IMPROVEMENTS IN CON. SUMING SMOKE AND GENERATING HEAT IN FURNACES OF STEAM ENGINE OR OTHER BOILERS, ALSO HEATING THE FEED WATER OF THE SAID BOLLERS, THEREFORE ECONOMIZING FUEL TO A GREAT EXTENT."
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Leake and Matthew Sykes, both of Barnsley,
in the County of York, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN CON.
SUMING SMOKE AND GENERATING HEAT IN FURNACES OF STEAM ENGINE OR
OTHER BOILERS, ALSO HEATING THE FEED WATER OF THE SAID BOLLERS,
THEREFORE ECONOMIZING FUEL TO A GREAT EXTENT."
J
19.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Leake and Matthew
Sykes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 1st May 1857.
We, RICHARD LEAKE and MATTHEW SYKES, both of Barnsley, in the County
of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CONSUMING SMOKE AND GENERATING HEAT IN FURNACES OF STEAM ENGINE "OR
OTHER BOILERS, ALSC HEATING THE FEED WATER OF THE SAID BOILERS, THEREFORE
ECONOMIZING FUEL TO A GREAT EXTENT," to be as follows:-
These improvements are proposed to be effected by constructing furnaces
in the following manner, and in adapting thereto the following parts; which
when séparately considered are old, but when combined together as hereafter
described and employed for the purposes of this Invention, they are new,"
constitute the above mentioned improvements.
As regards the 1" feature of these improvements it consists in separating
the "ash-pit" into two parts by building a wall up the centre thereof;
and providing the same in front with two doors.

page_text: The 2nd feature consists in the use of hollow "dead plates" divided as
above stated, and grate_bars through which air passes to the "split bridge"
of the furnace.
The 3rd feature consists in the use of a series of fire-clay pipes placed
behind the "split bridge" for the purpose of separating and infinitely dividing
the smoke and small particles, so as to be easily acted upon by the flame from
the fire. I propose to employ a "tue-iron "and blower to oach of the aforesaid
pipes.
The 4th feature consists in adapting a water tank extending the whole
length and width of the fire grate, and in constructing the fire box of
wrought iron to save the expense of a door frame and fire arch, also to heat
the feed water for the boiler.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Leake and Matthew Sykes in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 31st October 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we RICHARD
LEAKE and MATTHEW SYKES, both of Barnsley, in the County of York, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of May, 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 us, the said
Richard Leake and Matthow Sykes, Her special licence that we, the said
Richard Leake and Matthew Sykes, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Richard Leake and Matthew Sykes,
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN CON
SUMING SMOKE AND GENERATING HEAT IN FURNACES OF STEAM ENGINE OR OTHER
BOILERS, ALSO HEATING THE FEED WATER OF THE SAID BOILERS, THEREFORE
ECONOMIZING FUEL TO A GREAT EXTENT," upon the condition (among others)
that we, the said Richard Leake and Matthew Sykes, our executors or
administrators, by un instrument in writing under our or their hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, should parti-

page_text: •
cularly 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 we, the said Richard Leake and Matthew Sykes
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
Our improvements are proposed to be effected by constructing furnaces in
the following manner, and in adapting thereto the following parts, which when
separately considered are old, but when combined together, as hereafter
described, and employed for the purposes of this Invention they are new,
and constitute our above mentioned improvements.
As regards the first feature of our said improvements it consists in
separating the ash-pit" into two parts by building a wall up the centre
thereof, and providing the same in front with two doors.
The second feature consists in the use of hollow "dead plates" divided
as above stated, and grate bars through which air passes to the "split
bridge" of the furnace.
The third feature consists in the use of a series of fire-clay pipes, either
square or round, and of any length or diameter of bore, and placed either
before or behind the "split bridge" for the purpose of separating and
infinitely dividing the smoke into small particles, so as to be easily acted
upon by the flame from the fire. We propose to employ a "tue-iron"
and blower to each of the aforesaid pipes.
The fourth feature consists in adapting a water tank extending the whole
length and width of the fire grate, and in constructing the fire box of
wrought iron to save the expense of a door frame and fire arch, also to
heat the feed water for the boiler.
In order to explain our said improvements as completely as possible. we
now proceed to describe the best means we are acquainted with for
carrying the samo into practical effect, reference being had to the illustra-
tive Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures
and letters of reference marked thereon, respectively as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
At Sheet I., Figure 1 is a side clevation of a two-flued cylinder steam boiler,
showing our said improvements attached thereto; Figure?,a longitudinaland
vertical section thereof; Figure 3, a horizontal section on the line A, B, at

