, and effect more
perfectly than heretofore the consumption of the smoke. I would observe that
I am aware of furnaces having already been constructed with two distinct and
separate sets of fire bars, both placed within the setting or brickwork of the fur-
nace, but at different heights or not on the same plane. These improvements
do not, therefore, altogether consist in the adapting to furnaces of two sets of

page_text: fire bars, unless such saidbars be arranged and disposed as before stated; that
is to say, by placing one set of bars with their dead plate and bearers within
the furnace, as ordinarily practised, and the other or auxiliary set of bars at
the outside of the said furnace, and connecting them to the brickwork in the
following or any other convenient manner; that is to say, I employ a kind of
box or case formed of sheet or of cast iron with two sides lined with fire bricks
or lumps. The front of said box or case, being also lined with fire bricks or
lumps, constitutes .a. hinged door for affording access to the interior of the said
box or case, the bottom whereof has an opening therein, in-which are arranged
a set of fire bars, and the other and solid part of the bottom which is next to
the furnace is also lined with fire bricks. The top of this box or case serves
as a hopper, in which the fuel to be employed is placed, and rests upon a
sliding piece composed of fire bricks or lumps, the drawing out of which allows
the fuel to fall on to the bars which are beneath. The box or case thus
constructed is connected to the upright sides of the dead plate of the furnace
by bolts and nuts, and when in use the fuel is first kindled in the aforesaid box
or case, and is then pushed upon the inner set of bars and the dead plate;
fresh fuel is then allowed to fall into the box or case, and the smoke therefrom,
passing over the clear fire in the furnace, will be more perfectly consumed than
heretofore. The furnace bars derive their supply of fuel from the fire in the
outer box, the operator opening the door thereof from time to time, and
pushing the clear fire forward, and supplying the outer or auxiliary fire with
fresh fuel as required.