Improved Means or Apparatus for Preventing and Removing Deposits or Incrustations in Steam Generators.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1893
• Complete Specification Left, 11th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 12th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means or Apparatus for Preventing and Removing
Deposits or Incrustations in Steam Generators.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has
been communicated to me from abroad by Jean Pierre Serve of 17 Quai de Cuire,
Lyons, in the Republic of France, Engineer,) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to mechanical means or apparatus for preventing the
formation of deposits or incrustations in steam generators and more especially in
those parts which are exposed to the direct action of the furnace.
The invention consists essentially in causing a cleaning device to circulate or
move frequently over the surfaces to be protected during the working of the boiler.
This cleaning device may be constituted by a combination of chains with links of
suitable thickness or by a species of metallic network formed by interlaced loops
or rings or metallic brushes, spring blades or scrapers or other equivalent devices
may be employed being actuated by any suitable means from the exterior of the
generator.
These cleaning devices may be set in motion as frequently as may be considered
necessary without interfering with the working of the generator and the friction
produced by the metallic network when dragged over the internal surface of the
generator renders it impossible for any permanent deposit or incrustation to be
formed upon the surfaces with which it is brought in contact and which are thereby
continually and effectually cleaned.
I will describe by way of examples arrangements which it is preferred to employ
in carrying out the invention in practice when applied to a generator with an
internal furnace and to a generator heated externally.
In the case of generators with one or more internal furnaces such as marine
boilers two metallic rings capable of rotating freely upon rollers are provided at
opposite extremities of each cylindrical flue or fire box. These rings being
capable of rotating freely upon the rollers by which they are supported are
provided with circular racks gearing with pinions fixed upon a shaft passing
through a stuffing box provided in the front end of the boiler and provided
outside the boiler with a crank handle or other means for rotating it by hand or
by power.
The said rings are connected together by two or more bars or rods
arranged at a suitable distance apart and to which is attached so as to hang somewhat
loosely between them a metal net formed by interlaced chains or links. When the
two rotary rings are caused to rotate simultaneously upon the flue the net is pressed
by its own weight against the plates of the flue or fire box and produces sufficient
friction thereon to rapidly detach any deposit which may have been formed in the
interval between two successive operations.
The rings carrying the metal net may be constructed and maintained in position
by any suitable means whereby the rotation is facilitated and the lateral or twisting
strain resulting from the action of the driving pinions may be obviated.
As hereinbefore explained the cleaning device may be composed either of a net
formed by interlaced links or of chains arranged side by side and such chains may
be arranged with intervals between them provided that they are arranged obliquely
relatively to the axis of the boiler and when the cleaning device is formed by a
series of jointed brushes the latter are preferably attached to a flexible support in

page_text: order to enable them to accommodate themselves readily to the curves of the
boiler plates. According to another arrangement a rotary brush may be employed
being supported between the two revolving rings hereinbefore described upon a shaft
or axis provided with a pinion gearing with a stationary circular rack provided
for the purpose in the interior of the boiler so that the brush is caused to rotate
upon its own axis at the same time as it revolves around the boiler or flue.
In all cases the cleaning device is preferably so arranged as to act not only upon
the cylindrical surface or surfaces to be cleaned but also upon the adjacent vertical
parts or ends of the boiler.
When the boiler is provided with a number of furnaces or fire places any suitable
means may be employed for driving all the cleaning devices from one shaft actuated
from the exterior as herein before explained.
The cleaning device may be of less length than the surface to be cleaned but in
this case it must be so arranged as to admit of being displaced laterally upon the
said surface. In this case the arrangement hereinbefore described may be simplified
by suspending the cleaning net from a small carriage to which a reciprocating
movement is imparted by means of screws or endless chains actuated from the
exterior by means of a crank for example.
