Improvements in Vertical Steam Boilers.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 28th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 2nd May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Vertical Steam Boilers.
I, WILLIAM HENRY FOWLER of 2 Haigh Lane, Chadderton in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to the class of vertical multitubular steam boilers, and its
object is to obviate certain difficulties which are common to previous constructions
and to obtain economy in construction, maintenance and use hitherto impossible
with this type. My improvements deal mainly with the mode of construction of
the fire box and the method of arranging the tubes with reference to the fire box
and the outer shell so as to obtain a boiler of few and simple parts which allows of
easy access for cleaning, provides for free expansion, and gives a large heating
surface.
In carrying the invention into effect I construct a cylindrical or conical fire box
within a shell of usual configuration and through the upper part of the fire box I
pass tubes to the outer shell radiating from the centre of the boiler. Such radiating
tubes enter the concentric circles of the fire box and the shell at right angles to
their respective surfaces and so dispense with the supposed necessity of flat opposing
tube plates in fire box and shell, which have hitherto caused great difficulties in
the construction of vertical multitubular boilers.
The products of combustion pass from the fire box through the tubes to the
exterior of the boiler and are then received in a suitable casing and discharged
through any suitable funnel. The fire box may be constructed in convenient
sections rivetted together and the upper part from which the tubes radiate may be
of cylindrical cap form. The tubes proceed from this cylindrical cap to the outer
shell at right angles to both surfaces and it is an essential feature of my invention
that the tubes should so radiate as to dispense entirely with flat tube plate surfaces
either interior or exterior. The tubes may pass from one side only of the fire box
or cap or they may radiate from opposite sides or all round. In these cases the
external casing is carried round the shell of the boiler to a sufficient extent to
include the ends of the tubes, and two chimneys may be adopted if required.
In a modified mode of carrying my invention into effect which is especially
suitable for the larger sizes of boilers, I construct my boiler with radiating tubes
from the fire box or fire box cap as I have hereinbefore described; but I return
the products of combustion from the external casing to a central uptake by
radiating tubes returning to a separate circular chamber pendent from the shell.
This chamber acts as an upper combustion chamber or smoke box. The fire box
cap may be connected to it in various ways as for example by connecting tube,
closed by a fire-clay tile, or the cap may terminate in a cone joining suitably to
another cone forming the lower part of the upper chamber. The passage in both
cases however is blocked so that the products of combustion from the fine-box must
proceed through the lower tubes to the outer casing and thence by the return
tubes to the upper smoke box and so discharge by the central uptake into the
chimney.
Instead of this arrangement I may prolong the cylindrical cap of the fire-box
to a sufficient extent to receive both discharge and return tubes and divide it
into upper and lower portions by a brick arch or diaphragm. This also provides a
central uptake.
In all modes of carrying my invention into effect my tube plate surfaces are
circular, or nearly circular, and the opposing surfaces are concentric, or nearly
concentric, so that constructive difficulties are entirely avoided, and by such use of

page_text: circular parts, ample water spaces and freedom from leakage are secured with low
first cost, great durability, easy accessibility, and economy of fuel.
An essential feature of my invention in all modifications is the use of radiating
tubes with circular or nearly circular tube plate surfaces.
Dated this 26th day of June 1890.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Vertical Steam Boilers.
I, WILLIAM HENRY FOWLER, of 2 Haigh Lane, Chadderton, in the County
of Lancaster, 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 the class of vertical multitubular boilers and its object is
to obviate certain difficulties which are common to previous constructions and to
obtain economy in construction maintenance and use hitherto impossible with
this type..
My improvements deal mainly with the mode of construction of the fire box
and the method of arranging the tubes with reference to the fire box and the
outer shell so as to obtain a boiler of few and simple parts which allows of easy
access for cleaning, provides free expansion and gives a large heating surface.
In carrying the invention into effect I construct a cylindrical or conical fire
box within a shell of usual configuration and through the upper part of the fire
box I pass tubes to the outer shell radiating from the centre of the boiler.
Such radiating tubes enter the concentric circles of the fire box and the shell
at right angles to their respective surfaces and so dispense with the supposed
necessity of flat opposing tube plates in fire box and shell which have hitherto
caused great difficulties in the construction of vertical multitubular boilers.
In the accompanying drawings
Figures 1 and 2 are vertical and transverse sections of a boiler carrying out this
invention in which one set of radial tubes are adopted and the smoke box and uptake
are at one side.
Figures 3 and 4 are vertical and transverse sections of a boiler with two sets of
radiating tubes, external casing on both sides, two sets of radiating return tubes, a
central smoke box and central uptake.
Figures 5, 6 and 7 illustrate the same arrangement of boiler constructed in
sections for ready transport.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the shell A has formed within it the conical
furnace or fire box C with a cylindrical combustion and tube chamber B from
which the radial tubes D, D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D', D8, D³, etc. pass to the shell
and lead into the smoke box E and funnel F. The products of combustion pass
from the fire box C, B, through the tubes D D¹ etc. to the exterior of the boiler
and are there received in a casing E and discharged through the funnel F. The
fire box may be constructed in convenient sections and the upper part B from
which the tubes radiate may be of cylindrical cap form as shown at Figure 1.
The tubes proceed from the cylindrical cap to the outer shell at right angles to
both surfaces and it is an essential feature of my invention that the tubes should
so radiate so as to dispense entirely with flat tube plate surfaces either internal or
external. The tubes may pass from one side only of the fire box or cap or they
may radiate from opposite sides. This modification is shown at Figures 3 and 4
where the external casing is carried round the shell of the boiler to a sufficient
extent to include the ends of the tubes and in this case one chimney only is adopted
although it is evident that two may be used.

page_text: In Figures 3 and 4 the construction is especially applicable to boilers of larger
size and here I arrange my boiler with two sets of radiating tubes from the fire box
cap B to the casings E, E¹ as I have hereinbefore described but I return the
products of combustion from the external casings E, E', to an upper part B¹ of the
fire box cap, which is separated from the lower part conveniently by the fire brick
arch indicated in the drawing. The products of combustion return to the part B¹
by two similar sets of tubes and the gases then pass from B¹ to the central uptake F.
The part B of the furnace cap forms an upper combustion chamber or smoke box.
The fire box cap may be continuous with the upper part B₁ as shown, or B' may
be arranged as an entirely separate chamber pendent from the shell or it may be
connected to B by a tube which may be closed by a fire clay tile. The connections
and construction of the upper and lower parts B' B may be varied to a con-
siderable extent but in all cases the passage between is blocked so as to cause the
gases to traverse the lower tubes to the outer casing and thence by the return
tubes to the upper smoke box and so discharge by the central uptake into the
chimney.
In all modes of carrying my invention into effect my tube plate surfaces are
circular or nearly so and the opposing surfaces are concentric or nearly concentric
so that constructive difficulties are entirely avoided and by such use of circular
parts ample water spaces and freedom from leakage are secured with low first cost,
great durability, easy accessibility, and economy of fuel. The construction at the
same time is readily carried out in detachable sections and at Figure 5, I show the
same boiler as at Figure 3 but arranged to bolt together, in sections at the joints G, H,
cap. The
in the external shell and at the three positions shown in the fire box
joint suitable for the shell is shown at Figure 6, while that adapted to the fire
be
box is at Figure 7. These details are convenient and applicable but they may
modified.
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 arrangement of a vertical multitubular boiler with conical or approxi-
mately conical fire box C, cylindrical cap B and radial tubes passing to a casing
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated at Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying drawings.
(2) The arrangement of a vertical multitubular boiler in which a conical or
approximately conical fire box C is attached to a cylindrical cap divided into two
parts B&B' with a central uptake, casing or casings EE and radial tubes, outflow
and return, substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 3 and 4
of the accompanying drawings.
(3) The construction of the boiler claimed in Claim 2 in sections as herein-
before described and illustrated with reference to Figures 5 and 6 and 7 of the
drawings.
Dated this 26th day of March 1891.
CLERK & MARKS,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicant.