IMPROVEMENTS IN THE. CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM GENERATORS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE CON- 'STRUCTION OF CONDENSERS, THE. HEATING OF WATER GENERALLY, AND TO. THE WARMING OF BUILDINGS."
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of
Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE. CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM GENERATORS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE CON-
'STRUCTION OF CONDENSERS, THE. HEATING OF WATER GENERALLY, AND TO. THE
WARMING OF BUILDINGS." A communication from abroad by Joseph
***Harrison, the younger, of the City of Philadelphia, in the State of
Pennsylvania, in the United States of America, Engineer.
Sealed the 22nd November 1859, and dated the 30th August 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of...Patents, with his Petition,. on
the 30th August 1859.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM GENERATORS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO
THE CONSTRUCTION OF CONDENSERS, THE HEATING OF WATER GENERALLY, AND TO
THE WARMING OF BUILDINGS," a communication from abroad by Joseph Harrison,
the younger, of the City of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, in
the United States of America, Engineer, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates more particularly to a peculiar construction of steam
generators, the principles involved therein being also applicable to the con-
027

page_text: struction of condensers, the heating of water, and as a radiator for the warming
of buildings.
According to this Invention it is proposed to employ, as units of construction,
a series of chambers of cast iron or other metal, of a uniform size and shape,
and of an individual strength sufficient to resist any probable explosive force.
These chambers or units of construction may be employed either singly, or
iwo or more may be cast. together in one casting. It is preferred to employed
four chambers cast in one piece. and these castings of four may be termed the
units of construction, whilst castings of any lower number, such as two or
three, may be termed fractions of the units of construction. When so cast
together each chamber is in free connection with the rest in the casting, and is
formed with branches or connecting mouthpieces. so that when two or more of
these units or castings are combined together to form one boiler, they are in
free communication with each other. Various means may be adopted for
holding the several units together so as to maintain water and steam tight
joints, but the simplest mode is to plane the contact surface perfectly flat and
even, and then to draw them forcibly together by long bolts or tie rods secured
at either end by cup-shaped washers covering the otherwise exposed branch or
mouthpiece of the last or outer series of units; these rods passing internally
through any desired number of units, and tightened up by nuts so as to bind
them firmly together. The size of the boiler may obviously be increased or
diminished by simply adding thereto or subtracting therefrom a greater or less
number of these units of construction, which, being all cast of a uniform size and
shape, will build up together in any form or combination desired. The boiler so
constructed is then surrounded by an outer casing of metal or brickwork, and
provided with one or more fire-places or furnaces, which may be entirely
enclosed or surrounded by building up the units so as to form a vault or
chamber, which serves as the furnace space.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson. in the Great, Seal Patent Office on
the 29th February 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47. Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and
of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain. Gentleman,
send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said
John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as 1, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or
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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM GENERATORS, APPLICABLE
ALSO TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF CONDENSERS, THE HEATING OF WATER GENERALLY
AND TO
a communication from abroad by
THE WARMING OF BUILDINGS,"
Joseph Harrison, the younger, of the City of Philadelphia, in the State
of Pennsylvania, in the United States of America, Engineer, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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
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 John Henry Johnson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates more particularly to a peculiar construction of
steam generators, the principles involved therein being also applicable to the
construction of condensers. the heating of water. and as a radiator for the
warming of buildings.
According to this Invention it is proposed to employ as units of construction
a series of chambers of cast iron or other metal, of a uniform size and shape,
and of an individual strength sufficient to resist any probable explosive force.
These chambers or units of construction may be employed either singly, or
two or more may be cast together in one casting. It is preferred to employ
four chambers cast in one piece, and these castings of four may be termed the
units of construction, whilst castings of any lower number, such as two or

page_text: three, may be termed fractions of the units of construction. When so cast
together each chamber is in free communication with the rest in the casting,
and is formed with branches or connecting mouthpieces, so that when two or
nfore of these units or castings are combined together to form one boiler, they
are in free communication with each other. Various means may be adopted
for holding the several units together so as to maintain the joints water and
steam tight, but the simplest mode is to plane the contact surfaces perfectly
flat and even, and then to draw them forcibly together by long bolts or tie
rods secured at either end by cup-shaped washers covering the otherwise
exposed branch or mouthpiece of the last or outer series of units; these rods
pass internally through any desired number of units, and are tightened up by
muts, so as to bind them firmly together. The size of the boiler may obviously
be increased or diminished by simply adding thereto or subtracting therefrom
a greater or less number of these units of construction, which, being all cast of
a uniform size and shape, will build up together in any form or combination
desired. The boiler so constructed is then surrounded by an outer casing of
metal or brickwork, and provided with one or more fire-places or furnaces,
which may be entirely enclosed or surrounded by building up the units so as
to form a vault or chamber, which serves as the furnace space.
And in order that the said Invention may be fally understood, 1 shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
I shall refer to the several Figures on the Sheets of Drawings hereunto
annexed, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts through-
out all the corresponding Figures.
Figure on Sheet 1 of the Drawings represents a side elevation of a single
globe, having projections cast upon it at a and b, which are formed with
reversed curved surfaces running into those of the globe, their edges being
planed or otherwise prepared, so as to form, when drawn tight by the screw
bolts against the like openings in other globes, a steam-tight joint. Figure 2
is a plan of the same globe; Figures 3 and 4 are globes cast in pairs, form-
ing a fraction of a unit; Figures 5 and 6 are the same, cast in triplets; and
Figures and 8, the same, cast in fours, and forming what I call the unit
of construction.
Sheet 2 contains various combinations of the units and fractions of the
units of construction, so as to form a steam generator.
Figure 1 on Sheet 2 shews at A, A, the use that is made of the globes in
pairs or half of a unit, the full castings of fours or units in adjacent rows or
courses being thus made to break joint with each other, in the same way that

