Method of and Means for Preventing the Escape of Smoke into the Atmosphere.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th June, 1891-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1891
Method of and Means for Preventing the Escape of Smoke into the
Atmosphere.
We, PIERRE GENTIL and ANTOINE ERNEST VANONI, both of 2 Boulevard de
Strasbourg, Paris, France, Chimney Contractors, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Practical means have long been sought for satisfactorily disposing of the smoke
from factory chimneys, stationary and portable steam boiler and other furnaces,
ovens and so forth. So far as we know however, no method has hitherto succeeded
completely so that the use of furnaces, such as those of the very large steam
generating plant for electric light installations with which towns are now being
provided, is attended by serious inconvenience. Not only are the superior portions
of towns rendered unsuitable for the classes who usually reside in such parts but
suburbs are also prejudicially affected by reason of the smoke emitted from factory
furnaces.
Now this invention has for object to entirely prevent the escape into the
atmosphere of the smoke of factory furnaces in particular, and also of domestic
fire places and also to dispense with the chimneys of sheet metal and of brickwork
ordinarily used with such furnaces and fireplaces, whilst at the same time ensuring
a regular and powerful draught without prejudice to economy in the combustion of
fuel. For these purposes according to our invention we pass the smoke from the
furnace or fire-place, of whatever kind it may be, and hereinafter referred to
generally as a furnace, into a flue or covered conduit hereinafter called a conduit
beneath the ground and thence into an existing covered drain or sewer or into a
special covered drain or sewer (hereinafter referred to as a sewer) and condense or
resolve the smoke by cooling and injection of water, in such a manner that a
draught is produced through the furnace and conduit due to the difference in the
temperatures of the furnace and of the sewer, and to the relative vacuum or
reduction of pressure in the sewer resulting from the condensation of the hot gases
and of the empyreumatic or pyrogenous oils of which the smoke is mainly
composed.
By these means the escape of smoke into the atmosphere is prevented, thereby
obviating the drawbacks hereinbefore mentioned and rendering possible the
establishment of works of various kinds in the most luxurious quarters of a town,
even in the most comfortable dwellings, and owing to the strong currents produced,
there exists all that is necessary for effecting good ventilation of drains and sewers,
and for fulfilling the most exacting hygienic requirements. Further, by this inven-
tion the large and small chimneys ordinarily employed, which have usually an
unsightly appearance, and are often of dangerous and costly construction, can he
dispensed with.
In the case of the furnace of a stationary generator the flue thereof for the hot
gases and products of incomplete combustion opens into a conduit in communication
with the connecting street sewer. A draught is thereby produced through the
furnace due to the great difference in the temperatures existing in the furnace and
in the conduit and sewer. This draught is further increased as desired by the
introduction through suitable devices for example pipes and roses of jets of water
in a greater or smaller number according to requirement, and which effect the con-
densation and cooling of the gaseous portion of the hot gases and products of
combustion and of the empyreumatic or pyrogenous oils which constitute the smoke
the result being the condensation of the smoke in the conduit and sewer and so

page_text: preventing its escape into the atmosphere. Ventilation and cleansing of the
system of underground sewers is also effected at the same time.
The water injectors or roses receive water from a conduit through the pipes
provided with cocks that admit of the discharge of water being regulated according
to the phases of the combustion. Sight holes suitably provided, either at the outlet
of the flue of the generator, or, at one or more points of the conduit, enable the
person in charge to ascertain the volume or quantity of products of combustion,
that is to say, smoke being discharged, and consequently to regulate according to
requirement, the distribution of the condensing water.
When the furnace that produces the smoke, is near a steam generator or a steam
engine, we introduce into the conduit or sewer through a pipe one or more jets of
live steam or of exhaust steam as the case may be, for urging the draught in the
collecting sewer. These jets of steam and the resulting current or draught in the
sewer, can be regulated at will by means of a cock or other suitable regulating
device placed on the steam pipe or pipes within reach of the stoker of the boiler or
of the attendant of the engine.
In the case of a portable or semi-portable boiler, the chimney thereof is arranged
to open. into, the underground conduit which leads to the sewer. This conduit is,
like the conduit above referred to provided with water injector nozzles or roses
carried by pipes connected to a water conduit and provided with regulating cocks
and also with a pipe for the escape of steam, it may be exhaust steam from the
engine, into the sewer.
Each conduit may with advantage be connected with the sewer at an acute angle
for directing the current or draught naturally produced in such conduit, in the
direction of discharge of the sewer.
Dated this 27th day of September 1890.
P. GENTIL,
By L. W., per F. B.
A. E. VANONI,
By L. W., per F. B.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Method of and Means for Preventing the Escape of Smoke into the
Atmosphere.
We, PIERRE GENTIL and ANTOINE ERNEST VANONI, both of 2 Boulevard de
Strasbourg, Paris, France, Chimney Contractors, 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:-
Practical means have long been sought for satisfactorily disposing of the smoke
from factory chimneys, stationary & portable steam boiler & other furnaces, ovens
and so forth.
So far as we know however, no method has hitherto succeeded completely so that
the use of furnaces, such as those of the very large steam generating plant for
electric light, installations with which towns are now being provided, is attended by
serious inconvenience. Not only are the superior portions of towns rendered
unsuitable for the classes who usually reside in such parts, but suburbs are also
prejudicially, affected by reason of the smoke emitted from factory furnaces.
Now this invention has for object to entirely prevent the escape into the atmosphere
of the smoke of factory furnaces in particular, and also of domestic fire places, and
also to dispense with the chimneys of sheet metal and of brick-work ordinarily used
with such furnaces and fire-places, whilst at the same time ensuring a regular and
powerful draught without prejudice to economy in the combustion of fuel. For
these purposes according to our-invention we pass the smoke, by means of a fan,
from the furnace or fire-place, of whatever kind it may be, and hereinafter referred

