IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING INCRUSTATION IN STEAM BOILERS, AND FOR PREVENTING EXPLOSION OF SUCH BOILERS, HEATING THE FEED WATER, AND CONSUMING SMOKE
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Howard, William Stafford, and William
Porter McCallum, all of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Engi-
neers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING
INCRUSTATION IN STEAM BOILERS, AND FOR PREVENTING EXPLOSION OF SUCH
BOILERS, HEATING THE FEED WATER, AND CONSUMING SMOKE."
Sealed the 27th February 1866, and dated the 4th September 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Howard, William
Stafford, and William Porter McCallum at the Office of the Commis-
sioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 4th September 1865.
We, JAMES HOWARD, WILLIAM STAFFORD, and WILLIAM PORTER M°CALLUM,
all of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRE-
VENTING INCRUSTATION IN STEAM BOILERS, AND FOR PREVENTING EXPLOSION OF
BUCH BOILERS, HEATING THE FEED WATER, AND CONSUMING SMOKE," to be as
follows:-
The first part of our Invention relates to a means of collecting and carrying
off the scum which forms on the surface of the water in steam boilers. The
objection to apparatus for this purpose as now constructed is, that the water
[Prios 8d.1

page_text: in the boiler must be kept at a certain level or the apparatus is inoperative,
and in other apparatus which rectify this by receiving or admitting scum at
various heights or levels of water in the boiler (as described in the Specifica-
tion of Letters Patent granted to James Seward and Henry Smith, No. 2913,
A.D. 1863,) is that any scum passing to the back end of the boiler, or
forming between the receptacles for receiving such scum, must remain there,
as the receptacles are not constructed so as to receive the scum on both sides.
In constructing apparatus for this purpose we place one or more boxes in
the boiler at right angles to and above the top of the flue or flues, and
extending nearly across the water space; the front and back of each box form
two inclined planes, which inclined planes are divided by a vertical partition
or mid-feather to prevent scum floating through or across the box. The front
and back of the said box forming the two inclined planes are constructed of
perforated plates or sheets of iron (or other material), to which perfo-
rated plates or sheets is or are fastened one or more ribs or rails of angle
or Tiren (or other suitable form or material), placed one above the other,
and extending the length of the plates or sheets to which they are attached;
the scun is received on these ribs or rails, and from thence passes through
the perforations (in the plates or sheets above mentioned) to pipes suitably
arranged for conveying the scum to the blow-off cock or mud valve at the
outside of the boiler. On the blow-off cock or mud valve being opened water
rushes through the perforations in the front and back plates of the box, and
through the pipes herein-before mentioned, carrying off the scum or dirt
collected therein.
Although we have described the inclined planes forming the front and back
of the box as furnished with "tronghs "of T or angle iron, it is evident we
may collect scum at the front and back of the box by the use of plates
(forming the double inclined planes) perforated with a number of elongated
openings, a second, third, or other series of such openings being made one
above the other, for the purpose of admitting the scum at the various heights
of the water in the boiler, thus dispensing with the use of T or angle iron;
or the front and back of the box forming the inclined planes may be con-
structed of a number of ribs or rails, the spaces above each rib or rail being
passages for the scum to the box and pipes.
We describe the front and back of the box as forming two inclined planes
divided by a vertical partition or mid-feather; this form we prefer; a semi-
circular or a rectangular perforated covering for the box answers the same
purpose, but we prefer the form first herein described.

page_text: The second part of our Invention relates to the prevention of steam boiler
explosions by means of a blow-off valve and pipe being placed in the interior
of the boiler, so as to blow steam into the furnace when the boiler becomes
short of water or the pressure of steam too great. The valve is placed
on or in the upper end of the pipe (which pipe forms a communication
between the steam space and the furnace), and is actuated by a lever and
float.
The third part of our Invention relates to a means of heating the feed
water and consuming the smoke. In constructing boilers according to our
Invention we introduce into the flue or flues a "foed-water tube," extending
from the back end of the boiler to near the fire-bridge, and of such diameter
as to leave sufficient space for the passage of flames and heated gases along
the flue, and along and around the said feed-water tube, also for brushing out
the flue when necessary. The water is forced into the said tube by a pump,
and flows to the water space in the boiler through pipes connecting the feed
water tube with the flue or flues of the boiler. The said tube is constructed
so that one end may readily, be removed, and admittance obtained to the
interior for cleaning or other purposes; sediment is removed from theinterior
by means of a perforated pipe, which is carried along the bottom of the inside
of the said tube and to a convenient part of the outside of the boiler flue, and
provided with a stop-cock or valve; on the stop-cock or valve being opened
the water in the feed-water tube rushes through the perforations and pipe,
carrying off sediment and dirt. The introduction of the feed-water tubes to
the interior of the flue or flues of steam boilers will effect a considerable
saving of fuel by raising the temperature of the feed water before its admit-
tance to the boiler; the said feed-water tube may be constructed with a fire
flue or a number of fire tubes. The feed-water tube above described also
serves to distribute the flames, thus consuming the smoke.
0
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Howard, William Stafford, and William Porter
McCallum in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd March 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
HOWARD, WILLIAM STAFFORD, and WILLIAM PORTER MCCALLUM, all of
Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said James Howard, William Stafford, and William Porter M°Callum, Her
special licence that we, the said James Howard, William Stafford, and William
Porter McCallum, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said James Howard, William Stafford, and William Porter
McCallum, our 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, au Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING INCRUSTATION IN STEAM BOILERS, AND FOR PREVENTING
EXPLOSION OF SUCH BOILERS, HEATING THE FEED WATER, AND CONSUMING SMOKE,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James Howard,
William Stafford, and William Porter McCallum, our executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said James Howard, William Stafford,
and William Porter McCallum, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
Our Invention relates, firstly, to a means of collecting and carrying off scum
which forms on the surface of the water in steam boilers. The objection to
apparatus for this purpose as now constructed is that the water in the boiler
must be kept at a certain level or the apparatus is inoperative, and in other
apparatus which rectify this by receiving or admitting scumnat various heights
or levels of the water in the boiler(as described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to James Seward and Henry Smith, No. 2913, A.D., 1863,
is that any scum passing to or forming at the back end of the boiler, or
forming between the receptacles for receiving such scum, must remain there,
as the receptacles are not constructed so as to receive the scum on both sides,
or at front and back.

