CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR GENERATING STEAM
Year: 1825

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GOLDS-
WORTHY GURNEY, of Argyle Street, Hanover Square, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Surgeon, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by his Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain and Ireland,
bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-first day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and twenty-five, in the sixth year of His reign, did, for Himself,
His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Goldsworthy Gurney,
His especial license, that I, the said Goldsworthy Gurney, my exors, adñiors,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Goldsworthy Gurney, my exors.
adiiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR GENERATING STEAM;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Goldsworthy Gurney, by
an instrument in writing, under my hand and seal, particularly to describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Goldsworthy Gurney, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in the following description thereof (that is to
say)-
My improvements are for the most part applicable to, or are improvements
in, the construction of such boilers or vessels for raising or generating steamas
contain but small quantities of water compared with the surface exposed to the
heat.
My first improvement is more particularly applicable to such boilers as
are composed of a series of small cylindrical tubes or pipes so combined and
united together as to form a close vessel or receptacle to contain the water
from which steam is to be raised or generated by the heat of the fire and
flame applied against the external surfaces of such pipes or tubes; and my
said improvement consists in the application of wire, or of wire gauze or cloth
woven of metallic wires and cut into narrow bands or slips, or fillets, which are
to be wrapped around or interwoven amongst the said tubes, in such manner
as to increase the surface exposed to the heat, and also to present to the fire
as many as possible of those ends or points which are formed in cutting and
dividing the wire cloth into slips as aforesaid, in order that such wires and
metallic points may collect and conduct the heat of the fire through the metal
to the water contained in the said tubes, so as to increase the effect of raising
or generating steam therefrom.
My second improvement is a mode of arranging and combining the
pipes or small cylindrical tubes which are to form a steam boiler, in the
manner represented in the Drawing N" 1 hereunto annexed, wherein Figure 1
is a longitudinal section or elevation, and Figure 2 a transverse or end
section of a boiler constructed with tubes arranged according to my improve-
ments. A, A, B, B, are the small cylindrical tubes which are bended so
as to cross each other, and form double loops in the manner of a figure
of S, as shewn in Figure 2; a number of such curved tubes are arranged
oue behind the other, in parallel vertical planes, being all united to two
large horizontal tubes D and E, one at the bottom, and the other at the
top of the boiler; so that the internal capacities of all the tubes are
combined to form one vessel or receptacle for the water from which steam
is to be raised or regenerated. The contained water communicates freely
within all the small tubes A, A, B, B, by means of the large horizontal
tube D, which is common to them all; and the steam which is generated
within the small tubes rises up therein and collects in the top of the

page_text: large horizontal tube E, and passes away through the steam pipe e. The
openings or spaces F and G, within the loops of the tubes A, A, and
B, B, receive the fire and flame by which the tubes are to be heated;
thus the lower space F forms the furnace where the fire is made, and
the upper space G serves as a flue to conduct the flame, heated air, and
smoke to the chimney H. The bars a, a, Figure 2, for the fire grate,
are laid upon the curved tubes A, A, B, B, at the bottom of the loops, and
the fire also rests upon the horizontal tube D), by which means the said
tubes, and the water within them, receives the direct radiant heat of the fire.
A plate of metal b, b, is placed upon the tubes A, A, and B, B, at the part
where they cross each other, so as to separate the lower space F from the
upper space G, and prevent the flame and smoke and heated air rising up
between the small tubes, but to cause the flame to pass in contact with or
against every tube, from one end of the fire-place F to the other, and where
it rises up as shewn by the arrow in Figure 1, beyond the end of the plate b, b,
and enters into the upper space G, along which the flame, smoke, and heated
air passes or returns in contact with every tube, till it escapes into the
chimney H. The whole boiler is enclosed within metal plates, which form a
complete case I, I, K, to the outside of the curved tubes A, A, B, B, and to
cover the horizontal tube E, and also to close the ends of the spaces F and G;
and in order to retain the heat the casing I, I, K, i composed of two thick-
nesses of plate, leaving between them a narrow space, which is filled with
pumicestone or other similar non-conducting substance which will endure
heat without change. L, Fig. 1, is the fire door at the end of the fire-place F,
to introduce the fuel. Note.-My second improvement does consist in
arranging the tubes for the aforesaid boiler in looped curves, so as to
form the spaces F and G for the fire-place and for the flue, and separating
those spaces from each other by the plate b, b; and the tubes may be bent
and applied across each other, so as to form three or more loops, in order
that the flue or passage for the flame, heated air, and smoke may be prolonged,
by causing it to return through more of those loops.
My third improvement is a mode of arranging and combining plates of
metal to form a boiler in the manner represented in the Drawing Nº 2,
hereunto annexed, wherein Figure is a transverse or end section, and
Figure 2 a longitudinal section of a boiler constructed according to my
improvements. A, A, is an elliptical cylinder or vessel, within which the fire
is made upon the fire grate B, B. The vessel A, A, is composed of two
elliptical cylinders made of metal plate, and fixed one within the other, and
joined together at the ends, but leaving a narrow space or interval all round

