IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lewis Peter Martin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st July 1882.
LEWIS PETER MARTIN of Vienna Engineer
GENERATORS
IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
The object of this invention is a method or process of heating the surface of
water for the production of steam and based on the principle that the pressure of
steam depends on its temperature to mix air which has been heated in a closed.
hot chamber or fire box with the steam and cause the latter with the products of
combustion to act in the cylinder. The production of steam above mentioned may
be effected by means of a combustible, either solid, liquid or gaseous but it is
herein only intended to deal with the means of heating generally in use ie, that
by a solid combustible.
The principle features of this invention are
1 A method or process of heating the surface of water for producing steam
2 A method or process of heating the surface of water by passing the gases of
combustion directly over it to produce steam, by the use of either a solid, liquid
or gaseous combustible.
3 A complete or total absorption of the smoke during the production of steam
by the introduction of atmospheric air by means of a pump.
4 A division of the steam space with the object of forming a the ordinary flue
or fire conduit. ba means of drying the steam
5 The employment of a feed hopper as an obturator in closed furnaces
6 An arrangement of heater and appliances for carrying the invention into
practice.
The apparatus consists of a furnace or fire box hermetically closed the upper
part of which is lined with refractory material and the lower part or cinder box
forming the boiler. Mounted on the fire box and in connection with it by means
of an aperture is the valve box of an engine the piston of which is propelled

page_text: from its back part, the front part acting as an air compressor. A tube conducts
the air compressed by the piston into an air envelope and by the dampers on to
and under the grating as required. Concentrically above the grating and for the
purpose of supplying the fuel is a feed hopper with double closing arrangement
the novelty of which consists in its lower collar provided with a screw thread to
serve as an obturator between the fire box and the chimney it being made to
ascend or descend by turning handles.
The working of the engine is as follows. When the fire is being made up on
the grating the smoke escapes through the open obturator directly into the
chimney. When the heat is sufficient the furnace door and the obturator are both
closed and the engine is put in motion. By the action of the engine atmospheric
air enters, the air pump and passes by a tube into the fire box or furnace where it
is employed in part for combustion thereby effecting the total absorption of the
smoke. The bubbles of steam formed by the boiling water ascends with the air
through the grating into the furnace where they absorb a part of the heat and
pass together with the products of combustion into the valve box.
The invention is applicable to many system of modern boilers that is by
heating the surface of the water by direct contact with the gases of combustion
In the case of a locomotive boiler. The fire box may be hermetically closed.
The flues terminate in the smoke box and are fitted below the level of the water
as in other boilers.
Above the fire line of the smoke. box a certain number of tubes rise above the
level of the water these tubes being provided at their upper ends with valves
which open automatically
A plate of arched or dome shape above the level of the water divides the steam
space into two parts which communicate with each other at the front end of the
boiler.
An obturator fitted between the smoke box and the chimney and (like the
furnace door) is only open during the making up of the fire, but it is kept
hermetically closed during the working of the engine.
The fire is maintained by means of compressed air which enters by the furnace
door and may be conducted to it by means of dampers fitted in the fire box either
above or under the grating.
Mounted concentrically above the fire box is the feed hopper with double closing
arrangement for the supply of fuel. I fit a water level indicator a safety valve
an admission valve and provide manholes to enable the flues or fire tubes to be
cleansed.
In this particular case the whole of the boiler with the engine (which is com-
posed of the working cylinder the air pump etc) is mounted on a base plate in
which are the feed and exhaust air tubes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Lewis Peter Martin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th December 1882.
LEWIS PETER MARTIN of Vienna, Engineer
GENERATORS
•
IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
The object of this Invention is a method or process of heating the surface of
water for the production of steam, and is based on the principle that the pressure
of steam depends on its temperature, I mix air which has been heated in a closed
hot chamber or fire box with the steam, and cause the latter with the products of
combustion 'to act in the cylinder. The production of steam above mentioned may
be effected by means of a combustible either solid, liquid or gaseous, but it is
herein only intended to deal with the means in use i.e. by a solid combustible.
In Figure 1 of the annexed drawings the principle of the production of steam
by heating the surface of the water may be seen; it represents the furnace or fire
box a hermetically closed, the upper part of which is lined with refractory material
and the lower part or cinder box forming the boiler. Mounted on the fire box and
in connection with it by means of the aperture ✗, is the valve box of an engine
the piston of which is propelled from its back part, the front part acting as an air
compressor. The tube X conducts the air compressed by the piston, as is seen,
into the air envelope X' and by the dampers X³ X onto and under the grating
as required. X is the aperture of the feed water tube; X³ a water level indicator,
✗ the furnace door employed when the engine is at rest and when the firing is
being commenced, X' the cinder box door, X³ plug for withdrawal of the water.
