IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERA- TORS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS, PATENT to Michael Billings and George Kinton Billings,
both of High Cross Street, Leicester, in the County of Leicester,
Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERA-
TORS."
Sealed the 17th April 1874, and dated the 10th January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Billings and
George Kinton Billings at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 10th January 1874.
We, MICHAEL BILLINGS and GEORGE KINTON BILLINGS, both of
High Cross Street, Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Engineers, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM GENERATORS," to be as follows:-
The Invention relates to means by which to regulate the escape of the
heated gases and products of combustion from the fire in their passage
from the flue space within the boiler or steam generator, in order to
prevent the too free passing away of such gases and products of com
bustion into the chimney. For this purpose we employ discs or surfaces,

page_text: applied so as to move one on the other at the rear or outlet end of the
flue space in the boiler or steam generator, such discs or surfaces being
applied so as to leave an annular or other space around them adapted
at all times to admit of a certain escape; and according to one arrange-
ment these surfaces are formed with corresponding radial or other
openings in them, such that when one is turned or moved on the other
to bring the openings of the one more or less over those of the other,
the amount of draught or escape through to the chimney may be regu-
lated. This movement is effected from the outside by screw or lever and
links.
By another arrangement this regulation is effected by radial or other
sliding pieces capable of sliding upon a central fixed piece to open more
fully, or reduce the extent of the annular or other space around the
fixed plate, such pieces being moved together in one or both directions
by the movement of one of them.
We, in most cases, take care to insure the control of the regulation,
especially at the upper part of the outlet. By these means increased
facility is afforded for confining the hot air and gases or products of
combustion within the tube in the generator or boiler, in order to their
'more effective heating action on the water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Michael Billings and George Kinton Billings
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, MICHAEL
BILLINGS and GEORGE KINTON BILLINGS, both of High Cross Street,
Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said Michael Billings and George Kinton Billings,
Her special license that we, the said Michael Billings and George Kinton
Billings, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Michael Billings and George Kinton Billings, our

page_text: 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 STEAM GENERATORS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Michael Billings and George Kinton Billings, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our
hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 we, the said Michael Billings and George
Kinton Billings, do hereby declare the nature of our 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:
Our said Invention relates to means by which to regulate the escape
of the heated gases and products of combustion from the fire in their
passage from the flue space within the boiler or steam generator, in
order to prevent the too free passing away of such gases and products of
combustion into the chimney. For this purpose we employ discs or
surfaces, applied so as to move one on the other at the rear or outlet end
of the flue space in the boiler or steam generator, such dises or surfaces
being applied so as to leave an annular or other space around them
adapted at all times to admit of a certain escape; and, according to one
arrangement, these surfaces are formed with corresponding radial or
other openings in them, such that when one is turned or moved on the
other to bring the openings of the one more or less over those of the
other, the amount of draught or escape through to the chimney may be
regulated. This movement is effected from the outside of the boiler by.
a screw or lever and links.
By another arrangement the regulation of the escape aperture is
effected by radial or other sliding pieces, capable of sliding upon a
central fixed piece to open more fully, or reduce the extent of the

