A FURNACE, STOVE, OR FIREPLACE THAT CAN CONVENIENTLY BE APPLIED TO THE BURNING OF LIMESTONE AT THE SAME TIME THAT IT IS USED FOR THE HEATING OF ALL MANNER OF CORN KILNS, EVAPORATING STOVES, AND DRYING HOUSES FOR MALT, CORN, FLAX, CLOTH, STARCH, OR ANY OTHER MATERIAL THAT REQUIRES DRYING OR HEATING, THAT IT IS APPLICABLE TO THE MAKING OF COKE FROM COAL, SMELTING OF METALS, HEATING OF BOILEES, AND OTHER SUCH LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1803

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
STEPHENS, of the City of Dublin, Merchant, in that part of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called Ireland, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of January,
One thousand eight hundred and three, in the forty-third year of His reign,
did give and grant unto me, the said Edward Stephens, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, His special license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Edward Stephens, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad,
my Invention of "A FURNACE, STOVE, OR FIREPLACE THAT CAN CONVENIENTLY BE
APPLIED TO THE BURNING OF LIMESTONE AT THE SAME TIME THAT IT IS USED FOR
THE HEATING OF ALL MANNER OF CORN KILNS, EVAPORATING STOVES, AND DRYING
HOUSES FOR MALT, CORN, FLAX, CLOTH, STARCH, OR ANY OTHER MATERIAL THAT
REQUIRES DRYING OR HEATING, THAT IT IS APPLICABLE TO THE MAKING OF COKE
FROM COAL, SMELTING OF METALS, HEATING OF BOILEES, AND OTHER SUCH LIKE
PURPOSES;" in which Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me,
the said Edward Stephens, under my hand and seal, to cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which
the same is performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within two calendar month next and immediately ensuing the date

page_text: of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same (relation
being thereunto had) may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Stephens, do hereby declare that the following is a particular descrip-
tion of the said furnace, stove, or fireplace, and of it's various forms as applied
to its different purposes :-
First, the Drawing Place 1.-No. 1 shews a section of a circular furnace
completely fitted up on a scale of one eighth of an inch to a foot. It is there
applied to a corn or malt kiln of twenty feet square, where A represents a
metal pan or furnace with the frame it rests on, which frame also supports the
sliding bars at bottom for the purpose of letting out the lime that has been
burn'd therein. Into this pan is put the coal, turf, culm, coke, or other fuel
intended to be used, either separately or with limestone, iron ore, or any other
material that may require to be burned, roasted, or smelted, and that can with
safety be ignited under a kiln of said description, as by this means a double
operation is performed, and the expence of fuel considerably saved.
B repre-
sents a canopy or cover of sheet iron, which is placed over said pan for the
purpose of receiving the direct rays of the fire, and of increasing its power.
C, the mouth piece or furnace door through which the fuel, stone, &c. is put
into the pan. D is a brick arch built at three inches distance from the sides
and top of the canopy; this space of three inches is left open to admit a current
of air into the body of the kiln, which air in it's passage over the sheet iron
gets much heated, and is thereby prepared to ascend in a strong current to
the corn, malt, &c. that is spread above on the kiln floor, and well calculated
to carry off it's moisture with great rapidity, provided too much corn is not put
on the kiln at once. The thickness recommended is about three inches of
wheat, oat, or barley, and five inches of wet malt. E shews a section of the
brick wall that surrounds the metal pan as high as the upper flange, but being
also kept three inches distance, leaves a space or air chamber for letting into the
kiln (by the small back aperture) another considerable portion of air that gets
much heated in it's passage round the pan, which is kept continually red hot by
the fuel and limestone within. F is the spark plate usually hung in open corn
kilns for the purpose of spreading the heat more equally, but it is here used
to break the current of hot air which might otherwise entirely ascend through
the center of the kiln floor. G is the ashpit or space under the furnace
where the lime falls when the bars are drawn out for that purpose. Note,
that this is to be done about every quarter of an hour, and fresh limestone
and fuel put in at the top of the pan, which ought to be constantly kept full
and as near the degree of uniform red heat as possible, as the better and

