Improvements in Steam Generators.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 9th Sept., 1891-4ccepted, 10th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Generators.
I JAMES BLAKE of the Britannia Works, Newton Heath Manchester in the
County of Lancaster Engineer and Boiler Maker do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows :-
My invention relates to steam generators having shells or flues composed partly
of bent or cylindrically curved plates and partly of flat plates or composed of plates
partly curved and partly flat the object of my invention being to stiffen the flat
portions so as to lessen the number of cross stays required and generally to increase
the strength of the generator. In a generator having a shell in the cross sectional
form of two semi-circles connected together by straight lines the cross stays have to
be placed so close together that it is difficult or impossible to get from one part of the
interior to another. I make the said straight or flat parts of the shell of plates which
are corrugated, buckled or moulded so as to increase the stiffness of the plates. I may
make the flat portion of the boiler extending between the two senii-circles of a
width across which is less than the diameter of the semi-circular parts. In some
cases I might make the portion extending between the semi-circular ends partly
flat and partly curved. When corrugating the plates I press and mould them so
that the flat top and bottom edges of each plate are about level with the tops of the
corrugations the bottoms being curved so as to die out into the flat parts. Such
curved parts of the corrugations may correspond with the curved parts of the
boiler shell. The corrugations may be straight or be curved or be circular in form
or be in the form of crosses or be combinations of such forms. In place of moulding
the plates with so termed corrugations or in combination therewith, I may press the
plates into "buckle" forms the plates having dished or saucer like depressions or
prominences or portions partly depressed and partly curving or swelling outward.
I may also form the said plates with ribs, ridges or fins either alone or in
combination with the corrugations or shapes already described. In the formation
of the generator shell I propose in some cases to space the cross stays at equal
distances apart vertically and horizontally so that the spaces between can be
divided into squares treated in the manner herein indicated. My invention is well
adapted for use in the construction of steam generators of the general forms
indicated in the drawings attached to the Specification of a former invention for
which Letters Patent number 5254 of the year 1878 have been granted to me
with reference particularly to Figs. 10, 17, 18, 21, and 22 of such drawings. In the
formation of internal flues which are provided with water tubes I press the plates
so as to form corrugations either straight or curved as aforesaid such corrugations
having the bottoms curved or partly curved and partly straight as regards the
direction of the corrugations so that the corrugations die out to the general surface
of the plate at the parts wherein the ends of the water tubes are fixed.
Dated this 8th day of December 1890.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Steam 'Generators.
I JAMES BLAKE of the Britannia Works, Newton Heath, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, and .Boiler Maker, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying
drawings:-
:-
My invention relates to steam generators having shells or flues composed partly
of bent or cylindrically curved plates and partly of flat plates or composed of plates
partly curved and partly flat the object of my invention being to stiffen the flat
portions so as to lessen the number of cross stays required and generally to increase
the strength of the generator.
To render my invention more easily and thoroughly understood I will now proceed
more particularly to describe the same with reference to the annexed two sheets of
drawings.
The invention is more particularly applicable to boilers of the marine type
although it may also be applied to boilers not of this nature. In a common form of
such generator the shell is in the cross sectional form of two semicircles connected
together by straight sides. Such a form of boiler is illustrated in side elevation at
Fig. 1 of the drawings Fig. 2 being a horizontal section at the line A B Fig. 1.
Under the ordinary form of this boiler the usual cross stays have to be placed so
close together that it is difficult and in some cases impossible to get from one part
of the interior to another or even cleanse the interior properly. These stays
are a necessity to strengthen the flat sides and the object of my invention is so to
construct these sides that they have of themselves sufficient strength to resist the
pressure without the aid of stays or with the assistance of a limited number only.
