Improvements in Smoke Consuming and Fuel Economising Apparatus for Boiler, Muffles, and other similar Furnaces.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Dec., 1887
Complete Left, 23rd Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 25th May, 1888
Improvements in Smoke Consuming and Fuel Economising Apparatus
for Boiler, Muffles, and other similar Furnaces.
We THOMAS PURSALL, of Belmont Row, Birmingham, Engineer, and WILLIAM
LISTER, of 71 Stratford Place, Camp Hill, Birmingham, Boiler covering composition
manufacturer and both in the county of Warwick do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction and arrangement of apparatus, having
for its object, to effect the more perfect combustion or burning of the gases given off
from the fuel used in the furnaces of boilers, muffles, and other similar furnaces, and
thus to reduce to a minimum the amount of smoke emitted therefrom, and also to
economize the quantity of fuel used.
As applied to the furnaces of internally fired boilers, for instance, it would be
constructed and arranged somewhat thus:-In the lower part of the bridge under-
neath the bars I provide a perforated box, ventilator or grid, which allows air to pass
from the ash pit to the rear side of the said bridge, so that such hot air may rise and
come in contact with the gases &c. given off from the fire, immediately behind or near
to the said bridge.
At the front of the perforations in the box I further provide a sliding plate, having
similar perforations to those in the box, but the perforations both in the box, and also
in the sliding plate, are so arranged that when in a given position, the said perforations
of both are coincident, affording a free passage through for the air; while the plate
may be slid midway between such perforations, and so to cover those in the box
completely and close the passage for the air. At the same time any position between
these two points may be used.
Several methods may be adopted for working or actuating this sliding plate, but
preferably I provide at its central part a pin or projection, and in connection there-
with, an arm engaging with such pin, and also oscillating about a centre or joint at
the upper or lower part of the box.
In the centre of such joint I provide a square hole, or form a square projection to
receive the square end of a rod, or, a square box spanner, by either of which the arm
may be oscillated to and fro, from the front of the furnace, and thus to open or close
the perforations beforementioned. This rod as before intimated is carried to the front
[D7]

page_text: of the furnace, and there supported by a suitable bracket or cross piece, in such a
manner as to be handy for use, but which may be readily removed when necessary.
Upon the rod I may provide a running collar, having therein a set pin, which would
be fixed behind the cross piece, to prevent its accidentally coming forward and leaving
the oscillating arm at the other end.
The front of the fire ash pit would be preferably enclosed so as to prevent too great
a rush of cold air to the ventilator box.
113
Ol
1007
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicants' Agent.
for Boiler, Muffles, and other similar Furnaces.
We THOMAS PURSALL, of Belmont Row, Birmingham, Engineer, and WILLIAM
LISTER, of 71 Stratford Place, Camp Hill, Birmingham, Boiler covering composition
Manufacturer, and both in the county of Warwick, 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 relates to the construction and arrangement of apparatus, having for
its object, to effect the more perfect combustion or burning of the gases given off
from the fuel used in the furnaces of boilers, and other similar furnaces, and thus
to reduce to a minimum the amount of smoke emitted therefrom, and also to economize
the quantity of fuel used.
As applied to the furnaces of internally fired boilers, for instance, it would be
constructed and arranged somewhat thus ;-In the lower part of the bridge underneath
the bars, we provide a perforated box, ventilator or grid, which allows air to pass
from the ash pit to the rear side of the said bridge, so that such hot air may rise
and come in contact with the gases &c. given off from the fire, immediately behind
or near to the said bridge.
At the front of the perforations in the box we further provide a sliding plate,
having similar perforations to those in the box, but the perforations both in the box,
and also in the sliding plate, are so arranged that when in a given position, the said
perforations of both are coincident, affording a free passage through for the air,
while the plate may be slid midway-between such perforations, and so to cover those
in-the-box completely and close the passage for the air. At the same time, any
position between these two points may be-used.

