Specification of John Gray : apparatus for consuming smoke.

  • Gray, John.
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Specification of John Gray : apparatus for consuming smoke. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Grays Improved Apparatus for Consuming Smoke. furnaces with two passages or sets of passages communicating with each other, and with a common chamber or passage for the admission of air, and arranged as herein-after described. Figure 1, is a longitudinal section, and Figure 2, is a transverse 5 section of a furnace constructed according to my Invention, and applied to the heating of a steam boiler. The same letters refer to similar parts in each Figure. A, is the boiler; B, is the grate; and C, is the bridge; D, is the brickwork setting of the boiler. The bridge C, is made of fire brick or other suitable material, sup- 10 ported on a cast iron plate E, beneath which is the vertical plate F, having an aperture with a valve or damper G. H, is a wall or mass of brickwork beyond the bridge C; and I, is a slit or series of openings between the brickwork H, and the bridge C; K, K, are other openings through the bridge into the furnace. The openings I, and Iv, com- 15 municate with the chamber L, into which air enters at the valve G. The action of the apparatus is as follows:—A fire of coal is made on the grate B, and a portion of the products of combustion passes over the bridge, while another portion passes through the openings K, K, and meeting with a current of air entering at the valve G, the hot mixture 20 so produced passes up through the slit or openings I, and meets the first portion of the products of combustion, which is passing over the bridge. The unconsumed gases are thus ignited, and I find that the combustion is more perfect than when cold air is simply admitted at the slit I, as in some of the smoke-consuming furnaces heretofore used. 25 By opening the valve G, to its full extent a portion of the air passes through the openings K, into the furnace, the remainder passing through the slit or openings I, in which case I find it advantageous to heap up the fuel so as to partially cover the openings K, or even entirely to cover them. By this means a vivid combustion is produced 30 at or close to the bridge, which acquires a high temperature, and the remaining unconsiuned gases in their passage over the bridge come in contact with the air passing through the openings I, and become ignited. In whichever manner my apparatus is employed it will be found that little or no smoke escapes into the chimney, and it is therefore not 35 absolutely necessary to employ the valve G, as the opening for the admission of the air may be permanently adjusted, in the first instance,