IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hill, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO STEAM BOILERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hill at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th October 1881.
GEORGE HILL, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
AND RELATING TO STEAM BOILERS."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
The object of my Invention is to provide a steam boiler in which a large steam
generating surface is obtained in a small compass, and one in which brickwork
can be dispensed with, whereby the boiler can at all times be readily seen and
examined.
The main part of the boiler consists of a vertical shell with egg or dome shaped
top, and to either side of this I attach a circular or barrel shaped continuation, at
the outer end of which the smoke box is placed. The furnace or fire box I arrange
below the barrel shaped sides of the boiler, with a combustion chamber leading
from the top of it, and from either side of the combustion chamber leading to the
smoke boxes I place tubes which carry off the products of combustion, and heat the
water through which they pass. These tubes, which run horizonally across
the boiler, act as stays to the end of the boiler and combustion chamber, making it
of great strength.
Into the combustion chamber, above its junction with the fire box or furnace, I
lead through a tube a current of air to promote the more complete combustion of
the products escaping from the fuel, the tube passing through the smoke box and
interior of the boiler parallel to the other tubes. I preferably use two chimneys.
but the two smoke boxes can be connected by means of flues with one, where it is
desirable.
The fire box at the bottom of the boiler I preferably make taper, and I insert in
a boiler of 36 horse power about 194 tubes of 2 inch diameter; and in one of
84 horse power, 370 tubes,

page_text: Where the barrel shaped sides or ends of the boiler do not extend for more than
18 inches beyond the sides of the main and vertical structure, I fill the boiler
with water above this portion, but where the barrel shaped part of the structure is
of greater length it is desirable that the tubes should not completely fill it, and a
steam space be left at the top; this enables one to lessen the height of the upright
or main part of the boiler and of the combustion chamber, and if necessary the top
of barrel chamber and the vertical chamber may be of the same height for the
purpose of attaching thereto an engine, such as is now used on portable boilers.
Large wheels may also be placed under the barrels of the boiler and shafts to
the end, making a better and more compact portable boiler than any at present
in use.
This class of vertical boiler I estimate is equal to three of any ordinary vertical
boiler of the same size, and using only the same quantity of coal as one boiler of
usual construction. This boiler may be used in the place of Lancashire or any
other type of boiler. A boiler 15 feet high by 7 feet diameter, being 84
horse power, and equal to two large Lancashire boilers working together, and
has additional advantage of requiring much less room and no brickwork, so that it
can always be seen for examination. A boiler 11 feet high by 5 feet diameter
will be 36 horse power. These boilers are free from any water lying still or
dead in them by having the heating surface so thoroughly diffused throughout.
The fire commences at the bottom of water and works all the way to the top of
the water, thereby giving a thorough circulation of heat through the water; also
the water has a constant circulation by running out of top of barrel and entering
at bottom, and priming is prevented on account of outlet of steam being high above
the water.
The hot air from the pipes arranged to meet the gases and products of com-
bustion as they rise through the mouth of the combustible chamber ensure a
thorough combustion and prevention of smoke, causing a blaze to pass through the
tubes instead of smoke, thereby gaining all that is possible to gain from the fire
instead of letting it go to waste. These boilers are free from unequal expansion,
thus preventing the straining of the boiler, which is a great evil in many boilers,
causing many repairs to be made.
In these boilers the flame comes out from the centre through each side, thus
gaining a greater uniformity of heat through the boiler, and pass through two
chimneys or flues, and at the same time the two flues can be led into one or into
various ways, as circumstances may require.
These boilers are more accessible both for repairs and cleaning than many, and
are not like many portable boilers at the present day that cannot be repaired
without great expense, the inside having to be taken out of the shell before it can
be made good, or replace it with a new inside.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Hill in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th April
1882.
GEORGE HILL, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
AND RELATING TO STEAM BOILERS."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
The object of my Invention is to provide a steam boiler in which a large steam
generating surface is obtained in a small compass, and one in which brick work can
be dispensed with, and that can at all times be readily seen and examined.
Referring to the Drawings, Fig. 1 is elevation of boiler constructed according to
my Invention; Fig. 2, sectional elevation; Fig. 3, plan of same; Fig. 4, section on
line x, x; Fig. 5, sectional elevation of modified design; Fig. 6, sectional plan of
Fig. 5; Fig. 7, section on line y, y.
