IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF AIR TO FURNACES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Smith, of 82, Margaret Street, Cavendish
Square, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF AIR TO
FURNACES."
Sealed the 4th November 1856, and dated the 4th June 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th June 1856.
I, WILLIAM SMITH, of No. 82, Margaret Street, Cavendish Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declaro the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF AIR TO
FURNACES," to be as follows:-
My said Invention consists of improvements in the construction of apparatus
used for regulating the supply of air to furnaces from time to time, when such
regulation may be rendered necessary by the introduction of fresh fuel or
otherwise. For this purpose I employ quicksilver, water, or some other fluid,
and by varying the speed of the flow of such fluid by a tap, valve, or other means,
regulate the supply of air to a furnace, from time to time, when the apparatus
shall be brought into action. The fluid may be placed in a cylindrical or other

page_text: shaped vessel, placed in a vertical, horizontal, or other position, and with a
piston or valve, which, when raised or moved for the purpose of bringing it
into action, shall be at or near one end of the vessel, and by its descent or
motion, regulated by the flow or transfer of the fluid through a pipe, valve,
opening, or other passage, from one side of the piston or valve to the other
side of it by means of apparatus connected with such piston or valve, regulato
the opening or closing of the orifices or valves for admitting air into a furnace.
Instead of such cylindrical or other vessel, as herein-before mentioned, a
vessel having its side in the form of or nearly resembling the segment of a
circle may be used; and within a vessel of such last-meñtd shape I mount
an arm, capable of oscillating backwards and forwards, so that its motion in
one direction when brought into action shall be regulated by the flow or
transfer of the fluid in the vessel from one side of the oscillating arm to tho
other side of it, and by means of apparatus connected with such oscillating
arm, the opening or closing of the orifices or valves for admitting air into a
furnace may be regulated. Instead of the vessels being made of the shape
lastly mentioned, they may be made cylindrical and with blades or diaphragms
mounted upon a spindle, so as to be capable of a rotary motion or partially
rotary motion within the cylinders, the motions of the blades or diaphragms
being controlled by the fluid in the cylinders, and the regulation effected by
means of apparatus connected with the spindles upon which the blades or
diaphragms are mounted.
Another mode of constructing the regulator is to mount it upon a pin so as
to be capable of oscillating, one end of the regulator being heavier than the
other, but furnished with a chamber and apparatus in its interior containing
such a fluid as above mentioned, and so arranged that when the heavier end
is elevated, the fluid is thrown into such a position as to form a counter-balanco
weight or partial counter-balance weight to the heavier end of tho regulator,
and by the gradual flow of the fluid from that position into another position
within the regulator, permit the heavier end of the regulator to descend with
greater or less speed, according to the rate at which the fluid shall flow from
the one position to the other within the other, the regulation of the admission
of the air to the furnace being regulated by apparatus connected with one end
or any other convenient part of the regulator.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
November 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SMITH, of Margaret Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, 11er heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Smith, Her special licence that I, the said William Smith, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF AIR TO FURNACES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Smith, my executors 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 Smith, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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:-
My said Invention consists of improvements in the construction of apparatus
to be used for regulating the supply of air to furnaces from time to time, when
such regulation may be rendered necessary or desirable either by reason of
the introduction of fresh fuel or otherwise. For this purpose I make the
motions of the valves or apparatus for admitting air to furnaces dependent
upon the flow of quicksilver, water, or some other fluid, through small or
narrow channels, openings, or spaces within the regulators, and by limiting or
varying the speed of the flow of such fluids within the regulators by taps, valves,
or other means, I regulate the supply of air to furnaces from time to time
when the regulators are from time to time brought into action. The fluid

