CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1860

page_text: City of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS."-A com-
munication from abroad by Richard Montgomery, of New York, United
States of America.
Sealed the 4th June 1861, and dated the Sth December 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th December 1860.
I, GEORGE DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of
Middlesex, and No. 28, St. Enoch Square, in the City of Glasgow, Civil
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven
tion for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS," (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Richard Montgomery, of New York,
United States of America), to be as follows:-
The first part of this Iuvention consists in forming the cylindrical flues,
curved fire arches, and the curved outer shells of steam boilers, of corrugated
iron, steel, or other suitable metal, with corrugations running circumferentially
[Price 8d.]

page_text: or in the direction of the curves. The use of this form of corrugated metal
gives such additional strength and security to the flues, fire arches, and
other parts of the boiler as to make them self-sustaining, and dispense with
the use of angle iron and other stays with which most boilers (especially
those for high-pressure steam) are ordinarily furnished, such stays adding
greatly to the weight, cost, and difficulty of repairing the boilers, and also
increasing their liability to burn out and scale. Another advantage gained
by using this form of corrugated metal for such purposes is, that a greater
amount of heating surface is obtained combined with an equal amount of
strength and a diminished thickness of iron when compared with the fire
arches and flues as hitherto constructed.
The second part of this Invention also relates to the construction of steam
boilers from corrugated metal, and applies more particularly to that class of
steam boilers wherein a number of vertical flues alternating with water
spaces are employed.
The shell of the boiler is to be made of corrugated plates, with plain or
flat margins rivetted together; the water spaces are formed of corrugated
plates whose corrugations run at right angles to the direction of the flues;
the upper and lower extremities of the margins of the plates, which form
the sides of the water spaces, are bent outwards at right angles or
nearly so to the sides of the spaces, and in putting the boiler together the
flanges thus formed are overlapped to make the tops and bottoms of the
flues. The extremities of the front and rear edges of the plates of the water
spaces are similarly bent, but so as to project in the opposite direction, and
the flanges thus constituted are also overlapped to form closed ends to the
water spaces. When such a series of flues and water spaces are to be con
nected with the arch or roof of the fire-box, the rear margin of the latter
is to be slit at right angles to its edges, so as to form a series of tongues
which correspond in width with the adjacent water spaces and flues. Those
tongues which correspond with the water spaces are bent at right angles to
the plane of the roof so as to extend downwards a short distance against the
ends of the water spaces. The other alternate tongues are not bent, bu
project under the tops of the flues, which, as before stated, are formed by
the overlapping top and bottom flanges of the sides of the water spaces
The whole is then secured by rivets aud caulked in the usual manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
June 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
5 DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
and No. 28, St. Enoch Square, in the City of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Davies, Her special licence that I, the said George Davies,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Davies, 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,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS," being a communication to me from
abroad by Richard Montgomery, of New York, United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Davies, 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 Iuvention, and in what mauner 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 George Davies, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Drawings, that
is to say:
The first part of this Invention consists in forming the cylindrical flues,
curved fire archies, and the curved outer shells of steam boilers of corrugated
iron, steel, or other suitable metal, the corrugations running circumferentially
or in the direction of the curves. The use of this form of corrugated metal
gives such additional strength and security to the flues, fire arches, and other
parts of the boiler as to make them self-sustaining, and dispense with the use

page_text: of angle iron and other stays with which most boilers (especially those for
high-pressure steam) are ordinarily furnished, such stays adding greatly to
the weight, cost, and difficulty of repairing the boilers, and also increasing
their liability to burn out and scale. Another advantage gained by using
this form of corrugated metal for such purposes is, that a greater amount
of heating surface is obtained, combined with an equal amount of strength
and a diminished thickness of iron when compared with the fire arches and
flues as hitherto constructed.
The second part of this Invention also relates to the construction of steam
boilers from corrugated metal, and applies more particularly to that class
of steam boilers wherein a number of vertical flues alternating with water
spaces are employed.
The shell of the boiler is to be made of corrugated plates with plain or
flat margins rivetted together; the water spaces are formed of corrugated
plates whose corrugations run at right angles to the direction of the flues.
The upper and lower extremities of the margins of the plates which form
the sides of the water spaces are bent outwards at-right angles, or nearly
so, to the sides of the spaces, and in putting the boiler together the flanges
thus formed are overlapped to make the tops and bottoms of the flues. The
extremities of the front and rear edges of the plates of the water spaces
are similarly bent, but so as to project in the opposite direction, and the
Hanges thus constituted are also overlapped to form closed ends to the
water spaces.
When such a series of flues and water spaces are to be
connected with the arch or roof of the fire-box, the rear margin of the latter
is to be slit at right angles to its edges, so as to form a series of tongues,
which correspond in width with the adjacent water spaces and flues. Those
tongues, which correspond with the water spaces, are bent at right angles
to the plan of the roof, so as to extend downwards a short distance against
the ends of the water spaces. The other alternate tongues are not bent, but
project under the tops of the flues, which, as before stated, are formed by
the overlapping top and bottom flanges of the sides of the water spaces.
The whole is then secured by rivets and caulked in the usual manner.
Such being the nature and object of the said Invention for "Certain
Improvements in the Construction of Steam Boilers," I will proceed to
describe the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed on
carried into practical effect. And in order that the same may be distinctly
understood I have aunexed hereunto two Sheets of Drawings illustrative
thereof, and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference
corresponding with those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say:-

