Specification of James Watt : furnaces and fire-places.

  • James Watt
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Specification of James Watt : furnaces and fire-places. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Watt's Improved Construction of Furnaces or Fire-places, $c. and regulate the fire. K is a door into the space under the boiler, which being opened admits air and stops the draught of the chimney when the operation is wanted to cease. Figure 2 is a section of the same fire-place in the other direction, in which (M, M,) is the back of the fire-place; L, the brick 5 arch on which the fuel lies ; and (E, E,) the ash hole. Figure 3 is an outside view of the same fire-place, shewing the air holes J, J, and the ash hole door F; and Figure 4 is a plan of the same, with part of the boiler seating taken in the line 2, of Figure 1. The dotted lines represent the flues, and the darts point out the direction of the flame. The fire is first kindled upon the brick 10 arch L, L, and when well lighted more fuel is gradually added until it is filled up to (G), and care is taken to leave proper interstices for the air to pass either among the fuel or between the fuel and the front wall (N), and as much air is admitted at (J, J,) as can be done without causing the smoak to ascend per¬ pendicularly from G, which it will do if too much air is admitted at (j, J). 15 The dimensions of this fire-place are shewn by the scale, and are properly adjusted for burning about eiglity-four pounds’ weight of coals in an hour; where greater or lesser quantities are required to be burnt, the furnaces must be enlarged or diminished accordingly, or if much greater, more furnaces than one must be employed. Figure 5 represents this new fire-place as 20 applied to a furnace for melting iron and other metals, and constructed without the funnel or perpendicular flue D, D, in Figure 1. jN.B.—The same letters refer to the same parts in all the preceding Figures. I also con¬ struct these new fire-places so that the part G, H, lies sloping or horizontal, and otherwise vary the figure or form and proportions of the same; but in all 25 cases the principle is the same, the fresh or raw fuel being placed next the external air, and so that the smoak or flame passes over or through the coaked or charred part of the fuel. I also occasionally cover the opening (G), and cause the air to enter only or principally at (J, J); secondly, in some cases I place the fresh fuel on a grate as usual, as at (A, A, Figure 6), and 30 beyond that grate, at or near the place where the flame passes into the flues or chimneys, I place another smaller grate (B), on which I maintain a fire of charcoal, coaks, or coals which have been previously burnt until they have ceased to smoak, which, by giving intense* heat and admitting some fresh air, consumes the smoak of the first fire. 35 Lastly, be it remembered that my said new Invention consists only in the method of consuming the smoak and increasing the heat by causing the smoak and flame of the fresh fuel to pass through very hot funnels or pipes, or among, through, or near fuel which is intensely hot, and which has ceased to smoak, and by mixing it with fresh air when in these circumstances, and in the form