page_text: between the two to contain the water from which steam is to be raised or
generated by the heat of the fire which is made within the fire-place. A, A,
C, C, and D, D, are two semi-cylindrical vessels placed over one another and
over the cylinder A, A. They are composed in like manner of two thicknesses
of metal plates united together, leaving narrow spaces between them to contain
water, the edges of the plates being joined at all parts, so that the said spaces
are close on all sides. a, a, Fig. 1, are connecting pipes, which proceed
from the top or highest part of the cylinder A to the lowest parts of
the vessels C, C; and b, b, are similar pipes communicating from the
highest part of the vessel C, C, to the lowest parts of the upper vessel D, D;
by means of these pipes the water and steam has free communication through
all the spaces between the vessels A, A, C, C, and D, D. The three
vessels are placed one over the other, as shewn in the Drawing, so as to
leave spaces between them for the passage of the flame, heated air, and smoke
from the fire at B, B, to the chimney E; the course of the draft or current
is shewn by the arrows in Figure 2. The spaces to contain water between the
two plates or thicknesses, of which the vessels A, A, C, C, and D, D, are
composed, is divided by internal partitions into ascending chaunells, within
which the steam which is generated from the water ascends to the top
of the vessels; the said internal partitions are curved bars of metal of
a sufficient breadth to occupy the space between the two plates, and
they are fixed in between the plates by rivets, which pass through the both
plates and also through the partitions, so as to unite the whole together, and
give strength to the vessel; these partitions are shewn in the section Fig. 2,
at ; they do not reach quite to the lowest parts of the vessels, nor quite to
the highest parts, but fall short of both, so as to allow a free passage horizon-
tally all the length of the vessel at the top and at the bottom thereof, in order
to establish a free communication between all the different ascending channells,
and permit the water to enter into the same from below, and to allow the
steam which is generated therein to pass out from above. Near the lower part
of the vessels C, C, and D, D, horizontal partitions are fixed between the
plates, so as to form complete horizontal passages f, f, along all the length of
each vessel, in order to convey the water and steam beneath all the ascending
channels, and there horizontal partitions are perforated with small holes,
through which the water and steam will ascend into the said channels, so as to
be equally distributed amongst the same. Note.-This my third improvement
consists in fixing partitions between the plates of which the boiler is formed,
in order to form ascending channels, as aforesaid, in which the water is
contained and the steam generated, the said ascending channels being disposed

