AN IMPROVED METHOD OF SUPPLYING FURNACES WITH HOT AIR
Year: 1859

page_text: 31-4
ETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF SUPPLYING FURNACES WITH HOT AIR."-A commu-
nication from abroad by Messrs. Addison Calvin Fletcher, of Cincinnati,
Ohio, and George Ambrose Redman, of New York, City, Gentleman,
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, 'with his Petition, on the 18th
June 1859:
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF SUPPLYING FURNACES WITH HOT AIR,'
to be as follows—
1
This Invention consists in the employment or use of a series of metallic
steam chambers communicating at each end with another chamber, one to
receive the escape steam from an engine, and the other to recieve the water
of condensation, the above parts being used in connection with a fan, & the
whole arranged as hereinafter fully shown and described, whereby the boiler
or other furnace may be supplied with a requisite amount of hot air, the
smoke consumed, and a perfect combustion of the fuel obtained.

page_text: The Invention is illustrated by the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1
is a vertical section of the Invention taken in the line x, x, Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is
another section of the same, taken in the line y, y, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an hori-
zontal section of the fan box and the pipes connected with it, y', y', indicating
the plane of section; similar letters of reference denote like parts in all the
Figs.
A represents a series of steam chambers, which transversely are of narrow
wedge shape, and are connected at each end with another chamber, the upper
one B being of annular, and the lower one C of cylindrical form. The
chambers A are placed radially. between the chambers B, C, and at such a
distance apart as to allow spaces d between them, which are of equal width,
in consequence of the wedge shape of the chambers A; this will be fully
understood by referring to Fig. 2.
The chambers A are represented as being in a vertical position, and probably
it would be preferable to have them in such a position, but still they may be
placed horizontally if required or more convenient. The chambers A com-
municate with the peripheries of the chambers B, C, by having each chamber A
provided at each end with a projecting part b, which extends over the peri-
pheries of the chambers B, C, and communicates with them by apertures c, as
shown clearly in Fig. 1.
The chambers A are of such a depth or extend inwards sufficiently to leave
a chamber D, the bottom of which is formed by the inner or upper plate of
the chamber C. Between the two chambers B, C, and all around the outer
edges of the chambers A, wooden bars D' are placed. These bars trans-
versely are of trilateral form, and they are so placed that a bar will be
directly opposite each space a, and at such a distance from the outer edges of.
the chambers to form curved induction passages d to the spaces a, as shown
clearly in Fig. 2. E, E, represent steam pipes which conduct the escape
steam from an engine to the chamber B, and F represents pipes which conduct
the water of condensation from the chamber C, said water being conducted
back again to the boiler.
To the upper plate of the chamber B a pipe G is attached, and this pipe
communicates with the chamber D. This pipe is divaricated at its outer
end, and communicates with a fan box H at two opposite sides at its centre,
as clearly shown at Figure 3.
"
The fan I may be of the ordinary form, and the box H is provided with two
eduction pipes e, e, which are each provided with a valve or damper f, one
pipe e conducting heated air below the grate of the furnace, and the other
conducting it above the. grate. The operation is as follows:-The apparatus

page_text: is placed in any convenient position to the engine and boiler or other furnace;
the fan I is rotated by any proper means, and a suction is produced through
the pipe G, chamber D, and spaces a between the steam chamber A, as indi-
cated by the red arrows in Fig. 1. The pipes E, E, conduct the escape steam
from the engine into the chamber B, the steam passing down into the
chambers A, in which it is instantly condensed, in consequence of the cold air
passing through the spaces a into the chamber D, which air becomes intensely
heated thereby, and is drawn up into the fan box H, and ejected therefrom
through the pipes e, e, above and below the grate of the furnace, said furnace
being closed, so that no air can pass into it except what is heated by the
apparatus, and ejected into it through the pipes e, e. The wooden strips or
bars D' divide the currents of air as they pass into the spaces a, and serve to
render the volume of air that passes through the apparatus more uniform than
it otherwise would be, and in consequence of the strips being of wood, they
prevent any outward radiation of heat from the chambers A. The water of
condensation is conducted from the chamber C by the pipes F, and by means
of an ordinary force pump is returned to the boiler for continuous use.
By this Invention, it will be seen that the air to be heated is brought in
contact with a large heating surface, and is quickly heated. The passage of
the air through the apparatus is also very direct, and passes in an unobstructed
natural direction upwards, as indicated by the red arrows.
The passage of
steam through the chambers a, and the water of condensation in the pipes F
is indicated by the black arrows in Fig. 1.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th December 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigus, should at any

