IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William West at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th March
1870.
I, WILLIAM WEST, of New Inn Yard, Hunslet Road, Leeds, in.
the County of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS, AND IN APPARATUS
FOR GENERATING STEAM," to be as follows:-
The object of these improvements is to construct a boiler simple in its
construction and capable of quickly generating steam with a small con-
sumption of fuel, also ensuring a perfect circulation of the water, a greater
safety in working than heretofore, and capable of being easily cleaned,
examined, and repaired without difficulty and at little cost.
To accomplish the above I employ an ordinary cylindrical boiler or
shell, open at one end, and provided with a strong angle iron ring at
the other end. The outside of the shell or boiler is made in the usual
way. Within this is placed a smaller tube (also cylindrical) with end
plate, which must be large enough to be secured and fixed to the outer
angle iron of the boiler. The other end of this smaller tube is made in
the same way as that of the larger one. The smaller tube of the boiler

page_text: can be placed in such a position as to be surrounded by the water in a
belt of such thickness as may be desired, and it receives the steam as
it is made from the surrounding water, and contains the same until it is
required. The boiler is of the usual proportions and is proportioned in
thickness to the size. It is kept from the action of the atmosphere by
being set in bricks, and is provided with a split flue at the far end to go
up to the front flange and return back on each side of the boiler to the
chimney. The water forms a belt round the inner vessel and can be
proportioned in thickness to the application of heat by altering the
position of the inner vessel.
One of the great advantages of the inner vessel, and its chief difference
from the dome usually placed at the top of the boiler is, that it is placed
in the boiler and surrounded by the heated water, and is so saved from
all cooling influences and from the action of the atmosphere. The steam
is carried to the inner vessel, or the "inverted steam generator," by
means of a pipe, and taken out of the same when required by another
pipe, or from the front of end plate, so as to avoid priming, being in a
superheated state in the centre and for nearly the full length of the
tube, which latter having equal pressure throughout is not likely to get
out of order. The front plate of the inside vessel being rivetted, bolted, or
otherwise secured to the outside angle iron can be easily removed, thus
leaving the outside shell or boiler to be cleaned and examined without
difficulty. A tap fitted to the bottom of the inner tube lets out all
condensed water there may be in the same, and another tap fitted to
the bottom of the boiler allows of the emptying of the same.
This improved steam generator (which may be used for all steam
purposes, whether stationary, locomotive, or marine;) does not require
cither a steam dome or a man-hole, and when arranged and put together
is much less in size than an ordinary or the Cornish boiler; the steam
room being much enlarged and the water space reduced, the danger of
flues collapsing being also avoided; the saving of fuel is effected by the
form of the boiler and the quantity of water exposed to the heating
surface; the form of the boiler also effects a great saving of room for
setting.