page_text: Figure 2; Figures 4 and 5 are transverse and vertical sections, respectively
taken through the lines C, D, and E, F, at Figures 1 and 2; Figure 6 is a
front elevation of Figures 1 and 2.
At Sheet 2, Figure 7 exhibits a longitudinal and vertical section of a
multitubular boiler with our said improvements adapted thereto; Figure 8,
a horizontal section on the line G, H, at Figures 7 and 9; Figures 9 and 10
respectively exhibit sections taken on the lines I, K, and L, M, at Figure 7,
through the fire box and tubes;. Figure 11 is a front elevation of Figure 7.
At each of the foregoing Figures of each Sheet of Drawings, we 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.
At Sheet 1, A is a cylindrical steam boiler with our improvements attached
thereto for consumingsmoke. The Drawing at Figure 6 shows the "ash-pit"|
closed by two doors B, C; above are the dead plates D and E, which are
formed hollow to allow the air to pass through them into the grate bars G
(which are also formed hollow) into the back dead plates E, which form the
under part of one side of the bridge I; the said bridge is also formed hollow,
with a slit or opening along the entire length thereof. The fire box K,
together with the fire doors K' attached thereto, are placed on the top of the
front dead plates, and are designed to save the expense of the ordinary fire
doors and frame, and also to save a fire-brick arch, which is necessary to
separate the fire from the flues if it be a fluid boiler, and also to heat the feed
water before it enters the boiler, by which a great saving of fuel will be
effected. L is an iron tank to contain water, said tank being made about
the same length and width as the fire grate of the furnace; upon the bottom
of this said tank the heat from the fire acts; the tank may either be open
or closed at top. The foregoing arrangements are equally applicable to
multitubular boilers or other boilers made with internal fire boxes, as
.exhibited at Sheet 2 of the annexed Drawings, the several parts whereof
are distinguished by similar letters of reference to those at Sheet 1.
We would here observe, that for boilers made with internal fire boxes, we
consider a bridge of the construction exhibited at Figures 7 and 8 of Sheet 2
would answer well. The opening marked a at Figures 10 and 11 is for
establishing a steam communication between the boiler and the tank or fire
box L, and the openings marked b, b, at these said Figures are for the water
communication. The reason for thus economizing the heat from the fire is,
that generally in practice there is not sufficient area of fire grate or ash-pit,
and the draft being therefore very short, a great portion of the heat passes into
the chimney and is lost; and as it has been found that about one-third of the

page_text: heat is expended to raise the feed water to the boiling point, the extra expense
of and space occupied by our improved method of heating the feed water is
unimportant,seeing that the wear and tear of the boiler would be considerably
lessened by its adoption, and if the flues were made to the extreme ends of the
boiler there would then be no extra expense. The two pipes M and N
attached to the fire box are for the following purpose:-That marked M is to
allow the water to pass from the fire box into the boiler, and that marked N is
to convey the steam that is generated in the fire box into the boiler.
The section at Figure 4 shews a series of fire-clay pipes X, about four
inches inside diameter, one inch thick, and eighteen inches or two feet in
length, said pipes being placed about two or three feet either behind or at the
front of the split bridge, according to the length of the boiler. (The above
dimensions are suited for a furnace the firegrate of which presents a surface of
about thirty square feet.) In each of the aforesaid pipes we insert a blower
and tuyere iron,such as are now used in ordinary smiths' forges. The air will
be conducted to the aforesaid pipes through the before-mentioned hollowdead
plates, grate bars, and split bridge. The blow pipes may be made either of
fire clay, cast iron, or other material that will stand the action of the air and
fire thereon, and may be placed either horizontal or perpendicular to the said
pipes, either before or behind them. We also purpose to separate the opening
in the dead plates and split bridge in two parts, so as to be able to blow
through the aforesaid fire-clay pipes either on the hot or cold side of the
fire, either by mechanical means, or the action of the air itself.
Another form of fire bricks or pipes Y, to be used in combination with the
pipes X lastly above described, is exhibited at Figure 2, which said Figure
exhibits a split bridge in section, and one of the above-mentioned bricks at
the top thereof. These bricks we form in the shape of a hollow triangle, and
place them in front of the pipes X, and we arrange and dispose said tri-
angular bricks about four inches asunder,and form them with a slit oropening
on each side thereof for the air to pass out of and meet the flame which passes
through the aforesaid four inch slits or spaces between said bricks.
We now proceed to describe the mode of operating with our said improve-
ments as follows:-When we fire, we close one or both of the doors of the
ash-pit, according to the state of cleanliness of the fire, and open the furnace
door or doors in front of the grate bars, thereby allowing the air to pass
through the dead plates, grate bars, split bridge, and fire bricks Y, as also to
the blow pipe, tuyere,and fire-clay pipes X, by which time we assume the air
will have acquired a temperature of about 600 degrees of Fahrenheit's
thermometer, being a temperature at which it is supposed to become ignited

page_text: by the flame from the fire, and should any smoke remain after passing the
bridge, the heated air and smoke having to pass through the aforesaid red-
hot fire-clay pipes will thus be consumed. By the ash-pit being closed, the
fire will be formed as good at the end of ten minutes and possess as much
heating power as when it was newly fired.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of our
soid Invention of "Improvements in Consuming Smoke and Generating
Heat in Furnaces of Steam Engine or other Boilers, also Heating the Feed
Water of the said Boilers, therefore Economizing Fuel to a great extent,"
together with the best means we are acquainted with for carrying the same
into practical effect, we would remark in conclusion, that we hereby declaro
our Invention to consist in, and we claim,-
Firstly, making the ash-pit of furnaces in two parts, each having a door,
and also forming a wall up the centre of said "osh-pit," as above stated.
Secondly, making furnaces with hollow dead plates and hollow grate
bars for the passage of air through them to the split bridge of the furnace,
as above stated.
Thirdly, the fire-clay pipes marked X and Y for separating the sinoke
into small particles, so that it may be easily àcted upon by the heat from
the furnace fire, and thereby be consumed.
Fourthly, the fire-box L for heating the feed water for the boiler.
In witness whereof, tho said Richard Leake and Matthew Sykes have
hereunto settheir hands and seals, this Thirtieth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness, WILLIAM GREEN,
Wosbro' Common, near Barnsley.
October 30th 1857.
RICHARD LEAKE.
MATTHEW SYKES.
2:
(L.S) :
(L.S.) '