IMPROVED INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPING OR CLOSING TUBES OR PIPES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Boaz, of Burgess Street, Limehouse, in
AN
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "
IMPROVED INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPING OR CLOSING TUBES OR
PIPES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Boaz at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th September 1878. .
I, WILLIAM Boaz, of Burgess Street, Limehouse, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPING OR CLOSING TUBES OR
PIPES," to be as follows:-
-
The Invention, which is principally applicable to the stopping or
closing of the tubes of locomotive, marine, and other boilers, surface
condensers, and refrigerators, has for its object the construction of an
instrument or apparatus for stopping or closing tubes in such manner
that if a leak or fracture should occur therein the mischief can be

page_text: •
arrested, or at least its operation restricted, and it will not be necessary
as at present to rake out the fires or otherwise stop the working of the
boiler, condenser, &c.
The improved instrument or apparatus consists of a pipe or rod, which
is inserted into the tube to be stopped or closed, and which is formed or
provided at the ends with arrangements or contrivances which are acted
on from one end of the tube, and which when acted on shall fill the
sectional area of the tube, and thus in case of leak or fracture the
mischief arising therefrom will be confined to the tube thus stopped or
closed.
In one arrangement a pipe is used, having flanges or collars, one at
each end, and through this pipe or bar a rod is introduced, having also
flanges or collars, one at each end. Between the two flanges or collars
of each end is an elastic or flexible washer. At one end of the rod or
bar is a nut working on a screw-threaded stem, by tightening which the
collars or flanges of cach end are brought closer together, whereby the
elastic washers are expanded, spread, or pressed up against the internal
sides of the tube, so as to fill the sectional area of the tube at each end,
and thus the tube is effectually stopped or closed.
In another arrangement the internal bar is screw-threaded at each
end, one end being threaded to the right and the other to the left, so
that by turning one end the washers at each end are pressed up or
expanded to fill the sectional area of the tube.
A guard or shield may be used to shield the hand when tightoning
the nut, and it also acts as a stop to prevent the undue travel of the rod
or bar:
I sometimes coat one or both of the elastic washers with -red-lead or
other similarly acting substance to act as a preservative against fire.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Boaz, Her
special license that I, the said William Boaz, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Boaz,
my executors, administrators, 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
"AN IMPROVED INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPING OR CLOSING TUBES OR
PIPES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Boaz, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Boaz, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say :-
The Invention, which is principally applicable to the stopping or.
closing of the tubes of locomotive, marine, and other boilers, surface
condensers, and refrigerators, has for its object the construction of an
instrument or apparatus for stopping or closing tubes in such manner
that if a leak or fracture should occur therein the mischief can be
arrested, or at least its operation restricted, and it will not be necessary
as at present to rake out the fires or otherwise stop the working of the
boiler, condenser, or refrigerator.
The improved instrument or apparatus consists of a pipe and a rod,
which are inserted into the tube to be stopped or closed, and which are
formed or provided at the ends with arrangements or contrivances acted
:

page_text: Between the two flanges or collars C, C*, of each end is interposed an
india-rubber or other suitable elastic washer E.
The flanges C are recessed to fit on the tube, and they help to keep it
properly centred.
d, d, are discs made of thin laminated copper, dished or cupped at the
edge, and interposed between the india-rubber washers E and the flanges
or collars 0, 0*.
The ends of the rod D project through and beyond the ends of the
tubes A, B.
F is a nut screwed on one of the threaded ends of the rod D, and
abutting against the corresponding flange or collar C* at that end. A
winch or spanner is applied thereto to move or turn the rod D.
D* is a square end at the extremity of the rod D. It is held by
another winch or spanner while the nut F is being turned on the,
rod D.
f is a nut at the opposite extremity of the rod D. This nut f abuts.
against the flange C* at that end. It is unscrewed when the apparatus
is to be taken to pieces.
G is a shield or guard for protecting the hand of the workman or
engineer from the heat while working the apparatus. It is screwed and
unscrewed by a thumb piece g or wings g, Figure 4.
Now if one of the boiler tubes should leak or become fractured I
insert my apparatus therein through the smoke box end, and I turn the
nut F by a winch or spanner, thereby turning the rod D, and causing
the flanges C, C*, of each pair or set to approach each other and com-
press the washers E between them. The same action of the nut that
brings the flanges C, C*, of the pair or set which is next the nut F
nearer each other draws the rod D towards such nut, so that the other
flanges C, C, (the flanges of the set or pair at the opposite end) are
brought nearer each other. Hence the flanges press their respective
elastic washers E, E, between them, causing them and the dished discs d
to expand or spread out, and completely close the tube A at both ends,
thereby plugging it so effectually that the leakage therein will not affect
the working of the boiler; and this plugging or closure is effected
without having to stop the engine or rake out the fire, and also without
exposing the engineer employed to stop the leak to injury.
+
Fr

page_text: ▸
The rod D, shewn in Figure 1, is tapped or screw-threaded in the same
direction at each end, so that by working the nut F both sets of flanges
are worked simultaneously; but in the modification shewn in horizontal
section, Figure 2, the rod D is tapped with a left-hand thread at one end,
and a right-hand thread at the opposite end. C, C, C*, C*, are the
flanges or collars as in Figure 1, but the flange C* of each set or pair of
flanges are tapped or screw-threaded, so as to screw on or correspond
with the rod D, on which they are fitted and worked. In this modi-
fication the nut f is dispensed with as it is not required. One of the
flanges C* is prolonged or extended in this modification, as shewn in
*Figure 2, and it terminates in a hexagonal or facetted end c*. i, i, are
pins which prevent the flanges C from turning on the tube B while the
rod D is being screwed up. These pins i however do not interfere with
the motion of the flanges C when these are pressed towards or recede
from the flanges or collars C*. d³ is a square end fixed to or formed on
one extremity of the rod D (the end near the hexagonal prolongation c*),
and a winch or spanner is applied to this square end & to turn the
rod D (the hexagonal end c* of the flange C* being held by another
winch or spanner), the rod D will thereby cause the flanges C, O*, of
each of the two sets or pairs of flanges to approach each other and com-
press the washers E and disc d interposed between them, thus causing
those washers and discs to expand and fill the sectional area of the tube A
at the parts at which their action is exerted. In other respects this
arrangement is similar to that shewn in Figure 1, and parts marked
with the same letters are similar to the parts so marked in the previous
Figure. .
It will be observed that in my apparatus the tube B acts as a distance
piece, so as to control the position, adjustment, and action of the flanges
or collars which act on the elastic washers, and this is a highly important
and advantageous function in this apparatus.
Figure 3. shews two conical flanges or collars which may be used
instead of the flanges shewn in Figures 1 and 2, and they hold and press
between them hemp, gasket, or similar material instead of the india-
rubber washers E.
Figure 4 is a plan of the guard or shield G, with its wings 9 for
turning it to screw and unscrew it into and out of place.
Although in reference to the Drawings I have described my Invention
as applied to a boiler.tube, it is evident that it may be applied in like

page_text: manner to tubes of surface condensers, refrigerators, or other apparatus
where required.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,—
First. The employment and application of the tube, pipe, or tubular
distance piece B, acting substantially in the manner and for the purpose
described.
Second. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
apparatus, constructed and worked substantially as herein-before
described, and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof I, the said William Boaz, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
E. DE PASS,
68, Fleet Street,
London.
WILLIAM BOAZ. (L.S.)