Improvements in Water-tube Steam Boilers.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Aug., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 27th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 4th Feb.,
1899
[Communicated from abroad by JOHN A. STEVENS, of 25, Dutton Street, in the
City of Lowell, State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Engineer.]
Improvements in Water-tube Steam Boilers.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to water tube boilers and furnaces therefor, adapted for
either land or marine service. Its objects are to effect complete combustion of
the fuel, to secure the economical distribution and utilization of the heated pro-
ducts of combustion, to augment the circulation of water in the steam generating
system and the creation of steam therefrom, to provide large storage capacity
internal to the containing walls for steam and water, to effect advantageous
precipitation and removal of matter tending to obstruct the circulation, to keep
the heating passages and surfaces free from obstructions, to prevent radiation,
and generally to attain a high degree of economy, efficiency and stability, as will
appear from the following detail description.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which:
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the construction, on the line a--a of
Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, on the line b-b of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is
a vertical sectional view, on the line e-c of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional
view illustrating a modification of the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3
inclusive; Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view on the line d-d of Fig. 4.
In the construction, the chamber formed by the containing walls 1 is divided into
three compartments by the baffle walls 2. The central compartment or pass
contains the fire bars or grate 3, and the water circulating and steam generating
tubes 4, expanded into headers 5 and 6. The front header 5 is connected with a
storage drum 7, extending transversely to the direction of the tubes, by nipples 8;
and the rear header 6 is connected to said drum by the tubes 9.
Each of the end compartments or passes is divided by a baffle wall 10 and
contains two banks of water circulating and steam generating tubes 11, which are
expanded into headers 12 and 13. The tubes in the end passes may
be of the same size as the tubes of the central pass, or they may
be smaller, for the more complete utilization of the heating products.
The front headers are connected with the drum 7 by the nipples 8.
and the rear headers are connected with the said drum by the tubes 9.1
The outer banks of tubes and connections in the end passes may be omitted.
The rear headers 6 and 13 are connected, respectively, by nipples 14 and 15,
with a precipitation drum 16 which lies below the fire bars and to the rear thereof,
the said headers and nipples forming a bridge wall at the rear of the grate.

page_text: The baffle walls 2 and 10 are preferably constructed of water circulating boxes
or tubes, which are connected with the water legs or header sections 17 and 18. The
water legs 17 and 18 are connected by the nipples 8 and tubes 9 with the drum 7, and
by the nipples 15 with the precipitation drum 16. It will be understood, however,
that the baffle walls are not limited to this construction as tile or brick may be
employed either in combination with the said boxes or alone.
The water circulating and steam generating system is insulated by means of
a layer of tiles or bricks 19 supported upon the tubes 9 and a layer of plastic
material 20 covering the said layer of bricks or tiles; by a dry air space 22, between
the rear headers, the partition 21 and the containing walls; and by a dry air
space 221 between the front header and containing wall having the radiation
plate 22 for diminishing radiation.
A baffle 4', of tile or other suitable material, having perforations 4" to permit
the passage of the gases, partially covers the top row of tubes 4, to focus the products
of combustion.
The ducts 27 supply air to the furnace to facilitate combustion.
The breeching 23 has its communication with the stack controlled by the
damper 24, regulated by the rack 25 and the gears 26, by means of which the
gases may be directed towards the steam drum 7 and the steam contained therein
superheated.
The steam drum 7 is provided with baffle plates 29 and 29¹, to control the violence
of ebulition, to prevent priming, and to cause the steam to travel next to the
super-heating side of the drum and in the direction of the water currents. The
drum rests in hangers or yokes 30 depending from channel beams 31, the entire
construction being rigidly supported.
