IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES TO FACILITATE THE CONSUMPTION OF SMOKE
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Brookes at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th August
1864. A communication from abroad by Felix Maurice Antoine
Picard, of Lyons, in the Empire of France, Engineer.
I, WILLIAM BROOKES, of 62, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES TO FACILITATE THE CONSUMPTION OF
SMOKE," communicated to me from abroad by Felix Maurice Antoine Picard,
of Lyons, in the Empire of France, Engineer, to be as follows:-
The object of the Invention is to obtain complete combustion of the fuel, and
consequently the greatest amount of heat, without the evolution of smoke.
This is accomplished by obtaining uniformity and regularity of the feed with
uniformity of temperature and dryness of the fuel; also by obtaining uni-
formity of clearing away the slag or refuse without opening the furnace or
disturbing the process by variations in the volume of air introduced, and by
the conversion of the fuel in a first furnace into combustible gases, and the
subsequent mixture of these gases with air at a high temperature. The air
to promote combustion is divided to act in two principal directions, one. on
the fuel under combustion, and the other upon the gaseous products thereof.
The first comes in contact with the ignited fuel in excess, producing carbonic
oxide (oxyde de carbone) and carbonized hydrogen (gaz. hydrogènes car.

page_text: bonés), the other in minute streams penetrates the gaseous products evolved
from this first combustion, producing by a further combustion carbonic acid
(acide carbonique), and steam with great heat.
One form of apparatus adapted to the Invention is indicated by a sectional
view at Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings. In this case, a, a, are fire-
bars, formed in pairs, affixed to a frame capable of being traversed to and fro
under the fuel, so as to separate the exhausted fuel or slag from the uncon-
sumed, and to facilitate the entrance of the series of bars, and the breakage or
separation of the scoria, slag, or refuse which has fallen on the withdrawal of
the frame; the inner end of the bars is formed with an edge. The sebars are
operated for their movement by suitable gear. Extending upwards around
three sides of these bars a are other stationary bars b, for the admission of
air. Below the bars a is formed a chamber c, capable of being closed by
valves or flaps d, d, which are capable of being opened and closed by
mechanical means. e is the ashpit; f is the feed box or chamber in which is
placed the fuel to be consumed. This chamber is formed with a lifting cover
fand an open bottom, which when the chamber is in the position indicated
by the Drawing is closed at the bottom by being over part of the case of the
furnace, and then a projection therefrom closes the mouth of the furnace.
The furnace is fed by sliding this chamber with its open bottom over the
furnace mouth. The feed being given, the chamber is returned to have a
fresh supply. Holes capable of being closed by a plate 9 are formed in
the projecting cover f. h is a channel formed of fire-brick for conducting
a blast of air to act on the gaseous products of combustion; for this
purpose that portion of the channel within the flue passage i is perforated
with numerous holes adapted to cause the air to pass through and thoroughly
act upon the gaseous products of combustion. j and j¹ are pipes for con-
ducting air to the chamber c, and thence to the under side of the furnace, when
a blast is employed for the purpose. k is an opening to facilitate the removal
of matters collecting in the passage i; 1, 1, are passages through which the
matters under combustion may be acted upon to facilitate their descent as
desired. The gaseous products in a heated state obtained by the action of
the air on them, passing by the passage i, may heat steam boilers or a metal-
lurgical fire or be otherwise utilized. The furnace may be worked by the
draught of a chimney or by a blast. When the draught of a
chimney is
employed, the flaps d, d, will remain open, except when they are closed to
sustain the fuel at each withdrawal of the bars a. When blast is employed,.
these flaps will be kept closed except to discharge the cinders or other
refuse from above them. When supplying air to the furnace by a blast, the

page_text: vertical gratings b, b, should be surrounded by a chamber in communication
with the blast.
Figure 2 shows a modification of the improvements in which the bars a
and 6 are omitted, the other parts are indicated by letters corresponding with
those already employed. In this case, in addition to air forced in by the tuyers
m, m, it is also admitted by the tuyer pipe n. o is a passage for the outlet of
molten metal; p are pipes for heating air.