page_text: annular or other space around the fixed plate, such pieces being moved
together in one or both directions by the movement of one of them.
We in most cases take care to insure the control of the regulation
of the opening, more particularly at the upper part of the outlet. By
these means increased facility is afforded for confining the hot air and
gases or products of combustion within the flue or tube in the generator
or boiler with a view to increasing their effective heating action on the
water.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood we shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings; the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
in all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a part longitudinal action of a steam generator or boiler
with the flue tube fitted with our Invention; and Figure 2, a sectional 1
end elevation on line 1-2, in Figure 1.
A, A¹, represent discs or surface plates of metal, fire-clay, or other
good heat resisting material formed at their circumferences with radial
(or other) openings or notches, as shewn, and applied to the rear or
outlet end of the boiler fue tube B, so as either to fit the interior
of the tube, or to leave an annular or other space between their
peripheries and the internal circumference of the said tube, which space
is adapted at all times to admit of a certain escape of the flame and
gases from the fire past the said discs or surface plates to the chimney.
The inner disc or surface plate A, which is in contact with the outer
disc or surface plate A³, is carried by and capable of turning on a bolt or
stud passing through its centre, and through that of the said outer disc,
as shewn, while the outer disc or surface plate A¹ is attached in this
case to the lower end of a bracket or carrying frame C, which passes
upwards through slots formed in the side bars of the fixed bracket or
girder D, and is provided at its upper end with a projecting boss E, in
which is fitted a nut F worked by a handle along the thread of a screw G,
which screw passes through the said nut, and is connected at its lower
end with the projecting end of a stud or pin x, passing through and
capable of working in a slot in the outer disc or surface plate A', and
attached at its inner end to the inner disc or surface plate A, as shewn.
The nut F is retained in the projecting boss E by means of a groove and

page_text: set screw, as shewn, or by any other convenient method. y, y, are hinge
pins fixed to the sides of the bracket or carrying frame C, and on which
the latter with the remainder of the apparatus is carried, and oscillates
when required on corresponding hinges formed on the side bars of the
fixed bracket or girder D, the latter being carried at one end by the
brickwork of the boiler setting, and at the other or boiler end by a
girder H extending across the end face of the said boiler, as shewn, and
carried by the brickwork on each side of the latter. I, I, are arms
or levers hinged to the sides of the bracket or carrying frame C, and
formed at their outer ends with notches, which, being dropped down
upon the edge of the boiler, serve to retain the said bracket or carrying
frame with the discs or surface plates A, A, and their appendages in
their correct normal position with respect to the said boiler and the
tube; K is a plate for converting the space between the two side bars of
the fixed bracket or girder D, so as to prevent the escape of the gases
and products of combustion in their passage to the chimney; L is a
stud or projection cast on the upper end of the bracket or carrying
frame C for the reception of a socket handle or lever, as hereafter described.
It is evident that the discs or surface plates A, A¹, applied as described,
and which are here represented with their respective openings or notches
open or opposite to one another, will considerably check the free escape
of the gases and products of combustion coming from the fire to the
chimney, and in so doing will cause the said gases to be more diffused.
or brought in closer contact with the sides or inner surface of the tube B
than is the case when they are allowed to escape unobstructedly to the
chimney. By this means the effectual heating surface of the said tube:
is practically increased, and a considerable reduction in the consumption
of fuel effected.
Should it be desired to effect a further check on the escape of the
gases than that which is effected by the apparatus with the discs or
surface plates A, A³, open to one another, as here represented, then it is
simply requisite to turn the handle and nut F, so as to raise the screw G,
which causes the inner disc or surface plate A to move round against'
the outer disc or surface plate A¹ (the latter remaining stationary) until·
the openings or notches are brought into the dotted position, thereby
partially (or entirely) closing the openings or notches of the outer disc
or surface plate A³, and considerably reducing the area of space through
which the gases can escape; or, in lieu of turning the inner disc or

