IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OR FORMATION OF CERTAIN PARTS OF STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samson Fox, of the Leeds Forge Company, Leeds, in the
County of York, Ironmaster, and David Greig, of the Steam Plough Works,
Leeds aforesaid, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samson Fox and David
Greig at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th June 1880.
SAMSON Fox, of the Leeds Forge Company, Leeds, in the County of York,
Ironmaster, and DAVID GREIG, of the Steam Plough Works, Leeds aforesaid,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OR FORMATION OF CERTAIN
PARTS OF STEAM BOILERS."
Our Invention has reference to the construction or formation of certain parts of
steam boilers.
Fire boxes and combustion chambers of steam boilers are subject to compressive
and expansive strains during heating, and to contracting strains whilst cooling down
to their original or normal temperature, and the repeated action and reaction of
such strains tends to induce fracture of the plates at or about the holes in which the
stay bolts are inserted. Now our Invention is designed to obviate this defect, and
at the same time to increase the heating surface of fire boxes and combustion
chambers, by constructing them of metal plates so forined as whilst able to resist
the requisite steam pressure to be also capable of yielding to strains in various
directions arising from the causes above indicated.
The plate or plates composing a fire box or combustion chamber according to our
Invention is or are formed with corrugations or undulations arranged diagonally or
in a combined elliptical and segmental or circular and segmental form that will
allow of their yielding as required without the liability to fracture which obtains in
plates having plain or flat surfaces. A fire box or combustion chamber in which
the plates are of equal thickness throughout may be made of one or more plates or

page_text: pieces of corrugated metal joined either by welding or by angle parts of iron or
other metal and rivets.
Where that part of the fire box and the combustion chamber in which the tubes
are inserted is of greater thickness than other portions, we make the tube plate in a
separate piece, and we corrugate as aforesaid the thinner part thereof, that is to say,
the part not perforated to receive the tubes.
The plates employed in the construction of fire boxes and combustion chambers
according to our Invention may be of malleable iron, steel, copper, or other suitable
metal, and have the requisite corrugated form imparted to them by embossing or
swaging dies by means of a steam or other hammer or by hydraulic or other
pressure, it being understood that those portions of the plate or plates intended to
form the corners and the welded or rivetted joints are left plain or uncorrugated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samson Fox and David Greig in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th December 1880.
SAMSON Fox, of the Leeds Forge Company, Limited, Leeds, in the County of
York, Engineer and Ironmaster, and DAVID GREIG, of the Steam Plough Works,
Leeds, in the said County, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OR FORMATION OF CERTAIN PARTS OF STEAM BOILERS."
Our Invention has reference to the construction or formation of certain parts of
steam boilers. Fire boxes and combustion chambers of steam boilers are subject to
compressive and expansive strains during heating, and to contracting strains whilst
cooling down to their original or normal temperature (i.c., that obtaining when not at
work), and the repeated action and re-action of such strains tend to induce fracture
of the plates at or about the holes in which the stay bolts are inserted. Now our
Invention is designed to obviate this defect, and also to increase the heating surface
and add to the strength of fire boxes and combustion chambers, by so forming them
as whilst able to resist the requisite steam pressure to be also capable of yielding to
strains in various directions arising from the causes above indicated. The plate or
plates composing a fire box or combustion chamber according to our Invention is or
are formed with corrugations or undulations arranged diagonally or in a combined
elliptical and segmental or circular and segmental form, such as will impart or allow
of elasticity or yielding to strains which may occur without the liability to fracture
which obtains in fire box or combustion chamber plates having plain or flat
surfaces. A fire box or combustion chamber in which the plates are of equal
thickness throughout may be inade of one or more plates or pieces of corrugated
metal, joined either by wolding or by angle parts of iron or other metal and rivets.
When that part of the fire box or combustion chamber in which the tubes are
inserted is of greater thickness than other portions, we make such part or tube plate
in a separate piece, and we corrugate as aforesaid the thinner part thereof, that is to
say, the part not perforated to receive the tubes.
