APPARATUS FOR EQUALIZING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE WATER IN THAT KIND OF STEAM BOILERS GENERALLY CALLED MULTITUBULAR BOILERS'
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hick, of Bolton-le-Moors, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "APPARATUS FOR EQUALIZING
THE TEMPERATURE OF THE WATER IN THAT KIND OF STEAM BOILERS GENERALLY
CALLED MULTITUBULAR BOILERS'."
Sealed the 5th September 1856, and dated the 29th April 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hick at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th April
1856.
I, JOHN HICK, of Bolton-le-Moors, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of APPARATUS
EQUALIZING THE TEMPERATURE OP THE WATER IN THAT KIND OF STEAM BOILERS
GENERALLY CALLED MULTITUBULAR BOILERS," to be as follows:-
In the use of multitubular boilers great difficulty is experienced in keeping
the boilers water and steam tight, owing to the water below the tubes remain-
ing for a long time after the fires are lighted at a much lower temperature
than the water between and above the tubes. From this cause an unequal
and varying expansion and contraction of parts of the boiler takes place,
which produce great strain on the parts, and produce leakage, and its resulting
inconveniences. By my Invention I effect the important object of causing a
current in, and thereby equalising the temperature of the water. It consists
in dividing that portion of the boiler, which contains the tubes, longitudinally

page_text: into two or more parts, by means of vertical plates, either reaching from one
end of the boiler to the other, or to within a convenient distance from one or
both ends. I prefer to divide the tubular part of the boiler into two equal
portions in cases where there are two internal fire-places to the boiler, which
fire-places I propose to fire alternately at suitable intervals. The effect of this
alternate firing will be, that the tubes of one of the divisions will be kept at a
higher temperature than the tubes of the other division, whereby a current will
be produced from one division to the other, so that the temperature of the
whole body of water will be equalised, or sufficiently so, to obviate the incon-
veniences arising from unequal expansion or contraction of the parts of the
boiler. When there is only one fire-place, I intend to divide the boiler into
three parts by vertical plates, and that portion of the tubes opposite the fire-
place being kept at a higher temperature than either of the two adjoining
parts, the water will constantly flow in from the external divisions to the
central division, and produce the required equilisation.
Another mode of dividing the body of the water consists in placing a vertical
plate, provided with holes for the tubes, transversly across the boiler, at a
suitable distance from the fire-place end of it. The lower part of this plate
reaches to within a certain distance of the bottom of the boiler, and the upper
part to within a corresponding distance of the surface of the water, by which
arrangement a similar effect is produced as with the longitudinal vertical
plate.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Hick in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th October 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN HICK,
of Bolton-le-Moors, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Hick, Her special licence that I, the said John Hick, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Hick, my 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,

page_text: and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "APPARATUS FOR EQUALISING
THE TEMPERATURE OF THE WATER IN THAT KIND OF STEAM BOILERS GENERALLY
CALLED MULTITUBULAR BOILERS'," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Hick, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Hick, do hereby declare the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
(that is to say):-
In the use of multitubular boilers great difficulty is experienced in keeping
the boilers water and steam tight, owing to the water below the tubes remain-
ing for a long time after the fires are lighted at a much lower temperature
than the water between and above the tubes. From this cause an unequal
and varying expansion and contraction of parts of the boiler takes place, which
produce great strain on the parts, and leakage, and its resulting inconveniences.
Now, my Invention consists in introducing vertical plates in that portion of
the boiler which contains the tubes, for the purpose of dividing the body of the
water, the object being to produce a current in, and thereby to equalise the
temperature of the water. These division plates may be applied in various
ways. In boilers with two internal fire-places, I prefer to divide the tubular
part of the boiler longitudinally into two equal parts, the plate reaching either
from one end of the boiler to the other, or to within a suitable distance from
one or both ends. The flues or fire-places are fired alternately, the effect of
which alternate firing will be, that the tubes of one of the divisions will be kept
at a higher temperature than the tubes of the other division, whereby a
current from one division into the other is established, so that the temperature
of the whole body of the water becomes sufficiently equalized, to obviate the
inconveniences arising from the unequal expansion and contraction of the
various parts of the boiler. Where there is only one fire-place, I intend
similarly to divide the boiler longitudinally into three parts by means of vertical
plates, so that that portion of the tubes opposite the fire-place or flue being
kept at a higher temperature than either of the outer parts, the water will
constantly flow in from the external to the central division, and produce the
desired equalisation.

page_text: Another mode of dividing the body of the water consists in placing a vertical
plate, provided with holes for the tubes, transversely across the boiler, at a
suitable distance from the fire-place end of it. The lower part of this plate
reaches to within a certain distance of the bottom of the boiler, and the upper
part to within a corresponding distance of the surface of the water, by which
arrangement a similar effect is produced as with the longitudinal vertical
plates.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the mode of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I claim as
my Invention is, the dividing that portion of the muititubular boiler which
contains the tubes into two or more parts, by means of vertical plates placed
either longitudinally or transversely, for the purposes above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hick, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand oight hundred and fifty-six
Witness,
JOHN PUGH TEMPERLEY.
JOHN HICK. (L.B.)