IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE APPLICATION OF GAS AND ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO THE GENERATION OF HEAT IN FURNACE OR OTHER FLUES, AND THE CONSUMPTION OF SMOKE
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Lancaster and James Smith, both of
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE APPLICATION OF GAS AND ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO THE
GENERATION OF HEAT IN FURNACE OR OTHER FLUES, AND THE CONSUMPTION OF
SMOKE."
Sealed the 18th July 1856, and dated the 29th January 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Lancaster
and James Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 29th January 1856.
We, WILLIAM HENRY LANCASTER and JAMES SMITH, both of Liverpool, in
the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE APPLICATION OF GAS AND ATMOSPHERIC AIR
TO THE GENERATION OF HEAT IN FURNACE OR OTHER FLUES, AND THE CONSUMPTION OF
SMOKE," to be as follows:--
These improved arrangements consist in placing the retort or retorts in
which the gas is generated in the fire-place of any boiler or other furnace, in
the flues of which it is desirable to obtain additional heat, and to effect the
consumption of smoke.
The arrangements for the combustion of the gas in the flues consist of a pipe
or pipes for conveying the gas, when manufactured, to several sets of jets
disposed at suitable intervals along the course of the flues, and of plates

page_text: arranged to form channels in the flues to convey to the several sets of jets a
supply of atmospheric air, adequate to support active combustion. By these
arrangements, the double object of generating heat and consuming smoke by
the application of gas alone, or in combination with atmospheric air, or of
atmospheric air alone is completely attained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henry Lancaster and James Smith in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 29th July 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, WILLIAM
HENRY LANCASTER and JAMES SMITH, both of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said William Henry Lancaster and James Smith, Her special licence that
we, the said William Henry Lancaster and James Smith, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Henry
Lancaster and James Smith, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVED
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE APPLICATION OF GAS AND ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO THE GENE-
RATION OF HEAT IN FURNACE OR OTHER FLUES, AND THE CONSUMPTION OF SMOKE,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Henry Lancaster
and James Smith, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or
them, 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 William Henry Lancaster, one of the
'parties hereto, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-

page_text: Our improved arrangements consist in placing the retort or retorts in which
the gas is generated in the fire-place of any boiler or other furnace, in the flues
of which it is desirable to obtain additional heat and to effect the consumption:
of smoke...
7
The arrangements for the combustion of the gas in the flues consist of a pipe:
or pipes for conveying the gas, when manufactured, to several sets of jets dis-
posed at suitable intervals along the course of the flues, and of plates arranged.
to form channels in the flues to convey to the several sets of jets a supply of
atmospheric air, adequate to support active combustion. By these arrange-.
ments, the double object of generating heat and consuming smoke by the
application of gas alone, or in combination with atmospheric air, or of atmo-
spheric air alone, is completely attained.
In order to explain our said Invention as completely as possible, we now
proceed to describe the best means we are acquainted with for carrying the;
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Drawings;
annexed to these Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference
marked thereon respectively as follows:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
At Sheet 1, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal and vertical section of a;
boiler furnace, fitted with retorts for generating gas, and with hollow fire bars!
and channels for conveying heated atmospheric air into the flue in which
it is required to generate heat and to consumie smoke. A is the retort in,
which gas may be generated, either from the distillation of coal, or from the.
decomposition of water, or from the double or combined decomposition of both
coal and water, as set forth and described in the Specification of a Patent
dated Tenth August, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, No. 1811,
granted unto us the said William Henry Lancaster and James Smith. Bis
the bridge of the furnace, perforated along the line b, b, to allow a portion of
the atmospheric air to pass through the hollow fire bars N, or through the
opening P, as the case may be, to the flue immediately behind the retort.
D1, D2, D3, D, are plates of metal or other material, fixed in the flue of the
furnace and forming additional channels for the supply of successive currents.
of atmospheric air to the said flue. E, E, E, represent a portion of the return.
flue and "up-take" leading therefrom. According to the above arrangement,
the gas, when generated in the retort; escapes through openings at a, a, a, and
mixing with the carbonaceous vapours and flame from the furnace, together
with the atmospheric air previously heated in its passage through the hollow fire,
bars, burns with intense heat and inflames the carbonaceous particles which.

