IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILERS FOR HEATING BUILDINGS, AND IN REGULATORS FOR THE SAME
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ambrose Marriott, of High Street, Higham
Ferrers, in the County of Northampton, Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILERS FOR HEATING BUILDINGS, AND IN REGULATORS
FOR THE SAME."
Sealed the 2nd October 1863, and dated the 15th April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ambrose Marriott at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th April 1863.
I, AMBROSE MARRIOTT, of High Street, Higham Ferrers, in the County
of Northampton, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOLLERS FOR HEATING BUILDINGS AND IN REGULATORS
FOR THE SAME," to be as follows:-
I construct the boiler with an annular water space at the top and bottom,
these two water spaces being connected together by vertical tubes. The flow
pipe is connected to the upper annular water space, and the return pipe to
the lower annular water space. The grate is placed in the interior of
the lower annular water space, and is mounted on pivots being capable of
being tilted by means of a lever outside so as to empty its contents into the
ash-pan. Above the upper annular water space is an annular smoke box, one
side of which is connected to the chimney or flue, and the opposite side to the
central fire space, so that the heat and smoke are compelled to pass round
the upper annular water space instead of passing directly to the chimney

page_text: or flue. The ash-pan is enclosed, air being admitted or shut off by means of
a damper, which is opened or closed by a regulator constructed as follows:-
In connection with the flow pipe, close to its junction with the upper annular
water space, I place a bulb or hollow sphere of cast iron or other metal, and
inside this hollow sphere I place another hollow sphere of smaller diameter so
that as the hot water passes along the pipe it circulates freely round the inner
sphere and communicates its heat thereto. The lower side of the inner sphere
is connected by a metallic pipe to an elastic tube closed at the bottom, and
attached to the damper by a screwed rod and swivel. The upper of the inner
sphere is also furnished with a pipe, which passes upwards through the outer
sphere where it is closed by a screw cap. Mercury is poured into the inner
tube through the last-mentioned pipe filling the sphere and elastic tube, and
the cap is replaced. It will now be evident that as the temperature of the
water increases it will cause the mercury to expand and lengthen the elastic
tube, and thus cause the rod to close the damper, and as the water cools the
mercury contracts, and allows the elastic tube to open the damper and admit
air to the fire. I prefer making the elastic tube of vulcanized india-rubber
surrounded by a coiled wire spring. By placing a thermometer on the flow
pipe, and lengthening or shortening the screwed rod accordingly by means of
the swivel the heat of the water may be regulated to any required degree,
and maintained at an equal temperature for any desired length of time.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Ambrose Marriott in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AMBROSE
MARRIOTT, of High Street, Higham Ferrers, in the County of Northampton,
Engineer, send greeting....
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Ambrose Marriott, Her special licence that I, the said Ambrose
Marriott, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Ambrose Marriott, my executors, administrators, and 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

page_text: 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 BOILERS FOR HEATING BUILDINGS, AND IS REGULATORS FOR
THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Ambrose
Marriott, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 I, the said Ambrose Marriott, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Drawings, that
is to say:-
I construct the boiler with an annular water space at the top and bottom,
these two water spaces being connected together by vertical tubes. The
flow pipe is connected to the upper annular water space, and the return pipe
to the lower annular water space. The grate is placed in the interior of the
lower annular water space, and is mounted on pivots being capable of being
tilted by means of a lever outside so as to empty its contents into the ash-pan.
Above the upper annular water space is an annular smoke box, one side of
which is connected to the chimney or flue, and the opposite side to the central
fire space, so that the heat and smoke are compelled to pass round the upper
annular water space instead of passing directly to the chimney or flue. The
ash-pan is enclosed, air being admitted or shut off by means of a damper,
which is opened or closed by a regulator constructed as follows:-In con-
nection with the flow pipe, close to its junction with the upper annular water
space, I place a bulb or hollow sphere of cast iron or other metal, and inside
this hollow sphere I place another hollow sphere of smaller diameter, so
that as the hot water passes along, the pipe it circulates freely round the
inner sphere and communicates its heat thereto. The lower side of the
inner sphere is connected by a metallic pipe to an elastic tube closed at the
bottom and attached to the damper by a screwed rod and swivel. The
upper part of the inner sphere is also furnished with a pipe, which passes
upwards through the outer sphere where it is closed by a screw cap. Mercury
is poured into the inner tube through the last-mentioned pipe, filling the
sphere and elastic tube, and the cap is replaced. It will now be evident
that as the temperature of the water incroases it will cause the mercury to

