Steam Boilers.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Steam Boilers.
I, MELVIN LINWOOD SEVERY of 567 Tremont Street, Boston, in the County of
Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in steam boilers, and more particularly to
that class of rotatory steam boilers which constitute a part of certain forms of
apparatus employed for the utilization of solar heat, although the invention is by
no means limited to such uses, the essential features thereof being adapted for
many other purposes, and being applicable to stationary as well as to movable and
rotatory boilers.
The apparatus illustrated in the drawings embodies my invention as applied to a
rotatory steam boiler adapted to be used in connection with that form of solar
heater in which a horizontal steam boiler is supported in the focus of a reflector,
which reflector is given a movement angularly to the plane of the horizon, in order
that, in accordance with the apparent movement of the sun, the axis of the reflector
may be constantly maintained parallel to the solar rays, said boiler being arranged
to move with said reflector, and to be constantly maintained in the field of the solar
rays from said reflector.
It is obvious that, as the reflector moves from a nearly horizontal position in
following the apparent movement of the sun, the level of the water in the boiler,
relative to said boiler, will constantly vary, until the end of the pipe which opens
into the space above the water in the boiler when the reflector is in a horizontal
position, thus forming a means of communication between the steam chest and the
boiler, will be carried below the surface of the water in the boiler, and the passage
of steam through the pipe to the steam chest will be thereby prevented.
The object of the first part of this invention is to provide means whereby com-
munication between the steam chest and the space above the water in the boiler
may be always maintained, notwithstanding these changes in the level of the water,
and to this end the first part of my invention consists in the arrangement, substan-
tially as hereinafter more fully set forth, of a series of pipes forming a communi-
cation between the steam chest and the steam space in the boiler.
The second part of my invention consists in the arrangement, as hereinafter more
fully set forth, of a steam chest within the boiler, and the third part of my invention
relates to a device for indicating the level of the water in the boiler, as hereinafter
more fully set forth.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of the horizontal cylindrical boiler.
Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, showing the water level indicator on the end
of the boiler.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the boiler on the line X, X, Fig. 1, when the
reflector is in a vertical position.
Fig. 4 is another sectional view on the same line, when the reflector is in a
horizontal position.
Fig. 5 is a view of part of the boiler in longitudinal section, showing the enclosed
steam chest.
In these several figures the same numerals refer to the same parts.
Referring to the drawing, 4 is the cylindrical steam boiler; 3 is the covering
for the same, of glass or of any other material which is transparent to the solar
rays, but opaque to the invisible dark heat rays radiated from the boiler. 1 and 2
[Pri

page_text: are the plates which form the ends of the cylindrical boiler and covering cylinder.
12 is a hollow cylinder arranged within the cylindrical boiler concentrically to the
same, and secured in any suitable manner, as by means of the bolt, 13; this forms
the steam chest, and communicates with the steam cylinder by a pipe, 10, which is
covered with a non-conducting material, 11, from the point where it emerges from
the covering 3. The water in the boiler should be normally maintained at such a
height that it will just cover the steam chest, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.
5, 6 and 7 are a series of pipes which form communication between the steam
space in the boiler and the steam chest, and extend through the air space between
the covering 3 and the boiler 4, so that they are enveloped by this covering. The
points of entrance of these pipes into the boiler are arranged so that the opening of
the pipe 5 into the boiler is about ninety degrees distant from the opening of the
pipe 6, and the opening of the pipe is at a point about midway between the
openings of the pipes and 6. It will be seen from Figs. 3 and 4 that by this
arrangement, as the boiler rotates on its longitudinal axis as before stated,
communication between the steam in the boiler and the steam chest is always
maintained, notwithstanding the changes in the level of the water relative to the
pipes, for the reason that the openings of the pipes 5 and 7 are above the level of
the water, as shown in Fig. 3, but when the opening of the pipe 5 is below the
level of the water, the openings of the pipes 6 and 7 are above the level of the
water, as shown in Fig. 4. Other pipes opening into the steam space in the boiler,
between the openings of the pipes 5 and 6 may be provided, but one pipe, 7, will
generally be found sufficient, as with this arrangement, there will sometimes be
three pipes opening into the steam space, and always two.
By placing the steam chest within the boiler, I obtain economy in the utilization
of the heat applied to the boiler, for the reason that no heat is wasted by radiation
from the steam chest, and there is a lesser bulk of water to be heated in the boiler
relative to the exposed surface, than if the steam chest were arranged in the usual
manner.
I do not limit this arrangement of the steam chest in relation to the boiler to
boilers heated by solar heat, as it can be adapted advantageously in any boiler
however heated, nor is the arrangement of pipes as described limited to their use
with a steam chest arranged concentrically within the boiler.
I prefer to surround the boiler, when used in solar heating devices, with a
covering of glass, or other material transparent to solar rays but opaque to the
invisible heat rays radiated from the surface of the boiler, which covering is
separated from the boiler by an air space as a further protection against the escape
of heat from said boiler.
8 is a transparent pipe on one end of the boiler and arranged in the form of a
volute, so that it forms a communication between the steam chest 12 and the
boiler 4. The height of water in this pipe will indicate the height of water in
the boiler.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A horizontally rotatable steam boiler provided with two or more steam
eduction pipes each leading from points on the interior of the boiler varying
angularly with respect to its axis of rotation whereby one or more of said pipes
may be cut off or submerged on rotation of the boiler without intercepting the
remainder of the pipes, substantially as set forth.
2. A steam boiler provided with two or more steam eduction pipes each of which
is located at points varying angularly with respect to a horizontal axis of the boiler,
and a steam chest contained within the boiler, the said pipes communicating with
the steam chest, substantially as described.
3. The combination, substantially as, and for the purpose set forth, with a steam
boiler, of a steam chest arranged within the boiler.

page_text: 4. The combination, substantially as, and for the purpose set forth, with a
horizontal cylindrical boiler, of a cylindrical steam chest arranged within the steam
boiler concentrically thereto; of a pipe forming a communication between the
steam chest and the steam space in the boiler, and extending from the surface of
said boiler; another pipe, also extending from the surface of the boiler and forming
a communication between the steam chest and the steam space in the boiler, said
pipe opening into the boiler about ninety degrees from the opening into the boiler
of the first named pipe; and one or more other pipes extending from the surface
of the boiler and forming a communication between the steam chest and the steam
space in the boiler midway between the first named pipes.
5. A horizontally rotatable steam boiler, a steam chest, and a curved transparent.
tube for indicating the amount of water in the boiler, arranged transversely to, and
having the center of its curve substantially co-incident with the axis of rotation of
the boiler, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this Twenty-first day of March A.D. 1893.
MELVIN LINWOOD SEVERY.