page_text: would otherwise pass off in smoke, whilst the successive supplies of heated
atmospheric air entering through the passages formed by the plates D', D³, D³, D*,
serve to support the flame thus formed until the combustion of the smoky
matter is effected, and only a hot colorless vapour escapes into the further
parts of the flue.
We would here observe, that although the Drawing only represents one
retort placed in the furnace, in practice it will be found desirablo. to employ
two retorts for the purpose of securing à continuous supply of gas. The fore-
going arrangements are simple, and will generally be found quite efficient when:
the heat is required to be diffused only over a limited extent of flue surface.
But when the object of the Invention is to maintain an intense heat over a
greater length of flue, it will then be necessary to convey the gas along the
flue in pipes that it may be ignited at suitable points. To be used thus, how-
ever, the gas must undergo a certain degree of purification, which may be
effected in apparatus of the following construction.
Figure 2 represents an end view of a boiler furnace with purifier, &c.
attached thereto. A, A, are retorts, from whence the gas generated therein
is conveyed through pipes B, B, into cisterns F, F, instead of escaping by
apertures at the end of said retorts as at a, Figure 1. The cisterns F are
filled with water up to the line f, f, and the gas escapes from the tubes B,'B,
about three inches below the line f, and passing upwards through the water
into the cavities at C, C, is purified by being divested of the grosser particles:
of tar mixed with the gas, which would otherwise pass off with the gas and
speedily choke the pipes through the gas passes into the flues. R, R, are
branch pipes for conveying the gas, when purified, from the cavities C, C,
into a main pipe T, which passes under the hollow furnace bars N, N, (hercin-
after fully described) into the flue.
Figure 3 represents an horizontal section of a boiler furnace, shewing the
course of the fluos, and mode of arranging and disposing the pipes employed
for the distribution of the gas. The main pipe T, employed for conducting gas
into the flue, is perforated on its upper surface with holes of about one-twelfth
of an inch diameter, and about three inches distance apart (more or less). P, P,
are cross pipes perforated on their upper surface with holes of about one-
twelfth of an inch diameter, and about one inch and a half apart, more or less.
E, E, return flues, partly shewn at Figure 1. The channels employed for
conveying heated air to the precise points at which the combustion of the
gas must take place are not shewn in reference to Figure 3, as it is obvious
that they must be modified to suit the circumstances of the case. For example,
when only a small quantity of gas is emitted immediately beyond. one bridge,

page_text: only a comparatively small quantity of heated atmospheric air will be.required
at that point; whilst, on the other hand, a more plentiful supply of heated air
will be required at the points where the pipes P, P, are situated, and where the
chief combustion will necessarily take place. We have found in practice that
the best results are obtained when the supply of heated air is in the proportion
of about four-volumes thereof to one of gas. We would here remark, that
although the above arrangement of the perforated pipes T and P in a flue con-
structed as exhibited at Figure 3 is the best we are acquainted with for effecting
the objects of our said Invention; at the same time we do not intend to limit
ourselves to this precise or particular disposition of said pipes, and also of the
channels employed for conveying the heated atmospheric air into the flue, which
will vary according to the structure of the flues to which they are to be applied.
And as regards the position of the retorts in the furnace, we would observe,
that in practice we have found the most suitable distance of such retorts from
the surface of the fire bars to be about eighteen inches, as at that distance the
bridge of the furnace is sufficiently raised to cause the flame of the furnace to
play around the retorts into the flue, and thereby to secure an uniform amount
of heat as far as practicable. Further, the retorts may be shaped either round.
or flat, and be made either of metal, fire-clay, pipe-clay, or compounds of these
substances; and this applies also to the perforated pipes T and P, and also the
plates or tubes of which the air passages may be constructed. The cisterns or;
purifiers F, F, may be made of various sizes, according to circumstances; but,
for a retort capable of distilling a charge of about two hundred weight of coal,
we have found a cistern five feet deep, two feet in diameter, with two feet' of
water therein to answer well. Lastly, the atmospheric air may be heated either.
by passing through hollow fire bars; as before stated, into the chamber formed
by the bridge of the furnace, which plan we prefer, or the air may pass through
the opening P under the ash-pit; the door P of which may be opened or closed
at pleasure by means of a lever, so placed as to be within reach of the stoker.
We now proceed to a description of Sheet 2 of the Drawings, observing,
that although for most furnaces the foregoing arrangements would be found
applicable, still, for such furnaces' as are limited in height, and in which there
would not be sufficient space for the introduction of the retorts without
encroaching on the furnace space, in such cases we propose to niake use of an
arrangement of hollow fire bars, each constituting a retort for generating gas.
The following is the mode of arranging the said fire bar retorts.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal and vertical section of a boiler furnace, '&c., showing
hollow fire bars and pipes connected thereto for distributing the gas. A, A,
is a hollow cast-iron fire bar projecting about twelve inches from the furnace

