An Improved Boiler Furnace and Apparatus connected therewith for the Generation of Heat by the use of Hydrogen Gas (or Water Gas) as Fuel.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 23rd July, 1890-Accepted, 23rd Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Boiler Furnace and Apparatus connected therewith
for the Generation of Heat by the use of Hydrogen Gas (or Water
Gas) as Fuel.
I, AUGUSTUS COLLINGRIDGE of Alderman House Charing Cross Road London in
the County of Middlesex Operative Chemist and Electrical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is the construction of an Improved Boiler Furnace and
Apparatus connected therewith for the use of Hydrogen Gas (or Water Gas) as Fuel
by the use of which I am able to safely store the hydrogen gas or water gas and also
to so retain all the heat given off by the combustion of the gas as to produce a more
rapid and economical generation of steam or heat which said improved boiler furnace
and apparatus are capable of adaptation to existing boilers of ordinary types.
My Invention consists of two parts. The first being a receptacle for the safe
storage of the hydrogen or water gas to be used as fuel in the fire box of my improved
furnace and the second part is the furnace itself.
The hydrogen (or water gas) which I use as fuel in my said furnace I make by
preference in the ordinary way by causing steam (whether evolved from a main
boiler or from a smaller auxiliary boiler in the first instance) to pass through heated
tubular retorts of iron, porcelain terra-cotta or other suitable material charged with
iron borings-broken coke or charcoal as the case may be such process being
commonly known as the " gun barrel" process, to which process itself although I
consider it as best adapted for the cheap and rapid production of such gas in sufficient
quantity for use in my improved furnace, I make no claim and do not confine
myself as the gas in question may obviously be produced by other well known
chemical methods.
Having obtained the gas 1 pass it in the ordinary way through a telescopic gas
holder into my improved storage receptacle which consists of an inner chamber or
tank made of suitable metal for which I have found strong sheet zinc very suitable
and an outer jacket which may be made of lighter sheet metal than the inner tank
and the space formed between the said outer jacket and inner tank I fill with
water and form a water luting. The top of the gas tank and outer jacket is formed
of a cone shape the top of the cone of the gas tank ends within the cowl on the top
of the jacket and the top of the cone of the jacket ends in the said hooded cowl
having a vane so arranged that in case of either accidental leakage of the gas or the
intentional allowing of it to escape a free vent is allowed for such gas to pass away
into the outer air. On the top of the gas tank and within the hooded cowl I fit a
discharge valve opening only outwards to prevent the return of air into the gas tank
and a tap or cock in case of the necessity of allowing the gas to escape from such
tank. A pipe from the upper portion of the cone of the gas tank passing through
the outer jacket conveys the gas to the furnace and a pipe in the lower portion
conveys the gas from the gas generator through the telescopic holder to the gas
tank.
My improved boiler furnace consists of one or more ordinary hydrogen gas (or
water gas) burners having each a suitable number of jets for the burning of the
gas fitted into the fire box and extending from two-thirds to four-fifths the entire
length of such fire box and walled in on either side by single partitions composed of
iron steel or other suitable heat resisting material or it may be fire brick or terra-
cotta moulded into the necessary shape. If such walls or partitions are formed of
sheet iron or sheet metal they should consist of double plates so constructed as to
contain water spaces between them communicating with the interior of the boiler by

page_text: piercing water ways through the crown plate and bottom plate of the fire box.
Both ends of such double walls are closed in and the ends furthest from the doors of
the furnace should extend a little distance beyond the termination of the gas
burners.
The heat directed by these walls is baffled by other walls crossing the extremities
of the former walls at right angles and connected with other walls extending back
nearly to the outer or door end of the fire box but so constructed as to leave clear
ways and side wings for permitting the more effectual circulation of the heat before
its final escape from the fire box through the boiler tubes into the smoke box and
thence to the chimney. Such walls forming in fact a series of vertical bridges for the
better arrestation and absorption of the heat.
In some cases in order to meet the requirements of peculiar conformation in the
construction of the fire box in particular boilers-as in the case of some vertical
boilers the walls or bridges whether double or single may consist of alternate over
and under hung eccentric plates. Or the latter may be arranged in a spiral form in
either of which cases the disposition of the gas jet tubing would obviously require to
be so adapted as to correspond with the conformation or convolutions of either such
arrangement.
