A SELF-ACTING APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO FURNACES, GAS STOVES, AND OTHER CLOSED VESSELS USED FOR THE CONSUMPTION OF FUEL OR COMBUSTIBLE GASES, BY PREVENTING THE FORMATION OF SMOKE THEREFROM, AND THEREBY ECONOMISING SUCH FUEL OR COMBUSTIBLE GASES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Fernihough, of Dukinfield, in the County of
Chester, Boilermaker and Ironfounder, and Robert Farrow, of Leek, in
the County of Stafford, Engineer, for the Invention of "A SELF-ACTING
APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO FURNACES,
GAS STOVES, AND OTHER CLOSED VESSELS USED FOR THE CONSUMPTION OF FUEL OR
COMBUSTIBLE GASES, BY PREVENTING THE FORMATION OF SMOKE THEREFROM,
AND THEREBY ECONOMISING SUCH FUEL OR COMBUSTIBLE GASES."
Sealed the 9th January 1857, and dated the 5th November 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Fernihough and
Robert Farrow at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 5th November 1856.
We, JAMES FERNIHOUGH, of Dukinfield, in the County of Chester, Boiler-
maker and Ironfounder, and ROBERT FARROW, of Leck, in the County of
Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"A SELF-ACTING APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO
FURNACES, GAS STOVES, AND OTHER CLOSED VESSELS USED FOR THE CONSUMPTION CF
FUEL OR COMBUSTIBLE GASES, BY PREVENTING THE FORMATION OF SMOKE THEREFROM,
AND THEREBY ECONOMISING SUCH FUEL OR COMBUSTIBLE GASES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists of admitting into and shutting off from any desired
part of furnaces, gas stoves, or other vessels used for the consumption of fuel
or combustible gases, a supply of atmospheric air through a series of valves, tho
opening and closing of which are regulated by the external pressure caused by,
and which varies either more or less in proportion to, the amount of burning

page_text: fuel or gases, and the expanded products arising therefrom, within the furnaces,
gas stoves, or other vessels.
Ench of the said valves consists of a plate of any suitable metal or material,
having a pivot or centre at each end, and supported in a frame with transverse
bars or plates, which form the seatings or surfaces for one of the edges of
the valves to impinge upon when the passages are closed, and also one side
of the opening for the admission of air. The valves are balanced in any
convenient manner; they are perfectly self-acting, opening by the pressure
of the atmosphere, the difference in the amount of the air and the space of
the opening depending upon tho quantity of burning fuel and intensity of the
heat within the furnace or chamber.
The nature of this our Invention will be understood by reference to the
accompanying outline Drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an end view of a boiler,
shewing the application of the valves to the furnace doors; but it is evident we
can place the apparatus at the sides of the furnace, or any other position that
may be found desirable, in order to bring the required amount of air in contact
with the gases arising from the burning fuel, so as to ignite and prevent the
same from being converted into smoke. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the
same; and Fig. 8 a section of the apparatus detached, drawn to an enlarged
seale. a, represents the external frame of the valve box; b, the seatings or trans-
verse bars; c, the valves or flaps; d, the pivots or centres; c, the balance
weights, which can be adjusted as required by means of the screws f. In Fig. 2
the valves are shewn closed, as when the charge of fuel is burned out. Fig. 3
represents the valves partially open, as when the charge is half burned out, the
air passing to the gases arising from the burning fuel in the direction of the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Fernihough and Robert Farrow in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 4th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
FERNIHOUGH, of Dukinfield, in the County of Chester, Boilermaker and
Ironfounder, and ROBERT FARROW, of Leek, in the County of Stafford,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the

page_text: said James Fernihough and Robert Farrow, Her special licence that we, the
said James Fernihough and Robert Farrow, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said James Fernihough and Robert
Farrow, our 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 "A SELF-ACTING APPARATUS FOR
REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO FURNACES, GAS STOVES, AND OTHER
CLOSED VESSELS USED FOR THE CONSUMPTION OF FUEL OR COMBUSTIBLE GASES, BY
PREVENTING THE FORMATION OF SMOKE THEREFROM, AND THEREBY ECONOMIZING SUCH
FUEL OR COMBUSTIBLE GASES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said James Fernihough and Robert Farrow, by an instrument in writing
under our hands and seals, or the hand and seal of one of us, should par-
ticularly 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 James Fernihough, for and on behalf
of myself and the said Robert Farrow, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement (that
is to say):-
Our Invention consists in admitting into and shutting off from any desired
part of furnaces, flues, gas stoves, or other vessels used for the consumption of
fuel or combustible gases, a supply of atmospheric air by means of a series of
valves or flaps, the opening and closing of which are caused by the external
pressure of the air.
The regulating force varies either more or less in proportion to the amount
of burning fuel or gases, and the expanded products arising therefrom within
the furnaces, flues, gas stoves, or other vessels.
Each of the said valves consists of a plate of any suitable metal or
material, having a pivot or centre at each end, and supported in a frame
with transverse bars or plates, which form the seatings or surfaces for one
of the edges of the valves to impinge upon, so as to close the passages,
and also form one side of the opening for the admission of air. The
valves are weighted in any convenient manner, and are perfectly self-
acting, opening freely by the pressure of the atmosphere at any requisite
angle, the difference in the amount or quantity of the air and the space

