IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES FOR PROMOTING MORE PERFECT COMBUSTION OF THE FUEL EMPLOYED THEREIN.” PROAL SP
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Lancaster, of Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Mining Engineer, and Israel Swindells, of Warrington,
in the same County, Professor of Chemistry, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES FOR
PROMOTING MORE PERFECT COMBUSTION OF THE FUEL EMPLOYED THEREIN.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Lancaster
and Israel Swindells at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 26th February 1878.
We, ROBERT LANCASTER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Mining Engineer, and ISRAEL SWINDELLS, of Warrington, in the same.
County, Professor of Chemistry, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO STEAM BOILER AND. OTHER FUR-

page_text: NACES FOR PROMOTING MORE PERFECT COMBUSTION OF THE FUEL EMPLOYED THEREIN
to be as follows :—
19
The object of this Invention is to promote a more perfect combustion
or economisation of fuel in steam boiler and other furnaces, and consists
in introducing superheated steam and air combined into such furnaces, {
either into the body of the incandescent fuel or so as to meet the products
of combustion emitted from the fuel and thus to ignite those gases which
would otherwise escape unconsumed into the chimney. This is per-
formed by a pipe or series of pipes arranged either in the furnace itself
or in the flue of the furnace, which pipes thus become heated to redness. 1
The mouth of this pipe or series of pipes. is arranged with an injecting
nozzle, the centre of which is in communication with any convenient
steam supply, and the annular space surrounding such nozzle is open to
the atmosphere, so that the jet of steam injected through such nozzle
induces a current of atmospheric air to enter along with it, and to 1
travel through such heated pipe whereby both steam and air become
heated to a high temperature before meeting with the gases in the
furnace, with which gases the oxygen of the superheated steam and air
combine, causing a more perfect combustion of such gases and con-
sequently a greater heat in the furnace.
2
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Lancaster and Israel Swindells in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th August 1878.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS .SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
LANCASTER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Mining Engineer, 2
and ISRAEL SWINDELLS, of Warrington, in the same County, Professor
of Chemistry, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenth-sixth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-threo, in g
the thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Robert Lancaster and
Israel Swindells, Her special licence that we, the said Robert Lan-

page_text: caster and Israel Swindells, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Robert Lancaster and Israel Swindells,
our 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 APPLICABLE TO STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES FOR PRO-
MOTING MORE PERFECT COMBUSTION OF THE FUEL EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Robert Lancaster and
Israel Swindells by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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

page_text: We subjoin an analysis of smoke as ordinarily escaping into the
chimney of a steam boiler furnace which may be. depended upon for
correctness, and which will show conclusivoly what portion of the gases
escape unconsumed into the atmosphere.
It is our object in the present Invention to promote the combustion
of these gases by the introduction into the furnace of a more plentiful
supply of oxygen by means of superheated steam and atmospheric air
combined, which introduction is performed without the aid of pumps or
fans or other expensive apparatus.
In performing our Invention we admit the superheated steam and air
by specially constructed injecting apparatus herein-after described, either
into the body of the furnace above the ignited fuel, into the incan-
descent fuel itself, or cause the current of superheated steam and air to
meet the products of combustion on their way to the chimney, and thus
ignito those gases which would otherwise escape unconsumed into the
chimney. This is effected by a pipe or a series of pipes arranged either
in the furnace itself or in the fluc of the furnace, which pipes thus
become heated to redness.' The mouth of this pipe or series of pipes is
arranged with an injecting nozzlo the centre of which is in communication
with any convenient steam supply and the annular space surrounding
such nozzle is open to the atmosphere so that the jet of steam injected
through such nozzle inducés à current of atmospheric air to enter along
with it, and to travel through such heated pipe, whereby both steam and
air become heated to a high temperature before meeting with the gases
from the furnace, with which gases the oxygen of the superheated steam
and air combine, causing a more perfect combustion of such gases and
consequently a greater heat in the furnace.
In order that this our said Invention may be the more readily seen and
understood we have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings illustrating
the application of our improvements to several descriptions of furnaces;
similar letters marked on the several views being used to indicate
similar parts.
.
Fig. 1 is a cross section, and Fig. 2 a plan partly in section of a
double-flued Cornish steam boiler, drawn to a scale of about 1 of an inch
to the foot.

