IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING SPARKS IN THE CHIMNIES, FLUES, OR UPTAKES OF LOCO- MOTIVE, MARINE, AND OTHER STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS
FOR EXTINGUISHING SPARKS IN THE CHIMNIES, FLUES, OR UPTAKES OF LOCO-
MOTIVE, MARINE, AND OTHER STEAM BOILERS."-A communication from abroad
by Albert Petzold and Otto Sanden, both of Berlin, in the German Empire.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th September 1876.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex,
IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING SPARKS IN THE CHIMNIES,
FLUES, OR UPTAKES OF LOCOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND OTHER STEAM BOILERS."
This Invention has for its object to extinguish the sparks before they issue from
the chimnies of locomotives, marine, and other steam boilers to prevent the accidents
that now frequently occur from the issue of such sparks. For this purpose a
cylinder of sheet metal or other suitable material having perforated sides or of stout
wire gauze is fixed inside the locomotive or other chimney, in such a manner that a
closed annular space is formed between the outer surface of the cylinder and the
sides of the chimney, the space within the cylinder being open to the chimney at
both ends.
Pipes of small diameter as compared with the ordinary blast pipe of a locomotive
lead from the lower side of the exhaust port of each steam cylinder to opposite
points of the closed annular space. The part of the perforated cylinder opposite the
openings of these pipes has no perforations, so that the exhaust steam issuing from
the pipes into the annular space will be caused to pass in an equably distributed
manner through the perforations of the cylinder into the interior thereof, and will
effectually extinguish any sparks passing through the latter. By taking the steam
from the bottom of the exhaust port where generally some water of condensation is
deposited, the steam passing through the pipes will be very moist, and will conse-
quently act all the more effectually in extinguishing the sparks; also by making
the pipes considerably smaller than the ordinary blast pipe the greater resistance

page_text: offered by them to the passage of the steam will cause this to issue into the per
forated cylinder somewhat after the issue of the larger body of the exhaust steam
from the blast pipe, and consequently at the exact time when the sparks are
pasing, as these always issue a short time after each jet of steam from the blast
pipe.
In order to clear the perforations from time to time of any accumulations, as also
to insure the action of the apparatus even when little or no exhaust steam is issuing
into the chimney, a small pipe with a stop-cock is made to establish a communication
between the steam pipe of the boiler and the before-mentioned annular space, so
that by opening the stop-cock a jet of full pressure steam will be caused to pass
through the perforations into the cylinder.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd March
1877.
"
A
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
'IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING SPARKS IN THE CHIMNIES,
FLUES, OR UPTAKES OF LOCOMOtive, Marine, aND OTHER STEAM BOILERS."
communication from abroad by Albert Petzold and Otto Sanden, both of Berlin in
the German Empire.
This Invention has for its object to extinguish the sparks before they issue from
the chimnies of locomotive, marine, and other steam boilers to prevent the accidents
that now frequently occur from the issue of such sparks. For this purpose a
cylinder of sheet metal or other suitable material having perforated sides, or of
stout wire gauze is fixed inside the locomotive or other chimney, in such a manner
that a closed annular space is formed between the outer surface of the cylinder and
the sides of the chimney, the space within the cylinder being open to the chimney
at both ends.
Pipes of small diameter as compared with the ordinary blast pipe of a locomotive
lead from the lower side of the exhaust port of each steam cylinder to opposite
points of the closed annular space. The part of the perforated cylinder opposite the
openings of these pipes has no perforations, so that the exhaust steam issuing from
the pipes into the annular space will be caused to pass in an equably distributed
manner through the perforations of the cylinder into the interior thereof, and will
effectually extinguish any sparks passing through the latter. By taking the steam
from the bottom of the exhaust port, where generally some water of condensation is
deposited, the steam passing through the pipes will be very moist, and will conse-
quently act all the more effectually in extinguishing the sparks. Also by making
the pipes considerably smaller than the ordinary blast pipe, the greater resistance
offered by them to the passage of the steam will cause this to issue into the per-
forated cylinder somewhat after the issue of the larger body of the exhaust steam
from the blast pipe, and consequently at the exact time when the sparks are passing,
as these always issue a short time after each jet of steam from the blast pipe.
In order to clear the perforations from time to time of any accumulations, as also
to insure the action of the apparatus even when little or no exhaust steam is issuing
into the chimney, a small pipe with a stop-cock is made to establish a communi-
cation between the steam pipe of the boiler and the before-mentioned annular space,
so that by opening the stop-cock a jet of full pressure steam will be caused to pass
through the perforations into the cylinder.
DECADITION An
DRAWIN

page_text: chimney; and Fig. 3 shews a sectional plan of the chimney and spark extinguisher.
In the chimney
fixed a perforated cylinder S of such a diameter as to leave an
annular space between it and the chimney, such space being closed at top and
bottom, as shewn at Fig. 2, so as to constitute an annular chamber into which open
pipes r, r, of small diameter leading from the under sides of the exhaust chambers
of the slide valve boxes; thus at every stroke of the pistons a portion of the moist
exhaust steam will escape through the pipes r into the annular space, and will issue
thence through the perforations of S into the interior of the chimney, where it will
effectually extinguish any sparks rising from the fire. The pipes being considerably
smaller than the blast pipes the exhaust steam therefrom will issue into the chamber S
after the greater portion of the steam has issued from the blast pipe, and conse-
quently at the exact time when the sparks are passing, as these always follow after
the blast. M is a pipe with a cock leading direct from the steam space of the
boiler into the spark extinguisher, in order by a violent rush of steam to clear the
perforations of the cylinder of deposit, or to admit steam when the engines are not
at work.
Figs. 4 to 11 shew various modes of constructing the chimney with the perforated
cylinder and annular chamber, in these arrangements the perforated cylinder is
made of the same diameter as the upper and lower parts of the chimney so as to
form a continuation thereof, the annular chamber being formed by an enlargement
outside the chimney. In these arrangements also the steam is admitted at four or
more points of the circumference, instead of only at two, either by branching the
steam pipes r, as shewn at Figs. 4 and 5, or by forming in the chimney casing an
annular channel T having either a continuous annular orifice opening into the
annular chamber, as at Fig. 11, or having openings at intervals, as at Figs. 6 to 10.
At Figs. 4 and 6 the chimney is made entirely of wrought iron, at Figs. 5 and 7
the chimney is of wrought iron, and the enlargement of cast iron, and at Figs. 8
to 11 the entire chimney is of cast iron with the exception of the perforated
cylinder S which is of wrought iron.
The above described Invention is more particularly applicable to locomotive,
traction, portable, and marine engines, but it may also be used in all other cases
where the steam engine is sufficiently near the chimney of the boiler to allow a
portion of the exhaust steam to be led into the latter in order to operate as above
described.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents,
I claim,
First. Providing in the chimnies or flues of steam boilers an annular perforated
chamber into which exhaust steam is led through a pipe from the engine cylinder,
so that on issuing through the perforations the steam will extinguish any sparks
that pass through the chimney, substantially as herein described.
Second. In combination with the annular chamber referred to in the preceding
claim, applying a pipe connected to the steam space of the boiler so as to admit
steam direct from the boiler into the said chamber, substantially as and for the
purpose herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven
CHA. D. ABEL. (L.S.)