page_text: used for effecting the regulation may be contained in a cylindrical or other
shaped vessel, placed in a vertical, horizontal, or other position, and with a
piston or valve which, when raised or moved for the purpose of bringing the
regulator into action, shall be at or near one end of the vessel. The descent
or motion of the piston or valve is regulated by the flow or transfer of the fluid
through a pipe, valve, opening, or other passage from one side of the piston or
valve to the other side of it; and by means of apparatus connected with such
piston or valve the length of time during which the orifices or valves for
admitting air into a furnace are from time to time to be opened is regulated.
Instead of such a cylindrical or other shaped vessel, as herein-before men-
tioned, for containing the regulating fluid, a vessel having its side in the form
of or nearly resembling the segment of a circle may be used; and within a
vessel of such last-mentioned shape I mount an arm or blade upon an axle,
pin, or spindle, so as to be capable of oscillating backwards and forwards
within the vessel, the vessel, oscillating arm or blade, and apparatus connected
therewith being constructed so as to allow the arm or blade to be freely moved
in one direction when the regulator is to be brought into action, but the
motion of the arm or blade in the opposite direction is restrained and regulated
by the fluid, which, by the pressure of the arm or blade, is transferred or
caused to flow through a small channel or opening leading from one side of
the oscillating arm or blade to the other, and by means of apparatus connected
with such oscillating arm or blade, or the axle or spindle upon which it is
mounted, the opening or closing of the orifices or valves for admitting air into
a furnace may be regulated.
Another mode of constructing the regulator is to mount or fix it upon a pin
or axle, so as to be capable of oscillating, one end of the regulator being
heavier than the other, but furnished with a chamber and apparatus in its
interior containing such a fluid as above mentioned, and so arranged that
when the heavier end is elevated, the fluid is thrown into such a position as
to form a counter-balance weight or a partial counter-balance weight to the
heavier end of the regulator, and by the gradual flow of the fluid from that
position into another position within the regulator, permit the heavier end of
the regulator to descend with greater or less speed, according to the rate at
which the channel or passage for the fluid shall permit it to flow from the one
position to the other within the regulator. The regulation of the admission
of air to a furnace by means of such a regulator is effected by means of
apparatus connected with one end of the regulator or with its axle pin, or any
other convenient part of it. In the accompanying Drawings I have shown,
by way of illustration, several modes of constructing my regulator.

page_text: In Figures 1, 2, and 3, of the said Drawings, I have shewn how an oscillating
regulator may be constructed. for the purposes herein-before mentioned..
Figure 1 is a front view of the apparatus, shewn as fixed to the door of a
furnace, the mounted or balance lever A, by means of which the regulation is
effected, being shewn in section taken vertically.
Ju Figure 2 is shewn a top view of the same furnace door and apparatus as
shewn in Figure 1, the vertical bars placed behind the door or within the
entrance to the furnace being shown in section taken horizontally.
Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section of the door and entrance to the;
same furnace, shewing in section the valves or openings for admitting air to
the furnace.
Figures 4 and 5 are detached views of parts of the interior of the balanced.
lever regulator.
In all these Figures similar parts are marked with similar letters of
reference.
:
In these Figures A, A, is the front, and B, B, is the door of the furnace ;-
C, C, are the openings or slots made in the door for admitting air to the fire;
D, D, are the shutters or bars of two sliding trellised valves, by means of
which the slotted openings C, C, inmay be closed; E, E, is a mounted or
balanced oscillating lever, furnished with a weight Q at one end and mounted
on the fulerum pin F, by means of which lover the closing of the slotted
openings C, C, by the valve shutters D, D, is regulated; the lever being.
connected with the two trellised valves by the two jointed connection rods G, G.
II, II, is an oscillating lever, having a fulcrum pin I mounted in suitable:
bearings fixed upon the door of the furnace. A segment or portion of a spiral
screw his fixed upon the front of the furnace or door frame, and winds round
a portion of the bolt pin d of the furnace door hinge, and is concentric with
the centre of that pin, and the roller L is attached to the end of the lever II, II,
so that when the furnace door is opened it will roll up the segment of screw,
and so raise the lever to which it is attached. A sliding bolt K is attached to.
one end of the regulating lever E, E, and when
from its slide one end of it will be under the end m of the lever II, II, so that
when the furnace door is opened the depression of that end of the same lever
will also depress that end of the regulating lever which carries the sliding
bolt K, and so cause the slotted openings in the furnace door to be opened.
A is a chamber in the interior of the regulating lever, having at one end of
it a cylindrical reservoir for mercury, to which a valved piston p, p, is fitted;
N is a fulcrum arm fixed upon the fulcrum pin F in the interior of the
chamber M, and by means of the connecting rod o it is connected to the valved
that bolt is made to project