Concentrically above the grating and for the purpose of supplying the fuel is a
feed hopper with double closing arrangement the novelty of which consists in its
lower collar (which is provided with a screw thread) to serve as an obturator
between the fire box and the chimney it being made to ascend or descend by
turning the handles Xº X'.
The working of the engine is as follows;-When the fire is being made up on
the grating O the smoke escapes through the open obturator O¹ directly into the
chimney. When the heat is sufficient the furnace door and the obturator are both
closed and the engine is put in motion. By the action of the engine, atinospheric
air enters through X into the air pump and by the tube X' into the fire box or
furnace where it is employed in part for combustion thereby effecting the total
absorption of the smoke. The bubbles of steam formed by the boiling water
ascend with the air through the grating into the furnace where they absorb a part
of the heat and pass together with the products of combustion into the valve box.
Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 represent the principle above mentioned as applied to a
modern boiler; that is by heating the surface of the water by direct contact with
the gases of combustion.
Figure 2 represents the horizontal section, Figure 3 the vertical section and
Figure 4 the transverse section of the smoke box; Figure 5 is the longitudinal
section of the flue and the ascending valve t. It will be seen in the Figures that
this system is that of a locomotive boiler, the fire box may be hermetically closed
as in Figure-1. O is the fire box and O¹ the flues which terminate in the smoke
box, and are fitted below the level of the water as in other boilers.
Above the fire line of the smoke box, a certain number of tubes t' rise above the
level of the water, these tubes being provided at their upper ends with valves
which open automatically. The plate a is arched or dome shape above the level of
the water and divides the steam space into two parts which communicate with
each other at the front end of the boiler.
Qis an obturator fitted between the smoke box and the chimney, and (like the

page_text: furnace door O³) is only open during the making up of the fire, but it is kept
hermetically closed during the working of the engine. In this case, as in Figure 1
the fire is maintained by means of compressed air which enters by the furnace
door and may be conducted to it by means of the dampers O* fitted in the fire
box either above or under the grating. The communication O' between the furnace
door and the air conduit is clearly shown in Figure 2. Mounted concentrically
above the fire box O is the feed hopper with double closing arrangement for the
supply of fuel. O is a water level indicator, 07 a safety valve, Os an admission
valve, O manholes for cleaning the flues or fire tubes, 00 doors for access to.
the ascending valves. In this particular case the whole of the boiler with the
engine (which is composed of the working cylinder O", the air pump 0¹s etc)
is mounted on a base plate in which are the feed and exhaust air tubes:
Mode of working. Whilst making up the fire, the smoke escapes, as in the
ordinary boilers, i.e. from the fire box through the flues or fire tubes, the smoke
box and the open obturator, directly into the chimney. When the formation. of
steam is sufficient, the furnace door and the obturator are closed and the machine
is put in action by opening the steam admission valve 08. Atmospheric air then
enters by the air inlet valve in the air pump and is forced by the latter into the
furnace where it is employed partly for combustion and effects the complete
absorption of the smoke; from thence it passes with the products of combustion
by the flues O¹ into the smoke chamber. It is here arrested until its pressure
becomes greater than that of steam in the boiler, it then raises the valves and
enters into the lower steam space where it comes in contact with the surface of
the water and intermingles with the steam at the same time producing more
steam and increasing the pressure of the steam already present as also that of the
steam last produced through the elevation of the temperature. When it has
arrived at the front end of the boiler, the mixture of air and steam enters the
upper steam space and is dried in its passage towards the admission valve 08 by
the separating plate a which has meantime become hot. Finally the mixture of
air and steam is taken from the admission valve for use where required.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed I declare that I claim ;-
First. The method or process of heating the surface of water for producing
steam as hereinbefore described.
Secondly: The method or process of beating the surface of water by passing the
gases of combustion directly over it to produce steam, by the use of either a
solid, liquid, or gaseous combustible as herein before described.
Thirdly-The complete or total absorption of the smoke during the production
of steam by the introduction of atmospheric air by means of the pump as
hereinbefore described
Fourthly; The division of the steam space with the object of forming, a the
ordinary flue or fire conduit
-b a means of drying the steam as hereinbefore described..
Fifthly; The employment of a feed hopper as an obturator in closed furnaces
substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
Sixthly; The whole arrangement substantially as described and shown in the
drawings.
-
In witness whereof I the said Lewis Peter Martin have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty ninth day of December in the year of Our
Lord, One thousand. eight hundred and eighty two