page_text: surface plate A against the outer disc or surface plate A¹, the operation
may be reversed, and the outer one be turned against the inner one, a
similar result being obtained in either case.
If an increased vent for escape of the gases to the chimney be
required this may be obtained by turning the nut F in the opposite
direction, when the screw G will be lowered, and will turn the inner disc
or surface plate A. so as to open more or less the openings or notches of
the outer disc or surface plate A¹. For the purpose of facilitating the
cleaning of the flue or tube the discs may be completely removed there-
from by releasing the arms or levers I, I, from the edge of the boiler,
whereupon the weight of the discs or surface plates A, A¹, will cause
the latter to fall away from the end of the tube B, leaving it completely
exposed; and in so doing the bracket or carrying frame C with its
appendages will accommodate themselves to the movement by oscillating
on the hinge pins y, y, as before mentioned.
In case the weight of the disc or surface plates A, A¹, should be
insufficient to cause them to fall away from the opening of the flue
tube B, owing to corrosion or any other cause, a leverage can be
obtained on the bracket or carrying frame C by fitting a handle or lever
on to the stud or projection L, as before mentioned.
With a view to splitting up the current of gases we sometimes combine
a conical corrugated valve P of metal or fire-clay with the discs or surface
plates A, A³, as shewn by red lines in Figure 1. The said valve is attached
to or forms a continuation of the inner disc or surface plate A, and
is formed with corrugations or ribs on its surface in such a manner that
the spaces between them correspond with the radial (or other) openings
or notches formed in the said discs, as before described. It will thus be
seen that the gases, in lieu of impinging directly on the flat surface of
the inner disc or surface plate A, are broken and divided by the corru-
gations or ribs of the conical valve P, thereby preventing any injurious a
heating of the said disc or surface plate, and increasing the effectiveness
of the Invention, which is applicable to every description of tubular or
internal flued boilers, whether stationary or locomotive.
In Figure 3, which is a back elevation of another arrangement or
modification of our Invention, A. represents a fixed disc or surface plate 3
applied inside the rear or outlet end of the boiler flue tube B; C, C, and
D are radial or other pieces formed with central arms or stems c, c, and

page_text: d, in which are slots working over pieces or projections x, x, and y fixed
to the outer face of the fixed disc or surface plate A, as shewn, for the
purpose of enabling the radial (or other) pieces C, C, and D to slide over
or past the circumferential edge of the outer face of the disc or surface
plate A in such a manner as to open more fully or reduce the extent of
the annular (or other) space around or between the periphery of the
said disc or plate, and the circumference of the opening of the flue
tube B; E is a cam or wedge formed into the inner and lower end of the
central arm or stem d, and is capable of being raised or lowered verti-
'cally with the latter and with the radial (or other) piece D either by
means of a screw in connection with apparatus and gear of similar con-
struction and arrangement to that already described for operating the
discs or surface plates A, A¹, in Figures 1 and 2, or by any other suitable
contrivance. .
The apparatus, as seen in Figure 3, is in the normal position, that is to
say, the siding, radial (or other) piece D has been pulled up by the screw
and gear or other contrivance, as before mentioned, to the fullest extent,
or until the fixed piece or projection y is in contact with the lower end
of the slot in the central arm or stem d; the radial (or other) sliding
pieces C, C, have also been forced outwards to their fullest extent by
the action of the cam or wedge E in pulling up the sliding piece D, as
last mentioned. In this arrangement also a certain annular space is left
between the edges of the radial or other sliding pieces C, C, and D and
the circumference of the flue tube B.
If it be desired to increase the escape of the gases to the chimney
beyond the extent allowed by the apparatus when in this position the
radial (or other) sliding piece D should be lowered towards or into
the position indicated by red lines, whereupon that portion of the
annular space between its edge and the circumference of the flue tube B
will be more or less enlarged, thus allowing the said gases to escape
more freely. A further increase in the size of the aperture may be
effected by forcing the radial (or other) sliding pieces C, C, more or less
inwards towards the central portions of the disc or surface plate A,
thereby also enlarging those portions of the annular openings at their
edges, as in the case of the sliding piece D.
.
When required to check the draught the apparatus is again brought
to the normal position, as before described.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The application and use of discs or surface plates formed with
radial (or other openings, and moving one on the other so as to open
or close more or less the said openings in combination with carrying
apparatus and operating gear to or with the flue tubes of steam genera-
tors or boilers, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before
described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The application and use of a fixed disc or surface plate in
combination with radial (or other) pieces capable of sliding over or past
the circumferential edge of the said disc or plate in combination with
carrying apparatus and operating gear to or with the flue tubes of steam
generators or boilers, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before
described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Michael Billings and George
Kinton Billings, have to this our Specification set our hands
and seals, the Eighth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-four.
and seventy-four.
MICHAEL BILLINGS.
(L.S.)
GEORGE KINTON BILLINGS. (L.s.)