IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan Brown, of 38, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS." -A communication from abroad by
John Goulding, of Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan Brown
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th April 1872.
I, WILLIAM MORGAN BROWN, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS," to be as follows:-
The Invention relates to the construction of that class of steam
generating boilers in which vertical flue tubes are employed, and the
first part of the Invention relates to forming the furnace with a centre
fuel supply cylinder, under which cylinder is the fire pot and main com-
bustion chamber, while within the said cylinder and around the fuel

page_text: chamber is a series of vertical flue tubes, the said tubes and the supply
pipe passing through the water and steam chamber, and to encompassing
the flue tube of a steam boiler by other tubes, there being a thin water
space between the inner surface of each encompassing tube and the outer
surface of the flue tube, and there being at the opposite ends of each
water tube openings for passage of the water into and from the water
chambers. By this construction not only are the flue tubes kept at a
maximum heat by the passage through them of all the flames and
gaseous products of combustion, but to the outer surface of each flue
tube the water is presented in a thin sheet, so that a rapid circulation is
effected. The sheet is presented to the full power of the heated surfaces
and the globules of steam generated rise rapidly to the steam space
above, while the water chamber being largely occupied by flue tubes
and water circulating tubes, the whole body of water is kept in movement
toward, into, and through the tubes.
The boiler thus made is not only very simple in construction but is
exceedingly effective in the quick generation of steam from a given
amount of fuel. The fuel feed tube is preferably made of wrought iron,
and within it at its bottom may be placed a cast-iron ring or cylinder for
protection of the inner surface of the chamber where directly subjected
to impingement of the flames, and this ring or cylinder may be so
applied that it may be raised, or lowered, or adjusted in position with
reference to the grate and to the size of the fuel.
The next part of the Invention relates to the construction and arrange-
ment of a steam generating apparatus or boiler, with particular reference
to such an arrangement of a main water and steam generating cylinder
and furnace, and auxiliary water chambers and flue passages, as shall.
effectually utilize all the heat of the fuel, either in the direct gencration
of steam in the main cylinder, or the cylinder adjacent thereto, or in
heating the water in the other chambers or cylinders preparatory to the
passage of such water into the main cylinder or cylinders. The first
cylinder has at its bottom the fire pot or furnace, and extending from
the combustion chamber a series of vertical flue pipes, which pass into
a flue space at the top of the cylinder, the space between which and the
fire pot constitutes the water and steam chamber, through which said
vertical flue tube or flue tubes pass. Connected with this cylinder may
be a second cylinder (and there may be others) similar to the first, the
flue space at the top of the first communicating with the corresponding

page_text: space at the top of the second by a connecting flue pipe or passage,
and the water chamber of the two communicating by a cross pipe or
passage.
The passage of the flame, smoke, and other gaseous products of com-
bustion is from the top of the second cylinder down through its flue
tubes to a flue space at the bottom of said cylinder, from which space
they escape through a fluo into a flue space at the bottom of another
cylinder passing upward through the vertical flues of this cylinder into
the chimney, or into the upper part of another cylinder, and so on
through any suitable number, which can be made practically useful to
absorb or utilize the heat from the fuel.
The water spaces of the first two cylinders (if there be two main
cylinders as described) are in common, but the water space of the next
or auxiliary cylinder communicates with the water space of the next by
a pipe extending from the top of the last-named or auxiliary cylinder to
the bottom of the previous or main cylinder, and the bottom of the
auxiliary cylinder communicates with the top of another auxiliary
cylinder by a pipe, and so on through the whole series of auxiliary
cylinders through which the flues pass. By these means all of the
caloric is utilized, as the water in the auxiliary cylinders is gradually
heated, and by a force pump applied to the last cylinder of the series
the water may be driven through the auxiliary cylinder into the main
steam generating cylinders.
The Invention consists in this arrangement of main and auxiliary
cylinders, in the construction of one or more of said cylinders with
vertical flue pipes surrounded by water, presenting and circulating tubes
which encompass the flue tubes, and in the combination with the series
of main and auxiliary cylinders of a blow-off cylinder, through which
the water may be blown off from the main cylinders passing through the
water chambers of said blow-off cylinder, and imparting its caloric to
the water contained therein, the blow-off cylinder being connected with
the auxiliary cylinder, so that by pressure its water can be forced
through the series of auxiliary cylinders into the main cylinder.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Morgan Brown in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MORGAN BROWN, of 38, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
London, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Morgan Brown, Her special licenso
that I, the said William Morgan Brown, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Morgan Brown, 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
STEAM GENERATORS,” a communication to me from abroad by John
Goulding, of Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Morgan
Brown, my exccutors 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 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 Morgan Brown, 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, that is to say :-
The Invention relates to the construction of that class of steam
generating boilers in which vertical flue tubes are employed, and the
first part of the Invention relates to forming the furnace with a centre
fuel supply cylinder, under which cylinder is the fire-pot and main
combustion chamber, while within the said cylinder and around the

