IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander William Williamson, of University College,
and Loftus Perkins, of Francis Street, Gray's Inn Road, Civil Engineer,
Sealed the 17th January 1860, and dated the 29th September 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander William
Williamson and Loftus Perkins at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 29th September 1859.
We, ALEXANDER WILLIAM WILLIAMSON, of University College, and LOFTUS
PERKINS, of Francis Street, Gray's Inn Road, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in steam boilers. In steam
boilers constructed according to this Invention, the water is contained entirely
in welded wrought or drawn tubes, and these are principally arranged in a
nearly horizontal position. The lower tubes serve as fire-bars, and for this
purpose they are arranged side by side, with a suitable distance between them
for the passage of air to the fuel; this distance may be obtained by drawing
down the centre portions of the tubes smaller than the ends. The walls of the
furnace on each side of the fire-bars are formed by placing a number of
horizontal tubes one above another, and in close contact the one with the other,

page_text: and the top of the furnace is formed of tubes, arranged side by side in a
manner similar to the fire-bars, but close together in place of with spaces
between them. Over the top of the furnace a flue is formed, which is also
enclosed on the top and two sides, by tubes arranged in a similar manner to
those which form the top and two sides of the furnace, and the smoke and
heated products of combustion from the furnace are caused to traverse this flue
before they escape into the chimney. In order to provide for the escape of
the steam generated in these tubes, they are connected together by other tubes
of smaller size, which by preference are screwed at their ends, and enter
tapped holes in the larger tubes. These connecting tubes are also, by
preference, arranged in a diagonal position; thus the fire-bar tubes are
connected by diagonal connecting tubes with the tubes forming the walls of
the furnace, and these again by other diagonal tubes with the tubes forming
the top of the furnace; in a similar manner these latter are connected with the
tubes of the side walls of the flue; and, lastly, the steam is led to the tubes
forming the top of the flue, from which it is taken away for use by small pipes
connected with each of these tubes, and leading into the main steam pipe, the
feed water may be introduced into the tubes forming the fire-bars, by means
of small tubes, one in connection with each of them, and which at their other
ends communicate with the main feed pipe.
Two or more flues may be formed in the manner above described over the
furnace, if desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander William Williamson and Loftus Perkins in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th March 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALEXANDER
WILLIAM WILLIAMSON, of University College, and LOFTUS PERKINS, of Francis
Street, Gray's Inn Road, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letter's
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Alexander William Williamson and Loftus Perkins, Her special
licence that we the said Alexander William Williamson and Loftus Perkins,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Alexander William Williamson and Loftus Perkins, our executors, adminis-

page_text: trators, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Alexander William Williamson and
Loftus Perkins, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or
them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Alexander William Williamson and
Loftus Perkins, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in steam boilers. In steam
boilers constructed according to this Invention, the water is contained entirely
in welded, wrought, or drawn tubes, and these are principally arranged in a
nearly horizontal position. The lower tubes serve as fire-bars, and for this
purpose they are arranged side by side, with a suitable distance between them
for the passage of air to the fuel; this distance may be obtained by drawing
down the centre portions of the tubes smaller than the ends. The walls of the
furnace on each side of the fire-bars are formed by placing a number of
horizontal tubes one above another, and in close contact the one with the
other; and the top of the furnace is formed of tubes, arranged side by side in
a manner similar to the fire-bars, but close together, in place of with spaces
between them. Over the top of the furnace a flue is formed, which is also
enclosed on the top and two sides by tubes arranged in a similar manner to
those which form the top and two sides of the furnace; and the smoke and
heated products of combustion from the furnace are caused to traverse this flue
before they escape into the chimney. In order to provide for the escape of
the steam generated in these tubes, they are connected together by other tubes
of smaller. size, which, by preference, are screwed at their ends, and enter
tapped holes in the larger tubes. These connecting tubes are also, by
preference, arranged in a diagonal position; thus the fire-bar tubes are
connected by diagonal connecting tubes, with the tubes forming the walls of
the furnace, and these again by other diagonal tubes, with the tubes forming
the top of the furnace, in a similar manner these latter are connected with the

page_text: tubes of the side walls of the flue, and, lastly, the steam is led to the tubes
forming the top of the flue, from which it is taken away for use by small pipes:
connected with each of these tubes, and leading into the main steam pipe..
The feed water may be introduced into the tubes forming the fire-bars by
means of small tubes, one in connection with each of them, and which at their
other ends communicate with the main feed pipe.
Two or more flues may be formed in the manner above described over the
furnace, if desired.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is an end elevation of a steam boiler constructed according to our
Invention; Figure 2 is a plan of the lower series of horizontal tubes, which
serve as the fire-bars; and Figure 3 shews a vertical longitudinal section of
the boiler. In the arrangement shewn in the Drawing there are three return
flues formed in the upper part of the boiler above the fire-place or furnace,
but this may be varied. a, a, are the lowest set of horizontal tubes, which are
each closed at their two ends; these tubes, so far as they are within and form
the bottom of the fire-place or furnace, are flattened, so as to produce air
passages or spaces, as shown at b, b, in Figure 2; c, c, are horizontal tubes;
which form the top or roof of the fire-place or furnace; d, d, is the next set of
horizontal tubes, thus forming a return flue above the fire-place or furnace ;
e, e is the next set of horizontal tubes, thus forming a second return flue; and
f, f, is another set of horizontal tubes, thus forming another return flue. By
this arrangement the products of combustion passing from the fire or furnace
in the compartment A will pass to the back end of the boiler, they will then
rise up and pass along the return flue B towards the front end of the boiler;
thence into and along the return flue C, and thence into and through the
return flue D into the chimney, which is not shewn in the Drawing. The
Drawing shows the sides or walls of the boiler to be constructed of a series of
horizontal tubes g, g, which are arranged in zig-zag lines, but they may be
arranged in vertical lines or otherwise. The tubes c, d, e, f, g, are each closed
at both ends, and they are connected together by upright tubes h, h, which
may be vertical, as shewn, or they may be arranged in diagonal or other
directions. The ends of the tubes h, h, are screwed with right and left-handed
screws, which enter into female screws formed in the tubes a, c, d, e, f, g; and
where the thickness of metal of such tubes is not sufficient for having a proper
length of screws cut therein, then those parts of the tubes are enlarged by

page_text: having pieces welded thereon; i is a general water supply tube, which is con-
nected by tubes h, h, to the tubes a, a, and g, g, and they, as before explained,
are connected by other tubes h, h, with the horizontal tubes above them; ; is
a steam pipe, which is connected with the horizontal pipes below by means of
tubes h, h, as is shewn.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we do not confine
ourselves to the details herein explained; but what we claim is the mode
above described of combining tubes in constructing steam boilers.
In witness whereof, we, the said Alexander William Williamson and
Loftus Perkins, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-
seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.
ALEX W. WILLIAMSON. (L.S.)
LOFTUS PERKINS.
(L.S.)