New-York daily tribune., 1865-11-08
A NEW STEAM GENERATOR.
Important Improvement IN Steam Boilers

At this time when almost every Issue Of
every newspaper brings us the narrowing details Of
some new disaster by the explosion giving way Of
some steam boiler. or other steam apparatus. ard es
pecally IN view OF the recent terrible calamity which
short time since occurred almost at doors
any plan looking to security from such fearful results IN
the future should command the careful consideration OF
the public. Mr.. William {. Baker Of our city has in
I vented apparatus for engendering steam which
whine be does claim for il absolute immunity from
any possibility Of danger appear. 70 u 20 be far css
liable accidents Of this kind than any arrangement
for generating steam which We have ever secn-yer!
much safer than any ordinary steam boiler.
Tie invention is not altogether recent one. MesT'
Baker smith the present owners Of the patent
have for several wears employed the chief features Of H.
in the construction Of steam apparatus for warming
dwellings and public buildings brt s0 entirely saic
and economical has been its action. and 30 generally
satisfactory has IT. operation proved, that Mt Baker
as been induced IN view Of the alArmnely Increasing
frequency Of accidents from steam boilers OF the ord
to oGs%c1c he pTcaUcon Of iea for po%cr
The chief point Of safety claimed hy Mr.. Baker In
his plan is tbe subdivision Of the whole mass OF water
and steam contained IA the generator into large
number Of small portions.
1t is well known to cvery practical engineer. tha, In
the ordinary cylindrical boiler each inch Of the
boiler she has to sustain not mefe the o'e
amount OF steam water which bears directly upon
itself but also the strain upon every other inch IN the
whole boiler surface thai although tie pressure 1-
indicated by the steam gauge NAV De but few pounds
10 the square inch the actual strain upon large boiler
may amount 20 tuns on every square ihco oithht boilers
she'll o. course the larger the diameter or rather tue
circumference Of the boiler, the greater the strain 10
every rortion Of It's circumference. Take chnin Of
100 Inks and stretch 1t tightly between tVo posts and
suspend 10 each INK OF mat claln dbP'iha N'R,t
Now, although the weight nominaN' Eurported ~
each link j. out 100 pounds the strain upon the "h"e
chain is 10 900 pounds, and tbs strain J. not dvidcd
among tho links bat each individual link must sustdn
the entire strain, and If ia the whole length OF Tie
chain there should be single link unable to sustain
hat strain the chain gives Say at that point lhe
same principle applies to the she'll Of the steam boiler
In the case Of tie unfortunate steamer 81 John. oil
though the nominal pressure on her boilers might not
have exceeded = pounds 10 the inch, as Tas stated by
the engineer the shOet which gave way Wa actually
sustaining pressure Of man! LuDdEC1 pouudh "bc4
the rnpture finally occurred Had the iron been good
IL would have borne this being faulty i could not MI
Baker eOmprehCndmg the principle Of tiis multiplied
pressure avoids The danger resulting ron by as
pensing entiicy with the large outer sbc anu forming
his generator entirely Of separate Chambers oi small
Tie apparatus consists Of series Of strong jontess
wronehfiron tubes arranged in horizontal ranks and
tiers and connected at the ends by elbow joints INTO
which the ends Of the tubes are hrny screwed THESE
the only joints employed IN the gencraior-are pro
tected om the fire BY brick work and by an iron par
tition built in with the tubes The fire clamber-ol
brick-e1ends under about tHothrds Of the lengih oi
the apparatus at the end furthes from the feed ater
The flame and heated air from the fire pass around and
among the tubes 10 the top Of the chamber. and then
turning pass down through the other third OF s length
leaving last that portion OF the generator winch Is low
cst both in pOsiton and temperature The employment
of series of tubes 20 form vessel Ia which water may
| be converted into steam is not new, but Mr. Baker
claims that by bis pecuilai iaSentnt rc'eIai 'ne
prominent objections which have hitherto e1lsteu !"
their use have been avoided
Among the chief OF these was that the formation OF
steam in the tubes caused current Whlch carried the
water with II 10 the highest portion OF the boiler ana
thence into the engine. Mr.. Baker oyercomes THIS by
introducing in his apparatus cylihdricn iron ehan
her arranged horizontally at the end OF the apparatus
M about onethird the hight Of the ranks ot tubes
into which the adjacent horizontal tlere OF tubes
omen. The water line II maintained ni the hlght o
lie center Of this chamber. The formation Of steam IN
the lower tier Of tubes causes current ol steam ana
water through the coil until they arrive al thls cham
her when The current being interrupted. The water
settles by its own weight and returns to the lower
series Of tubes through an auxiliary passage ana we
steam passes upward through the remainder ci lhe
coil being thoroughly dried and slightly suPcrLeated
to the condition best adapted for use.
II is obvious that by thus forming the DOcf ebtHeD
of small tubes "A very large fire surface In proportion
10 the volume of water i obtained and as the Name
also finely subdyided in their passage through inc
ranges of water tubes IL IL evident that an unusually
large per contage OF the heat Is utilized. AS these
currents Of heated air are last brought IN contact
with the coolest portion or the qppafatus~tha lLto
which the feed water is introductdtbey continue 10
supply heat until they arrive OF much lower TEN,
,erati,re than that at which they leave an ordl.
nary boiler. This is readily proved by holding
a thermometer in the throat OF the fine leading from
,he boler which showed temperature Of ess than 200
! degrces although the generator forming steam
rondly while in the 1ue OF an ordinary boiler under
tbe same conditions the temperature is usually from
400 10 800 degrees . r., -
conrse aI the ordinary appliances for safety or
\ ooonomv gauges hampers and safety valves, can De
od to fIis Generator as readily to any ordnory
bpiIcr If desired Messrs. Baker d Snlth are now
,oynO one Of these generators to furnish the power
Sr their factory No. 81 Mercer-st, where engineers
and others interested in these matters can nave a w
Tnrtnnity of witnessing its practical operation.