page_text: piston p, p, so that when the weighted end of the lever E, E, after being
raised, again descends, the ascent of the opposite end of the same lever will
cause the piston p, p, to be forced down to the bottom of the cylindrical reser-
voir, or, more correctly speaking, the bottom of that reservoir will be forced up
to the piston.
A small tubular channel a, a, is made for connecting the bottom of cylin-
drical reservoir with the chambers M, M, and along which channel the mercury
may flow when the weighted end Q of the lever E, E, is descending. A
screw is threaded into the substance of the lever in such a position that the
point of it may be used for regulating the size of the passage for the mercury,
and so regulating the speed with which it will flow from the reservoir into the
chamber M, M.
In Figure 4 I have shewn an enlarged side view of a fulcrum arm N, con-
necting rod o, and valved piston p, p, and in Figure 5 an enlarged top view of
the same parts, in order to shew more clearly the construction of the piston
valve; but the fulcrum arm is in these two Figures shewn as placed in a
position the reverse of that shewn in Figure 1, being the position in which
the fulcrum arm would be placed if the furnace door hinge were to be on the
reverse side to that shewn in Figure 1. The upper part of the piston p,p, is
made with side channels at the top, as shewn by the top view of it in Figure 5,
the lower part being turned smaller, as shewn in Figure 4, so as to facilitate
the descent of the mercury.
To the bottom of the piston the ring valve d, d, is attached, so that when the
mercurial reservoir is caused to descend, the ring valve d, d, may slightly
recede from the bottom of the piston into the position shewn in Figure 4, the
ring valve sliding up and down upon projecting guides, which allow the mercury
to pass, and the ring valve being prevented from receding too far by a
triangular nut screwed to the bottom of the piston, the triangular shape of the
nut causing spaces to be left between each of tho three sides of the nut and the
interior of the ring, through which the mercury can pass.
The shape of the triangular nut c, e, is shewn in the separate Figure 6, and
the section of it, shewn at the bottom of Figure 4, is taken through the dotted
line in Figure 6.
Behind a furnace door (furnished with one of my regulators), and fixed to
the back of it, I prefer to place vertical bars, as shewn in horizontal section in
Figure 2, and in elevation in the vertical section, Figure 3, for the purpose
of dividing and distributing the current of air passing into the furnace, but I
do not claim this as any part of my Invention.
The quantity of mercury introduced into the chamber M, M, of the regu-

page_text: lating lever should be sufficient, when it is in the cylindrical reservoir, to form
a counter-balance to the weighted end of that lever, to such an extent as
will prevent that end of it after being raised from descending more rapidly
than is desired.
When the weighted end of the regulating lever is raised by the opening of
the furnace door, or otherwise, the mercury in the chamber M, M, will flow
into the cylindrical reservoir at the opposite end of the lever, passing through
the valve at the bottom of the piston p, p; and when the weighted end of the
lever is allowed again to descend, the opposite end of it, together with the
mercury at the bottom of the reservoir, will ascend, and the mercury coming
in contact with the ring valve d, d, will cause that ring to ascend until it comes
in contact with the bottom of the piston, and so prevents the passage of the
mercury upwards; the mercury will then pass along the channel a, a, into the
reservoir M, M, more or less quickly, according to the extent of the opening
left for it to pass by the screw b. By thus transferring the weight of the
mercury from one part of the interior of the lever to another part in this
manner, the time which the weighted end of the lever must occupy in its
descent is regulated, and the time which must bo occupied in gradually closing
the slotted air openings C, C, by the trellised slide valves is also regulated.
In Figures 7 and 8 I have shewn two views of a regulating vessel, one side
of it being in the form of or nearly resembling the segment of a circle.
Figure 7 is a vertical section of this vessel and of some of the apparatus to
be used with it, and Figure 8 is also a vertical section of the same taken at
right angles to that shewn in Figure 7. In these two Figures similar parts
are marked with similar letters of reference.
A, A, is the vessel which has a plug J, which is capable of turning to a
limited extent within the shell or barrell at the upper part of the vessel; at
one side of this plug is fixed a blade L, which is capable of oscillating within
the vessel, and is made to fit the interior of it, so that no fluid will be allowed
to pass between the edges of the blade and the interior of the vessel during
the oscillation of the blade, or during the oscillation of it in one direction at
least.
In order to allow the fluid in the vessel to pass from one side of the blade to
the other during its oscillation in one direction, the blado may be furnished
with a valve V, which will allow the fluid to pass through in one direction but
not in the other. Instead of such a valve, the edges of the blade may have
flexible packing at the edges, placed so as to allow the passage of fluid in one
direction but not in the other.
R is a funnell for introducing the fluid into the interior of the vessel; and