The plates employed in the construction of fire boxes and combustion chambers
according to our Invention may be of malleable iron, steel, copper, or other suitable
metal, and have the requisite corrugated form imparted to them by embossing or
swaging dies by means of a steam or other hammer or by bydraulic or other pressure,
it being understood that those portions of the plate or plates intended to form the
corners and the welded or rivetted joints are left plain or uncorrugated. We prefer
welded joints to rivetted joints, inasmuch as welded joints enable us by retaining a
single thickness of metal to obviate in a large measure the burning which occurs
where a double thickness is used, and moreover where there is a single thickness
only caloric is more readily conducted to the water to be heated. And in order that
the nature of our Invention and the manner of performing or carrying the same into
practical effect may be properly understood, we hereunto append a Sheet of explanatory
Drawings to be hereinafter referred to, and which represent a fire box suitable for a
locomotive boiler and a combustion chamber for a marine or other boiler which is
fired at both ends, premising that when a marine or other boiler is to be fired at one
end only we corrugate the back of the combustion chamber similarly to that of a
locomotive fire-box. Fig. 1 represents a plate shaped for the formation of a locomotive
fire box as follows:-The plate which is diagonally corrugated at F1, F-1, and B-1
is bent at the lines A and A till the parts F, F, are at right angles to the part B
which is to form the back, then the parts C and C are bent over till the edges
C1 and C2 meet the edge C3 of the back and are then welded thereto, and the
edges D and D1 are also caused to meet each other so as to form either a butt joint
or a scarf joint (as may be desired), and then are welded together. The firing hole

page_text: E is cut out whilst the plate is in a flat state, and raised or embossed around the
saine to the extent of the required water space between it and the back of the
boiler, or the embossing may be dispensed with and the usual ring inserted. After
welding the edges C1, C2, and C3, and also D and D 1 we complete the corru-
gations around and over the crown from the dotted line F2, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a
back elevation of the completed fire box. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, and
Fig. 4 is a front elevation shewing the tube plate, which is flanged, and is corrugated
in the thin part B 3, Fig. 3, and perforated for the tubes in the thick part B 2, Fig. 3.
This tube plate having been inserted in position may be secured there by rivets in
the usual way, or the tube plate may be formed without Ganges and be joined to
the other parts of the fire box or combustion chamber by welding or by angle pieces
and rivets, as in the case of the flanged tube plate. Fig. 5 is a section on the
line G, G, of Fig. 4, and shews the form of corrugations obtaining at that part and
also at other parts that are corrugated. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 illustrate the construction
of a fire box according to our Invention, with elliptical, circular, and segmental
corrugations at the back and sides. Fig. 8 is a vertical section in the lino H, H,
and shews the corrugations or embossings at that part. The mode of construction
is the same as already described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, excepting
as to the corrugations. and the same letters of reference are used to denote like
parts. Corrugations arranged on this plan render a fire box or combustion chamber
more equally elastic in all directions, and corrugations similarly arranged may be
applied in combustion chambers of other formis. Fig 9 shews a combustion chamber I
as applied to a boiler of a type suitable for marine or other purposes, and arranged
to be fired at both ends, the tube plate or plates (in this case there are two shewn)
being inserted and welded or rivetted at the joints, as in the case of the locomotive
fire-box above mentioned. Fig. 10 is an end view of the same. It will be evident
fire boxes or combustion chambers according to our Invention may be otherwise
applied in various ways.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and explained the
manner of performing or carrying the same into practical effect, we would have
it understood that what we consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim
as secured to us under the herein before in part recited Letters Patent is as
follows:-
1st. Constructing corrugated fire boxes by folding and welding, substantially as
herein before described with reference respectively to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, and to
Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive, of the accompanying Drawings.
2nd. The method of imparting elasticity to fire boxes and combustion chambers
by forming them with diagonal corrugations or undulations, substantially as
described.
3rd. The method of imparting elasticity to fire boxes and combustion chambers
by forming them with corrugations or undulations arranged as a series of ellipses
one within another, substantially as described.
4th. The method of imparting elasticity to fire boxes and combustion chambers
by forming them with a series of circular or segmental corrugations or undulations
arranged one within another concentrically, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, tho said Sainson Fox, for myself and on behalf of the
said David Greig, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty first
day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
eighty.