1039
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Boiler Furnace and Apparatus connected therewith
for the Generation of Heat by the use of Hydrogen Gas (or Water
Gas) as Fuel.
I, AUGUSTUS COLLINGRIDGE of Alderman House Charing Cross Road in the
County of London Operative Chemist and Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is the construction of an Improved Boiler Furnace and
Apparatus connected therewith for the use of Hydrogen Gas (or Water Gas) as Fuel
by the use of which I am able to safely store the bydrogen gas or water gas and also to
so retain all the heat given off by the combustion of the gas as to produce a more
rapid and economical generation of steam or heat which said improved boiler furnace
and apparatus are capable of adaptation to existing boilers of ordinary types.
My invention consists of two parts the first being a receptacle for the safe storage
of the hydrogen or water gas to be used as fuel in the fire box of my improved
furnace and the second part is the furnace itself. The hydrogen (or water gas)
which I use as fuel in my said furnace I make by preference in the ordinary way by
causing steam (whether evolved from a main boiler or from a smaller auxiliary boiler
in the first instance) to pass through heated tubular retorts of iron, porcclain terra
cotta or other suitable materials charged with iron borings, broken coke or charcoal
as the case may be such process being generally known as the "gun barrel" process
to which process itself although I consider it as best adapted for the cheap and rapid
production of such gas in sufficient quantity for use in my improved furnace I make
no claim and do not confine myself as hydrogen gas (and water gas) may obviously
be produced by other well known chemical methods.
Having obtained the gas I pass it in the ordinary way through a telescopic gas
holder into my improved storage receptacle which consists of an inner chamber or
tank made of suitable metal for which I have found strong sheet zinc very suitable
and an outer jacket which may be made of lighter sheet metal than the inner tank
and the space formed between the said onter jacket and inner tank I fill with
water and form a water luting. The top of the gas tank and outer jacket is formed
of a cone shape the top of the cone of the gas tank ends with the hooded cowl on the
top of the jacket and the top of the cone of the jacket ends in the said hooded cowl
having a vane so arranged that in case of either accidental leakage of the gas or the

page_text: intentional allowing of it to escape a free vent is allowed for such gas to pass away to
leeward into the outer air. On the top of the gas tank and within the hooded cowl
I fit a discharge valve opening only outwards to prevent the return of air into the
gas tank and a tap or cock in case of the necessity of allowing the gas to escape from
such tank. A pipe from the upper portion of the cone of the gas tank passing
through the outer jacket conveys the gas to the furnace and a pipe in the lower
portion conveys the gas in its passage from the generator through the telescopic
holder to the gas tank.
My improved boiler furnace consists of one or more ordinary hydrogen gas (or
water gas) burners having each a suitable number of jets for the burning of the gas
fitted into the fire box and extending from two thirds to four fifths the entire length
of such fire box and walled in on either side by single partitions composed of iron
steel or other suitable heat resisting material or it may be fire brick or terra cotta
moulded into the necessary shape. If such walls or partitions are formed of sheet
iron or sheet metal they should consist of double plates so constructed as to contain
water spaces between them communicating with the interior of the boiler by piercing
water ways through the crown plate and bottom plate of the fire box, both ends of
such double walls are closed in and the ends furthest from the door of the furnace
should extend a little distance beyond the termination of the gas burner. The heat
directed by these walls is baffled by other walls crossing the extremities of the
former walls at right angles and connected with other walls extending back nearly to
the outer or door end of the fire box, but so constructed as to leave clear ways and
side wings for permitting the more effectual circulation of the heat before its final
escape from the fire box through the boiler tubes into the smoke box and thence to
the chimney, such walls forming in fact a series of vertical bridges for the better
arrestation and absorption of the heat.
In some cases in order to meet the requirements of peculiar conformation in the
construction of the fire box in particular boilers as in the case of some vertical
boilers the walls or bridges whether double or single may consist of alternate over
and under hung eccentric plates, or the latter may be arranged in a spiral form in
either of which cases the disposition of the gas jet tubing would obviously require
to be so adapted as to correspond with the conformation or convolutions of either
such arrangements.