The feed water is introduced through the tubes 32 and 33, the latter extending
parallel with the axis of the drum and having nozzles 34 which distribute water
to the tubes 9. By thus introducing the feed water through the drum I am
enabled to augment the circulation, and I have found that this may be done with-
out materially affecting the evaporation per pound of coal. The water passes
down the tubes 9 and headers 6, 13, and 18, which communicate with the
tubes 2, 4, 10, and 11, and with the precipitation drum 16, which is located in
the lowest part of the circulating system for the subsidence and collection of foreign
matter tending to obstruct the passages. The tubes 2, 4, 10, and 11 conduct the
water and steam upward to the headers 5, 12, and 17, which communicate with
the steam drum.
The
gaseous products of combustion, rising from the grate 3, communicate their
energy to the heating surfaces of the central pass which comprise the water boxes
of the baffle walls 2, the tubes 4, the headers therefor and their connections. They
pass thence through the apertures in the baffle 4', in the direction of the arrows,
and communicate heat to the steam drum 7, the tubes 9, and the heating surfaces
of the end passes comprising water boxes 2 and 10, tubes 11, the headers and
connections therefor, escaping to the breeching and the stack.
Blowers 28 are employed to move the soot towards the breeching, and doors 231
and 23 afford facility for cleaning, examination and repair.
In the modification illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, a second steam drum 7¹ is placed
in the rear of the drum 7 above the rear headers. These drums are connected by
the tubes 9¹ and 35 which facilitate the circulation of steam and water and equalize
the pressure in the two drums. The drum 7¹ is connected with the rear headers
by the tubes or nipples 6¹.
The precipitation drum 161 is supported at the rear of the grate 3 so as to form
a bridge wall therefor, said drum serving to supply water to the circulating system
as displacement occurs. A second precipitation drum 36 is placed beneath the
front headers and communicates therewith through the nipples 37. A blowing and
feed water apparatus, consisting of a tube 38 connected with a tube 39 having
nozzles 40 so placed within the drum as to permit the nozzles to register with the
passages to the front header, is used for blowing out the passages, and supplying

page_text: feed water. The precipitation drums, being placed out of the direct circuit of
the steam generating system, effect the separation of sediment from the circulating
water and permit its ready removal.
The headers may be of the box construction as in the case of the header 5, which
is connected with the drum 7 by the nipples S and permits direct communication
between the corresponding ends of each bank of tubes, or this box construction
may be directly connected with the drum as shown in the header 121, or the
staggered vertical rows of tubes may have their corresponding ends expanded into
separate sectional headers 391, as in the case of the tubes 40 of the baffle wall 41,
which is composed of combined brick or tile work and water tubes.
A feature of the construction is its steadiness in sea-way when the boiler is
used on ship board.
It will be evident that the main combustion chamber of the furnace need not be
placed central to the tube system, but may be at one side thereof, and the number
of passes used that may be required.
The construction permits the use of the usual attachments, gage cocks, blow off
cocks and the like.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil 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 water tube boilers and furnaces therefor, adapted for
either land or marine service. Its objects are to effect complete combustion of
the fuel, to secure the economical distribution and utilization of the heated pro-
ducts of combustion, to augment the circulation of water in the steam generating
system and the creation of steam therefrom, to provide large storage capacity
internal to the containing walls for steam and water, to effect advantageous
precipitation and removal of matter tending to obstruct the circulation, to keep
the heating passages and surfaces free from obstructions, to prevent radiation,
and generally to attain a high degree of economy, efficiency and stability, as will
appear from the following detail description.
The invention is illustrated in the drawings, filed with my Provisional Specifica-
tion of which:
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the construction, on the line a-a of
Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, on the line b-b of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is
a vertical sectional view, on the line c-c of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional
view illustrating a modification of the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3
inclusive; Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view on the line 'd-d of Fig. 4.
In the construction, the chamber formed by the containing walls 1 is divided into
three compartments by the baffle walls 2. The central compartment or pass
contains the fire bars or grate 3, and the water circulating and steam generating

page_text: tubes 4, expanded in headers 5 and 6. The front header 5 is connected with a
drum 7, extending transversely to the direction of the tubes, by nipples 8;
and the rear header 6 is connected to said drum by the tubes 9.