page_text: time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there:
after 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 "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF SUPPLYING FURNACES WITH HOT AIR," a communication from
abroad by Messrs. Addison Calvin Fletcher, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and George
Ambrose Redman, of New York City, Gentleman, United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Clark, my exe-
cutors 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 William Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say)
This Invention consists in the employment or use of a series
metallic
steam chambers communicating at each end with another chamber, one to
receive the escape steam from an engine and the other to receive the water
of condensation, the above parts being used in connection with a fan, and the
whole arranged as herein-after fully shown and described, whereby the boiler
or other furnace may be supplied with a requisite amount of hot air, the
smoke consumed, and a perfect combustion of the fuel obtained.
The Invention is illustrated by the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1
is a vertical section of my Invention taken in a line a, a, Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is
another section of the same taken in a line y, y, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a hori-
zontal section of the fan box, and the pipes connected with it y', y¹, indicating
the plane of section. Similar letters of reference denote like parts in all the
Figures.
A represents a series of steam chambers, which transversely are of narrow
wedge shape, and are connected at each end with another chamber, the upper
one B being of annular and the lower one C of cylindrical form. The
chambers A are placed radially between the chambers B, C, and at such a
distance apart as to allow spaces a between them, which are of equal width in
consequence of the wedge shape of the chambers A. This will be fully under-
stood by referring to Fig. 2. The chambers A are represented as being in a

page_text: .
vertical position, and probably it would be preferable to have them in such a
position, but still they may be placed horizontally, if required or more.convenient.
The chambers A communicate with the peripheries of the chambers B, C, by
having each chamber A provided at each end with a projecting part b, which
extends over the peripheries of the chambers B, C, and communicates with
them by appertures c, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. The chambers A are of
such a depth or extend inward sufficiently to leave a chamber D, the bottom
of which is formed by the inner or upper plate of the chamber C. Between
the two chambers B, C, and all around the outer edges of the chambers A
wooden bars Dare placed, these bars transversely are of trilateral form, and
they are so placed that a bar will be directly opposite each space a, and at such
a distance from the outer edges of the chambers to form.curved induction
passages d, to the spaces a, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.
E, E, represent steam pipes which conduct the escape steam from an engine
into the chamber B, and F represents pipes which conduct the water of .con-
densation from the chamber C, said water being conducted back again to the
boiler. To the upper plate of the chamber B, a pipe G is attached, and this
pipe communicates with the chamber D. This pipe is divaricated at its outer
end, and communicates with a fan box H at two opposite sides at its centre,
as shown clearly in Fig. 3. The fan I may be of the ordinary form, and the
box His provided with two eduction pipes e, e, which are each provided with
a valve or damper f, one pipe e conducting heated air below the grate of the
furnace, and the other conducting it above the grate.
The operation is as follows:-The apparatus is placed in any convenient
position to the engine and boiler or other furnace. The fan I is rotated by
any proper means, and a suction is produced through the pipe G, chamber D,
and spaces a, between the steam chambers A, as indicated by the red arrows
in Fig. 1. The pipes E, E, conduct the escape steam from the engine into
the chamber B, the steam passing down into the chambers A, in which it is
instantly condensed in consequence of the cold air passing through the spaces a
into the chamber D, which air becomes intensely heated thereby, & is drawn
up into the fan box H, and ejected therefrom through the pipes e, e, above and
below the grate of the furnace; said furnace being closed so that no air can
pass into it except what is heated by the apparatus and ejected into it through
the pipes e, e. The wooden strips or bars D' divide the currents of air as they
pass into the spaces a, and serve to render the volume of air that passes through
the apparatus more uniform than it otherwise would be, and in consequence of
the strips being of wood, they prevent any outward radiation of heat from the
chambers A. The water of condensation is conglucted from the chamber C by

page_text: the pipes F, and by means of an ordinary force pump is returned to the boiler
for continuous use. By this Invention it will be seen that the air to be heated
is brought in contact with a large heating surface, and is quickly heated. The
passage of the air through the apparatus is also very direct, and passes in an
unobstructed natural direction upwards, as indicated by the red arrows. The
passage of steam through the chambers A, and the water of condensation in
the pipes F is indicated by the black, arrows in Fig. 1.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would remark, that I do not claim the heating of air by bringing
the same in contact with steam tubes or chambers, for that has been previously
done; but that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters' Patent, is, the arrangement, substantially as
herein-before described of the fan I, and the steam chambers A communicating
with the chambers B, C, together with the inlet steam pipe E, and cold air
passages a, hot air pipes G, e, e, and the pipes F for the discharge of the
water of condensation, all for the purposes set forth.
Also in combination with the steam chambers A arranged as described, the
wooden strips or bars D¹ placed relatively with the chambers, substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
W. G. E. SWINNOCK,
53, Chancery Lane.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)