page_text: and combined with the horizontal channels aforesaid, so that the water will be
equally diffused amongst them, and that the steam may pass freely away, as
before stated.
My fourth improvement is a mode of separating the steam from the
water, and is applicable to all boilers which contain but small quantities
of water lodged in narrow spaces, whether within tubes or between plates,
for the steam which is generated in such boilers is so intermixed with
the water that the water is liable to be carried away with the steam. My
improvement is represented in Drawing N° 1, at Figure 1. M, M, is a vessel
which I call a separator; the steam pipe e from the boiler enters into
the vessel M, and turns down, so as to introduce the steam (or steam
intermixed with water) into that vessel, where the water separates itself from
the steam and falls to the bottom, but the steam rises up into the top of the
vessel M, and passes out through the steam pipe f, to the engine. The lower
part of the separator communicates by a pipe g with the lower part of the
boiler, in order that the water which is separated from the steam being reduced
in temperature, and consequently increased in specific gravity, may return into
the boiler again, so as to keep the tubes or narrow water spaces of the boiler
constantly supplied with water from below upwards. h is a partition fixed in
thelower part of the separator, with a perforation through the centre, beneath
which a piece of wood is applied to stop the same in the manner of an
inverted valve opening downwards; this inverted yalve allows the water to
pass freely downwards out of the separator M through the pipe g to the boiler;
but in case of a very sudden evolution of steam, which would tend to force the
water out of the tubes or water spaces of the boiler, this valve rises so as to
retard the current or stop the passage of the water out of the boiler through
the pipe g.
My fifth improvement consists in a method of applying a blast or artificial
current of air, blown by bellows, in order to excite the fire in the furnaces
or fire-places of boilers for generating steam; and my said improvement con-
sists in turning down the extremity of the air pipe or nozzle through which
the air is blown, so that the orifice shall be above the fuel, and thus the blast
will be directed downwards upon or into the fire, whereby the coals or fuel
will be rapidly distilled, and the gas or smoke arising therefrom being blown
into the fire in mixture with the air of the blast will be effectually ignited
and consumed so long as a sufficient intensity of heat is preserved.
My sixth improvement is a method of cleaning the interior surfaces of those
steam boilers which are composed of such small tubes or of such narrow spaces
between plates as to render it difficult or inconvenient to scrape away or

page_text: remove from the interior surfaces any sediment or incrustations which may
have been deposited by the water from which steam has been generated; 'and
my improvement consists in filling the boiler with a solvent which will dissolve
the incrustation or sediment without acting sensibly upon the metal of which
the boiler is composed. If the boiler is made of iron, then a solution of one
part of muriatic acid in one hundred parts of water will answer the purpose of
a solvent; or if the boiler be of copper, a solution of sulphuric acid and common
salt may be used in the proportion of one pound of salt and half an ounce of
sulphuric acid to every three gallons of water; or a boiler may be cleaned by
a solution of common vinegar at the rate of one pint to one gallon of water.
The exact proportions of the above ingredients is not important, and must be
varied at the discretion of the person who is to use my method of cleaning, in
order that the incrustation or earthy concretion against the interior surfaces of
the metal of boilers may be dissolved and removed therefrom without corroding
the metal; and as the strength and exact proportions of the materials of the solu-
tion must depend upon the nature of the substance which forms the crust or
concretion, no exact rule can be given for the same, but it must be determined
by trial. The above solution must be introduced into the boiler when cold, and
it should continue therein a sufficient time that it may be dissolve the concretions.
A very slight fire of shavings or of wood must be applied to the boiler during
the operation of the solvent, in order to heat it just so much as will occasion
a slow motion or circulation of the solvent through all the tubes or narrow
spaces in which it is contained, in order that every unsaturated part of the
solvent may pass slowly over the concretions and be enabled to combine with
or dissolve the earthy matter thereof; and when the solvent has performed
this effect and become saturated, the fire must be applied so as to raise steam
within the boiler to a sufficient elastic pressure that it may, when a cock is opened
at the lowest part of the boiler, expel and blowout the solution, which will carry
with it the disengaged silica or other insoluble matters of the incrustation; the
fire must be removed as soon as the boiler becomes emptied of the solution.
This process may be repeated with a fresh solution if the concretions are so
abundant as to require it.
1 My seventh and last improvement is an apparatus for feeding and sup-
plying water to a steam boiler, in order to replace that which is evaporated
into steam. It is represented in the Drawing N° 1, Figure 3; and it is
also shewn on a smaller scale in Fig. 1, attached to the boiler and
apparatus already described; but it may be applied to any other kind of
boiler. N is a close vessel 'adapted to contain water or steam, and receiving
the water for the supply of the boiler through a stop cock O, which

