IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES, FOR MORE EFFECTUALLY CONSUMING THE SMOKE AND ECONOMIZING THE FUEL EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Miller, of Drogheda, Ireland, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES, FOR MORE EFFECTUALLY CONSUMING THE
SMOKE AND ECONOMIZING THE FUEL EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 19th December 1856, and dated the 23rd June 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Miller at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd June
1856.
I, JOHN MILLER, of Drogheda, Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES, FOR MORE EFFECTUALLY CON-
SUMING THE SMOKE AND ECONOMIZING THE FUEL EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in adapting to furnace doors two sets of metal plates,
fixed in a skeleton door or metal frame somewhat after the fashion of a corn-
kiln louvre, said plates being arranged, disposed, and fixed in the aforesaid
frame at nearly opposite angles to each other, for the purpose of preventing
radiation of heat outwards. The plates are adapted in size and number to the
requirements of the furnace to which they are to be applied, so as to allow
sufficient atmospheric air, and only sufficient, to enter the furnace. The air in
its passage between said plates becomes heated, and in this manner and by these
means the consumption of the smoke is more perfectly effected than heretofore,
and great economy of fuel attained.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Miller in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd December 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MILLER, of Drogheda, Ireland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of June, 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 me, the said
John Miller, Her special licence that I, the said John Miller, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I; the said John Miller,
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 FURNACES, FOR
MORE EFFECTUALLY CONSUMING THE SMOKE AMD ECONOMIZING THE FUEL THEREIN,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Miller, my execu-
tors or administrators, 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 John Miller, 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
thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in adapting to furnace doors two sets of metal plates,
fixed
in a skeleton door or metal frame somewhat after the fashion of a corn-
kiln louvre, said plates being arranged, disposed, and fixed in the aforesaid
frame at nearly opposite angles to each other, for the purpose of preventing
radiation of licat outwards. The aforesaid. plates are adapted in size and
number to the requirements of the furnace to which they are to be applied, so
as to allow sufficient atmospheric air, and only sufficient, to enter the furnace
to support combustion of the fuel therein.. The air in its passage, between
said plates becomes heated, and in this manner and by these means the con-

page_text: hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thereon respectively, as follows:-
door
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a furnace door constructed according to my, said
Invention, shewing the arrangement and disposition of the air plates, as they
would appear if the furnace door were closed; Figure 2.. shews the furnace
open, and exhibits the aforesaid plates at the inside of the door ; Figure.3
is a skeleton door frame without the aforesaid plates; Figure 4 is a top .plan
view of the air plates and case which contains them, as they would appear
when detached from the door frame, exhibiting the air space between. the two
tiers of plates. At each of the foregoing Figures I employ.similar letters. of
reference to denote corresponding parts, in so far as such parts appear or can
be seen at each of such said Figures respectively.
"
A, A, is a casting, to which is hinged a skeleton door or frame B; C, C, are
castings, securely fixed in any convenient manner to the upright sides of the
opening of the aforesaid skeleton door or frame B, as at Figure 1. The castings
C, C, have projecting pieces or ribs a, a, formed thereon in an inclined direction,
and in opposite directions, so that when the plates D, D', are laid thereon, they
shall form a double louvre as it were, D representing one set of louvre plates
inclining in one direction, and D¹ another similar set of louvre plates inclining
in an opposite direction; and said plates are placed at distances apart for the
external air to pass between them, as at 6, Figure 1, and c, Figure 4. For
the convenience of inserting and 'removing the plates D; D', in and from the
castings C, C, I form notches d, in the edges of such said castings, as exhibited
at Figures 1 and 2. I would here remark that the angle of inclination of the
plates D, D', is immaterial, and will be governed principally by the distance
which each pair of plates are asunder, so as to prevent and obstruct the direct
radiation of heat from the furnace fire through the air spaces between the
aforesaid plates; and further, the size and number of the plates must be deter-
mined according to the size of the furnace to which they are to be adapted, so
as to allow sufficient quantity of air, and not more, to enter the furnace to
support active combustion of the fuel therein. The air in its passage between
the plates D, D', becomes heated thereby before coming into contact with the

page_text: I
fuel in the furnace, and thus ensures as near.as may be perfect consumption or
prevention of the smoke, and consequently effects great economy in fuel.
have found in practice that good results have been obtained for effecting the
objects of my said Invention, when the combined area of the air passages
between the plates D, D¹, when the furnace door.is closed, is in the proportion
of one-half a square inch to each square foot of fire surface..
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention of "improvements in furnaces, for more effectually consuming the
smoke and economizing the fuel employed therein," together with the best
means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I would
remark, in conclusion, that what I claim as my Invention intended to be secured
to me by the above in part recited Letters Patent is, the adapting to furnace
doors two sets of metal plates, arranged and disposed at opposite angles to each
other in a skeleton door or metal frame, for the purpose of preventing radiation
of heat outwards from the furnace fire, and at the same time admitting air into
the furnace to support combustion of the fuel therein, thereby consuming more
effectually than heretofore the smoke therefrom, and economising the fuel
employed, as above stated
In witness whereof, I, the said John Miller, have hereunto set my hand'
and seal, this Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
JOHN SHEA,
Fan Street, Drogheda.
JOHN MILLER. (L.S.)