page_text: a half brick is used in breaking joint in courses of masonry, by beginning the
course at a corner with a half brick. Figure 2 on the same Sheet shews a
pyramidal form of boiler, and at B, B, the globes are shewn in section, for the
purpose of ilustrating the manner of using the screw bolts C. The washers D
here represented are in the shape of a cup, the contour of which corresponds
with the curved surfaces of the globes, increasing thereby to the extent indi-
cated the amount of heating surface. The Figures on this Sheet shew also
the direction of the circulation of the water in the boiler, where the units of
construction, in lieu of being placed vertically one above the other so as to
form a column, are placed diagonally, as exhibited in the Drawing, Figure 2,
at E, E.
It will be seen that the water and steam connections, as above described
and referred to in the Drawings, are made with vertical channels and horizontal
joints. In addition to such channels it might be desirable in some cases to
have the globes drawn together with bolts in a lateral as well as in a vertical
direction, thereby connecting the globes by vertical as well as horizontal joints,
as shewn at F, F, in Figure 1.
11. is unnecessary, however, to multiply illustrations as to the changes that
may be made in the form of the boiler. It will be apparent, on inspection
of the Drawings, that the units taken from one boiler may be used in another
of a totally different form.
In the event of an explosion, the explosion of a single unit affords an escape
for the steam, making it impossible that explosions destroying buildings and
vessels by the sudden disengagement of large volumes of water and vapour,
thereby scattering great masses of boiler material in every direction, should
occur under the above-described mode of construction. By unscrewing a few
nuts and removing the bolts. the whole structure may be readily taken down,
or any unit may be removed for cleaning, repairing, or replacing or altering the
surface exposed to the direct action of the fire. Thus, in a sea-going steamer.
or indeed wherever else sediment may be deposited. the whole range of units
at the bottom may be removed in succession and replaced by clean ones.
while the others are prepared for replacing at leisure; or the entire boiler
may be removed, and a new one reconstructed from entire new pieces without
serious loss of time, if it is considered desirable to keep the units on hand for
such purpose.
The boiler may be set up on land, in places to which it would be difficult
to transport one of ordinary construction, or in a vessel, without the necessity
of having great openings to introduce it into its place, or requiring expensive

page_text: machinery to place it in position. The parts of a boiler may be kept on hand
without great cost by manufacturers, to be used as required on the instant, or
sold by dealers in units or fractions of units.
A boiler may be sent in separate packages to a distance, with or without the
screw bolts, which any common smith is competent to make, whilst a common
bricklayer or shed iron worker may surround it with the necessary casing.
In this system the steam chamber is made in the same way as the rest of
the boiler, and by a judicious arrangement and adjustment of the draught, the
steam therein may be dried or surcharged at the discretion of the engineer.
There are many ways in which boilers on this principle may be advan-
tageously constructed or arranged at the fancy of the parties using it, but 1
have shewn in Sheet 3 (Figures and 2) a form which has been adopted
successfully.
Figure represents a front elevation, and Figure 2 a side elevation. On
referring to this Drawing it will be seen that the units represented by the dotted
lines surround a fire chamber or furnace A, the fuel being supplied through
the fire door B, the whole encased in brickwork C, C; D represents the
chimney at the back of the furnace, and the current of the draught as well as
its direction in passing to the chimney are shewn by the arrows. At the top
of the casing is a small flue E. with a damper F; when this damper is opened
a portion of the gases from the furnace will pass upwards, and thus on its
way to the chimney will dry or superheat the steam in that portion of the
boiler above the water line which is represented by the line G, H; J is a check
valve and supply pipe for water; K, a safety valve; and L, guage cocks.
Although I prefer the globular form above described, yet the principle of
construction involved in this Invention is not dependant upon such form, as
other forms may be given to the unit of construction, which while they are
uniform and capable of being used in the construction of boilers of different.
dimensions and shapes, as above described, would, though in a less perfect.
manner, accomplish the object I have in view. Neither do I insist upon the
brick casing I have described, since the casing may be composed of cast or
plate iron; the construction and arrangement of this unimportant feature
depending in a great measure upon the uses to which the boiler is to be
applied, and the fancy or judgment of those erecting it.
Although I have described this Invention as an improvement in the manner
of constructing steam boilers, it is obvious that the same form of construction
will answer as a condenser, or may be applied to the heating of water, or as a
radiator for the warming of buildings....

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general construction, arrangement, and combination of apparatus
for generating steam, condensing vapours. heating water, or warming buildings.
as herein-before described.
Second, the constructing of steam boilers or generators of a number of
distinct cells or chambers of any suitable form, bolted or held together by the
bolts and nuts and washers, as herein-before described.
Third, the application and use as units or fractions of units of construction,
of separate cells or chambers of cast iron or other metal, in the construction
of boilers of different sizes and shapes, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, T, the said John Henry Johnson. have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of February. One thousand
eight hundred and sixty.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.s.)