page_text: to generally as a furnace, into a flue or covered conduit, hereinafter called a flue
beneath the ground and thence into an existing covered drain or sewer or into a
special covered drain or sewer (hereinafter referred to as a sewer) and condense or
resolve the smoke by cooling and injection of water, in such a manner that a draught
is produced through the furnace and flue due to the suction of the fan, to the
difference in the temperatures of the furnace and of the sewer and to the relative
vacuum or reduction of pressure in the sewer resulting from the condensation of
the hot gases and of the empyreumatic or pyrogenous oils of which the smoke is
mainly composed.
The fan is operated by any suitable gas or carburetted air motor as soon as the
furnace is lit; but as soon as the shafting of the factory is set in motion by another
or main motor, the first motor is stopped, and the belt of the fan is shifted on to a
pulley mounted on the said shafting.
By these means the escape of smoke into the atmosphere is prevented, thereby
obviating the drawbacks hereinbefore mentioned and rendering possible the establish-
ment of works of various kinds in the most luxurious quarters of a town, even in
the most comfortable dwellings and owing to the strong currents produced, there
exists. all that is necessary for effecting good ventilation of drains and sewers, and
for fulfilling the most exacting hygienic requirements. Further, by this invention
the large and small chimneys ordinarily employed, which have usually an
unsightly appearance, and are often of dangerous and costly construction, can
be dispensed with.
The accompanying drawings show by way of example only how our invention
can be carried into practice,
Fig. 1 illustrating partly in vertical section and partly in elevation, the general
arrangement of the furnace of a stationary steam boiler having its flue connected
with a sewer according to this invention; and
Fig. 2 illustrating in plan view, to a larger scale, the connection of the suction
flue with the collecting sewer.
The smoke coming from the generator A passes by a suitable pipe a into the
fan a' which forces it through a pipe a² into a flue branching off from the collecting
sewer c of the street, or any other suitable channel. The pipe a² is bent in such a
manner as to allow of a definite height of water being maintained in the fan casing
and through which water the gases coming from the furnace have to pass before
entering the pipe a². A suitable channel not shewn serves to maintain a constant
water level in the fan casing. In the vertical part of the flue bis arranged a tube ¹
divided into compartments by perforated metallic plates through which water is
projected by means of roses which are arranged to project the water in opposite
directions. This injection of water serves to effect the cooling and condensation
of the empyreumatic or pyrogenous oils and other matters constituting the smoke.
which has been forced by the fan into the flue b.
The smoke which passes through the perforated metallic plates. ² becomes
distributed in the successive chambers d d d where it is condensed in great part;
that which arrives in 2 passes into a pipe e which receives at e' an injection of water
which causes the complete removal of the last traces of smoke.
By the arrangement described we prevent the escape into the atmosphere of smoke
which is condensed in the sewer and we obtain a powerful ventilation which effects
the cleansing of the underground drains or sewers.
The roses receive water from a conduit through a pipe provided with one
or more cocks that admit of the discharge of water being regulated according to
the phases of the combustion in the furnace. Suitable sight holes provided either
at the outlet of the flue or pipe a of the furnace or at one or more points of the
flue, enable the person in charge to ascertain the volume of the products of com-
bustion given off, that is to say of the smoke, and consequently to regulate as
required the distribution of the condensing water.
When the furnace that produces the smoke is near a steam generator or a steam
motor, we introduce into the flue b, live steam or exhaust steam, as the case may

page_text: be, concurrently with the injection water for the purpose of increasing the draught
and the condensation of the smoke.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
:―
1. The herein described method of preventing escape of smoke from a furnace or
fire-place into the atmosphere by introducing the hot gas and products of incomplete
combustion, constituting the smoke by means of a fan through which they pass,
into underground conduits or flues connected with a drain or sewer so that a regular
draught is produced by the suction of the fan and by the difference in the
temperatures of the said conduits or flues and sewer through which the said hot
gases and products of incomplete combustion escape substantially as herein before
described.
2. In the method of preventing escape of smoke into the atmosphere as referred
to in the preceding claim, introducing water in the form of spray or otherwise, into
a tube provided with perforated metallic plates or divisions and arranged within the
flue through which the smoke passes, the water being introduced by means of roses
arranged to project the water in opposite directions at each end of the said tube in
such a manner as to cool and condense the hot gases and products of incomplete
combustion passing through the tube substantially as herein described.
3. In the method of preventing escape of smoke into the atmosphere as referred
to in Claim 1, utilizing the exhaust steam from steam engines for increasing the
velocity of the smoke and hot gases through the conduits or flues and for facilitating
the condensation of the smoke substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In the method of preventing the escape of steam into the atmosphere as referred
to in Claim 1, injecting water more or less in the form of spray into the said smoke
for the purpose of cooling and condensing the same, and increasing the draught
through the flue conduits and sewer by admitting jets of live or exhaust steam into
the said smoke substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. For preventing the escape of smoke from a furnace into the atmosphere, the
combination with the furnace flue or chamber and a sewer, of one or more conduits
or flues that place the said furnace flue or chamber in communication with the said
sewer and means substantially as described and shewn for causing smoke to flow
through said conduits or flues and to be cooled and condensed therein as set
forth.
Dated this 29th day of June 1891
PIERRE GENTIL,
By L. W., per F. B.
A. E. VANONI,
By L. W., per F. B.