page_text: smoke-box end of a locomotive steam engine, drawn to a scale of about
ono inch to the foot.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 6 a sectional plan of a
marino steam boiler, drawn to a scale of about 1, of an inch to the foot.
Fig. 7 is a vertical section, and Fig. 8 a sectional plan of a furnace
specially constructed for burning waste carbonaceous matters and for
utilising gases evolved therefrom, drawn to a scale of about 1, an inch to
the foot.
Fig. 9 is a sectional plan, and Fig. 10 is a vertical section of a salt
pan, drawn to a scale of about ½ of an inch to the foot.
In Figs. 1 and 2, A is tho steam boiler; B, B, the furnaces; and 0, 0,
the two tubular flucs from the same. Each of the furnaces is provided
with a hollow cast-iron or fire-clay bridge D, which is perforated at the
top, as illustrated, and is connected at its rear to a length of firo-clay or
cast-iron piping E, which is supported on bearors F in the flues C, and
is carried backwards and forwards along the length of such flues, as
illustrated in Fig. 2, so as to present a large heating surface to the action
of the heat in the flues. The other end of this piping is extended
through to the outside of the boiler, and is there arranged with a funnel-
shaped mouth G, which is open to the atmosphere and is internally
contracted at its narrowest part (as seen in section in Fig. 7, and
markod W), at which point the extremity or pointed nozzlo H of a steam
pipe is introduced, leaving an annular space surrounding the outside of
the nozzlo H for the admission of air. This combination of the funnel G
and pointed nozzlo H constitutes the injector, the application of which
is an essential feature of our Invention. The nozzle H is in communi-
cation with the steam space of the boiler through the steam pipe I, and
the quantity of steam passing through such nozzle is controlled by the
cock or valve J, whilst the quantity of air admitted into the pipo is
regulated by moving the pointed nozzlo backwards or forwards in relation
to the funnel.
'
The action of this apparatus is as follows:-The heat in the flucs O
causes the piping E to become heated to redness or even to a higher tem-
peraturo, it being impossible for the purposes of this Invention to heat
such piping to too high a temperature, so that when the steam pressure
is turned on to the nozzle H by the cock or valve J a jet of steam is
.

page_text: caused to play into the contracted orifice of the injector, which induces
a current of atmospheric air to follow it, and which steam and air in
passing through the highly heated pipe E on its way to the hollow
bridge D is, by the action of the great heat in such pipes, prepared for
decomposition into its component gases immediately upon escaping |
through the perforations in the top of the bridge, and there meeting
with the products of combustion from the furnace, the oxygen com-
bining with the carbon to form carbonic acid and carbonic oxide, and
the hydrogen uniting with the carbon to form carburetted hydrogen,
hydrocarbons, and carbide of hydrogen, and thus ignite a large pro- 1
portion of those gases which would otherwise escape unconsumed into
the chimney.
In Figs. 3 and 4 the injector K is the same as in the last modification,
and the cast-iron piping L, through which the air and steam passes in
order to be heated to the highest possible temperature, is disposed in the 1
smoke box M, by preference surrounding the upper end of the exhaust
pipe N, so as to be out of the way in cleaning out the tubes O, but may be
situated in any other convenient position in the smoke box M, the other
end of such piping L being connected to one or more of the ordinary
tubes O, or to a special tube introduced for the purpose, in order that
the highly heated steam and air may find their way into the fire-box in
a fit state to unite with the carbon, as hercin-before described.
It will be readily apparent that the cast-iron piping for conveying and
heating the steam and air to the gases as evolved in the furnace may be
disposed under the roof of the fire-box, being protected from the direct 2
action of the heat by a coating of fire-clay, and perforated to admit the
heated air and steam direct into the fire-box.
. In Figs. 5 and 6 the same description of injector P and piping Q are
again employed, the latter being disposed, as illustrated, in a horizontal
or other suitable direction at the back of the combustion chamber R, but å
opening into perforated branches S, which face the products of com-
bustion, and so permit the highly heated steam and air to combine with
the carbon in entering the combustion chamber; or, if there be sufficient
heat, such piping for conveying and heating the steam and air may be
disposed in the smoke box of a marine boiler, and be connected to one g
or more of the tubes of such boiler or to a special tube in a similar
manner to that described with referance to the locomotive, herein-before
lastly described.