page_text: stronger the fire is kept up the greater quantity of heated air will pass into
the kiln, and, of course, the greater effect will be produced. Care should be
taken to draw but one or two sliding bars at a time, lest too much lime should
descend at once, and thereby occasion the fire to decline. The holes at the
sides and over the furnace door shew where the air is admitted between the
canopy and the brick arch that surrounds it, and the three holes under
the door serve for a passage for air to get to the front of the heated pan,
and also for sight holes to notice when it is sufficiently red. H is the main
passage that leads to the furnace door; this is built with brick or stone, and
arched or covered over. I, the metal sleeper that the furnace rest on, which
is represented in the Drawing as framed, but it may be formed of three
separate pieces of metal, provided room is left for the sliding fire bars to draw
in and out. The same letters refer to the separate parts of said furnace,
which are drawn in Plate 1 on a large scale of one quarter inch to a foot.
The remaining parts of the kiln, as drawn in the annexed Plan, Plate I,
differ so little from those in general use for drying malt or corn that it is
unnecessary to describe it more fully, particularly as the Invention here
claimed is only for the furnace and air chamber, their appendages and general
application. It is, however, proper to say, that every aperture in the walls
or roof of the kiln must be closed that might admit cold air either under or
over the corn, except the openings round the furnace, and that through the
louvre or steam passage in the roofs. Note, such tiles as are best calculated
to pass the greatest current of air through them are to be preferred. Those
in most general use are twelve inches square and two inches thick, and have
holes or perforations so tapered as to prevent their being stopped by dust or
grain. This furnace, when used for a stove or drying house, acts on the same
principle as last described, namely, by conveying through the article to be
dried a strong current of pure atmospheric air heated to the degree required
to produce the effect. The application of the furnace must, however, differ
materially when cloth, linen, cotton, hops, or any other description of goods
are to be dried which might receive injury from the dust arising from the fire
below. Therefore, in this case, it will be necessary to confine the fire flue
very closely, and yet to take up almost the entire heat before it can make it's
way out of the said flue, which likewise acts as a chimney; in this case K,
in Plate No. 2, represents the furnace set in the same manner as when
applied to the corn kiln, except that it here delivers it's flame and heat into
the brick fire flue L, which is eighteen inches square, and runs on the floor
of the drying house; it has only a direct communication with the furnace at
one end and with the upright chimney at the other. Across said fire flue are

page_text: inserted the square sheet iron or copper pipes M, of three inch bore, and
sufficient length to reach nearly through both walls of the said flue; these
pipes are placed diagonally, as represented in the Plan, and have their lower
ends inserted in the air flue N, that is nine inches square, and runs along the
side of the fire flue, but are quite distinct from it. These two air flues have
a communication with the air chamber formed round the metal pan, which is
supplied with the external air through the lateral passages P. Now when the
fire is lit the pipes in the fire flues get heated to a high degree, and, of course,
draw in a supply of air from the air flue with which their lower end commu-
nicates. This air, which comes warm from the air chamber, gets farther heated
in its passage through the heated pipes, delivers itself into the drying house,
and is immediately followed by a fresh current, which, when once produced,
will continue as long as the fire in the furnace is kept up; and after this air
has seized the moisture of the article submitted to its action, they then pass
off together through the louvre or steam pipes in the roof of the drying house.
It now remains for me to describe this fireplace as adapted to the heating,
boiling, or evaporating any liquid, or to the heating of reverberating furnaces,
ovens, &c. &c., in which case the direct flame may be first solely applied to
their use, and, having exerted it's influence there, the remaining heat is after-
wards taken up by the pipes placed diagonally in the fire flue as chimney, as
before described, in the drying house, which chimney may either be upright
or horizontal. For the more clearly understanding this application of the
fireplace, it is only necessary to refer to its situation in respect to the stove or
drying house, where we find it's full powers used to heat a number of pipes
in a flue, from which can be casily understood that if a steam engine or other
boiler, &c., a salt pan, or reverberating furnace or oven, was placed imme-
diately over the fireplace, or between it and the pipes N, Plate 2, that not
only the desired effect would be produced, but the treble advantage obtained
of burning lime, boiling water, &c., and heating a drying house of the greatest
extent with a regular current of pure atmospheric air raised to such a tem-
perature as would best suit the article to be dried, or should this furnace be
required only to burn lime and beat or boil any liquid, then it may be built
of brick or any other material that stands the fire, and applied to the pan or
boiler, as represented at X, Plate No. 2. In this situation I use one of
them for heating a steam-engine boiler, which it does effectually with about
half the fuel used in my former fireplace.
Lastly, my said Invention consists not only in the construction of the
furnace, but in the method of procuring a strong current of heated air, and
taking up nearly the entire result of the fuel before it can escape out of the