page_text: expand and lengthen the elastic tube, and thus cause the rod to close the
damper, and as the water cools the mercury contracts, and allows the
elastic tube to open the damper, and admit air to the fire. I prefer making
the elastic tube of vulcanized india-rubber surrounded by a coiled wire spring.
By placing a thermometer on the flow pipe, and lengthening or shortening the
screwed rod accordingly by means of the swivel, the heat of the water may be
regulated to any required degree and maintained at an equal temperature for
any desired length of time.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improvements
in Boilers for Heating Buildings, and in Regulators for the same," I will
now proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to
be or may be performed or carried into practical effect; and in order that the
same may be distinctly understood, I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of
Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures and
letters of reference corresponding with those in the following explanation
thereof, that is to say,-
In the annexed Drawing Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through about
the centre of one of my improved boilers; Figure 2 is a horizontal section
taken through about the line A, B, in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a similar view
taken through about the line C, D, in the same Figure; Figure 4 is a vertical
section on an enlarged scale of the regulator.
A, A, is the upper annular water space connected by the vertical tubes
B, B, with the lower annular water space C, C. The tubes B, B, are rivetted
into the flanges A' and C', and the caps A and C forming the annular water
spaces are fitted thereon with cement, the whole being bolted together by six
or more bolts B', B'; D, D, is the grate placed in the interior of the lower
part of the water space C, C, being mounted on pivots E, E, so as to be
capable of being tilted by means of the lever F, F, (outside the boiler) so as
to empty its contents into the ash-pan G, G. Above the upper annular
water space is an annular smoke box II, H, one side of which communicates
with the central fire space at I (see Figure 3,) and the other side with the
chimney or flue at K. The flow pipe is shown at L, and the return pipe at
M. The ash-pan G, G, is enclosed, and air is admitted or shut off by means
of a damper H, H, which is opened and closed by a regulator I, I, acted upon
by the heated water in the flow pipe.
The peculiar construction of the regulator I, I, will be better understood on
reference to the enlarged section thereof shown at Figure 4.
a, a, is a hollow sphere or bulb placed on the flow pipe, and in connection
with the upper annular water space, inside this hollow sphere or bulb is a

page_text: second hollow sphere or bulb 6, b, so arranged as that the heated water in
passing to the flow pipe through the outer sphere circulates freely round the
inner sphere and communicates its heat thereto. The lower side of the sphere
b, b, is connected by a metallic pipe c, c, to an elastic tube d, d, closed at the
bottom, and attached to the damper H, H, by a screwed rod and swivel e, c.
The bulb b, b, and elastic tube d, d, are filled with mercury through the
short tube f, f, above the bulb, the mouth of which is closed by the screw
cap g.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Improvements in Boilers for Heating Buildings, and in Regulators for tho
same," together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be per-
formed or carried into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion, that I
claim as my Invention,-
Firstly, the general construction and arrangement of boiler for such
purposes as shown in the Drawings, and above particularly described.
And, secondly, I claim the construction of a regulator for such boilers
wherein the heated water in the flow pipe acts upon a column of mercury in
a flexible tube, which by elongating or contracting shuts or opens the
damper which admits air to the enclosed ash-pan below the fire.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ambrose Marriott, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
AMBROSE MARRIOTT. (L.S.)