page_text: Several methods may be adopted for working or actuating this sliding plate, but
preferably we provide .at its central part a pin or projection, and in connection there-
with, an arm engaging with such pin, and also oscillating about a centre or joint at
the upper or lower part of the box.
In the centre of such joint we provide a square hole, or form a square projection to
receive the square end of a rod, or, a square box spanner, by either of which the arm
may be oscillated to and fro, from the front of the furnace, and thus to open or close
the perforations beforementioned.
This rod as before intimated is carried to the front of the furnace, and there
supported by a suitable bracket or cross piece, in such a manner as to be handy
for use, but which may be readily removed when necessary. Upon the rod we may
provide a running collar, having therein a set pin, which would be fixed behind the
cross piece to prevent its accidentally. coming forward and leaving the oscillating arm
at the other end.
The front of the fire ash pit would be preferably enclosed so as to prevent too great
a rush of cold air to the ventilator box.
Having now described the nature of this our said invention, we will now proceed
to more particularly explain how it is to be performed, by the aid of the accom
panying illustrative sheet of drawings, upon which are figures and letters of
reference, like letters referring throughout the several views to the same thing or
part.
In the drawings we have for explanation sake shewn it as applied to an internally
fired boiler, and upon which :-
Fig. 1 is a side sectional elevation of fire grate &c. fitted with this our invention.
Fig. 2 is a front sectional elevation.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, shewing front of ventilator or grid box.
Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 3 with operating arm removed.
Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of Fig. 3 upon line A-B.
Fig. 6 is a part sectional plan of Fig. 3 upon line C-D.
a, a, are arrows indicating the position and direction of the combustible gases,
smoke &c. given off the fire grate. b, are the fire bars, the fire bridge, d is a
perforated box, ventilator or grid having perforations e provided in its front plate
(see detail Figs. 5 & 6). At the front of the box we provide a sliding plate having
perforations g, coincident with the perforations e in the box, and affording when the
plate is in a given position as seen in Figs. 2, 3 & 6, a full and free passage through
both perforations for the air, as indicated by arrows h.
This plate however is capable of a sliding motion so that the mid partition or
portion of the plate between the perforations g may cover the perforations e; the
perforations assuming a similar position relative to the midportion between the
perforations e. At the same time any position between these two extreme points may
be used to regulate the quantity of air to pass through; the extreme length of the
sliding being limited by the stops i & j.
In the sliding plate we provide a pin k, upon which engages an arm or lever 4,
the fulcrum or bearing m of which is carried in the snug n upon the lower part of the
box, and which is secured therein by collar o and pin p as shown, or other equivalent
device.
Upon the front of the arm we provide a square projection 9, for the purpose of
engaging with a box spanner r which is operated from the front of the furnace by
the handle s.
For convenience this spanner may be supported at its front end by means of a cross
piece or its equivalent, and further prevented from leaving the square y upon the
arm by reason of a running collar u, fitted with a screw, working behind the cross
piece t, as seen in Fig. 1.
Preferably the front of the ashpit would be enclosed as is ordinarily done by doors
or plates so as to prevent too great a rush of cold air to the ventilator box.
By these means we provide an arrangement which is very simple in construction,
and easy in working, and which does not interfere with the other ordinary parts of

page_text: the furnace, bridge, or bars &c. ; in which the air from underneath the rear end of
the fire grate, which is in a heated condition, is allowed to pass in regulated quantities
through the grid box to the upper part of the back of the bridge, as indicated by
the arrows and there to mix with the unconsumed smoke and gases passing over the
bridge from the fire, and thereby causing more complete combustion of the said
gases &c., and consequently emitting less smoke, from the chimney, and in proportion
to the more perfect combustion, necessarily requiring less fuel.
It will also be readily seen that this invention may be applied to fireplaces other
than under boilers, where there is a fire bridge and a ash pit affording convenience
for the placing of the perforated box similarly as shewn.
We are aware that heated air has already been admitted to the back of the bridge
by various devices and for the same purposes, but such arrangements have been more
or less complicated and troublesome in working.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
The improvements in smoke consuming and fuel economizing apparatus, for boiler
and other similar furnaces herein described and illustrated that is to say:
The combination of the firo bridge, grate, and ash pit, with a perforated grid box,
having an horizontally sliding perforated plate, operated by means of an arm and
spanner, all constructed and acting substantially as set forth and for the purpose
specified.
. T