Improvements in Means for Consuming Smoke in Steam Boiler Furnaces.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 3rd May, 1897-Accepted, 26th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Consuming Smoke in Steam Boiler
Furnaces.
We, GEORGE THORNLEY HELLIWELL of Kitchen Royd, Denby Dale near
Huddersfield, Yorkshire, Engineer and HERMAN HINCHLIFF of Clayton West,
near Huddersfield aforesaid, Mason, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to the consumption of smoke in steam boiler
furnaces.
According to our invention we propose to first heat atmospheric air by causing
it to pass through a metal pipe or tube or two or more pipes or tubes, or piping or
tubing composed of fire clay or other fire resisting substance or material, and
arranged to extend through the fire box or flue or through the side flues according
to requirements and convenience of application. The air enters the pipe or pipes
or tubes at any suitable point outside the fire box or flue and preferably at or
towards the rear of the boiler so that it has the length of the fire box or the
side flues to travel ere being allowed to mix with the smoke and gases from the
furnace.
The aforesaid pipe or pipes is or are heated by the waste heat and gases from
the furnace impinging on and surrounding same on their way to the uptake and the
cold air, in passing through said pipe or pipes, is therefore heated to a high
temperature and is discharged from the pipe or pipes at the front of the fire bridge
and within a chamber or channel which conducts it into direct contact with the
smoke and gases passing on to or over the bridge. The admission of super heated
air at a point close to or at the fire bridge causes the unburnt carbonaceous gases
to become inflammable whereby all the dense smoke and heavy gases are consumed
and, adding considerably to the heat of the furnace, enables a great saving in fuel
to be effected.
A damper or valve is employed by which air from the underside of the furnace
can be admitted to the chamber or channel to mix with the super-heated air,
and to allow for cleaning out purposes; and a valve or damper is likewise
employed for shutting off or regulating the admission of cold air to the air heating
pipe or pipes. The upper part of the hot air chamber or channel may have a
deflecting plate or lip thereon to give direction to the heated air issuing therefrom,
and also to protect the said channel.
The parts above set forth are few and simple, are not liable to get out of order,
and can be easily applied to any existing boiler or furnace without requiring
structural alterations, there being no connection with the boiler itself aud
consequently no holes to drill or cut therein.
Dated this 5th day of December 1896.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Huddersfield, Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Means for Consuming Smoke in Steam Boiler
Furnaces.
We, GEORGE THORNLEY HELLIWELL, of Kitchen Royd, Denby Dale, near
Huddersfield, Yorkshire, Engineer, and HERMAN HINCHLIFF, of Clayton West,
near Huddersfield, aforesaid, Mason, 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 :-
This invention has reference to the consumption of smoke in steam boiler
furnaces.
According to our invention we propose to first heat atmospheric air by causing
it to pass through a metal pipe or tube or two or more pipes or tubes or piping or
tubing composed of fire clay or other fire resisting substance or material, and
arranged to extend through the fire box or flue or through the side flues according
to requirements and convenience of application. The air enters the pipe or pipes
or tubes at any suitable point outside the fire box or flue and preferably at or
towards the rear of the boiler so that it has the length of the fire box or the side
flues to travel ere being allowed to mix with the smoke and gases from the furnace.
The aforesaid pipe or pipes is or are heated by the waste heat and gases from the
furnace impinging on and surrounding same on their way to the uptake, and the
cold air in passing through said pipe or pipes is therefore heated to a high
temperature and is discharged from the pipe or pipes at the front of the fire bridge
or within a chamber or channel which conducts it into direct contact with the smoke
and gases passing on to or over the bridge, which are thus rendered inflammable
and consumed.
Air from the underside of the furnace can be admitted to the chamber or hollow
fire bridge to mix with the superheated air from the pipes.
In order that our said invention may be fully understood reference is hereafter
had to the annexed sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification, in
which :-
Fig. 1 is longitudinal elevation partly in section, of a boiler, shewing the
application of our improvements to the fire box or main flue of the boiler;
Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively sectional plan and transverse section of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is transverse section of boiler shewing a slight modification.
Fig. 5 is transverse section, Fig. 6 longitudinal elevation, partly in section and
Fig. 7 sectional plan of a boiler shewing our improvements as applied to the side
or circulating flues.
Figs. 8, 9, and 10, are similar views to Figs. 1, 5 and 7 respectively, but shew
the outlets of the hot air pipes situated in the closed up ashes place or chamber
under the fire bars.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.
