IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS, AND IN GAUGE GLASS FITTINGS FOR THE SAME AND OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Storey at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th December 1880.
JOHN HENRY STOREY, of 37, Faringdon Street, in the City of London Engineer,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS, AND IN GAUGE GLASS
FITTINGS FOR THE SAME AND OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES."
My improvements in steam boilers relate to that class of boilers commonly
known as "tubulous," in which the water and steam are contained in tubes of
small diameter, and the heat is applied to the outer surface of such tubes; and the
object of my said improvements is to form such an arrangement that the attendant
evils which usually belong to such boilers in their practical use are eliminated,
such as priming, and the want of a proper circulation of the water, and leakage
arising from expansion and contraction of the tubes not being provided for.
I construct the reservoir or body of the boiler of such a form that it has the
appearance of six straight pieces of pipe joined into one frame, four of such
portions or limbs forming a rectangular frame, and the other two being placed at
the top in an angular position, forming with the top horizontal limb a triangle,
meeting in an apex at the middle.
The mode of constructing this reservoir may be varied according to the size of
the boiler. Small sizes being cast in one piece in gun metal or malleable iron or
other suitable material, and larger sizes being constructed of several pieces bolted,
rivetted, brazed, or welded together.
The two horizontal limbs of the reservoir are fitted with a number of tubes,
made by preference of "solid drawn" copper, steel, or other suitable metal. The
lower ends of thes tubes are fitted into the lower horizontal limb of the reservoir,
and their upper ends are in like manner fitted into the upper horizontal limb of
the reservoir; in each case they are made perfectly steam and water tight by the
usual mode of expanding their ends into conical holes in the reservoir.
When the reservoir is a single casting, suitable holes are made opposite to where
the tubes are inserted to admit the tube expander or other necessary tool, these
holes being afterwards plugged or stopped with screw plugs.
The reservoir and the tubes fitted thereto, with the furnace and usual fittings,
and casing together form my improved boiler.
The steam and water circulating tubes are bent into a multiple U form, whereby
sufficient surface is provided for absorbing the heat, and any reasonable amount of
expansion or contraction may take place without any undue strain being caused at
the joints.
The water is pumped into the reservoir in the usual manner, and the heat from
the furnace causes saturated steam to travel and enter the upper horizontal limb

page_text: of the reservoir. This limb acts as a separator; the saturated steam being compelled
to travel horizontally for some distance, the water held in suspension in the steam
has time to fall and the steam to rise. At each end of this limb the steam comes
in contact with and is projected against the slanting sides of the upper limbs of
the reservoir, whereby any remaining particles of water are projected downwards,
while the steam rises to the apex where it passes away to the engine. The
circulation of the water is completed by the vertical limbs of the reservoir
conveying the water to the lower horizontal limb and thence again to the
circulating tubes.
My improvements in the gauge glass fittings of the said steam boilers have
for their object to provide improved means of and apparatus for cleaning out and
blowing through the passages, cocks, and glass or other tubes of gauges for
indicating the height of the water contained in steam boilers, tanks, or other
vessels.
The means whereby I effect this object consist of a new and improved form of
three-way cock in a four-way body.
I construct both the upper and lower cocks in the following manner :-The plug
or cone of the cock has a passage straight through across its diameter as usual
with ordinary cocks, but in addition, and at right angles thereto, another passage
is made therein half way through, leading into the first passage, thus forming a three-
way cock. The cone is fitted with a hand wheel in preference to the ordinary
bandle. The body of the cock has four ways or holes therein, that is to say, two
straight passages right through at right angles to each other. One of such ways
leads straight into the boiler or other vessel (being screwed or otherwise fitted in the
ordinary manner), and the outer end of this passage is stopped with a plug screwed
therein and capable of removal for cleaning out the passage. The upward passage
of the upper cock and the downward passage of the lower cock are both fitted
with a nozzle opening into the atmosphere. The remaining openings open to the
gauge glass, and have the usual screwed gland or other steam and water tight
fitting thereto.
The outer face of the hand wheel with which the cone is fitted is engraved or
otherwise marked with three radial marks, such marks corresponding with the
direction of the three ways in the cone.
The effect of these improvements is that each end of the gauge glass can be
shut off from the boiler and opened to the atmosphere, and a through way can be
opened at any time for cleaning out the gauge glass from end to end, and all the
usual operations of blowing out scum and dirt can be performed with increased
facility and certainty; and in case of the glass breaking, a new one can be readily
fitted without lowering the steain in the boiler.
One very important feature of my improvements consists in the clearness and
certainty thereby furnished of ascertaining which of the passages are open and
which are closed by means of the marks on the hand-wheels, and the attendant
knows at a glance which way to move the hand-wheels for the purpose of blowing
through or any other of the usual operations.
The two cocks are by preference made exactly alike, the upper cock merely
requiring the nozzle to be turned upwards while the nozzle of the lower cock is
turned downwards.
My improved gauge glass fittings are applicable to other useful purposes where
the height of any liquid is required to be indicated in any vessel, such as are
required and used in distilleries and other manufactories and for other analogous
purposes.