In the case of a boiler heated externally arrangements similar to those herein-
before described may be employed but the object of the invention is preferably
attained by means of the following arrangement namely:--
At the centre or preferably slightly below the axis of the boiler there is provided
a shaft capable of being rotated from the exterior and carrying radial arms
provided at their extremities with cleaning devices such as brushes or nets
composed of metal which by rubbing against the concave surfaces at the bottom
and sides of the boiler rapidly detach therefrom the deposits or incrustations which
may have been formed thereon in the interval between two operations it being
understood that in this as in the other arrangements herein before described any
suitable means may be employed for actuating the said shaft either by hand or by
means of gearing or power if required and that the weight of the brushes may be
compensated by means of a counterweight or weights.
In all cases it is important to enable the position of the cleaning device within
the boiler to be constantly indicated and to obtain this result it is simply necessary
to utilize the external part of the driving shaft of the said device for actuating
either an endless chain provided with a mark or a revolving pointer travelling over
a graduated scale or dial or any other suitable indicating mechanism.
The invention is evidently not limited to the precise arrangement and construction
herein before described by way of a practical illustration of the novel method of
cleaning boiler plates by means of mechanical devices arranged in the interior of
the boiler this system being applicable to steam generators of all descriptions
heated either internally or externally as well as to multitubular boilers or boilers
with water tubes by correspondingly modifying the form of the cleaning devices
and of the arrangements employed for actuating the same.
Dated this 12th day of July 1893.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means or Apparatus for Preventing and Removing
Deposits or Incrustations in Steam Generators.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by Jean Pierre Serve of 17 Quai de Cuire, Lyons
in the Republic of France, Engineer) and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to mechanical means or apparatus for preventing the
formation of deposits or incrustations in steam generators and more especially in
those parts which are exposed to the direct action of the furnace.
The invention consists essentially in causing a cleaning device to circulate or
move frequently over the surfaces to be protected during the working of the
boiler. This cleaning device may be constituted by a combination of chains with
links of suitable thickness or by a species of metallic network formed by inter-
laced loops or rings or metallic brushes, spring blades, or scrapers or, other
equivalent devices may be employed being actuated, by any suitable means from
the exterior of the generator.
This cleaning device may be set in motion as frequently as may be considered
necessary without interfering with the working of the generator and the friction
produced by the said device when dragged over the internal surface of the
generator renders it impossible for any permanent deposit or incrustation to be
formed upon the surfaces with which it is brought in contact and which are thereby
continually and effectually cleaned.
I will describe by way of example an arrangement which it is preferred to
employ in carrying out the invention and for that purpose will refer to the
accompanying sheet of drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the
apparatus applied to a generator with an internal furnace, Figure 2 is a vertical
section of the same and Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation shewing the
invention applied to a marine boiler.
In the case of generators with an internal furnace or internal furnaces such as
marine boilers a metallic ring A capable of rotating freely upon rollers C is
provided at each extremity of each cylindrical flúe or fire box F. Each ring A is
provided with a circular rack D with which gears a pinion E fixed upon a shaft G-
passing through a stuffing box I (Figure 3) provided in the front end of the boiler
and supported in a bearing at the other end and provided outside the boiler with a
crank handle K or other means for rotating. it by hand or by power. The said
rings A are connected together by two or more bars or rods a arranged at a
suitable distance apart to which bars or rods are attached, so as to hang somewhat
loosely between them, a metal net or like device B which may be formed by
interlaced chains or links. When the rings A are caused to rotate simultaneously
upon the flue the net or the like presses by its own weight against the plates of
the flue or fire box and produces sufficient friction thereon to rapidly detach
any deposit which may have been formed in the interval between two successive
operations.
The rings A carrying the net or the like B may be constructed and maintained
in position by any suitable means whereby the rotation is facilitated and the
lateral or twisting strain resulting from the action of the driving pinions may be
obviated.
In the example illustrated in the drawings rollers H are employed for this
purposes whose axes are arranged in the generator and which revolve on a circular
path h formed by the inside of the rings A.