page_text: chimney top, and also in the application of an air chamber which acts without
a valve, register, or damper, and a fireplace that requires but little or no
expence to keep it constantly at work, being adapted to the effectual burning
of lime and cheap fuel, which, when burned, can be occasionally drawn out
without stopping the process or injuring the ignited fuel remaining in the
fireplace, and that these furnaces or fireplaces can be made of various materials
and of different shapes and sizes according to the situation in which they are
to be placed. The pipes in the fire flue may be made of any material that
readily transmits heat, and that they are applicable to all kinds of kilns,
drying houses, and boilers at present in use, as well as those that may here-
after be erected. When used in malt or corn kilns a simple louvre or
aperture at the top is sufficient to carry of the steam; therefore, there is no
necessity for a cow or moveable steam passage in the roof, as such an
apparatus is no more required on a well-constructed kiln than on a dwelling
house chimney that already frcely permits the smoke to pass from the fire.
This advantage, altho' considerable, is inferior to that of it's preserving the
health of the workmen and the colour and quality of the grain, both which
wore generally much injured by the old kilns where air was imperfectly
applied, and coal containing sulphur and other volatile substances too often
used without any material being burned along with them that might correct
their injurious tendency. Now this inconvenience will be hereafter done away,
as it is well known that limestone has the desired effect. This furnace, adapted
to a stove or drying house, is so universally applicable that there is scarcely a
manufacture that may not receive considerable benefit by it, but particularly
the woolen, linen, &c. &c., and also the cotton printing trade. It's use to
the hop planters will appear evident, as hops are an article that require to be
dried without injury to colour or flavour. It can also be easily applied to
forcing or blow houses in gardens, and to the wards of hospitals where
a regular supply of pure dry air is of so much consequence. It's use in
saving fuel will be allowed on examining the top of the drying house chimney,
even when coal is solely used, and comparing the small proportion of heat
passing from it into the atmosphere with the great proportion that,
gocs from
most chimneys in large manufactories; but when limestone can be procured
the saving is still greater, as this article costs but a trifle at first, yet when
burned is of considerable value, and in such univeral use as to be absolutely
necessary to many manufactories; but when limestone cannot be had or
burned to advantage, then turf, coal, wood, &c. may be effectually used, as.
these furnaces are adapted to the burning of all kind of fuel in general use,
and by the means herein described the principal objection to the erection of
steam engines will be in a great measure removed, as the difficulty of pro-

page_text: curing coal, particularly near large cities, has been the great obstacle in the
way
of this admirable piece of machinery getting into more general use.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Stephens, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and three.
W TEMPLETON.
JAMES FINDLAY, Pub. Not.
James Findlay, of the City of Dublin, Public Notary, maketh oath and
saith, that he was present and did see Edward Stephens, of the Merchants'
Stores, Dublin, sign and seal, and as his act and deed acknowledge and deliver,
a certain Deed Poll or Instrument in writing hereunto annexed, with the
necessary Plans or Drawings, bearing date this Fourteenth March, One
thousand eight hundred and three (instant), purporting to be a Specification
to describe and ascertain the nature of said Edward Stephens' Invention of a
Furnace, Stove, or Fireplace that can be conveniently applied to the Burn-
ing of Limestone at the same time that it's Used for the Heating of all
Manner of Corn Kilns, Evaporating Stoves, and Drying Houses for Malt,
Corn, Flax, Cloth, or any other Material that requires Drying or Heating,
that it's also Applicable to the Making of Coak, Smelting of Metals, Heating
of Boilers, and other such like Purposes. And this Deponent further maketh
oath and saith, that the name and character, "Edward Stephens," set at the
foot of the said Deed Poll as the party executing the same, is of the proper
handwriting of the said Edward Stephens.
JAMES FINDLAY.
Sworn at Stephen's Green, Dublin,
before me, one of the Masters of
the Court of Chancery in Ireland,
the Fourteenth day of March, One
thousand eight hundred and three.
THO WALKER.
Inrolled the Eighteenth day of March, in the year above written.