IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Newton John Suckling, of Market Hill, Maldon,
in the County of Essex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS."
Sealed the 11th February 1873, and dated the 23rd December 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Newton John Suckling
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd December 1872.
: I, NEWTON JOHN SUCKLING, of Market Hill, Maldon, in the County
of Essex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS," to be as follows:
My Invention has reference to water tube generators, in which the
generating tubes are placed over the fire in a horizontal or inclined
position, the flame and heated gases enveloping the tubes on their way
to the stack or funnel, and the water to be evaporated being within the
tubes.

page_text: According to my Invention I bolt, rivet, or otherwise connect to the
generating tubes at or near one or both ends thereof smaller, straight,
or curved pipes; these I connect to one or more outside horizontal
inclined or vertical pipes. At or near one or both ends of the said
outside pipe or pipes at the front of the boiler I connect one or more
circulating or return pipes, which I lead to the back of the boiler, where
I connect them to the outside pipe or pipes at that end of the generating
tubes. These circulating or return pipes may pass on one or both sides
of the brickwork or casing, and either outside or inside of the same, or
be carried over or under the generating tubes, as may be most convenient,
but they must in all cases be protected from the direct action of the
flame or heated gases, and they conduct the circulating water to the
opposite end of the tubes to that from which it issued.
In some cases I connect one tier or row of the generating tubes direct
to the outside pipe, while one or more other tiers, which may be above,
below, or at the side of the said outside pipe, are connected thereto by
smaller, curved, or straight pipes, the curved pipes allowing for expansion
and contraction of the tubes.
In order to facilitate the liberation of steam from the water and to
prevent an uprush of water with the steam I employ a casing or box,
in which I place a rose or perforated pipe, or one or more plates per-
forated or not; the steam passes through this casing before entering
the steam auxiliary pipes. I connect the steam auxiliary pipes to
the upper tier or tiers of pipes, which form the steam space of the
boiler, so that the steam is superheated on its way to the steam drum.
The ends of the generating tubes have flanges welded or screwed or
otherwise connected to them, and are provided with doors or lids, by
removing which the tubes can be inspected, repaired, or cleaned. The
outside horizontal, inclined, or vertical pipes also have doors or lids, by
removing which the tubes and pipes can be inspected, repaired, or
cleaned.
The apparatus has feed and blow-out pipes at any convenient part,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Newton John Suckling in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NEWTON
JOHN SUCKLING, of Market Hill, Maldon, in the County of Essex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Newton John Suckling, Her
special licence that I, the said Newton John Suckling, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Newton
John Suckling, 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 thercin 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 for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Newton John Suckling, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Newton John Suckling, 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 thereof, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say :-
My Invention has reference to water tube generators, in which the
generating tubes are placed over the fire in a horizontal or inclined
position, the flames and heated gases enveloping the tubes on their way
to the stack or funnel, and the water to be evaporated being within the
tubes.

page_text: According to my Invention I bolt, rivet, or otherwise connect to the
generating tubes at or near both ends thereof smaller, straight, or curved
pipes; these I connect to one or more outside horizontal, inclined, or
vertical pipes. At or near one or both ends of the said outside pipe or
pipes at the front of the boiler I connect one or more circulating or
return pipes, which I lead to the back of the boiler, where I connect
them to the outside pipe or pipes at that end of the generating tubes.
These circulating or return pipes may pass on one or both sides of the
brickwork or casing, and either outside or inside of the same, or be
carried over or under the generating tubes, as may be most convenient, 1
but they must in all cases be protected from the direct action of the
flame or heated gases; and they conduct. the circulating water to the
opposite end of the tubes to that from which it issued.
In some cases I connect one tier or row of the generating tubes direct
to the outside pipe, while one or more other tiers which may be above, 1
below, or at the side of the said outside pipe, are connected thereto by
smaller, curved, or straight pipes; the curved pipes allow for expansion
and contraction of the tubes, and this is an important feature of the
Invention.
In order to facilitate the liberation of steam from the water and to 2
prevent an uprush of water with the steam I employ a casing or box,
in which I place a rose or perforated pipe, or one or more plates per-
forated or not; the steam passes through this casing before entering
the steam auxiliary pipes. I connect the steam auxiliary pipes to
the upper tier or tiers of tubes, which form the steam space of the 2
boiler, so that the steam is superheated on its way to the steam drum.
The ends of the generating tubes have flanges welded or screwed or
otherwise connected to them, and are provided with doors or lids, by
removing which the tubes can be inspected, repaired, or cleaned. The
outside horizontal, inclined, or vertical pipes also have doors or lids, by 3
removing which the tubes and pipes can be inspected, repaired, or
cleaned.
The apparatus has feed and blow-out pipes at any convenient part,
and all necessary fittings.

