IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Hathaway, Manager of the Gas Works,
North Shields, in the County of Northumberland, for the Invention
MWAWADHAMION OF THEWAN "
Sealed the 17th October 1873, and dated the 23rd July 1873
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Hathaway at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd July 1873.
I, Henry HatHAWAY, Manager of the Gas Works, North Shields, in'
the County of Northumberland, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES," to be
as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the construction of furnaces in such
a manner as to increase their durability, and consists in either making
the furnace frame, a plate attached thereto, or the mouth piece of the
furnace dip down into the water contained in the evaporating or ash
pan, and thus prevent any access for air in the ordinary direction. The
air necessary to support combustion is admitted through openings on

page_text: each side of the furnace door. These openings or air flues extend
horizontally, partially through the cheeks of the furnace, and are then
carried down just below the fire-bars. The ordinary air way being
closed the cold air is compelled to enter the openings or air flues before
mentioned, and in its passage abstracts the heat from the sides or cheeks
of the furnace, thereby keeping them comparatively cool and ensuring
their increased endurance.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Hathaway in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
HATHAWAY, Manager of the Gas Works, North Shields, in the County
of Northumberland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Hathaway, Her special licence,
that I, the said Henry Hathaway, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Hathaway, 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 THE
CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Henry Hathaway, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and

page_text: 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 Henry Hathaway, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say :-
This Invention has for its object the construction of furnaces in such
a manner as to increase their durability, and consists in either making
the furnace frame, a plate attached thereto, or the mouth piece of the
furnace dip down into the water contained in the evaporating or ash
pan, and thus prevent any access for air in the ordinary direction. The
air necessary to support combustion is admitted through openings on
cach side of the furnace door. These openings or air flues extend
horizontally, partially through the cheeks of the furnace, and are then
carried down just below the fire-bars. The ordinary air way being
closed, the cold air is compelled to enter the openings or air flues before
mentioned, and in its passage abstracts the heat from the sides or cheeks
of the furnace, thereby keeping them comparatively cool and ensuring
their increased endurance.
In order that the foregoing may be more easily understood, Drawings
are attached hereto, of which the following is a description :-
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a bench of retorts; Fig. 2 is a section of
the same through A, B, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a plan of the furnace
through C, D, Fig. 2.
In Fig. 1, E, E, E, are the retorts; F, the furnace mouth piece; G, the
furnace; and H, the furnace door; I, is the plate dipping into the water
contained in the evaporating or ash pan J; and K, K, are the openings
to air flues through which the air to support combustion in the furnace
enters.
In Fig. 2, L, L, are the furnace bars; and M, M, are the bearing bars;
:

page_text: from whence comes the air to supply the furnace. In all the Figs.
similar letters indicate the same parts.
It will be seen on referring to the Drawings that the air enters at
K, K, Figs. 1 and 2, and passes along the air flue N, Fig. 2, in the
direction of the arrows dipping down beneath the furnace bars and
entering the furnace from between them. The cold air, therefore,
having to enter and travel through the air flues N, N, which are con-
structed in the cheeks of the furnace, it is evident that the sides of the
furnace will be kept cool, and their power of resistance, and consequently
endurance, will be considerably increased, while the saving in fuel will
be greatly augmented, even to 25 or 30 per cent.
By applying flue plugs, dampers, or valves to the openings K, K, the
quantity of air to be admitted to the furnace can be regulated with the
greatest nicety and proportioned so as to produce approximately perfect
combustion.
The Invention can be applied with undoubted advantage to egg-ended
or other boilers, and in fact to any ordinary brick furnace, and with or
without a projecting mouth piece.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have
described or referred to, as variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of this Invention, but
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 construction of furnaces with openings and air flues,
substantially as herein described and shewn on the Drawings.
In witness wherof, I, the said Henry Hathaway, have hereuto
set my hand and seal, this
day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.