page_text: In Figs. 7 and 8, T is the furnace, which is by preference of a
cylindrical form, and is surrounded on the outside with a cavity U in
which a spiral length of piping V is encased which is provided with an
injector W, by preferance situated at its lowest point; this pipe V
is further provided with a series of openings or perforations X, which
are arranged opposite to openings in the brick-work lining Y which
separates such spiral pipe from the furnace. The heat from the
furnace serves to render such spiral pipe V red hot or even of a higher
temperature.
The action of this furnace is as follows:-The furnace T being first
charged with ordinary fuel in order to heat the pipe V to the requisite
temperature, the carbonaceous refuse, such as cinders, coke, coal pit or
cannel shales may then be introduced into the furnace through the feed
holo Z. Steam from any convenient source may then be supplied to the
injector W inducing a current of atmospheric air to enter along with it,
as in the previous modification, and which steam and air in passing
through the highly heated pipe V is thereby prepared for coming in
contact with the carbonaceous refuse in the furnace as it escapes from
the pipe V through the perforations or tuyeres X into the body of the
incandescent fuel, when decomposition immediately takes place forming
carbonic oxides, hydro-carbons, and bi-carbons; these gases are thence
conveyed through the fluo 6 to any closed furnace where they
may have the necessary oxygen admitted to support combustion of such
gases, which may be accomplished by injecting air by means of a steam
jet through highly heated pipes into such furnace, in the manner
herein-before described, and thus such gases derived from what would
otherwise be considered as waste matters may boʻutilised for any heating
purposo.
•
In Figs. 9 and 10, o is a salt pan of the ordinary construction, and
d, d, are the furnaces; e, e, are the cast-iron or fire-alay pipes for
conveying and hoating the steam and air, which pipes are arranged in
the flues as illustrated; the injectors f. f, for admitting air into such
pipes being placed at the front of the furnaces, as illustrated, and the
other extremity of the pipes opening into the hollow bridges g, g, which
communicate together by the branch pipes h, h, or such hollow bridges
may be formed all in one piece.
The notion of all the foregoing modifications is the same, the
annasatus hoino aule modifed to suit the various situations to which it

page_text: has to be applied. We would here remark that -a -somewhat similar
effect may be produced by passing steam alone through red-hot pipes
into the-fuel, body, or flue of a furnace, it being understood that in all
cases it is impossiblo for the purposes of this Invention to heat the pipes
for conveying the steam and air to too high a temperature, and therefore
such pipes may be situated in any convenient position in the furnace or
fluc, and may dischargo either in the body of the furnace amongst the
incandescent fuel, or may meet the products of combustion in the fluo,
the quantity of steam and air being in all cases regulated by a cock or
valve on the steam pipo and being readily ascertained by noticing the 1
state of the products of combustion escaping from the mouth of the
chimney and the state of the flame in the furnace.
Whero practicable we always prefer to employ fire-clay piping for tho
purposes of this Invention.
Our Invention is also applicable to those descriptions of cupola 1
furnaces for smelting iron in which the hot blast is employed, the
injectors for admitting steam and air in this caso being substituted for
the blowing apparatus, and the air and steam being heated in passing
through pipes situated in the kiln usually employed for heating the hot
blast, and thus we not only dispense with the blowing apparatus and 2
power required for working the same, but the admission of superheated
stcam and air into such smelting furnace produces a purer metal than
at present

page_text: First. Introducing steam and air into steam boiler and other furnaces
or flues of the same in a highly heated state, as and for the purposes
herein-before described.
Second. The use and application of a steam jet and nozzle for
introducing steam and air into steam boiler and other furnaces, in
combination with a pipo or series of pipes when heated to the highest
possible temperature, as and for the purposes hercin-before described
and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Lancaster, for and on behalf
of myself and the said Israel Swindells, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Office,
71, Market St.,
Manchester.
ROBT. LANCASTER. (L.S.)