Improvements in Instantaneous Steam Generators.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1897
Complete Specification Lett. 16th Mar. 1898-Accepted 16th Apr 1808
Improvements in Instantaneous Steam Generators.
I, JOHN SIMPSON, of Braehead, Whins of Milton, Stirling, in the County of
Stirling, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide an improved generator of light
weight and rapid steam raising capacity and adapted for use especially with motors
for road vehicles and the like.
The improved steam generator is of the class in which the water supplied to it
is practically flashed into steam upon contact with the heating surfaces, and the
latter are composed mainly of inner and outer concentric tubes through the annular
spaces between which the water passes and the steam generated flows to a receiver
or the engine.
The tubes are arranged horizontally or approximately so in staggered rows over
a furnace which may be formed by jets of hydrocarbon vapour or by liquid fuel
burners, and their ends are connected to vertical end headers or slabs forming the
end walls of the combustion chamber and generator, the outer tubes being con-
nected to the inside plates of the end headers whilst the inner tubes passing
through are connected to the outside plates thereof. The ends of the tubes may
be expanded or screwed into the respective plates of the end headers or slabs and
they are retained in place by means of screwed lock nuts whose bearing faces are
preferably recessed and filled in with copper wire or like packing to form a tight
joint. The steam or water spaces within the end headers or slabs are made as
shallow as practicable, and these spaces are divided by distance pieces which are
arranged to direct the flow of the water and steam in a sinuous course through
the tubes and end headers. The water or steam circulating through the annular
spaces between the tubes is subjected not only to the heat applied to the surface
of the external tubes, but also to heat applied to the surfaces of the inner tubes
either by carrying the furnace gases through them, or by directing through them
the flame or jets of a separate heating arrangement.
A number of the inner tubes of the lower and upper rows instead of forming
fire tubes are plugged at one end and extended through the end walls at the
opposite end so as to form at the lower end an inlet for the water and at the upper
end an outlet for the steam. These inlet and outlet tubes are perforated to
permit of the passage of the water from the inlet pipe to the annular spaces between
the tubes, and in the case of the outlet pipes for the passage of the steam from the
annular steam spaces to the inner outlet tube. The water entering the feed inlet
thus passes through the perforated tubes of the lower row into the surrounding
water space thence into one of the end headers or slabs, back through the annular
water spaces of one or more of the rows of tubes above to the opposite end header
or slab and so on back and forth through the tube spaces and headers until the
perforated tubes of the uppermost row are reached whence the steam generated
D

page_text: passes to the receiver or direct to the engine. The water supply may be regulated
by suitably controlling the feed pump to suit the required consumption of steam.
Dated this 15th day of June 1897.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cuikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.
I, JOHN SIMPSON, of Braehead, Whins of Milton, Stirling, in the County of
Stirling, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention' and in what
manner the same is to be performed; to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object to provide an improved generator of light
weight and rapid steam raising capacity and adapted for use especially with motors
for road vehicles and the like.
The improved steam generator which is of the class in which the water supplied
to it is practically flashed into steam upon contact with the heating surfaces is
illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 being a longitudinal section,
and Figure 2 a transverse vertical section, on the line -. As shown the heating
surfaces are composed mainly of inner and outer concentric tubes A, B, respectively,
through the annular spaces. between which the water passes and the steam
generated flows to a receiver or the engine.
The tubes A, B, are arranged horizontally or approximately so in staggered rows
over a furnace C which may be formed by jets of hydrocarbon vapour or by liquid
fuel burners such as D and the ends of the tubes are connected to vertical end.
headers or slabs E forming the end walls of the combustion chamber and generator,
the outer tubes B being connected to the inside plates of the end headers E whilst
the inner tubes passing through are connected to the outside plates thereof. The
ends of the tubes A, B, may be expanded or screwed into the respective plates of the
end headers or slabs E but the inner tubes are preferably retained in place by
means of screwed lock nuts F whose bearing faces are preferably recessed and filled
in with copper wire or like packing to form a tight joint. The steam or water
spaces within the end headers or slabs are made as shallow as practicable, and these
spaces are divided by distance pieces 'G which are arranged to direct the flow of
the water and steam in a sinuous course through the tubes and end headers. The
water or steam circulating through the annular spaces between the tubes A, B, is
subjected not only to the heat applied to the surface of the external tubes, but
also to heat applied to the surfaces of the inner tubes either by carrying the
furnace gases through them, or by directing through them the flame or jets of a
separate heating arrangement.
A number of the inner tubes A of the lower and upper rows instead of forming
fire tubes are plugged at one end as shown at H and extended through the end
walls at the opposite end so as to form at the lower end an inlet I for the water and
at the upper end an outlet J for the steam. These inlet and outlet tubes are
perforated as at i, j, to permit of the passage of the water from the inlet pipe I to
the annular spaces between the tubes, and in the case of the outlet pipes J for the
passage of the steam from the annular steam spaces to the inner outlet tube.
The water entering the feed inlet I thus passes through the perforations in the
tubes of the lower row into the surrounding water space thence into one of the end
headers or slabs, back through the annular water spaces of one or more of the rows

page_text: of tubes A, B, above to the opposite end header or slab and so on back and
forth through the tube spaces and headers until the perforated tubes of the upper-
most row are reached whence the steam generated passes to the receiver or direct
to the engine. The water supply may be regulated by suitably controlling the
feed pump to suit the required consumption of steam.
By the above described arrangements of the parts of the generator great heating
surface is obtained in proportion to the size of the generator, the parts thereof being
so constructed and arranged as to admit of its being readily taken to pieces by the
removal of either of the plates of the end headers or slabs.
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:-
1. The improved instantaneous steam generator constructed substantially as
described.
2. An instantaneous steam generator comprising a series of heating tubes held
by end headers, the heating tubes being arranged to form annular spaces through
which the water flows in contact with the heating surfaces substantially as
described.
Dated this 15th day of March 1898.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Oruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.