The main part of the boiler consists of a vertical shell A, with egg or dome
shaped top. To either side of this I attach a cylindrical or barrel shaped con-
tinuation B, at the outer end of which the smoke box C is placed. The furnace or
fire box D I arrange below the barrel shaped sides of the boiler with a combustion
chamber E leading from the top of it, and from either side of the combustion
chamber E leading to the smoke boxes C I place tubes F, which carry off the
products of combustion, and heat the water through which they pass. These tubes,
which run horizontally across the boiler, act as stays between the end of the boiler
and combustion chamber, giving the boiler great strength.
Into the combustion chamber E, above its junction with the fire box or furnace D,
I lead through a tube G a current of air to promote the more complete combustion
of the products escaping from the fuel, the tube passing through the smoke box C
and interior of the boiler parallel to the tubes F. The end of this tube is fitted
with a sliding lid or valve g, so that the current of air admitted may be regulated.
I prefer to use two chimneys H, but the two smoke boxes can be connected by
means of flues with one, where it is desirable.
The fire box D at the bottom of the boiler I prefer to make taper, and with a
curved or dome shaped top, which is less liable to crack than the flat ones now in
use. I insert in a boiler of 36 horse power about 194 tubes of 2 inch diameter;
and in one of 84 horse power, about 370 tubes.
Where the barrel shaped sides or ends B of the boiler do not extend for more
than eighteen inches beyond the sides of the main and vertical structure A, as seen
in Fig. 2, I fill the boiler with water to the level of the top of the horizontal barrel
shaped part of the structure; where the latter is of greater length (as shown, Fig. 5)
it is desirable that the tubes F should not completely fill it, but a steam space be
left at the top; this enables one to lessen the height of the upright or main part of
the boiler A and of the combustion chamber E. If necessary, the top of the barrel
chamber B and the vertical chamber A. may be of the same height, for the purpose
of attaching thereto an engine, such as is now used on portable boilers. The dotted
lines on the Figure show the positions the dome shaped top may be required to
take. Large wheels may, if desired, be placed under the projecting part of the
boiler B, and shafts to the end, making a better and more compact portable boiler
than any at present in use.
This class of vertical boiler I estimate in productive capacity to be equal to three
of any ordinary vertical type of the same size, and to use only the same quantity
of coal as one boiler of usual construction. This boiler may be used in the place of
Lancashire or any other type of boiler. A. boiler 15 feet high by 7 feet diameter
will be 84 horse power, and equal to two large Lancashire boilers working together.
It has the advantage of requiring much less room and no brickwork, so that it can

page_text: always be seen for examination. A boiler 11 feet high by five feet diameter will be
36 horse power. These boilers are free from any water lying still or dead in them
by having the heating surface so thoroughly diffused throughout. The beating
commences at the bottom of the water and works all the way to the top, thereby
giving a thorough circulation of heat through the water.
Also the water has a constant circulation by running out of top of barrel and
entering at bottom, and priming is prevented on account of the outlet for the steam
being high above the water.
The hot air from the tubes G, arranged to meet the gases and products of com-
bustion as they rise through the mouth of the combustion chamber, causes eddies
and ensures a thorough mixture of the gases, and consequent combustion and
prevention of smoke, and causes a blaze to pass through the tubes F instead of
smoke. I thereby utilize all the heat that it is possible to gain from the fire instaad
of letting it go to waste. These boilers are free from unequal expansion, and con-
sequent straining, which is a great evil in many boilers, causing frequent repairs to
be made.
In the combustion chambers in these boilers the flame divides in the centre and
passes out through the tubes in each side, thus producing a great uniformity of heat
throughout the boiler. The products of combustion then pass off through two
chimneys or flues, which may be kept separate and distinct or may be led into one
chimney, as convenience or circumstances may require.
These boilers are more accessible both for repairs and cleaning than many, and
are not, like many portable boilers at the present day, incapable of being repaired
without great expense, the inside having to be taken out of the shell before it can
be made good or patched.
Having now described my Invention and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I believe to be new and desire
to protect under the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. A steam boiler consisting of a vertical cylindrical shell with internal com-
bustion chamber above the furnace, from the tube plates of which tubes project
beyond the cylindrical shell into other tube plates placed in short horizontal
cylinders projecting from the vertical shell.
2nd. The mode of and apparatus for obtaining more perfect combustion in steam
boilers, consisting in placing a combustion chamber (E) immediately above the
furnace or fire box (forming an upward prolongation of the same), and introducing
into said combustion chamber one or more air supply pipes, such as (G), arranged
to meet the products of combustion as they rise to the tubes or flues.
3rd. The general arrangement and combination of parts of boiler, substantially as
herein described and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Hill, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and nighty toon
Witness,
J. OWDEN O'BRIEN,
Clerk to Wm. P. Thompson & Co.,
Patent Agents,
Liverpool & London.
GEORGE HILL. (L.S.)