With this object I curve or corrugate or buckle or bend or mould or shape the
plates so as to give them the requisite strength. For example in Figs. 1 and 2
a a are the semicircular top and bottom of the boiler shell while indicates that
portion of the shell which is usually flat. In the case of Figs. 1 and 2 this usually
flat portion is curved as at the plates b being shaped and moulded so as to curve
away from the flat portion and meet or melt into the curve of the ends a a. This
curved shape imparted to the plates & confers a strength and power of resistance to
pressure which enables me to dispense with the usual number of strengthening cross
stays and to use two cross-stays c and d only, with the tube plate stays ii to connect
the plate to the sides b as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The curving of the plates does
not alter the general form or bulk of the boiler nor does it interfere with its internal
economy while by the absence of the usual multiplicity of cross stays access to the
boiler for inspection or for cleansing purposes is rendered casy. The remaining
figs. illustrate modifications of my invention the object in all being the same
namely to so strengthen the side plates as to do away with the necessity for any
great number of stays. In Figs. 3 and 4. the flat or partly flat portion connecting
the semi-circular ends a is of a width across, which is less than the diameter of the
semi-circular ends. In this instance the portion is partly flat and partly curved as
most clearly shown at Fig. 4 which is a horizontal section of Fig. 3 at the line A. B.
The combination of the flat and bulge in the sides'b-confers a strength upon that
part of the boiler which enables me to dispense with the usual number of cross
stays. In the example I use two-stays c d one above and one below the tube plate
and tubes as clearly shown in Fig. 3 together with the stays i i. In Figs. 5 and 6
the portion between the semi-cylindrical ends a, a is curved as most clearly shown
at Fig. 6 and is also so shaped as to fit the curve of the said ends. Two stays
only cd together with the stays ii appear in this example. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 show
another example of a boiler having rounded or semi-cylindrical top and bottom.
In this instance the waist between the ends a is held together by three stays c d e.

page_text: Staysconnect the combustion chamber to the flat portion o³. In some cases the
waist might be of greater length raising the semi-cylindrical top as shown in dotted
lines Fig. 9. The flat portion of the waist against which the stay nuts c d e are
screwed might extend to the front of the boiler as shown in Fig. 7 and in full lines
in Fig. 8 or it might be led out to the full width as shown by the dotted lines 68
Fig. 8. Figs. 94 and 98 show a boiler in which one of the ends is entirely rounded
or chamfered. Figs. 10, 11, and 12 Sheet 2 illustrate a boiler in which the portion b
which connects the semi-cylindrical ends a is buckled or bent in at the point where
it is held together by the stays c d e. Fig. 12 is a cross section of Fig. 10 at the
line C. D. Figs. 13, 14, and 15, show a boiler in which the plates of the portion or
waist are corrugated so as to give additional strength. When corrugating the
plates I press and mould them so that the flat top and bottom edges of each plate
are about level with the tops of the corrugations the bottoms being curved so as to
die out into the flat parts. Such curved parts of the corrugations may correspond
with the curved parts of the boiler shell. The corrugations may be straight or be
curved or circular in form or in the form of crosses or combinations of such forms
or with ribs or ridges as indicated in Fig. 16. Figs. 17 and 18 show a boiler flue in
which the Galloway tubes k are connected at the bottom of the flue to arched
corrugations. The ribs or ridges extending between the arches confer great
strength upon the flue and permit of the use of thinner plates from which to make
the flue. In all of the foregoing examples the object of the curved or dished or
buckled or corrugated or ridged plates or waists or parts in boiler shells and flues is
the same, namely to confer such strength upon the waist as to enable me to dispense
with the usual number of cross stays. My invention is well adapted for use in the
construction of steam generators of the general form indicated in the drawings
attached to the Specification of a former invention for which Letters Patent
No. 5254 of the year 1878 were granted to me with reference particularly to
Figs. 10, 17, 18, 21 and 22 of such drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:―
1. In the construction of boilers of the indicated types forming the waist bor
the plates comprising the same with curves or buckles or corrugations or com-
binations of the same so as to strengthen the waist and lessen the number of the
usual cross stays substantially as described and shown.
2. Corrugating or ridging and so strengthening the flues of steam generators at
the points where the Galloway tubes are applied substantially as described and
shown in Figs. 17 and 18 of the drawings.
Dated this 8th day of Sentember 1891.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James' Square, Manchester, Agents.