Referring firstly to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, letters A, A, represent two pipes composed
of metal, or of fire clay or other fire resisting substance or material, which said
pipes are arranged to extend through the flue or fire box B of the boiler C, one
end of each said pipe passing out of the flue and being open to the atmosphere
whilst the opposite ends project into a chamber or hollow space D in the fire
bridge D', or near to same. A natural draft or current of air, induced by the
draft of the uptake or flue, enters the mouths of the air pipes A and passes
through same, as indicated by the arrows, such air in its passage being heated by
said pipes upon and around which the hot gases from the fire or furnace impinge
on their way to the uptake and, therefore, by the time it is discharged from the

page_text: pipes into the chamber D or hollow fire bridge, it is raised to a high temperature
such as, when discharged through the contracted outlet D' at the rear of the fire
bridge into direct combination with the heavy smoke and gases escaping from
the furnace or fire place E, will ensure instant ignition and combustion of said
gases.
The draft or current of air entering the pipes A, A, may, if required, be
assisted by jets of steam admitted through pipe F from the boiler and blown into
the mouths of the said pipes.
Dampers G shut off the admission of air to pipes A, A, when it is not
wanted.
In Fig. 4 the air pipes are formed in a coil terminating in a single inlet pipe, the
coil being situated at the rear end of the boiler and in the flue or uptake. This
coil, increases the area of heating surface but other ways of increasing the heating
surface may be adopted without departing from the principal feature of our
invention.
In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 the two pipes A, A, are carried through the side flues H, H,
and, if desired, a third pipe A is carried through the flue I underneath the
boiler C, or they may be coiled in said flues so as to give an extended circulation
to the air prior to its discharge at the fire bridge, the ends of the pipes passing
under the furnace bars and having their outlets in the chamber D.
In Figs. 8, 9, and 10 the outlets of the pipes A, A, instead of discharging the
heated air into a hollow fire bridge as previously set forth, are situated in the ashes
place or chamber J under the fire bars so that hot air escaping therefrom will pass
through the fire and thus ignite the heavy gases and smoke in the furnace whereby
a bright and smokeless or almost smokeless fire is obtained.
In this case the ashes place or chamber J is closed up by a door or doors K to
exclude the entrance of cold air.
Preferably, the hot air pipes A, A and A' are connected to an air chamber or
chest, such as L, in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, into which the air from outside first enters,
there being either one, two or more openings for the admission of air as shewn.
Where the hot air pipes communicate direct with the atmosphere we may couple.
them together and provide another inlet opening or openings as indicated in dotted
line in Fig. 2.
The pipes are made in suitable lengths each length being of one diameter, that
is to say, not tapering from end to end, and they may be round or of other suitable
shape or section. The delivery ends of the hot air pipes are preferably provided
with wide contracted mouths as shewn so as to spread the hot air over the whole
width of the chambers D or J. The upper part of the hollow fire bridge D'
projects over the outlet opening or channel D2 to protect said channel from the
deposit of soot or other matter which would. be liable to choke it up.
By admitting air, which has been heated by passing it through pipes situated
in the fire box or flue or side flues as herein set forth, at a point close to the
fire bridge or within a closed chamber or ashes place, all unburnt carbonaceous
gases are rendered inflammable, ignited, and the dense smoke and gases consumed,
thereby considerably adding to the heat of the furnace and effecting a great saving
in fuel.
The parts above described are few and simple, are not liable to get out of order,
and can be easily applied to any existing boiler or furnace without requiring
structural alterations, there being no connection with the boiler itself and,
consequently, no holes to drill or cut therein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
Firstly. In steam boiler and other like furnaces, the employment of straight
bore pipes extending through the fire box or flue or the side flues, or forming a coil
or coils therein, and having communication at one end with. the atmosphere in

page_text: combination with a hollow fire bridge or chamber in or contiguous thereto into
which the opposite ends of said air pipes enter and discharge the hot air, arranged
and acting in the mauner and for the purposes substantially as herein shewn and
described.
Secondly. In steam boiler or like furnaces, the combination of hot air pipes
having communication with the atmosphere and extending through the fire box or
flue or side flues to the underside of the fire bars, and a closed or sealed up ashes
place or chamber substantially as herein shewn and described.
Thirdly. In steam boiler or like furnaces, the combination with hot air-pipes, of
an air supply chamber or chest such as L situated in or in juxtaposition to the flue
substantially as herein shewn and described.
Fourthly. The general arrangement and combination of parts comprising our
improvements substantially as herein shewn and described.
Dated this 1st day of May 1897
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Huddersfield, Patent Agents.