IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SMELTING AND OTHER FURNACES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Oakman, of Boston, in the County of
Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, in the United States of
America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
SMELTING AND OTHER FURNACES."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Samuel Oakman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 26th April 1869, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
OAKMAN, of Boston, in the County of Suffolk, and State of Massa-
chusetts, in the United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF SMELTING AND OTHER FURNACES," and have petitioned
Her Majesty to grant uuto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Decla-
ration that I am the true and first Inventor thereof,
Price 81

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Oakman, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal,
fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing making
a part of this Specification.
'The nature of my Invention consists in combining with a smelting or
other furnace a vacuum chamber in which the exhaust is produced by
mechanical means, said chamber being connected to the furnace by
suitable flues so that a proper draft may be maintained. This vacuum
chamber has inlets over the ports of the furnace, so that the flame and
heated products of combustion coming from the ports may be drawn into
the vacuum chamber and thus away from the workman. The exhaust
from the vacuum chamber is conducted through pipes and thus returned
entirely or in part to the fire chamber.
The object of the Invention is to secure a more perfect draft, com-
bustion, and ventilation, and also to save the expense of large chimneys.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my Invention I
will proceed to describe its construction and use.

page_text: cover P, Figure 1, and also with an outside slide N, one of which is
shown in Figures 1 and 4. Immediately above each of the openings or
working holes D, D, D; an orifice is made leading into the vacuum
chamber, one of which R is shown in Figure 4, so that when desirable
the slides N may be closed, as shown in Figure 4, and a communication
be made with the fire chamber S and the vacuum chamber V. Each of
the openings R into the vacuum chamber is provided with sliding doors,
so that they may be closed if desirable. At each corner of the furnace a
flue h, H, h is constructed, which serves to lead the products of com-
bustion from the chamber S to the vacuum chamber V, see Figure 3.
E, E, E, E, Figure 1, are chimneys through which flues pass, as shown
by y, E, y, Figure 4, and indicated by dotted lines in Figures 2 and 3.
These flues serve to connect the interior of the furnace with the vacuum
chamber V, and open, as shown at y, y, y, y, Figures 2 and 3, towards
and through which openings the flame is drawn. As the pots are located
flame will be drawn
between these openings it is evident that the
towards and around them, thus securing the best results from the fire.
K, Figures 1, 3, and 4, is an exhaust fan which is connected with the
vacuum chamber by the pipe k, Figures 2 and 4, and which serves to
draw the gasses from the vacuum chamber and discharge them through
the pipes L and M. These gasses are sent wholly or in part back into
the fire through the pipe L, M, and the air chambers W, W', below the
grate. The pipes L, L', M, M', are provided with suitable dampers so
that the gasses flowing through them may be directed back to the fire or
out of doors. While the glass is being heated the working holes D, D, D,
are closed, so that no air is admitted to the furnace except that which
comes from the blast, but when the glass is being worked the slides N
are raised, the working holes are opened, and the orifices R opening into
the vacuum chamber are also open, so that there will be a strong draft or
current of air passing immediately in front of and over the working holes
and into the vacuum chamber. This draft will carry all the flame and
smoke that escapes from the working holes up into the vacuum chamber
and also furnish fresh air for the workmen, thus enabling them to work
with much more ease and comfort. By the arrangement of a vacuum,
chamber the exhaust fan K and pipes Land M the gasses resulting from
imperfect combustion may be returned to the combustion chamber.
Q, Q, Figures 1 and 3, are pipes through which fresh air is introduced
nto the furnace. The fresh air pipes if desirable may pass through the

page_text: vacuum chamber so that the air passing through them may be warmed
before it enters the furnace.
In the Drawings I have represented a common fan blower as the
exhaust device, but I do not wish to confine myself to this alone, as
there are other well-known machines for exhausting air which will work
equally well in combination with my vacuum chamber.
1 claim combining with a furnace a vacuum chamber V arranged with
openings and flues, substantially as described, when the same is provided
with a mechanical exhaust device working substantially as described
and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Oakman, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
SAMUEL OAKMAN. (L.s.)