IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES FOR HEATING STEAM BOILERS, BAKERS' OVENS, AND BREWERS' COPPERS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE ALSO TO FURNACES MADE USE OF FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Stratford, of Mile End Old Town, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES FOR HEATING STEAM BOILERS, BAKERS'
OVENS, AND BREWERS' COPPERS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE ALSO
TO FURNACES MADE USE OF FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 26th September 1861, and dated the 28th March 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Stratford at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Pétition, on the 28th
March 1861.
I, WILLIAM STRATFORD, of Mile End Old Town, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES FOR HEATING STEAM BOILERS,
BAKERS' OVENS, AND BREWERS' COPPERS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE ALSO
TO FURNACES MADE USE OF FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention refers to such furnaces or parts of furnaces as have hitherto
been constructed either wholly or partially of fire-brick or other similar
material, and has for its object to obtain greatly increased durability in the
furnace, and at the same time in some cases to effect a considerable saving
in fuel.
My Invention does not apply to such steam boiler furnaces as are formed in
tubes or recesses constituting parts of the boilers themselves, but only to

page_text: furnaces constructed at the exterior of the boiler. In such cases the side walls
at each side of the fire-grate have hitherto been constructed of fire-brick or
other similar material, and have not only absorbed and rendered unproductive
a large amount of heat, but have been subject at the same time to very rapid
burning away, as also to injury from the rake and other tools of the stoker or
fireman. To avoid these evils I dispense with fire-brick, and construct the
side walls and bridges of such furnaces as referred to in the form of boxes
or tubes, constructed of wrought iron or other suitable material, and cause the
feed water to pass through them, and to become heated thereby before entering
the boiler.
I construct the furnaces for heating bakers' ovens (and which have hitherto
been built of fire-bricks or fire-lumps) either in cast or wrought iron, and form
them with spaces to contain water at each side of and above the fire, so as to
keep the metal comparatively cool and uninjured by the fire. The steam
generated in these spaces may be conducted into the chimney or otherwise as
convenient, and the supply of water may be regulated by a float or in other
convenient manner. I apply the same principle (that is to say, I substituto
metallic walls formed as water spaces for the fire-brick now used) to the fur-
naces made use of for heating brewers' coppers, as also to furnaces employed
for various other purposes, and which are now wholly or partially constructed
of fire-brick.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Stratford in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th September 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
STRATFORD, of Mile End Old Town, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Stratford, Her special licence that I, the said William Stratford, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as. I, the said William
Stratford, 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

page_text: 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 FOR HEATING STEAM BOILERS, BAKERS' OVENS, AND BREWERS' Coppers,
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE ALSO TO FURNACES MADE USE OF FOR VARIOUS
OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Stratford, my executors or adniinistrators, 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 William Stratford, 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 fol-
lowing statement :-
This Invention refers to such furuaces as have hitherto been constructed,
cither wholly or partially of fire-brick or other similar material, and bas for:
its object to obtain greatly increased durability in the furnace, and at the
same time in some cases to effect a considerable saving in fuel.
My Invention does not apply to such steam boiler furnaces as are formed
in tubes or recesses constituting parts of the boilers themselves, but only to.
furnaces constructed at the exterior of the boiler. In such cases the side
walls at each side of the firc-grate have hitherto been constructed of fire-brick
or other similar material, and have not only absorbed and rendered. unpro-
ductive a large amount of beat, but have been subject at the same time to very
rapid burning away, as also to injury from the rake or other tools of the
stoker or fireman. To avoid these evils I dispense with fire-brick, and construct
the side walls and bridges of such furnaces as referred to in the form of boxes
or tubes, constructed of wrought iron or other suitable material, and cause the
feed water to pass through and to become heated by them before entering
the boiler. >
:
1
I construct the furnaces for heating. bakers' ovens (and which have hitherto
been built of fire-bricks or fire-lumps) either in cast or wrought iron, and form
them with spaces to contain water at each side of and above the fire, so as
to keep the metal comparatively cool and uninjured by the fire. The steam
generated in these spaces may be conducted into the chimney or otherwise as
convenient, and the supply of water may be regulated by a float or in other
convenient manner. I apply the same principle (that is to say, I substitute
metallic walls formed as water spaces for the fire-brick now used) to the

