AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR HEATING AIR OR OTHER Gases
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of No. 20, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR HEATING AIR OR OTHER
Gases.”—A communication from abroad by Vincent Mathian, of
Cours Morand, No. 42, Lyons, France, and François Solet, of St.
Lager, Rhone, France.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Charles Denton Abel at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 27th April 1875, pursuant to the 9th Section of
the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR HEATING AIR OR OTHER GASES," and have petitioned Her

page_text: Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn
Declaration that it has been communicated to me from abroad by
Vincent Mathian, of Cours Morand, No. 42, Lyons, France, and François
Solet, of St. Lager, Rhone, France.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Denton Abel, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object an improved apparatus for heating
air or other gases, wherein the air is caused to pass in contact with the
surfaces of a peculiarly shaped iron casing heated internally by a fire,
the construction of which will be readily understood on reference to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thercon, Fig. 1 showing a vertical section, and Fig. 2 a sectional plan of
the apparatus.
The apparatus consists of a fire-place A arranged according to the
nature of the combustible matter to be employed, from which the flames
and products of combustion pass into the heating apparatus B of 1
spherical external form, and whence they escape to the chimney C, the
dotted arrows serving to indicate the direction of these currents. The
fire-place A and apparatus B are enclosed in a brickwork chamber D, so
as to leave spaces between the two, which serve for the passage of the
air or other gas to be heated; this enters at bottom, is licated firstly by
contact with the outside of the fire-box, and secondly in penetrating the
various spaces and passages formed in the apparatus B, without mixing
with the hot gases within the same, and issues through openings E in
the upper part of the chamber D, the direction of the currents being
indicated by the arrows in full lines.
The essential and novel part of the apparatus is the spherical
structure B, which is so arranged as to afford a large amount of heating
surface with comparatively small bulk, and to cause the air and hot
gases to be disseminated effectually over its surfaces. This spherical
structure is composed of any desired number of hollow spherical
segments a, a, which are divided at their middle into an upper and
lower compartment by hollow or double partitions & terminating near
P

page_text: the spherical surface, so as to leave narrow horizontal openings c through
which the compartments communicate with each other. They also
communicate with a central flue by narrow vertical openings d, as
shown more clearly in plan at Fig. 2. This Fig. shews at a¹, a², a top
view of two of the segments; the segments on the left hand are in
section above the horizontal partitions b, while those on the right hand
arc in section at the middle of the partitions. Fig. 1 shews on the left
hand a vertical section through one of the segmental compartments, and
on the right hand a section through the space between two compart-
ments. The segments are arranged symetrically round the central flue e
fixed above the fire-placc, and communicating with the chimney C.
This flue has two series of vertical slits corresponding with the apertures d
of the segments, and a diaphragm f is placed in the flue between the
upper and lower slits. Each segment is fixed by screw bolt or other
fastenings to the fluc e, spaces being made to intervene between each
two segments, as shewn, and the joints between the segments and the
fluo being rendered air-tight by means of flanges. A disc g is fixed
horizontally round the flue in the spaces between the double partitions b,
so that its periphery extends to near the ends of these spaces, and
it is provided with oval apertures h, h, coinciding in position with these
spaces.
It will now be seen that the direction of the currents will be as
follows, considering first the direction of the flames and hot gases
indicated by the dotted arrows:-On leaving the fire-box they enter the
lower part of the segmental compartments through the lower apertures d,
and after passing over the surface of the partition 6 they issue through
the apertures C into the upper part of the compartment, and escape
through the upper apertures & into the chimney. In thus traversing the
compartments the flames and hot gases are brought effectually into
contact with all surfaces thereof, the volume of gas being forced to
change its form in passing from a vertical aperture to a horizontal one,
and vice versa. A small opening is formed in the diaphragm ƒ for
allowing the passage of a jet of flame from the fire-place, which serves to
re-ignite the gases that may have become extinguished in traversing the
compartments, and thus assists the draught.
The air to be heated rises up from the bottom of the chamber D,
becomes partially heated by contact with the fire-box, and in rising
passes through the spaces between the segmental compartments a, a, till

page_text: it reaches the disc g, which forces it to enter the spaces between the
double partitions 6 of each segment, in order to pass through the
openings of the disc to the upper side thereof, whence the air again
ascends in the upper part of the spaces between the segments. Another
portion of the air at the same time passes up over the outer spherical
surface of the apparatus, and the whole volume then issues through the
opening in the plate covering the chamber, and finally escapes from the
space i, i, through the outlet apertures E.
In order to utilise the radiated heat taken up by the brickwork of the
chamber D an annular space or fluo K is formed in the brickwork, into 1
which air is admitted at bottom through openings provided with
regulating dampers 7, and in which the air becomes heated as it passes
up, finally issuing through openings at top into the space i, where it
mixes with the other heated air and serves to moderate its temperature.
An annular reservoir m containing water serves to maintain a sufficient
degree of moisture in the heated air.
Each segmental compartment a is provided with a stoppered opening n
so arranged as to afford access to both the upper and lower parts for
cleaning purposes, these apertures being opposite corresponding openings o
in the brickwork casing.
The advantages afforded by the above-described apparatus are, a large
amount of heating surface comprised in a comparatively small volume;
the peculiar arrangement of the passages for the air and gascous
products, whereby these are effectually split up and forced to pass over
the whole surface of the apparatus; the continuous upward motion of
the flames and gaseous products, whereby upper enclosed spaces arc
obviated, in which explosive mixtures of gases might accumulate; and
the simplicity and stability of construction of the apparatus, enabling
any of the separate segments to be readily removed for repairs, and
allowing the metal structure to expand freely under the action of heat
without injury to the brickwork.
It will be readily understood that two or more of the before-described
spherical structures may be employed in combination, heated either by
one and the same or by separate fires.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, I claim,--

page_text: First. The use of apparatus for heating air or other gas, consisting of a
spherical chamber or structure composed of separate segmental com-
partments connected to a central flue, constructed and operating sub-.
stantially as herein described.
•
Second. The combination of the above-mentioned spherical chamber
or structure with the fire-place A and brickwork casing D, substantially
as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-seventh day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.