IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING WATER
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Matthew Steel at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 28th August 1883.
MATTHEW STEEL of Gosforth in the County of Northumberland Plumber and
Gasfitter. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING WATER."
My invention relates to an apparatus for heating water by gas, coal, coke,
petroleum or other liquid fuel for greenhouses, baths, warming buildings washing
or other
purposes.
I construct an outer cylindrical vessel, fitted with a cover, which forms the
boiler, in which the water is contained in the bottom of which is a conical tube
open at both ends. Around this tube, and joined to it at top end, is a larger
conical tube forming the central portion of an inner vessel, which I call the furnace
or fire-box, and which is entirely surrounded and covered by the water in boiler,
which also fills the annular space between the larger and smaller conical tubes
with which space it is connected by circulation tubes, and water tubes also lead
from the top of the annular space through the crown of furnace, into the upper
water space.
A water coil is fitted into the inner conical tube the lower end of which coil is
connected with the water in bottom of boiler and the top end, through the furnace
crown, with the water in upper part of boiler. The furnace is surrounded, or
partially surrounded, by a flue or flues into which it opens at its lower portion the
flame or heat thus being caused to make a longer course before it is allowed to
escape by one or more chimneys which pass through the water in upper part of
boiler and out to the atmosphere.
The water to be heated enters the boiler near the bottom and leaves it, when
heated, by a pipe from the top as usual.
T
The apparatus being placed upon a stand, a gas burner (when gas is used) such
as a "Bunsen rose" or other efficient burner is introduced immediately under the
open end of the conical tube containing the water coil and the flame and heat pass
up the cone completely enveloping the coil and heating the water contained in it
as well as that in the annular space between the two conical tubes, circulation
being at once established by the heated water ascending in the coil and in the tube
and through the tubes from top of conical space, its place being supplied by the
colder water entering the coil and conical space by the circulation tubes. The
D 531

page_text: fame and heat passing out at the upper end of inner conical tube impinge against
the crown of furnace and descending heat the outer conical tube which, as well as
the circulation pipes, they completely envelope and they then enter the flue or flues
and pass upward to the chimney or chimneys To remove any small quantity of
water condensed from the gas (when gas.is used) a cock is placed in bottom of
furnace.
When coal, coke, petroleum or other liquid fuel is to be used, I fit the lower
portion with a suitable grate or apply a suitable burner the other parts of the
apparatus being the same as described for using gas.
Asbestos in suitable form may be interposed between the burner, or other source
of heat, and the cone in furnace or may be placed within the cone around or inside
the water coil.