When the apparatus described is arranged inside a boiler of the ordinary
cylindrical type fired externally the rollers C supporting the rings A, and the
driving shaft G and pinion E should be placed within the said rings and the 'metal
net or the like B be so disposed as to bear with its weight on the bottom part of
the boiler which in this case is the part most exposed to the direct action of the
furnace..
As hereinbefore explained the cleaning device B may be composed either of a
net formed by interlaced links or of chains arranged side by side and such chains
may be arranged with intervals between them provided that they are arranged
obliquely relatively to the axis of the boiler and when the cleaning device is
formed by a series of jointed brushes the latter 'are preferably-attached to a

page_text: .. flexible support in order to enable them to accommodate themselves readily to the
curves of the boiler plates. According to another arrangement a rotary brush
...may be employed being supported between the two revolving rings herein before
.. described upon a shaft or axis provided with a pinion gearing with a stationary
circular rack provided for the purpose in the interior of the boiler so that the
brush is caused to rotate upon its own axis at the same time as it revolves around
the boiler or flue.
"
;
The cleaning device B may be of less length than the surface to be cleaned but
in this case it must be so arranged as to admit of being displaced laterally upon
the said surface. In this case the arrangement hereinbefore described may be
simplified by suspending the cleaning net or the like from a small carriage moving
on rails fixed to the revolving rings or to the boiler or flue to which carriage a
reciprocating movement is imparted by means of screws or endless chains actuated
from the exterior by means of a crank for example.
The cleaning device B is preferably so arranged as to act not only upon the
cylindrical surface or surfaces to be cleaned but also upon the adjacent vertical
parts or ends of the boiler or generator.
When the boiler is provided with a number of furnaces or fire places any suitable
means may be employed for driving all the cleaning devices from one shaft
actuated from the exterior as hereinbefore explained.
In all cases it is important to enable the position of the cleaning device within
the generator or boiler to be constantly indicated and to obtain this result it is
simply necessary to utilize the external part of the driving shaft of the said device
for actuating either an endless chain provided with a mark or a revolving pointer
travelling over a graduated scale or dial or any other suitable indicating
.mechanism.
The invention is evidently not limited to the precise arrangement, and con-
struction hereinbefore described by way of a practical illustration of the novel
method of cleaning boiler plates by means of mechanical devices arranged in the
interior of the boiler, this system being applicable to steam generators of all
descriptions heated either internally or externally.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved apparatus arranged to revolve in the interior of a steam
generator consisting of two or more rings turning on rollers and provided with a
peripheral rack or racks for causing them to turn in one direction or another
while the generator is in use by means of a pinion or pinions mounted on an axle
projecting on the outside of the generator and operated by hand or mechanically,
the said rings carrying a flexible cleaning device formed of metal chains links or
brushes and arranged to rub over the surfaces of the said generator so as to
prevent the formation of a permanent deposit thereon substantially as hereinbefore
;described.
2. A flexible cleaning device mounted on revolving rings and consisting of a
metallic network formed by interlaced chains or links and bearing or rubbing on
the surfaces of the generator substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
⚫ described.
3. A flexible cleaning device mounted on revolving rings and consisting of a
cylindrical brush rotated on its own axis by means of a pinion fixed on the said
axis and gearing with a stationary circular rack provided for the purpose in the
interior of the boiler or generator substantially as hereinbefore described...
•
4. A cleaning device formed of brushes or flexible metallic network or the
like mounted on a carriage moveable on rails fixed to the revolving rings or to
the surface of the generator, the carriage receiving a reciprocating movement
from screws or endless chains actuated from the outside substantially as and for
the purpose hereinbefore described.

page_text: 5. In combination with the mechanism hereinbefore described and claimed the-
arrangement of a device for indicating outside the position of the cleaning:
apparatus in the generator substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated the 11th day of April 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, Agents..