page_text: door, and about twelve inches at the opposite end beyond the back of the bridge
of the furnace into the air chamber E, formed by the bridge G; D is a screw cap
for closing the mouth of the firė bar retorts N when it is desired to pass steam
through the same, as at Figure 7.; B, B, are screw nipples for connecting.
thereto the steam pipes c, c, c, as at Figure 10; P is a door for supplying air to
the chamber E; D, D, D, are chambers, formed either of plates or tubes, for
conveying.successive currents of heated air to the requisite parts of the 'fluc, as
at Figure: 1 of Sheet I; F, F, are pipes for conveying the gas froin the fire bar
retorts, (and passing through the channels D, D,) delivering it at the points h, h;
or it may be delivered as at Figure 3 of Sheet 1, the pipe T, T, being attached
to the end of the fire bar retort A, A, at Figure 4; or the gas may be delivered.
cntirely in or at the end of the furnace...
'
Figure 5. is a transverse and vertical section (drawn full size) of a hollow fire
bar; serving also the purpose of a gas retort, with screw nipple for securing
the steam pipe c, shown at Figure 9.
Figure 6 is a front view of the fore end of said fire bar retort, showing pro-
jecting screw nipple E, hereafter described; F, F, are projecting shoulders
formed at both ends of each of said bars, as at Figure 10...
Figure 7 is a longitudinal and vertical. section of the fore part of the
aforesaid. hollow.fire bar retort, with screw nipple and screw cap attached;
and as regards the ends of those fire bars at which the exit of the gas is to take
place; we form such parts with a screw nipple, similar to that marked E, at
Figure 6 for the purpose of connecting thereto the pipes employed for
delivering the gas; and those bars which simply return the gas instead of
having a screw nipple may be formed closed.
Figure 8 is à front elevation of a furnace, showing hollow fire bar retorts
and steam pipes in transverse section, fitted with cocks X, X, X, for shutting off
or regulating the supply of steam when necessary. c, c, c, are steam pipes for
supplying the fire bar retorts with steam; K, stop cock, for turning off-the
gas
from the main service pipe, as herein-after.stateil..
Figure 9 is a horizontal section of the above hollow bars, showing by the
arrow's flight the course of the gas through the same.
'
Figure 10 is a side elevation of the exterior of one of the said fire bars.
.Figure 11 is a transverse and vertical section of said fire bar taken across
the middle. thereof.. In this arrangement, notwithstanding gas may be
generated without the. fire bar. retorts being charged, the quantity of gas
will be considerably increased by charging such said. fire bar retorts with a
decomposing agent, such as small pieces of scrap iron, wire, or small pieces of
charcoal, thus presenting a greater. decomposing, surface to the action of the

page_text: steam. In situations contiguous to gas works, or near the company's main,
we propose to connect a branch pipe thereto, and to a steam pipe, as at K,
Figure 8, by which we can use coal gas for the first lighting up of the fire, or
we can use coal gas and water gas alternately. The coal gas in passing through
the heated fire bars would increase its volume and deposit its carbon, and such
carbon would form a decomposing agent for the steam.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention of
Improved Arrangements for the Application of Gas and Atmospheric Air to
the Generation of Heat in Furnaces or other Flues, and the Consumption of
Smoke," together with the best means we are acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, we would remark, in conclusion, that we do not
claim the exclusive use of any of the separate parts above mentioned and
referred to, except in so far as the same may be employed in combination and
for the purposes of our said Invention. And we hereby declare that what we
claim as the Invention intended to be secured to us by the above in part
recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the construction and use of apparatus arranged as described by
reference to the Drawings hereunto annexed, whereby gas gencrated in the
furnace, in the flues of which it is to be consumed, may be applied for the con-
sumption of smoke and generation of heat, as above described.
Secondly, the construction and use of apparatus arranged as described by
reference to Figures 1 and 3 of Drawings hereto annexed, whereby gas with
or without the addition of atmospheric air may be applied for the consumption
of smoke and generation of heat, as above described.
Thirdly, the construction and use of apparatus arranged as described by
reference to Figure 1, whereby atmospheric air alone, or with gas, may be
applied to the consumption of smoke and generation of heat, as above
described.
In witness whereof, I the said William Henry Lancaster, one of the
parties hereto, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third
day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-six.
Witness,
WILLIAM HENRY LANCASTER. (L.S.)
ALEX. PRINCE, Patent Agent,
4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross.