IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Alison, of Brightlands, Reigate, in the County
of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS."
Sealed the 20th August 1867, and dated the 25th February 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Alison at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
February 1867.
I, JOHN ALISON, of Brightlands, Reigate, in the County of Surrey,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM BOILERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in steam boilers.
Steam boilers constructed according to this Invention are by preference of
an upright and cylindrical form, and the fire-bars of the furnace are arranged
at the lower part within a circular frame concentric with the outer cylinder
of the boiler; it is not essential, however, that the boiler should be cylindrical.
The lower part of the boiler with the fire-box or furnace is fixed to the
exterior cylinder, and the upper part of the boiler by flanges held together
with screw bolts and nuts, so that the upper and lower parts of the boiler
may be readily separated. The fire-box or furnace is a cylinder concentric
with the outer cylinder of the boiler, and there is a water space between tho
two; above the fire-box the interior cylinder contracts into a flue which
passes out at the top of the boiler and opens into a smoke box, the sides of
which are formed by continuing upwards the outer cylinder of the boiler, and
a superheater for superheating the steam may be placed in this smoke box..

page_text: In the interior of the fire-box or furnace a series of bent tubes are applied,
the upper ends of which are fixed in the plate or plates which connect the
central flue with the cylindrical sides or walls of the fire-box; these pipes
then descend and are then bent round, so that their lower ends may pass
through and be fixed in the vertical or nearly vertical walls of the fire-box;
by these means the upper or larger water space and the lower narrow or
water space in addition to being open to each other for the free flow of the
water are further connected together by the bent pipes, and so a free circula-
tion is established. In order that the heated products arising from the firo
may be caused to pass amongst the bent pipes and not to rise directly to the
flue above the fire there is a central partition or deflector placed over the fire
which deflects the flame and products of combustion amongst the pipes, and
such products then-pass back towards and rise up through the central flue.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Alison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ALISON, of Brightlands, Reigate, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year of our
Lord-One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Alison, Her special licence that I, the said John Alison, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Alison, 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 BOILERS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Alison, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or either
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.

page_text: • NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Alison, 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 follow-
ing statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in steam boilers.
Steam boilers constructed according to this Invention are by preference of
an upright and cylindrical form, and the fire-bars of the furnace are arranged
at the lower part within a circular frame concentric with the outer cylinder of
the boiler; it is not essential, however, that the boiler should be cylindrical.
The lower part of the.boiler with the fire-box or furnace is fixed to the exterior
cylinder, and the upper part of the boiler by flanges held together with screw
bolts and nuts, so that the upper and lower parts of the boiler may be readily
separated. The fire-box or furnace is a cylinder concentric with the outer
cylinder of the boiler, and there is a water space between the two; above the
fire-box the interior cylinder contracts into a flue which passes out at the top
of the boiler and opens into a smoke box, the sides of which are formed by
continuing upwards the outer cylinder of the boiler and a superheater for
superheating the steam may be placed in this smoke box. In the interior of
the fire-box or furnace a series of bent tubes are applied, the upper ends of
which are fixed in the plate or plates which connect the central flue with the
cylindrical sides or walls of the fire-box; these pipes then descend and are
then bent round, so that their lower ends may pass through and be fixed in.
the vertical or nearly vertical walls of the fire-box. By these means the upper
or larger water space and the lower or narrow water space in addition to being
open to each other for the free flow of the water are further connected together
by the bent pipes and so a free circulation is established. In order that the
beated products arising from the fire may be caused to pass amongst the bent
pipes, and not to rise directly to the flue above the fire there is a central par-
tition or deflector placed over the fire, which deflects the flame and products.
of combustion amongst the pipes, and such products then pass back towards
and rise up through the central flue.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION. OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the boiler, and Figure 2 an outside view of
the boiler; Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal sections through the lines A, B, and
C, D, respectively in Figure 1; in Figure 4, however, only one of the circles
of tubes is shown.

page_text: a, a, is the upper part of the exterior cylinder of the boiler bolted on to the
lower part at flanges b, b, by means of screw bolts and nuts; the bottom ring a¹, a',
of the exterior cylinder of the boiler has another flange which is rivetted on to
the base plate c, c; this base plate, which is annular, is also rivetted on to a
flange d, d, at the bottom of the fire-box, which is by preference of a cylindrical
form, but may be of other form. This furnace is concentric with the outer
skin of the boiler and within it, thus allowing the water in the boiler entirely
to surround the fire-box; on the flanges d, d, is fastened a circular frame on
which the fire-bars are arranged. The outer skin of the boiler is connected
with the fire-box by stays e, e, and also by a frame E in which the fire-door
is mounted; f, f, are bent tubes set into. the side and top of the fire-box, as
shown in Figure 1; the holes to receive these tubes are made to taper slightly
outwards, as is shewn in detail at Figure 5, the ends of the tubes are expanded
into the holes and secured in the usual way; Figure 3 shows the position of
the tops of these pipes arranged on the cover or dome of the fire-box or
furnace. The upper or larger water space and the lower or narrow water
space in addition to being open to each other are thus connected together by
these pipes, so that a free circulation is established; F, F, is a strengthening
ring which surrounds the fire-box, and is rivetted on to it; at Figure 6 there
is a half plan of this ring and also an outside view. The top or dome of the
fire-box consists of a bent annular plate with flanges both on the inner and
outer rim. The outer flange which is bent downwards is rivetted on to the
cylindrical side of the fire-box at g, g; the inner flange which is bent upwards
is rivetted on to the cylindrical flue h, h; on to the top of this flue there is
rivetted a circular piece of angle iron k, k, as shown in the Drawing. The
projecting flange of this ring has holes in it, through which pass screw bolts 1, 1,
which fasten by means of nuts the cover or top plate m, m, of the boiler on
to the rim; this cover is annular and doomed, the outer rim of it is rivetted on
to the skin of the boiler as shewn at m, m. By unscrewing the nuts of the
screw bolts 1, 1, and also the nuts of the screw bolts on the flanges b, b, the
whole outside of the boiler can be lifted off and the interior of the boiler can
easily be got at and the pipes cleaned or new ones put; the flue h, h, opens
out into a smoke box, the sides of which are formed by continuing upwards
the outer cylinder of the boiler, and a superheater for superheating the steam
may be placed in this smoke box; G is a central partition or deflector over
the fire which prevents the heated products arising from the fire from rising
directly through the flue, and deflects them amongst the pipes and thence up
through the central, flue, thus causing the fire to act directly on the outsides
of the bent tubes. When the boiler is in use it may be erected on a ring

page_text: of brickwork sufficiently high to form a convenient ash-pit beneath the
fire-bars.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,―
First, the connecting the upper and exterior part of the boiler with the
lower part and with the internal fire-box by flanges and bolts and nuts as
shown.
Second, the general arrangement of the fire-box as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Alison, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.