page_text: fuel chamber is a series of vertical flue tubes, the said tubes and the
supply pipe passing through the water and steam chamber, and to
encompassing the flue tube of a steam boiler by other tubes, there
being a thin water space between the inner surface of each encom-
passing tube and the outer surface of the flue tube, and there being
at the opposite ends of each water tube openings for passage of the
water into and from the water chambers.
The Drawing represents at Figure 1 in vertical section and in cross
section on the line x, x, a boiler embodying the first part of the In-
vention. a denotes the fire-pot and the ash-pit contained within
the bottom of a cylinder c, through the centre of which cylinder passes
a fuel chamber or conductor d which opens out of the top of the
cylinder (being covered by a suitable cap e), and at bottom debouches
into the top of the fire-pot. The furnace is charged with fuel through
this tube, and by keeping the tube supplied the fuel feeds itself to the
combustion chamber, the grate being of course cleared from ashes
whenever necessary. Leading from the fire-pot are the flue tubes f,
said tubes passing through the water chamber and opening into a
flue chamber or head i, from which chamber the smoke and other
volatile products of combustion escape through the flue k. Any
suitable number of the flue tubes pass through the water chamber
around the fuel cylinder d (which also passes through said water
chamber), and around each flue tube is placed a circulating tube /
open at bottom, as, seen at m, for free passage of the water from the
water chamber, and of such size as to form a thin annular sheet of
water around each flue tube, and open at top for discharge or passage
of the generated steam into the steam space above, and for facilitating
rapid circulation of the water through each circulating tube, each tubo
extending up above the top of the highest water level. By this con-
struction not only are the flue tubes kept at a maximum heat by the
passage through them of all of the flames and gaseous products of
combustion, but to the outer surface of each flue tube the water is
presented in a thin sheet so that a rapid circulation is effected, the
sheet is presented to the full power of the heated surfaces, and the
globules of steam generated rise rapidly to the steam space above,
while the water chamber being largely occupied by flue tubes and
water-circulating tubes, the whole body of water is kept in movement
toward into and through the tubes.

page_text: The boiler thus made is not only very simple in construction, but is
exceedingly effectivo in the quick generation of steam from a given amount
of fuel. The fuel feed tube is preferably made of wrought iron, and within
it at its bottom may be placed a cast-iron ring or cylinder for protection
of the inner surface of the chamber, where directly subjected to the
inpingement of the flames, and this ring or cylinder may be so applied
that it may be raised, or lowered, or adjusted in position with reference
to the grate and to the size of the fuel.
The next part of the Invention relates to the construction and arrange-
ment of a steam generating apparatus or boiler, with particular reference
to such an arrangement of a main water and steam generating cylinder
and furnace and auxiliary water chambers, and fluo passages as shall
effectually utilize all the heat of the fuel, either in the direct generation
of steam in the main cylinder or the cylinder adjacent thereto, or in
heating the water in the other chambers or cylinders preparatory to the
passage of such water into the main cylinder or-cylinders. The first
cylinder has at its bottom the fire-pot or furnace, and extending from
the combustion chamber a series of vertical flue pipes, which pass into a
flue space at the top of the cylinder, the space between which and the
fire-pot constitutes the water and steam chamber, through which said a
vertical flue tube or flue tubes pass. Connected with this cylinder may
be a second cylinder (and there may be others) similar to the first, the
flue space at the top of the first communicating with the corresponding
space at the top of the second by a connecting flue pipe or passage, and
the water chamber of the two communicating by a cross pipe or 2
passage.
The passage of the flame, smoke, and other gascous products of com-
bustion is from the top of the second cylinder down through its flue tubes

page_text: cylinder communicates with a similar flue chamber i, at the top of a
second cylinder k, in which cylinder is also a water and steam
chamber 1, corresponding to the water and steam chamber c, of the first
cylinder, and under said chamber a bottom flue space m. Through the
chamber passes a series of vertical flue pipes n, connecting the fluc
chambers d, m, and encompassing each flue pipe is a water tube o,
similar to the tubes f of the first cylinder. If the two cylinders aro
both to be for generation of steam, the water spaces may communicate
by a cross passage p, and steam is taken from the top of the chambers c,
7. The flue space m at the bottom of the cylinder communicates with
a flue chamber q at the bottom of an auxiliary or water heating cylinder
7, from which space a series of vertical flue pipes & pass through a water
chamber at the top of said cylinder, from which chamber they may
escape into a main fluc h, or into the top of another auxiliary cylinder
similar to the cylinder », to escape from it into the main flue, cither
directly or through other similar auxiliary cylinders.
The pipes of the cylinder and the corresponding pipes in any
additional auxiliary cylinders are all provided with the encompassing
tubes (similar to the tubes in the main cylinders) for promoting the
active circulation of the water and presenting thin annular sheets at all
times to the heated surfaces of the flue tubes.
The chambers c, l, t, are kept charged with water, and as the water in
the main cylinders is converted into steam, the supply in the cylinders is
kept up by forcing the water from the chamber through a pipe v
which extends from the top of said chamber to the bottom of the main
cylinder chamber, water being similarly forced through any number
of auxiliary water-heating and flue cylinders that may be employed in
the series, the water space of each communicating with that in advance
of it by a pipe leading from the top of the one to the bottom of
the one in advance, and the water being driven through by suitable
forcing mechanism.
In blowing off the main steam boiler the water may be driven through
an auxiliary water chamber wo in a cylinder x, the water escaping by a
pipe y leading from the water chamber c into a chamber a³ at the top of
the cylinder x, through which chamber it passes down through a vertical
pipe or pipes b² into a chamber at the bottom of the cylinder, escap-
ing therefrom through a waste pipe d³.

page_text: The water chamber wo surrounds the pipe or pipes 63, and the heat
imparted to these pipes 6 is communicated to and absorbed by the
surrounding water. The chamber wo is supplied with water by a suitable
force pump through an inlet pipe e³, and is forced through said chamber
into the first auxiliary cylinder by a pipe f³, extending from the top of
the chamber wo to the bottom of the water chamber t.
It will be obvious that by this arrangement of flues, flue pipes, water
chambers, and water presenting and circulating tubes, not only will the
water be rapidly converted into steam, but all the heat from the fuel will
be absorbed and utilized before it can escape by the main flue, the
enormous per centage of heat now wasted in common steam boiler fur-
naces and boilers being entirely saved by this arrangement.

page_text: circulation of the water and presenting the water in thin annular sheets
against the heated surfaces of the flues, substantially as shewn and
described.
5th. In combination with the water and steam chambers, and flue
pipes and flue chambers, the connecting water supply pipes, by which 5
the water is forced from cylinder to cylinder, substantially as shewn and
described.
6th. In combination with the main cylinder a the auxiliary blow-off
cylinder, containing the water chamber to and having extending
through it the vertical tubes 6, which are connected with the main 1
cylinder chamber c by the chamber a' and pipef", and which discharges
into the chamber c³, and through it into the waste pipe d, the water
chamber w communicating with the first of the auxiliary cylinders by a
pipe f, and having an inlet pipe e, all substantially as shewn and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan Brown, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
1
WILLIAM MORGAN BROWN. (L.S.)