page_text: of the opening depending as already stated on the intensity of the heat
within the furnace or chamber, and we set rows of vertical bars at the back of
the door to shield the valves in the front from the action of the fire, and divide
the air into thin streams. To adjust the valves the fire is allowed to burn down
until no combustible gases are given off. The valve weights are then adjusted
so as to allow the valves to close of themselves. Upon the introduction of a
fresh charge of coals the valves open just in proportion to the amount of com-
bustible gases generated, and again resume their former closed position as soon
as the fire has burnt down to the same state as that at which they were set.
It is evident that this action is natural, caused partly by the chemical affinity
that exists between highly heated hydrogen and oxygen, and partly by the
additional draught created by converting the combustible gases into flamo
instead of smoke. These valves may be applied in any desired form or shape,
and to any part of a furnace or flue, but we prefer placing them in the furnace
door.
The manner of carrying these improvements into practical effect will bo
clearly understood by reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and
the letters of reference thereon, in which Fig. 1 is a transverse section of a
furnace door or frame to which our improved valves are attached; and Fig. 2
is a front view thereof; Fig. 3 is also a front view, and Fig. 4 a longitudinal
section, shewing the application of the valves to a boiler employed for the
generation of steam. In theso Figs. the valves are shewn to move upwards,
but they may be made to move downwards if desirable, as shewn in the
Drawings attached to our Provisional Specification.
In all the Figs., a is the external frame of the fire door or valve box; b, the
seatings or transverse bars; c, the valves or flaps; d, the pivots or centres upon
which the valves move or turn; and e, the weights, which can be adjusted as
required by means of the screws f.
In Figs. 1 and 2, when the pressure from the heated and expanded gases in
the furnace or combustion chamber becomes less than that at which the valve
weights & were adjusted, the external pressure of the air acts upon the valve c,
and causes it to move downwards, affording a sufficient opening for the admis-
sion of the requisite amount of air necessary to combine with and convert the
combustible gases into flame, instead of what is termed "smoke," and as the
distillation of combustible gases decreases, and the incandesant fuel becomes
sufficiently thin to enable the requisite quantity of nir to find admission between
the grate bars, the external pressure on the valves is reduced, and which is
again closed by means of the weight e. The admission of air when required
is thus effected by a simple self-acting means.

page_text: It is evident that any suitable number of valves may be employed in various
forms, so as to be acted upon in the manner specified, we therefore deem it
unnecessary to describe the various modifications in applying our Invention.
Where necessary, we further apply one valve composed of a suitable material
as a substitute for the fire bridge, adjusted with a weight, upon the same
principle as those already specified. The valve so fixed forms an expanding
throat to the furnace, which opens or closes as the fire is increased or
diminished, and the motion of which may be made to regulate the supply
of air.
In carrying out the principle of our Invention, we also find it advantageous
to avail ourselves of a portion of the waste steam, which being forced between
the grate bars improve the draught, and is decomposed into its constituents,
and converted into a source of heat.
Having thus fully described the nature of the several parts of our Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be
distinctly understood that we do not confine ourselves to any particular size or
shape of the said apparatus; but we claim as our Invention, and which, to the
best of our knowledge and belief, has not been hitherto used within the realm,
the use of self-acting valves or flaps, the opening and closing of which are
caused by the external pressure of the air, thus admitting into furnaces, stoves,
&c., where fuel is consumed, a supply of atmospheric air and shutting off the
same for the purpose of forming a more perfect combustion of the gases, and
thereby preventing the formation of smoke, as such apparatus is herein
described, and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Fernihough, for and on behalf
of myself and the said Robert Farrow, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this First day of May, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
JAMES FERNIHOUGH. (L.B.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named James Fernihough, in the presence
of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.