page_text: a, a is a narrow passage or channel for the gradual flow of the fluid from one
side of the blade to the other when the regulator is in action; the size of the
passage being regulated by the screw K.
When the blade has been caused to oscillate in that direction in which the
fluid is allowed to pass freely and quickly from one side of it to the other, so as
to be in the position shewn in Figure 7, if weight or force be applied to the
plug J, so as to turn it and the blade in the opposite direction, the fluid will
be compelled to pass throngh the narrow channel a, a, and thus retard the
motion of the plug and blade to an extent which may be varied by the
regulating screw K. The plug J, being attached to a lever or levers or other
apparatus for connecting it with the valves of the air openings in a furnace
door, may be employed to regulate or vary the time of closing those openings
after being opened in like manner as berein-before described.
In Figure 9 I have shewn what may be termed a piston regulator, the
piston rod of which is connected with an oscillating arm, mounted on a
fulcrum rod or spindle, the whole of the parts connected with the piston being
so far enclosed as to prevent the admission of dirt and grit.
In this vessel A is a cylinder, furnished with a piston C, which has flexible
packing, so as to allow the free passage of water or other fluid upon the ascent
of the piston, but prevents the passing of the fluid when the piston descends.
The narrow channel or passage a, a, for the flow of the fluid from below
to the space above the piston when the piston descends, is regulated by the
screw K.
4
The piston rod P has its upper end moving up and down in a hollow guide
at the top of the close chamber B, and at 7 it is furnished with a slot for
receiving the end of the arm or lever by which it it moved in the one direction
or the other.
N is a spindle, upon which is fixed the oscillating arm o for giving motion
to the piston, the spindle working in a stuffing box, to prevent the escape of
fluid, or the admission of dirt or grit.
When the piston has been elevated to the position shewn in Figure 9, the
fluid will be below it, and upon the descent of the piston the fluid will be
forced through the narrow passage a, a, and it will retard or regulate the timo
of the descent according to the regulated size of the opening a, a.
The regulation of the closing of the air openings of a furnace door may be
regulated by means of levers or apparatus connected with the spindle N, in
like manner as herein-before mentioned with respect to the plug J in Figure 7.
The piston might be made to move in any other shaped vessel having parallel.
sides instead of a cylinder, but I prefer a cylinder as being best.

page_text: In Figure 10 I have shewn in section a regulating vessel, slightly varied
from that shewn in Figure 9, the chief difference being that the vessel is
altogether cylindrical, and is furnished with a crank arm R, instead of the
lever O, shewn in Figure 9, the crank arm o working with a pin in the slot T.
Having described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which it is to be performed, I declare that I do not claim as of my Invention
any of the parts or elements of which any of the apparatus described is com-
posed separate or apart from the combination and use thereof, in manner and
for the purposes herein-before described; nor do I claim the construction of a
cylindrical regulating vessel or regulator, except when constructed in manner
herein-before described, so as to prevent the admission of grit and dirt; and
that I claim as of my said Invention,-
1. The construction of an oscillating regulator mounted upon a fulcrum
pin or axle, and connected with the valves or apparatus for supplying air to a
furnace, so that the supply of air may be regulated in manner herein-before
described.
2. The construction of a regulator with an oscillating blade or valve within
it, the plug or pin upon which such blade or valve oscillates being connected
with the valves or apparatus for admitting air to a furnace so that the supply
of air may be regulated in manner herein-before described.
3. The construction of a regulator with a piston and an oscillating arm or
lever connected therewith, the spindle or pin of the arm being connected with
the valves or apparatus for supplying air to a furnace so that the supply of air
may be regulated in manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
above-named William Smith, in
the presence of
JOHN TRAIL,
4, Hare Court, Temple.
WILLIAM SMITH. (L.s.)