IMPROVEMENTS IN REVERBERATORY AND OTHER FURNACES." REVERBERATORY AND OTHER FURNACES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Folliott Powell, of 7, Albion Place, Hyde Park,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REVERBERATORY AND OTHER FURNACES."
REVERBERATORY AND OTHER FURNACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Folliott Powell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd January 1857.
.I, JOHN FOLLIOTT POWELL, of 7, Albion Place, Hyde Park, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN REVERBERATORY AND OTHER FURNACES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in an improved mode of regulating the admission of
air to the fire-places of reverberatory and other furnaces, which may be con-
veniently effected by closing the upper portion of the ash-pit by a flap or
folding doors, or by having numerous openings in the lower part of the doors
closing the ash-pit; and where air chambers are formed at the sides or under-
neath the furnace, the ash-pit may be entirely closed, and one or more air
passages constructed under the floor of the ash-pit communicating with such
air chambers. By constructing furnaces in any of the modes described, a
greater and more uniform pressure of air into the fire grate is obtained, and
facilities are afforded for introducing air in a heated state into the fire-place
above the bars, and into flues communicating with the neck or stack of the

page_text: furnace to burn the gases which have escaped combustion in the fire-place and
working chamber. Where such flues are opened and shut by a valve, I prefer
to connect the rod working such valve with the rod of a plate opening and
closing the coaling hole at the side of the fire-place, so that the stoker when
coaling necessarily opens the valve and admits heated air to the neck or stack, 5
and the gases are burnt, which would otherwise produce smoke.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Folliott Powell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JonN
FOLLIOTT POWELL, of 7, Albion Place, Hyde Park, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Folliott Powell, Her special licence that I, the said John
Folliott Powell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Folliott Powell, 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 REVERBERATORY AND OTHER FURNACES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Folliott Powell, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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 Folliott Powell, 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:―
This Invention consists in an improved mode of introducing and regulating
the supply of air to the fire-places of reverberatory and other furnaces, which

page_text: may be conveniently effected by closing the upper portion of the ash-pit in
front by a flap or by folding doors, or by having numerous openings in the
lower part of doors, entirely closing the ash-pit in front, and where air
chambers are or can be conveniently formed at the sides or underneath the
furnace, the ash-pit may be entirely closed in front, and the air introduced by
means of one or more air passages constructed under the floor, or at or under
the sides of the ash-pit, so arranged as to communicate freely with such air
chambers. By constructing furnaces in any of the modes described, a greater
and more uniform pressure of air into the fire-grate is obtained, and the ash-
pit and open spaces connected therewith being converted into more or less
perfect hot air chambers, facilities are afforded for introducing air in a heated
state into the fire-places above the bars, for the more complete combustion of
the fuel and gases arising therefrom, and also into flues communicating with
the body, neck, or stack of the furnace, for the purpose of preventing smoke
by burning the gases which have escaped combustion in the fire-place and
working chamber. Where such flues are opened and closed by a valve or
other similar contrivance, I prefer to connect the rod working such apparatus
with the rod of a plate, opening and closing the coaling hole at the side of the
fire-place, so that the fireman, at the time of coaling, necessarily admits heated
air to the neck or stack of the furnace, thereby ensuring the combustion of the
hydro-carbon gases arising from the fresh fuel, which would otherwise escape
into the air in the form of black smoke. This plate may be advantageously
made wider than the opening in the fire-place, so as to admit of the same
being closed without entirely closing the opening into the flues.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews a plan in section of a puddling furnace constructed according
to this Invention, and Figure 2, a longitudinal section of the same. In each
of these Figures the same letters indicate similar parts, and the red lines more
particularly mark the peculiarities of construction indicative of this Invention.
I would state, in regard to other reverberatory furnaces, and to other
furnaces, that they are to be constructed in a similar manner to that shewn by
Figures 1 and 2, so far as regards the closing of the upper part of the ash-pit
in front, and the means employed of admitting heated air to the fire-place
above the bars, and to the body, neck, or stack of the furnace.
a marks the folding doors closing the upper part of the ash-pit in front; b,
marks the air chamber admitting heated air to the fire-place above the bars.
This chamber is shewn in free communication with the ash-pit, as well as with
the fire bridge hollow and sides of the working chamber; in many furnaces,

page_text: however, the direct communication with the ash-pit may be advantageously
prevented by closing the chamber at the bottom; c is a flap closing the
entrance to air chambers marked d, d, formed under and at the sides of the
flue bridge, and communicating with one or more openings into the neck of
the furnace marked h, h; e.is the rod attached to the flap c, for opening and
closing the same; f is a plate closing the coaling hole; and g, a lever handle
connecting together the rods working the flap c and plate f.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and the manner in
which the same may be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the details herein given, but what I claim is the modes
described of introducing and regulating the supply of air to the ash-pits of
reverberatory and other furnaces, and combined with such modes, the intro-
duction of heated air to the fire-place above the bars, and to the body, neck,
or stack of furnaces. Also the mode described of ensuring the introduction of
heated air to the neck or stack of furnaces at the time of coaling.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Folliott Powell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
GEO. PITT.
J. FOLLIOTT POWELL. (L.S.)