Each of the end compartments or passes is divided by a baffle wall 10 and
contains two banks of water circulating and steam generating tubes 11 which are
expanded into headers 12 and 13. The tubes in the end passes may
be of the same sizes the tubes of the central pass,
18
or they may
be smaller, for the more complete utilization of the heating products.
The front headers are connected with the drum 7 by the nipples S
and the rear headers are connected to the said drum by the tubes 9.
The outer banks of tubes and connections in the end passes may be omitted.
The rear headers 6 and 13 are connected, respectively, by nipples 14 and 15,
with a precipitation drum 16 which lies below the fire bars and to the rear thereof,
the said headers and nipples forming a bridge wall at the rear of the grate.
The baffle walls 2 and 10 are preferably constructed of water circulating baxes
or tubes, which are connected with the water legs or header sections 17 and 18. The
water legs 17 and 18 are connected by the nipples 8 and tubes 9 with the drum 7, and
by the nipples 15 with the precipitation drum 16. It will be understood, however,
that the baffle walls are not limited to this construction, as tile or brick may be
employed either in combination with the said boxes or alone.
The water circulating and steam generating system is insulated by means of
a layer of tiles or bricks 19 supported upon the tubes 9 and a layer of plastic
material 20 covering the said layer of bricks or tiles; by a dry air space 22. between
the rear headers. the partition 21 and the containing walls; and by a dry air
space 221, between the front header and containing wall, having the radiation
plate 22 for diminishing radiation.
A baffle 4, of tile or other suitable material, having perforations 411 to permit
the passage of the gases, partially covers the top row of tubes 4, to focus the products
of combustion.
The ducts 27 supply air to the furnace to facilitate combustion.
The breeching 23 has its communication with the stack controlled by the
damper 24, regulated by the rack 25 and the gears 26, by means of which the
gases may be directed towards the steam drum 7 and the steam contained therein
superheated.
The drum 7 is provided with baffle plates 29 and 291, to control the violence
of ebulition, to prevent priming, and to cause the steam to travel next to the
super-heating side of the drum and in the direction of the water currents. The
drum rests in hangers or yokes 30 depending from channel beams 31, the entire
construction being rigidly supported.
The feed water is introduced through the tubes 32 and 33, the latter extending
parallel with the axis of the drum and having nozzles 34 which distribute water
to the tubes 9. By thus introducing the feed water through the boiler I am
enabled to augment the circulation, and I have found that this may be done with-
out materially affecting the evaporation per pound of coal. The water passes
down the tubes 9 and headers 6, 13, and 18, which communicate with the
tubes 2, 4, 10, and 11, and with the precipitation drum 16, which is located in
the lowest part of the circulating system for the subsidence and collection of foreign
matter tending to obstruct the passages. The tubes 2, 4, 10, and 11 conduct the
water and steam upward to the headers 5, 12 and 17, which communicate with
the steam drum.
The gaseous products of combustion, rising from the grate 3, communicate their
energy to the heating surfaces of the central pass which comprise the water boxes
of the baffle walls 2, the tubes 4, the headers therefor and their connections. They
pass thence through the apertures in the baffle 4', in the direction of the arrows,
and communicate heat to the drum 7, the tubes 9, and the heating surfaces
of the end passes comprising water boxes 2 and 10, tubes 11, the headers and
the connections therefor, escaping thence to the breeching and the stack.

page_text: '
Blowers 28 are employed to move the soot towards the breeching, and doors 23
and 231 afford facility for cleaning, examination and repair.
In the modification illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, a second drum 71 is placed
in the rear of the drum 7 above the rear headers. These drums are connected by
the tubes 9 and 35 which facilitate the circulation of steam and water and equalize
the pressure in the two drums. The drum 7' is connected with the rear headers
by the tubes or nipples 6¹.