page_text: communicates with the upper part of the vessel N; and the lower part
of that vessel communicates by another cock P, and descending pipe p, p,
with the boiler or with the separator M.; in order to convey the water into
the same for the supply of the boiler, a pipe 7, 8, also communicates
from the upper part of the boiler; or from the separator M, to the upper
part of the feeding vessel N, to convey steam into the same at ; and
the cock P is adapted to stop this communication, as well as that of
the pipe P. The orifices at the lower end of the steam pipe 8, 7, within
the boiler or within the separator M, is placed at the height or level
at which the water is required to stand therein, so that the orifice or open
end s..of the pipe 1, s,. will be immursed in the water and prevent any steam
from entering, except when the water subsides below its intended level, and
then the orifices of the steam pipe r, s, will be exposed, so as to admit
steam into that pipe; and if the steam cock P is open, that steam will pass up
throughs,, into. the feeding vessel N at the upper part thereof; above the
contained water; the turning plugs of the cocks O and P are so arranged and
connected together by the cranks t, t, and the rod w, that the double cock P
at the bottom of the feeding vessel shall always open or shut both the
passages p and for the water and for the steam at the same time or nearly
.so, and also that the cock O at the top of the feeding vessel N shall
always be shut when the two passages of the cock P are open, and
vice versa. The operation of this apparatus is as follows:-If the upper cock O
is open the other cock P is shut, and then a supply of water is admitted
through O into the feeding vessel N, to fill the same; then the cock O
being closed, and the other cock P opened, so much of the water con-
tained in the feeding vessel as is required to fill up the boiler to its indeded
level will run down through the pipe p, but no more water than is requisite
can so run down, because the water will not quit the feeding vessel N, except
in as much as steam is introduced from the boiler or from the separator into
the upper part thereof through the steam pipe 8, 1, and the cock P; and
although the steam passage r, s, is opened, the steam from the boiler cannot
enter into the orifice or open end 3, of the steam pipe, except when the surface
of the water in the boiler or in the separator M is lower than its intended
level, and as soon as the proper quantity of water has been introduced, and
that surface is raised to its intended level, the water closes the orifices of the
steam pipe so as to prevent any more steam entering into the feeding vessel N,
and then no more water will run out of the same. The turning plugs of the
cocks O and P are turned backwards and forwards by their cranks 1, t,
and connecting rod w, which are put in motion by the engine, in order

page_text: to open and shut them alternatively, as before stated; when the steam
and water cock P at the bottom of the feeding vessel N is closed, and
the water cock O at the top of that vessel is opened, the supply of fresh
water which is introduced through being cool, condenses the steam
contained in the upper part of the feeding vessel N, so as to form an exhaus
tion therein, which facilitates the introduction of the water to fill the same.
ready to repeat the feeding of the boiler when the cocks O and P are turned
so as to shut the upper one O and open the lower one P, as before described;
and this improvement is applicable to any kind of steam boiler as well as those
which are composed of tubes or narrow spaces to combine water; and instead
of the double cock P, with two passages for the steam and the water, two dis
tinct cocks may be used, their turning plugs being connected so as to open and
shut the two passages p, p, and r, s, nearly at the same time; the steam passage
being in all cases opened a little sooner than the water passage, and kept oper
a little longer. The vessel T, which is above the cock O, must be kept con
stantly filled with the water which is to be introduced into the boiler; it may
be either an open cistern, into which water is constantly poured, or it may b
a close vessel, as represented in the Drawing, and connected with a pipe a, t
bring the water into it by suction, in consequence of the exhaustion which wil
take place within the vessel T, as well as in the feeding vessel N, in conse
quence of the condensation of the steam.
In witness whereof, I, the said Goldsworthy Gurney, have hereunto se
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, in the year of ou
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-six.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-first day of April, in
the year of our Lord 1826, the aforesaid Goldsworthy Gurney came before
our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid wasstamped according to
'the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-six.