IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANING AND IN PREVENTING THE FORMATION OF DEPOSITS AND INCRUSTATIONS IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Antoine and Jean Martin, of Trieste, Austria,
Merchants, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANING AND IN
PREVENTING THE FORMATION OF DEPOSITS AND INCRUSTATIONS IN STEAM
BOILERS."
Sealed the 19th January 1858, and dated the 25th November 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Antoine and Jean Martin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on
the 25th November 1857.
We, ANTOINE and JEAN MARTIN, of Trieste, Austria, Merchants, do hereby
declare the nature of our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANING AND IN
PREVENTING THE FORMATION OF DEPOSITS AND INCRUSTATIONS IN STEAM BOILERS,"
to be as follows, that is to say:-
The Invention consists in the employment of certain agents in the propor-.
tions and manner herein-after stated for removing and preventing deposits
and incrustations in steam engine boilers, either on land or water, and fed
either with salt or fresh water; and also in a contrivance or apparatus for
introducing the said agents into the steam boilers.
For a steam boiler of one-horse power, containing about fifty gallons, fed
with sea water and clean at the moment of starting, I employ a composition
consisting of the following agents, viz: of crystallized carbonate of soda about
one ounce seven pennyweights (apoth.), or in lieu of crystallized carbonate of
soda, of calcined carbonate of soda one and a half ounces,) and of wood ashes.
sifted five pennyweights, and of plumbago one and a quarter pennyweights.
(In case plumbago is not to be had, we take of wood ashes two and a half.

page_text: pennyweights, and add it to the five pennyweights of sifted wood ashes). Tho
whole being reduced to powder and mixed together, is placed in the con-
trivance herein-after described, and thereby introduced into the boiler; and
when the saturation of the water in the boiler rises to about 12° to 15° of
Beaumé's arcometer, the contents must be extracted as usual, after which an
equal quantity of the said agents must again be supplied, as before stated, to
the boiler.
For a boiler having incrustations or sediments at the moment of starting,
after adding the above composition, we introduce into the boiler when tho
valves can conveniently be opened, and by preference not later than ten days
after starting, about two and a half pennyweights of hydrochlorate of ammonia
for each horse-power, and in portions of one quarter, at intervals of about fivo
minutes, the contents of the boiler being extracted about one hour afterwards:
The same agents are applicable to boilers fed with fresh water, with this
exception, that if the water contains an excess of carbonate and sulphate of
lime, the quantities above stated of agents forming the composition must bo
doubled, and the contents of the boiler should be extracted more frequently.
The apparatus by which the above-named composition and bydrochlorato of
ammonia are introduced is constructed so as to feed one or two boilers at a
time, if required.
In the latter case it consists of a receiver, put in communication with the
bailer by means of two tubes furnished with stop-cocks, each tube being pro-
longed to within eighteen inches of the bottom of the boilers. The receiver
in which the agents are placed is furnished with a small air cock, which when
opened allows the air to escape, thus thus permitting the water from the
boilers to enter the receiver until it is half full of water. The air-cock being
shut, the agents are introduced into the receiver; the two cocks fitted to the
receiver are then opened, and the steam being admitted through a pipe into
the receiver forces the agents through the tubes into the boilers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 3
by the said Antoine and Jean Martin in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd May 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ANTOINE
and JEAN MARTIN, of Trieste, Austria, Merchants, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our

page_text: Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Antoine and Jean Martin, Her special license that we, the said
Antoine and Jean Martin, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Antoine and Jean Martin, our executors, adminis-
trators, 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 make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANING AND IN PREVENTING THE
FORMATION OF DEPOSITS AND INCRUSTATIONS IN STEAM BOILERS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said Antoine and Jean Martin, our.
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our 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 we, the said Antoine and Jean Martin, do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereto annexed, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists in the employment of certain agents, in the propor-
tions and manner herein-after stated, for cleaning and preventing deposits and
incrustations in steam engine boilers, employed either on land or water, and
fed either with salt or fresh water; and also in an apparatus for introducing
the said agents into the steam boiler or boilers.
When steam boilers are fed with sea water a deposit or incrustation is
formed, composed of various matters, which the sea water contains. This
incrustation firmly adheres to the plates of the boiler, and being sometimes
from one-eighth to half an inch in thickness, a greater consumption of fuel is
required to produce the necessary quantity of steam; and it frequently happens
that the fire burns and otherwise seriously injures the bottom of the boiler.
The same defects, more or less, attend steam boilers fed with fresh water.
The object of our Invention is to obviate these defects, particularly in boilers
of steam boats having long voyages to perform, in which sea water has to be
used for feeding their boilers.
The Invention is also applicable, with advantage, to boilers of river steam