In order that my said invention may be more clearly described and ascertained,
reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings.
For the purpose of obtaining the gas which I use as fuel in my said furnace I
make it by preference by causing steam to pass through heated tubular retorts of
ron, porcelain, terra cotta or other suitable material charged with iron borings coke
r charcoal or other carbonaceous matter fulfilling the intended object of absorbing
he liberated oxygen.
I use a special arrangement of apparatus for the generation of the combustible gas
uch as is represented in Figure 1 in which A is an upright tubular boiler and
3 the furnace to be heated at starting by ordinary coal fuel. C is a retort passing
brough the furnace and fitted with iron filings or coke or other suitable carbonaceous
hatter.
This retort is fitted with steam pipe D through which steam is conducted to the
etort or generator C, and E is an outlet for conducting the gas from the said retort
a receiver or storage tank. I do not confine myself to the generation of
ombustible gas by the above process as the gas in question may obviously be
roduced by other well known chemical methods.
Having obtained the gas I pass it in the ordinary way through a gas holder into
y improved storage receptacle Figure 2 which consists of an inner chamber or a
nk made of suitable metal and an outer jacket also of metal.
Between the tank F and its jacket G is a space B which I fill with water and
rm a water luting. The tops of the gas tank F and outer jacket G are formed of
conical shape, the top of the cone of gas tank F ends with a hooded cowl H, on
e top of the jacket G, and the top of the cone of the jacket ends in the said hooded

page_text: cowl which is provided with a vane f so arranged that in case of either accidental
leakage of the gas or the intentional allowing of escape through the valve k, a free
vent is allowed for such gas to pass away into the outer air.
On the top of the gas tank and within the hooded cowl H I fit a discharge
valve k opening outwards only so as to prevent the return of air into the gas tank,
and a tap or cock e in case of the necessity of allowing the gas to escape from such
tank.
A pipe d from the upper portion of the cone of the gas tank F passing through the
outer jacket G conveys the gas to the furnace, and a pipe c in the lower part conveys
the gas from the generator C (Fig. 1) through the telescopic holder (not shewn) to
the gas tank.
My improved boiler furnace figures 3, 4 and 5 represented in these instances as
fitted in a marine boiler figure 4 being a longitudinal section through X X (6g. 3)
and fig. 5 a sectional plan through Z Z (fig. 3) consists of one or more ordinary
hydrogen gas burners L having each a suitable number of jets for the burning of the
gas fitted into the fire box M and extending from two thirds to four fifths the entire
length of such fire box, figs. and 5 walled in on either side by single partitions
composed of iron, steel or other heat resisting material or it may be fire brick or
terra cotta moulded into the necessary shape.
If such walls or partitions are formed of sheet iron or other metal they should
consist of double plates so constructed as to contain water spaces S, (fig. 3) allowing
a free circulation of water through the crown plate t, and bottom plate of the
fire box (fig. 4) in order to avoid the possibility of any local accumulation of
fixed air.
Both ends of such double walls are closed, the ends furthest from the furnace front
should extend a little distance beyond the ends of gas burners as shown at V figs. 4
and 5 but should terminate before reaching the transverse plate W at back in order
to leave a free channel for the passage of heat which passes behind and returns
against the sides of other vertical walls which also are discontinued before meeting
the furnace front of furnace box in order to form another free channel y, for the
passage of heat through the tubes T to the smoke box S, thence by return tubes W to
the uptake D.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim
as my Invention to be protected by the said Letters Patent is
First. The combination of boiler furnace and apparatus connected therewith for
the generation and storage of bydrogen gas (or water gas) to be used as fuel in the
said boiler furnace substantially as bereinbefore described and illustrated in the
drawings hereunto annexed.
Secondly. The arrangement of apparatus for the storage of hydrogen gas (or water
gas) hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figure 2 of the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
Thirdly. The arrangement of boiler furnace for the combustion of hydrogen gas or
water gas as fuel hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5 of the
drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this Twenty-third day of July 1890.
A. COLLINGRIDGE.