IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1883
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 9th N.v., 183
I DANIEL ADAMSON of Dukinfield in the County of Chester Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS, to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in steam boilers and consists chiefly in an
improved arrangement of furnace flues and return flues whereby the steam producing
power of the boiler is increased cleaning operations are facilitated, space is economised,
the first cost of construction reduced, and the loss of heat, when the boiler is not
working, is reduced to a minimum.
In constructing a flue boiler according to my improvements I propose to vary
the proportions which now prevail and generally to make the boiler larger in diameter
and much shorter in length say about one half the ordinary length for a boiler of the
same power.
I use by preference two fire grates and place the two flues therefor as
high as practicable above the centre line of the shell instead of at or below it as now
customary. The furnace flues are of the largest convenient diameter and are
preferably taper the smallest diameter being at the back end of the boiler. Cross
tubes may or may not be inserted into the flues and the space below the furnace
flues is occupied by one, two or more return flues extending from the front to the
back end plate sufficient space being left on the sides of the flues to permit easy access
to the interior of the boiler for cleaning and examining the same.
Both the furnace flues and the return flues are in communication with a mixing
or combustion chamber lined with firebrick or other analogous material and placed
at the back end of the boiler. The gases and products of combustion pass through
the furnace flues into the aforesaid chamber and thence back through the return
flues to the front of the boiler from which they are led either under the boiler or
otherwise to the chimney. I arrange a system of air pipes in the brick work or
other setting of the boiler which pipes are open to the atmosphere and are con-
trolled by valves at the front end of the boiler. The hot air from these pipes is
conducted through passages in the walls or in one of the walls of the chamber from

page_text: which passages it issues through suitable openings formed for the purpose and mixing
with the gases from the furnaces promotes a healthy combustion and greatly increases
the power of the boiler.
For the purpose of protecting the back end plate of the boiler from the intense heat
of the combustion chamber I propose to place a slab or slabs of firebrick or other
suitable material against it with holes opposite the flues the holes being preferably
enlarged on the chamber side.
Between the furnace flues and above their centres a longitudinal tube may be fixed
in the front and back boiler plates; the front end of this tube is covered with a
pivoted plate and the back end opens into the mixing chamber this tube serves as a
stay and also permits a view to be had of the interior of the chamber in order to
ascertain whether the right amount of hot air is being admitted to ensure perfect
combustion in the chamber.
Datad this 2nd day of 1000
I DANIEL ADAMSON of Dukinfield in the County of Chester 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in steam boilers and consists chiefly in an
improved arrangement of furnace flues and return flues whereby the steam producing
power of the boiler is increased, cleaning operations are facilitated, space is
economised, and the loss of heat, when the boiler is not working, is reduced to a
minimum.
In constructing a flue boiler according to my improvements I propose to vary the
proportions which now prevail and generally to make the boiler larger in diameter
and much shorter in length say about one half the ordinary length for a boiler of the
same power. I use by preference two fire grates and place the two flues therefor as
high as practicable above the centre line of the shell instead of at or below it as now
customary. The furnace flues are of the largest convenient diameter and are
preferably taper the smallest diameter being at the back end of the boiler. Cross
tubes may or may not be inserted into the flues and the space below the furnace flues
is occupied by one, two or more return flues extending from the front to the back end

page_text: plate sufficient space being left on the sides of the flues to permit easy access to the
interior of the boiler for cleaning and examining the same.
Both the furnace flues and the return flues are in communication with a mixing or
combustion chamber lined with firebrick or other analogous material and placed at the
back end of the boiler. The gases and products of combustion pass through the
furnace flues into the aforesaid chamber and thence back through th return flue or
flues to the front of the boiler from which they are led either under the boiler or
otherwise to the chimney. I arrange a system of air pipes in the brickwork or other
setting of the boiler which pipes are open to the atmosphere and are controlled by
valves at the front end of the boiler. The air from these pipes is conducted through
passages in the walls or in one of the walls of the chamber from which passages it
issues through suitable openings formed for the purpose and mixing with the gases
from the furnaces promotes a healthy combustion and greatly increases the power of
the boiler.
For the purpose of protecting the back end plate of the boiler from the intense heat
of the combustion chamber I propose to place a slib or slabs of firebrick or other
suitable material against it with holes opposite the flues the holes being preferably
enlarged on the chamber side.
Between the furnace flues and above their centres a longitudinal tube may be fixed
in the front and back boiler plates; the front end of this tube is covered with a
pivoted plate and the back end opens into the mixing chamber this tube serves as a
stay as well as an air inlet tube and also permits a view to be had of the interior of
the combustion chamber in order to ascertain whether the right amount of air is being
admitted to ensure perfect combustion in the chamber.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe the accompanying six Sheets of Drawings reference being had to
the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1. is a front end view. Fig. 2 a longitudinal section on the line A B. Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 a sectional plan taken on the line C D Fig. 2. and Fig. 4 a vertical section on
the line E F Fig. 2 of a flue boiler constructed according to my Invention.
In these views.-a represents the shell of the boiler, b the two furnace flues
which are made of the largest convenient diameter and are placed as high as
practicable above the centre line of the shell instead of at or below it as now
customary to effect which I propose to make the boiler of larger diameter and much
shorter say about one half of the ordinary length for a boiler of the same power. The
flues are preferably tapered or contracted in diameter at the back of the boiler as
shown at Fig. 2; the space below the furnace flues is occupied by the two return
flues c which extend from one end of the boiler to the other, space being left on the
sides of the flues to permit easy access to the interior of the boiler for cleaning and
examining the same. Both the furnace flues b and the return flues care in com-
munication with a mixing or combustion chamber d lined with firebrick or other
analogous material.
а
The gases and products of combustion pass through the furnace flues into the
chamber d and thence back to the return flues c into a chamber e at the front of the
boiler from which they pass into a flue fextending along one side of the boiler back
through a flue under the middle of the boiler thence through a flue into the
chimney by which arrangement a very large proportion of the heat developed by the
fuel is transferred to the water.
g
In order to ensure more perfect combustion of the gases generated in the furnace
I insert a pipe
or more than one pipe, into the brickwork or setting of the boiler
the mouth of the pipe being controlled by a valve ' placed at the front of the boiler.
This pipe is connected to a horizontal pipe or flue i placed at the back of and
preferably near the bottom of the chamber d the flue i being connected by pipes or
passages which pass upward through a firebrick lining and so guide the hot air from
the pipes and and passages into the chamber and opposite the furnace flues where
the hot air meeting the gases from the furnace mixes with them and promotes a
healthy combustion and so greatly increases the power of the boiler.

page_text: I would have it understood that I do not wish to confine myself to the special
arrangement of passages herein shown and described for conducting the smoke to the
chimney after it has passed through the return flues cas any other suitable arrangement
may be employed for this purpose.
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 construction of steam boilers with fire boxes or flues having their centres
above the centre of the boiler shell and with return flues below such fire boxes or
flues, so that a large proportion of the heat produced in the fire boxes or flues may be
absorbed before the heated gases pass off or round the boiler shell.
2. A steam boiler constructed with by preference two fire grates and corre-
sponding flues with their centres placed above the centre of the main shell and
combined with a combustion or mixing chamber and one two or more return flues
substantially as described and as illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
3. The construction combination and arrangement of parts embodying my
improvements in steam boilers as and for the purposes herein described and illustrated
by the Drawings annexed.