page_text: MODE OF OPERATING.
To clean a boiler foul with incrustations at the time of starting, and also
prevent the further formation of deposits or incrustations during the voyage;
awe introduce, by means of the apparatus herein-after described, or by any
other suitable apparatus or means at option, per horse-power, or per forty-five
to fifty-five gallons of water employed, a mixture composed of the following
agents, videlicet, crystallized carbonate of soda one ounce seven drachms
(apoth.), or in lieu thereof, of one ounce five-drachms of calcined carbonate of
soda, wood ashes sifted five drachins, plumbago one and a quarter drachmi
Instead of plumbago, two and a half drachms of wood ashes may be added to
the wood ashes already named. The whole is reduced to powder and mixed
together. The plumbago may be replaced also by coke, pumicestone, and
other analogous substances broken in pieces. The water must be partially;
drawn or "blown off" when its saturation amounts to a density of twelve to
fifteen degrees of Baumé's arcometer, and the above described mixturo must
be introduced into the boiler by the apparatus herein-after described, along
with the required supply of water. Advantage should be taken of the steani
escape valves being opened (but not before the engine has been at work for.
forty hours) to introduce into the boiler by the means beforo stated two and.
a half drachms apoth. of hydrochlorate of ammonia per each horse-power, or
per forty-five to fifty-five gallons of contents, and in successive portions of
about one-fourth of the total quantity, at intervals of five minutes, the contents:
of the boiler being drawn or "blown off" completely about one hour after-
wards. In case, however, no opportunity occurs to open the stean escape
valves during the voyage, it is. necessary to introduce the hydrochlorate of:
ammouia, in the above stated proportions and manner, into the boiler on
anchoring or on arrival in port, after which the: boiler must be emptied of its
contents. On restarting, the boiler must receive a fresh supply of water and
mixture, composed as before stated.
If, after operating as above described, any old incrustation remains attached:
to the interior of the boiler, the addition of the two and a half drachms.
hydrochlorate of ammonia must be repeated until the boiler is completely.
cleaned. When the old incrustation has been detached and completely
removed from the boiler, there is no necessity for any further addition of
bydrochlorate of ammonia; the above mixture is then only required.
To prevent the formation of incrustations or deposits in clean boilers, clear

page_text: from deposits at the time of starting, we introduce the mixture, composed as
before stated, per horse-power, or per every forty-five to fifty-five gallons of
water fed to the boiler, care being taken to partially draw or "blow off" the
contents when the saturation of the water amounts to twelve to fifteen degrees
(Beaumé). The same quantity of the mixture must again be introduced-into'
the boiler immediately after the "blowing off" bas taken place, and the proper
level of the water has been obtained therein. The same process herein-before
described for foul or clean boilers fed with sea water, is applicable for boilers'
fed with fresh or brackish water, with this exception, that for waters containing
an excess of carbonate or sulphate of lime, the proportions of the various
agents composing the mixture must be doubled, and the usual "blowing off"
should occur more frequently. The mixture may be prepared in any desiredi
quantity by increasing the proportional quantities of the various agents enter-!
ing into its composition. It is necessary for the stoker from time to time to
ascertain the degree of saturation of the water in the boiler, and to draw or
blow off in the ordinary way directly the density of the water arrives-at!
twelve to fifteen degrees (Beaumé's), as herein-before described.
: . I
DESCRIPTION OF THE APPARATUS SHEWN IN THE ANNEXED DRAWING FOR
FACILITATING THE INTRODUCTION OF THE MIXTURE AND HYDROCHLORATE
OF AMMONIA INTO TWO BOILERS.
A, A, steam boilers with chimney; B, funnel for introducing the agents
into the reservoir; C, slide valve; D, metallic reservoir; E, steam pipe for
conveying steam to force the agents through the tubes F and G; H, H, tubes
for conducting the agents composing the mixture into the boilers; J, steam
cock; K, K, cocks for allowing the passage of the agents into the boilers;
L, air cock. The internal diameter of the steam pipe E should be about half
an inch, that of the tubes F and G about one and a half inch. The appa-
ratus, including the pipes for the introduction of the mixture and hydrochlorate
of ammonia must be constructed of a strength capable of resisting the same
pressure as the boilers with which they are to be used. The air cock is
opened to permit the water in the boiler to rise into the reservoir through the
tubes II. When the reservoir is half full of water, the air cock is closed,
and the mixture or hydrochlorate of ammonia is introduced through the
funnel B, the valve C being then closed. The cocks K, K, are then opened,
which permit the contents of the reservoir to pass through the tubes F and G
into the boilers. The apparatus may be arranged for the supply of one builer
only.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be carried into effect, we wish it to be understood that
we do not confine ourselves to the precise proportions herein-before laid down,.
nor to the use exclusively of the apparatus herein-before described, reserving
the right of modifying the proportions of the agents, and of employing any
other suitable or known apparatus and means for the introduction of tho
samo. What we claim is,-
First, the combination and employment of a mixture, composed as herein-
before stated, in conjunction with hydrochlorate of ammonia, as stated, for
cleaning boilers foul with incrustations, and also for preventing the further
formation of deposits or incrustations in the same, as herein-beforo described.
Secondly, the employment of the above-described mixture alone for clean
boilers, for preventing the formation of deposits or incrustations therein, as
herein-before described.
Thirdly, a modified construction of apparatus for facilitating the intro-
duction of the said mixture and hydrochlorate of ammonia into a boiler or
boilers, as herein-before described, and represented in the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, tho said Antoine and Jean Martin, have hereto
set our hands and seals, this Twenty-fifth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
ANI. MARTIN. (LS.)
(L.S.)
J. MARTIN.
ANI. MAKIN. (L.S.)
J. MARTIN.
(LS.)