page_text: In constructing apparatus for this purpose we place one or more boxes in
the boiler at right angles to and above the top of the flue or flues, and
extending nearly across the water space; the front and back of each box form
two inclined planes, which inclined planes are divided by a vertical partition
or mid-feather to prevent scum floating through or across the box; the front
and back of the said box forming the two inclined planes are constructed of
perforated plates or sheets of iron (or other material), to which perforated
plates or sheets are fastened one or more ribs or rails of angle or T iron,
placed one above other and extending the length of the plates or sheets
to which they are attached; scum is received on these ribs or rails, and
from thence passes through the perforations (in the plates or sheets above
mentioned) to pipes suitably arranged for conveying the scum to the blow-off
cock or mud valve at the outside of the boiler, On the blow-off cock or mud
valve being opened water and steam rushes through the perforations in front
and back plates of the box, and through the pipes herein-before mentioned,
carrying off the scum or dirt collected therein.
Although we have described the inclined planes forming front and back of
box as furnished with "troughs" of angle or T iron, it is evident we
may collect scum at front and back of the box by the use of plates (forming
the two inclined planes) perforated with a number of elongated openings, a
second, third, or other series of such openings being made one above the other
for the purpose of admitting the scum at the various heights of the water in
the boiler, thus dispensing with the use of angle or Tiron; or the front and
back of the box forming the inclined planes may be constructed of a number
of ribs or rails, the space above each rib or rail being passages for scum to
the box and pipes.
We describe the front and back of the box as forming two inclined planes
divided by a vertical partition or mid-feather; this form we prefer; a semi-
circular or a rectangular perforated covering for the box answers the purpose,
but we prefer the form first herein described.
In the Provisional Specification which we caused to be filed with our
Petition for the said Letters Patent we also described a method of and appa-
ratus for preventing explosion of steam boilers, and also a method of and
apparatus for heating the feed water and consuming smoke, as constituting the
second and third parts of our said Invention; but since filing our said Specifi-
cation we have discovered that the said second and third parts of our Invention
were not so new or of such public utility as at the time of filing our Provincial
Specification as aforesaid we verily believed them to be, and we are therefore

page_text: desirous of disclaiming, and we do hereby disclaim, such parts of our
Invention.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention, we will now
proceed to describe the same more fully, and in order that the same may be
distinctly understood we have hereunto annexed two Sheets of Drawings
illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with letters of reference, the
same letter referring to the same part in the various views or Figures.
Fig. 1 is a cross vertical section of part of steam boiler and of one of our
improved scum collectors, shewing the application of angle iron; Fig. 2 is
also a cross vertical section, shewing another example of the application of
angle iron; Fig. 3, an end elevation of the same; Fig. 4 is a cross vertical
section, shewing application of T iron.
At A is shewn the box, the front and back of which form the two inclined
planes; B, the vertical partition or mid-feather which prevents scum floating
through or across the box; the front and back of the box are formed by the
perforated plates C, C,to which are fastened by rivets or bolts the ribs or rails
of angle or iron D, D, on which the scum is received, and from thence
passes through the perforations or openings E, E, to the pipe F', and is
"blown off" at the cock or mud valve G. The pipe F, at Fig. 1, is shewn
fixed to the end of the box, so as to "blow off" scum at the side of the
boiler, or in order that the said pipe may be convenient for a single-flue
boiler.
-
It will be evident the apparatus herein above described possesses many
important advantages and improvements. It gathers the scum from both ends
of the boiler, and by the use of angle or T iron the area of reception is greatly
increased without enlargening the size of the box or receptacle for scum; the
arms of the angle or T iron projecting from the box into the water on both
sides act as breakwaters, and prevent the rebound or reaction of the water and
scum as it ebbulates against the apparatus, and that on the blow-off cock
being opened currents of steam from front and back of the boiler converge on
the apparatus, sweeping the surface water of the boiler, carrying off the scum
and sediment lodging on the arms of the angle or Tiron and in the box.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of our said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, we would have it distinctly understood that we
claim the improved apparatus for preventing incrustation in steam boilers as
shewn in the annexed Drawings, and herein-before particularly described,
and especially we claim the use of angle or T iron, and the peculiar form or

page_text: forms of boxes or receptacles in which to collect scum as shewn and
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Howard and William Stafford,
for and on behalf of ourselves and the said William Porter McCallum,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Second day of March, in
the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
WALTER BRIERLEY,
JAMES HOWARD.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM STAFFORD. (L.S.)
Patent Agent,
Halifax & Blackburn.