IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPERHEATING THE STEAM AND HEATING THE FEED WATER IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Butlin, of Northampton, in the County of
Northampton, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
SUPERHEATING THE STEAM AND HEATING THE FEED WATER IN STEAM
BOILERS."
Sealed the 6th July 1860, and dated the 21st April 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Butlin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st April 1860.
I, WILLIAM BUTLIN, of Northampton, in the County of Northampton, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR SUPERHEATING THE STEAM AND HEATING THE FEED WATER IN STEAM
BOILERS," to be as follows:-
My improvements, which are applicable chiefly to marine boilers fitted with
horizontal tubes and to boilers of locomotive and portable steam engines, con-
sist of a chamber extending to any convenient or desirable extent across the
boiler. This chamber is fixed within the smoke box at some distance from
the tube plate, and fitted with tubes placed in exact continuation of the tubes
of the boiler. The upper part of this chamber is in communication by means
of a pipe on one side with the steam space in the boiler, and on the other
side with the pipe through which the superheated steam is conveyed to
the cylinders of the steam engine. Mounted on the last-mentioned pipe

page_text: there is a tube or cylinder with an orifice at the top, which can be opened and
closed at pleasure, and to any required extent, by means of a valve fitted with
n screw and handle, the latter projecting beyond the top of the boiler. The
object of this valve is to admit saturated steam into the pipe containing the
superheated steam, in case the process of superheating should at any time have
been carried too far. In order to prevent the superheating chamber from
being injured by the heat of the furnace during the time that the steam is
being first raised to its required pressure, it is filled on or before commencing
to fire up with water from the boiler through a pipe, which establishes a com-
munication between the lower part of the chamber and the water space in the
boiler.
After this is accomplished, this communication is closed by means of
a cock, and when steam is observed to be produced, the water is allowed to
escape from the chamber by a discharge pipe. By connecting this chamber on
the one hand with the feed pump, and on the other with the water space in
the boiler, it can also be made available with great advantage as a water
heater.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Butlin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th October 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BUTLIN, of Northampton, in the County of Northampton, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Butlin, Her special licence that I, the said William Butlin,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Butlin, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SUPERHEATING THE STEAM AND HEATING THE FEED WATER IN
STEAM BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Butlin, my exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and

page_text: 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 Seal
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 Butlin, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My improvements, which are applicable chiefly to marine boilers fitted with
horizontal tubes and to boilers of locomotive and portable steam engines, con-
sist of a chamber placed within the smoke box at a short distance from the
tube plate and reaching to any convenient or desirable extent across the boiler,
and this chamber is fitted with tubes placed in exact continuation of the tubes
of the boiler. If intended for superheating the steam, the uper part of this
chamber is placed in communication by means of a pipe on one side with the
steam space in the boiler, and on the other side with a pipe, through which the
superheated steam is conveyed to the cylinders of the steam engine. Mounted
on the last-mentioned pipe there is a tube or cylinder with an orifice at the top
opening into the steam space of the boiler, which can be opened and closed at
pleasure and to any required extent, by means of a valve fitted with a screw
and handle, the latter projecting beyond the top of the boiler. The object of
this valve is to admit saturated steam into the pipe containing the superheated
steam, in case the process of superheating should at any time have been carried
too far, or in case it be thought desirable to use superheated steam mixed with
saturated steam. In order to prevent the superheating chamber from being
injured by the heat of the furnace during the time that the steam is being first
raised to its required pressure, it is filled on or before commencing to fire up
with water from the boiler through a pipe which establishes a communication
between the lower part of the chamber and the water space in the boiler.
After this is accomplished, this communication may be closed by means of a
cock, and when steam is observed to be produced the water is allowed to
cscape from the chamber by a discharge pipe. I consider this arrangement a
very important feature in my Invention, inasmuch as without it the chamber
must in a comparatively short time become unserviceable and subject to
frequent repairs.
For heating the feed water of boilers, as above referred to. I use a heater or
chamber constructed and placed as above described, but dispensing with the
orifices and pipes leading to the steam space in the boiler and to the steam
cylinders of the engine. The chamber is connected through suitable pipes on

page_text: the one hand with the feed pump, and on the other with the water space of the
boiler, and I prefer to place these connections at the two opposite ends of the
chamber.
In the annexed Sheet of Drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 a
side elevation, partly in section, of a marine boiler fitted with my improved
apparatus for superheating the steam or warming the feed water.
a is the boiler; b, the flues, fitted with fire grates leading into the common
flue e, from whence the heat and products of combustion pass through the
tubes d into the smoke box e, up-take e', and finally into the chimney. The
chamber is fixed within the smoke box parallel with the tube plate, and is
provided with short tubes f', placed in exact continuation of the boiler tubes d.
The upper part of the chamber f is at one end in communication through the
pipe g with the steam space in the boiler at a', whilst the other end opens into
the pipe h, which conveys the superheated steam to the cylinder of the engine.
It is evident that the saturated steam which enters the chamber through the
pipe 9 must, as it passes through the spaces between the tubes f', become
highly heated before reaching the pipe h. A tube or cylinder i fitted with a
valve k, opening into the steam space of the boiler, is mounted upon the pipe
h. This valve k can be opened or closed, and saturated steam admitted to any
desired extent into the pipe h. The valve spindle k' reaches through a stuffing
box to the outside of the boiler, where it is fitted with a handle. To prevent
injury to the superheating chamber f by the heat of the furnaces during the
time the steam is being first raised, the chamber is filled on or before com-
mencing to fire up with water from the boiler through the pipe n, which con-
nects the bottom of the chamber f with the water space of the boiler at a².
When this is accomplished, the communication between the chamber and the
water space of the boiler may be cut off by means of the cock n', and as soon
as steam is observed to be produced the water is drawn off from the chamber
f through the discharge pipe o. When the chamber f is intended for heating
the feed water of the boiler, the pipes 9 & h are dispensed with, and two pipes,
one connected with the feed pump and the other with the water space of the
boiler are attached at opposite ends of the chamber. In some instances it
may be more convenient to use two or more smaller chambers placed at a suit-
able distance from and connected with each other by pipes, instead of using
one large chamber, as represented in the Drawing.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention of "Improvements
in Apparatus for Superheating the Steam and Heating the Feed Water in
Steam Boilers." and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would
observe, that I do not claim the use of superheated steam either alone or in

page_text: combination with ordinary or saturated steam, nor do I claim the use of a
chamber or chambers as described, for the purpose of superheating steam; but
what I claim as the Invention to be secured to me by the above in part recited
Letters Patent, is,―
Firstly, the mode of filling the superheating steam chamber or chambers
with water before or whilst steam is being first raised, for the purpose herein-
before described.
And, secondly, the application of a chamber or chambers for the purpose of
heating the feed water of boilers, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Butlin, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.