page_text: In Sheet 1 of the Drawings, Figure 1 is a section of part of a cylindrical
boiler with one flue; Figure 2 is a perspective view of part of the outer shell
and inner flue of a corrugated boiler; Figure is a perspective view of part
of an arched or waggon-shaped boiler with the end removed; Figure 4 is a
plan view of the outer shell; and Figure 5, a horizontal section of a
boiler with two flues.
In Figures 1 and 2, A, A, represents the outer shell of corrugated
metal, aud B, B, the inner flue, also corrugated.
corrugated
In Figure 3, 1, A, is the outer shell, the whole of which may be e
or met, as preferred, and B, B, the corrugated arch of the fire-box.
In Figures 4 and 5, A, A, represents the outer shell, and B, B, the two
internal flues, the whole being composed of corrugated metal plates with
plain margins rivetted together, the corrugations running circumferentially
or at right angles to the centre line of the boiler.
In employing corrugated arches, as shewn in the Drawings, and cylindrical
corrugated flues, which are sustained on similar principles, an incidental
advantage gained by this form is, that there is a great extension of fire
surface and an equal degree of strength with thinner iron that can now be
employed in fire arches.
It is proposed to use this corrugated surface in the flues and arches of
boilers, as shewn in the Drawings, and when great strength and lightness are
required, the shell of the boiler should be made also of the corrugated plates. I
do not deem it essential to dwell on the advantages of the arch form of
corrugated plates for sustaining pressure, and the peculiar adaption of the
same to the arches of fire chambers in steam boilers, as it will be evident
to any competent engineer when once pointed out.
In Sheet 2 of the Drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal
section of a fragment of the fire-box and flue of a steam boiler, embracing the
second part of these improvements. Figure 2 is a plan of a portion of the
water spaces, flues, and fire-box arch of the same; Figure 3, a vertical
rausverse section through the flues and water spaces; Figure 4, a similar
section through the crown sheet of the fire-box looking in the direction of the
vater spaces; Figure 5, a view in perspective of one of the water spaces
letached; and Figure 6, a further view in perspective of the crown sheet of
he fire-box detached; Figure 7 is a view of the broken vertical section,
howing the manner of connecting the sheets together; Figure 8 is also a
ertical section, showing a front view in connection with the broken one,
s at Figure 7.
The boiler to which it is designed to apply these improvements is made of

page_text: corrugated plates with flat margins. A is the arch of the fire-box; 1, B3, are
the water si aces; and C,C,the flues by which the water spaces are separated,
and which at their front ends communicate with the fire-box, and at the
rear ends with the smoke box or chimney.
The water spaces B, B, are in this instance formed of boiler plate, whose
corrugations run at right angles to the direction of the flues; these corru-
gations stiffen the plates sufficiently to obviate the necessity of employing stays
to prevent them from bulging under the pressure of the steam. The upper
and lower extremities or margins of the sheets which form the sides of the
water spaces are bent outwards at right angles or nearly so to the sides of the
spaces (see Figure 5), and in putting the boiler together the flanges thus
formed are overlapped (as shewn at Figure 3) to make the tops and bottoms
of the flues. The extremities of the forward and rear edges of the plates of
the water spaces are similarly bent, but so as to project in an opposite direction,
and the flanges thus constituted are also overlapped (as shewn at 1), D, in
Figure 5) to form closed ends to the water spaces or faces and backs thereto.
When such a series of flues and water spaces are to be connected with the
arch or roof of the fire-box, the rear margin of the latter is to be slit at right
angles to its edges, so as to form a series of tongues E, F, (see Figure 6)
which correspond in width with the adjacent water spaces and flues. The
tongues E corresponding with the water spaces are bent at right angles to the
plane of the roof so as to extend downwards a short distance against the ends
of the water spaces; the other alternate tongues F are not bent, but project
under the tops of the flues, which, as before stated, are formed by the over-
lapping top and bottom flanges of the sides of the water spaces. The whole is
then secured by rivets as represented, and caulked in the usual manner. The
boiler plates of which such a boiler is constructed may be either corrugated
longitudinally or transversely, or may be a plain sheet suitably stayed wherever
necessary. The method I have describe
water spaces with the roof of the fire-bo
"
in connecting the opposite extremities
uptake," and forms a simple and substan
connecting the sides of flues and
e employed with advantage
smoke box or with the
le of uniting those parts
The formation of the fluesand water spaces,', overlapping the edges of the
plates which form the sides of the water spaces, not only dispenses with the
usual flue sheet, but involves an economy in the construction of this form o
boiler by a reduction of both material and labor. This method of putting th
parts together also lessens the number of joints between the water space
and the flues.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention fo

page_text: "Certain Improvements in the Construction of Steam Boilers," together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as the Invention
communicated to me by the aforesaid Richard Montgomery,―
Firstly, the employment of coniugated plates of metal for forming the
curved or arched portions of fire-chambers, flues, outer shells, and other
portions of steam boilers where great strength is required, the corrugations
running circumferentially or in the directions of the curves, substantially
as described with reference to Sheet 1 of the annexed Drawings.
And, secondly, the peculiar method of constructing the flues and water
spaces of steam boilers, and the method of connecting them to each other
and to the fire-arch, substantially as described with reference to Sheet 2
of the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, 1 the said George Davies, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
GEORGE DAVIES. (L.S.)
GEORGE DAVIES. (L.S.)

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