The precipitation drum 161 is supported at the rear of the grate 3 so as to form
a bridge wall therefor, said drum serving to supply water to the circulating system
as displacement occurs. A second precipitation drum 36 is placed beneath the
front headers and communicates therewith through the nipples 37. A blowing and
feed water apparatus, consisting of a tube 38 connected with a tube 39 having
nozzles 40 so placed within the drum as to permit the nozzles to register with the
passages to the front header, is used for blowing out the passages, and supplying
feed water. The precipitation drums, being placed out of the direct circuit of
the steam generating system, effect the separation of sediment from the circulating
water and permit its ready removal.
The headers may be of the box construction, as in the case of the header 5, which
is connected with the drum 7 by the nipples 8 and permits direct communication
between the corresponding ends of each bank of tubes, or this box construction
may be directly connected with the drum as shown in the header 12', or each
staggered vertical row of tubes may have their corresponding ends expanded into
separate sectional headers 39¹, as in the case of the tubes 40¹ of the baffle wall 41,
which is composed of combined brick or tile work and water tubes.
A feature of the construction is its steadiness in sea-way when the boiler is
used on ship board. It will be evident that the main combustion chamber of the
furnace need not be placed central to the tube system, but may be at one side
thereof, and the number of passes used that may be required. The construction
permits the use of the usual attachments, gage cocks, blow off cock and the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated from abroad
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. In the combination of a boiler and furnace, a main pass or combustion
chamber, a grate and a bank of tubes therein, a second pass or combustion chamber
and a bank of tubes therein, a baffle wall separating said combustion chambers and
substantially parallel to the vertical planes of said tubes, a drum extending trans-
versely to the direction of said tubes, and headers for said tubes connected with
said drum, as specified.
2. In the combination of a boiler and furnace, a main pass or combustion
chamber, a grate and a bank of tubes therein, a second pass or combustion chamber
and a bank of tubes therein, a water box baffle wall between said combustion
chambers and substantially parallel with the vertical planes of said tubes, headers
for said tubes and a drum connected with said headers.
3. In the combination of a boiler and furnace, a main pass or combustion
chamber, a grate and a bank of tubes therein, a second pass or combustion chamber
and a bank of tubes therein, a water box baffle wall between said combustion
chambers and substantially parallel to the vertical planes of said tubes, a drum
extending transversely to the direction of said tubes, and headers for said tubes
connected with said drum, as specified.
4. In the combination of a boiler and furnace, a main pass or combustion
chamber, a grate and a bank of tubes therein, a second pass or combustion chamber
and one or more banks of tubes therein, a water box baffle wall between said com-
bustion chambers and substantially parallel to the vertical planes of said tubes,
a second water box baffle wall dividing said second combustion chamber and sub-
stantially parallel to the vertical planes of said tubes, headers for said tubes and
a drum connected with said headers.

page_text: 5. In the combination of a boiler and furnace, a main pass or combustion
chamber, a grate and a bank of tubes therein, a second pass or combustion chamber
and a bank of tubes therein, a baffle wall between said combustion chambers and
substantially parallel to the vertical planes of said tubes, a second baffle wall
dividing said second combustion chamber and substantially parallel to the vertical
planes of said tubes, headers for said tubes and a drum extending transversely to
said tubes and connected with said headers.
6. In the combination of a boiler and furnace, a main pass or combustion
chamber, a grate and a bank of tubes therein, a second pass or combustion chamber
and one or more banks of tubes therein, a water box baffle wall between said com-
bustion chambers and substantially parallel to the vertical planes of said tubes,
a second water box baffle wall dividing said second combustion chamber and sub-
stantially parallel to the vertical planes of said tubes, headers for said tubes and
a drum connected with said headers and extending transversely to the direction
of said tubes, as specified.
7. In the combination of a boiler and furnace, a main pass or combustion
chamber and a bank of tubes therein a second pass or combustion chamber and
a bank of tubes therein, a baffle wall between said first and second chambers and
substantially parallel to the vertical planes of said tubes, a baffle wall dividing
said second chamber and substantially parallel to the vertical planes of said tubes,
a third pass or combustion chamber and a bank of tubes therein, a baffle wall
between said first and third chambers and substantially parallel to the vertical
planes of said tubes, a baffle wall dividing said third chamber and substantially
parallel to the vertical planes of said tubes, headers for said tubes, and one or more
drums connected with said headers and extending transversely to said tubes, as
specified.
