Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Condensing Steam, Vapour, or Gases, applicable also as a Feed Water Heater.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 27th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 5th June, 1897
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Condensing Steam,
Vapour, or Gases, applicable also as a Feed Water Heater.
I, JAMES FOSTER of 11 St. Andrews Drive, Pollokshields, in the City and County
of Glasgow, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to apparatus for
condensing steam, vapour or gases, and specially applicable in connection with
evaporators used for concentrating liquids, and the like.
As applied in connection with an evaporator, the apparatus would be constructed
with an inlet water circulating and distributing chest at its upper end and an outlet
water circulating chest or an open tank at its lower end. While an exhaust steam
inlet chest or chamber would be formed below the upper water circulating chest, and
a corresponding exhaust steam or condensed water chamber would be formed above
the lower outlet water circulating chamber. A series of vertical tubes would connect
the top and bottom water circulating spaces, and an inner tube would be fitted through
each of these water tubes and be supported from the bottom plate of lower chest, or
suspended from upper chest or tube plate. These inner tubes would each be fitted at
spaced vertical distances apart with a series of tapered hollow shields in an analogous
manner to that described in my Patent No. 31186 and particularly seen in Figures 15
and 16 of the drawings thereof. A corresponding series of larger tubes would be
fitted annularly round the water tubes, between the bottom and top plates of the upper
and lower exhaust steam chambers.
A boxed-in framing would surround the apparatus either entirely or partially, and
be formed with angled or louvre plate or board air openings, and a fan would by
suction action draw and circulate cold air over the surface of the outer tubos con-
taining the steam to be condensed; or a forcing fan may be used instead of a suction
fan, or both acting together.
The action would be as follows:-
A pipe connection would be taken from the evaporator to a branch on the
exhaust steam upper chest, and the steam would circulate down through the
annular tubes to the lower chest, where as exhaust steam or condensed water it
would be drawn away through a branch to the usual vacuum pump. The cold
water would be pumped up to a perforated distributing pipe fitted in the upper
water chest, and it would flow down the water tubes fitted through the steam
ubes and be deflected in a flowing film on to the internal central shields on the
aner tube, so that the steam would thus be acted on for condensation purposes
y the water circulating through the intermediate tubes, and the circulating currents
f cold air acting on the outer surface of the steam tubes; while any vapour
enerated in the water tubes would ascend through the shields and inner tubes to
he upper water circulating chamber.
Instead of currents of cold air, water may be circulated to act on outer surface
f rteam tubes either through tubes fitted between lower and upper chests, or in
surrounding casing.

page_text: When used as a feed water heater water would circulate through the intermediate-
tubes and live steam heat same in the surrounding annular tubes.
Dated the 27th day of July 1896.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Condensing Steam,
Vapour, or Gases, applicable also as a Feed Water Heater.
I, JAMES FOSTER, of 11 St. Andrews Drive, Pollokshields, in the City and County
of Glasgow, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 :-
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to apparatus for
condensing steam, vapour, or gases, and specially applicable in connection with
evaporators used for concentrating liquids, and the like.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of carrying same into
practice may be properly understood I have hereunto appended a sheet of
explanatory drawings in which
Figure 1 represents an elevation, partly in section of an apparatus as constructed
in accordance with my improvements.
Figure 2 is a plan view or horizontal section as taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 1,
and Figure 3 is a plan view to an enlarged scale of one of the sets of tubes.
Figure 4 is an external elevation of the apparatus while Figure 5 is a horizontal
section as taken on the line 1-4 of Figure 4, and Figure 6 represents an elevation
of the apparatus adapted for the cold water being applied outside the tubes.
As applied in connection with an evaporator, the apparatus would be constructed
with an inlet water circulating and distributing chest A at its upper end and an
outlet water circulating chest a or an open tank at its lower end, while an exhaust
steam inlet chest or chamber B would be formed below the upper water circulating
chest A, and a corresponding exhaust steam or condensed water chamber 6 would
be formed above the lower outlet water circulating chamber a. A series of vertical
tubes would connect the top and bottom water circulating spaces A a and an
inner tube c would be fitted through each of these water tubes C and be supported
by a metal bar from the bottom plate of lower chest or it may be suspended
from upper chest or tube plate. These inner tubes c would each he fitted at spaced
distances apart with a series of tapered hollow shields c in an analogous manner
to that described in my Patent No. 311895 and particularly seen in Figures 15
and 16 of the drawings thereof. A corresponding series of larger tubes would
be fitted annularly round the water tubes C between the bottom and top plates of
the upper and lower exhaust steam chambers B b.
As shown in Figure 5 a boxed-in framing would surround the apparatus either
entirely or partially, and be formed with. angled or louvre plate or board air
openings D' and a fan would be placed in connection with the openings D and
by suction action draw and circulate cold air over the surface of the outer tubes
containing the steam to be condensed or a forcing fan may be used instead of a
suction fan, or both acting together.
The action would be as follows:-
A pipe connection would be taken from the evaporator to a branch B' on the
exhaust steam upper chest B and the steam would pass down through the annular
tubes C to the lower chest where the exhaust as condensed steam would be

page_text: drawn away through a branch 61 to the usual vacuum pump. The cold water
would be pumped up to a main trunk pipe A from whence it would flow into.
perforated distributing pipes A' fitted in the upper water chest A and it would
flow down the water tubes C fitted through the steam tubes C and be deflected
in a flowing film on to the internal central shields c' on the inner tube c so that
the steam would thus be acted on for condensation purposes by the water passing
through the intermediate tubes C and the circulating currents of cold air acting
on the outer surface of, the steam tubes C', while any vapour generated in the
water tubes C would ascend through the shields c¹ and inner tubes c to the upper
water circulating chamber A.
Instead of currents of cold air, water may be made to act on outer surface of
steam tubes (as shown in Figure 6. In this case a chamber E is placed below
the upper steam chamber B, and the water flows in a thin film through the annular
openings E down the outer surface of the tubes- C', and is received into and run
off from a shallow chamber E' below.
When used as a feed water heater water would circulate through the intermediate-
tubes C and live steam heat same in the surrounding annular tubes C¹.
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 :-
First. An apparatus for condensing steam, vapour, or gases, or for use as a feed
water heater, constructed and having its parts combined substantially as herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Second. In apparatus of the kind referred to in Claim 1, the arrangement of
tubes and fittings, substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in.
the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 26th day of April 1897.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.