page_text: furnaces made use of for heating brewers' coppers, as also to furnaces
employed for various other purposes, and .which. are..now wholly or partially
constructed of fire-brick.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a transverse section of a
steam boiler fitted with a furnace constructed according to my Invention;
Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the same; and Fig. 8, a plan of the furnace
without the boiler.
a represents the fire-grate, the walls bat each side of which are formed of
rectangular boxes or tubes, constructed of boiler plate, strengthened by stays c
passing through them, and are connected together. at the inner end of the
grate, and communicate with each other by means of a transverse box: or
tube d (which constitutes the bridge of the furnace), similarly constructed of
boiler plate. A pipe e leads from the upper part. of one of the side boxes
or tubes. b to the steam space. f of the boiler 9, and another pipe h from
the upper part of the opposite box or tube to the lower part or water space i
of the boiler. The feed water is introduced by means of a pipe j, and
along the left-hand box or tube b, through the bridge d, to the inner end
of the right-hand box or tube, after traversing which and becoming con-
siderably heated in its course it enters the boiler by the pipe h. Any
steam that may be generated in the boxes or tubes b, and hollow bridge d,
will find its way into the boiler by one or other of the pipes e, h.
passes
Fig. 4 is a plan; Fig. 5, a longitudinal section; and Fig. 6, a transverse
section of a furnace constructed of cast iron according to my Invention, and
adapted for heating a baker's oven.
a represents the fire-grate contained in.a chamber formed by a water cistern 6
which is continued downward at each side in the form of water spaces bat
each side of the fire. The lower parts of these water spaces are connected
together at the back of the furnace beneath the opening into the oven by
means of a hollow bridge d, corresponding with what is technically known
as the "butting lump" in ordinary bakers' furnaces; k is an opening whereby
air is admitted and passes in a thin sheet along the flat channel or. passage
I to the back part of the roof of the furnace, where it passes in a partially
heated state through a series of perforations downward on to the
by the combustion of the fuel upon the grate.
gases evolved
Fig. 7 is a vertical section of a copper for laundry or other similar purposes
having my Invention applied thereto, and. Fig. 8, a front elevation of the
same. g represents the copper situated above the fire-grate a, and partly
resting upon the furnace, the sides 6 of which are formed as water spaces,
as shown. These water spaces are connected together at the back of. the

page_text: furnace by the part 6', and at the front by the part 62, which being continued
upward forms the front part of the winding flue n, the remainder of which
is constructed of brickwork as shewn.
b
Fig. 9 is a transverse section shewing an application of my Invention to the
construction of furnaces for heating brewers' coppers. In this case the water
spaces 6 forming the sides of the furnace are sloped upward from the sides of
the fire-grate a, and are connected together by a water bridge at the back of
the fire-grate as in the foregoing examples.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same may be performed, I would have it
understood that I do not confine or limit myself to the precise applications or
details herein set forth so long as the distinguishing features of my Invention
are maintained; but that I claim,―
Firstly, the application to steam boilers of furnaces formed as water spaces
and connected to the body of the boiler by pipes or tubes, substantially as
described.
Secondly, the use or employment of furnaces formed with water spaces, for
the purpose of heating bakers' ovens, substantially as described.
Thirdly, the use or employment of furnaces formed with water spaces,
for the purpose of heating brewers' or other coppers, or for other similar
purposes, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Stratford, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
WILLIAM (L.S.) STRATFORD.
Witness,
FRANCIS WISE, C.E.,
Patent Agent,
22, Buckingham Street,
Adelphi, W. C.