8. In the combination of a boiler and furnace, a main pass or combustion
chamber and a bank of tubes therein, a second pass or combustion chamber
and one or more banks of tubes therein, a water box baffle wall between
said first and second combustion chambers and substantially parallel to the vertical
planes of said tubes, a water box baffle wall dividing said second combustion
chamber and substantially parallel to the vertical planes of said tubes, a third pass
or combustion chamber and one or more banks of tubes therein, a water box baffle
wall between said first and third combustion chambers and substantially parallel
to the vertical planes of said tubes, a water box baffle wall dividing said third com-
bustion chamber and substantially parallel to the vertical planes of said tubes,
headers for said tubes and one or more drums connected with said headers as
specified.
9. In the combination of a boiler and furnace, a main pass or combustion
chamber and a bank of tubes therein, a second pass or combustion chamber and
one or more banks of tubes therein, a water box baffle wall between said first and
second chambers and substantially parallel to the vertical planes of said tubes, a
water box baffle wall dividing said second chamber and substantially parallel to
the vertical planes of said tubes, a third pass or combustion chamber and one or
more banks of tubes therein, a water box baffle wall between said first and third
chambers and substantially parallel to the vertical planes of said tubes, a water
box baffle wall dividing said third chamber and substantially parallel to the
vertical planes of said tubes, headers for said tubes, and one or more drumis con-
nected with said headers and extending substantially at right angles to said baffle
walls, as specified.
10. In the combination of a boiler and furnace, a combustion chamber, a bank
of tubes therein and headers for said tubes, a drum connected with said headers
and extending transversely to said tubes, a water box baffle wall parallel to the
vertical planes of said tubes and communicating with said headers, a feed water
pipe within said drum and connections therefor which communicate with the
down-comers of said headers, for the purpose set forth.
11. In the combination of a boiler and furnace, a combustion chamber, a bank

page_text: of tubes therein, a baffle therefor comprising perforated tiles which partially cover
the spaces between the supporting row of tubes and leave the upper surfaces of
said tubes exposed, headers for said tubes, one or more drums connected with said
headers and extending transversely to said tubes, and a feed water pipe within
one of said drums and connections therefor which communicate with the down-
comers of said headers.
12. In the combination of a boiler and furnace, a combustion chamber, a bank
of tubes and headers therefor, one or more drums connected with said headers and
extending transversely to said tubes, a precipitation drum at the rear of said com-
bustion chamber and connected with the rear headers of said tubes, a precipitation
drum at the front of said combustion chamber and connected with the front headers
of said tubes, and a grate in said combustion chamber extending rearwardly to said
first precipitation drum, as specified.
13. In the combination of a boiler and furnace, a combustion chamber, a bank
of tubes therein and headers therefor, a water box baffle wall parallel to the
vertical planes of said tubes, and headers therefor, a grate in said combustion
chamber, a precipitation drum connected with said headers and forming with said
headers a bridge wall for said grate, substantially as specified.
14. In the combination of a boiler and furnace, a combustion chamber and a
grate therein, a bank of tubes in said combustion chamber and headers therefor,
drums connected respectively with the front and rear headers for said tubes and
extending transversely thereto, passages connecting said drums, a precipitation
drum connected with said rear headers and forming therewith a bridge wall for
said grate, as specified.
15. In the combination of a boiler and furnace, a combustion chamber and a
grate therein, a bank of tubes in said combustion chamber and headers therefor,
one or more drums connected with the front and rear headers for said tubes and
extending transversely thereto, a baffle covering the top of said combustion
chamber and extending between said front and rear headers, a precipitation drum
connected with said rear headers and forming therewith a bridge wall for said
grate, as specified.
Dated the 27th day of Decembar 1000'
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.