page_text: generator constructed according to my Invention, in which the
generating tubes are connected at each end by small pipes to outside
horizontal pipes, and in which circulating or return pipes carried at
one side of the brickwork connect the outside horizontal pipes at the
front of the boiler with the outside horizontal pipes at the back of
the same.
It will be seen that the three lower tiers of generating tubes A¹, A², A³,
are respectively connected at their back or lower ends by small
pipes B¹, B³, B³, to an outside horizontal pipe C, and at their front or
upper ends by short pipes D¹, D³, D³, to an outside horizontal pipe E,
and that the two pipes C and E are connected to each other by a return
or circulating pipe F; thus the water flows from the upper ends of the
generating tubes by the short pipes into the pipe E, and returns by the
pipe F to the pipe C, and thence by the short pipes to the lower ends of
the generating tubes. The three next tiers of generating tubes A³, A³, Aº,
are in like manner provided with small connecting pipes, outside hori-
zontal pipes, and a return pipe. The curved connecting pipes allow for
contraction and expansion of the generator tubes.
G',.G³, are the casings or boxes herein-before described for the purpose
of facilitating the liberation of steam from the water, and of preventing
an uprush of water with the steam. Figures 4 and 5 are respectively an
elevation and a vertical section on a larger scale of one of these casings,
which I term separators.
•
It will be seen that the casing contains a perforated pipe H, through
which the steam has to pass before entering the pipe I leading to the
upper tiers of tubes K.; uprush of water is thus prevented. J, J, are
the steam auxiliary pipes which communicate between the several
tubes K, so that the steam is superheated before reaching the steam
drum L. The pipes J being curved allow for expansion and contraction
of the tubes K; M is the feed pipe, and N the blow-out pipe; O is the
smoke flue. The generating tubes are set in an iron framing lined with
fire-tile.
Figures 6 and 7 are views on a larger scale of the back end of one of
the generating tubes; and Figures 8 and 9, views of the front end of
the same, shewing the manner of attaching the short pipes thereto, and
also the doors or lids, by removing which the tubes can be inspected,
repaired, or cleaned. The outside pipes C and E are likewise provided
with doors or lids for the same purpose.

page_text: Figure 10 is a longitudinal section; Figure 11, a half back elevation;
and Figure 12, a half front elevation of a steam generator, in which each
of the outside horizontal pipes has one tier of generating tubes connected
directly to it, while two other tiers are connected to it by small pipes.
Figures 13 and 14 are detail views on a larger scale. In this generator
I shew return or circulating pipes at both sides. The lowest tier of
pipes A' is connected directly to the lower outside pipe.C, and by small
pipes D' to the upper outside pipe E; the second tier is connected by
small pipes B. and D³ at each end to the pipes C and E respectively;
and the third tier is connected to the pipe C by small pipes B³, but
directly to the pipe E. Where the generating tubes are connected
directly to the outside pipe the pipe may be fitted with a door or lid R
immediately opposite the end of the generating tube.
Figures 15 and 16 represent another form of separator with plates
perforated or not. Figure 17 is a longitudinal section; and Figure 18 a
half front elevation of a steam generator, in which the generating tubes A
are all connected at their back and front ends by small pipes to vertical
or nearly vertical pipes C and E respectively... The vertical pipes O at
the back of the generator all communicate with a horizontal pipe P,
and those at the front of the generator with a horizontal pipe Q; and
these two horizontal pipes P and Q are connected together by one or
more return or circulating pipes F. T is a horizontal pipe connecting
the upper ends of the several vertical pipes E and forming a large
surface for the liberation of the steam from the water before it enters
the separators G. As seen in Figure 18 the circulating pipe is inside
the framing, and protected from heat by fire-tiles S. The feed and
blow-out pipes may be attached to any convenient parts of the
pipes P, Q, or F.
Figure 19 is a plan, and Figure 20 a longitudinal section of a
generator similar to that shewn in Figures 17 and 18, except that the
horizontal pipes P, Q, are placed at the top of the vertical pipes C and E,
while the return or circulating pipes F are above the generator, and
communicate with the steam drum L through a separator G. In this
case the pipes C, E, are provided with covers at the bottom.
In any of the arrangements herein-before described the upper tier or
tiers of tubes K, which form the steam space of the generator, may be
dispensed with, when the steam will pass by a pipe from the separators
directly into the steam drum.

page_text: In all the arrangements mud and other impurities collect at the
bottom of the outside pipes, and not being subjected to heat can be
easily blown out.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,—
1st. The several arrangements or combinations of parts of water tube
generators herein-before described and represented in the accompanying
Drawings.
2nd. Connecting the generating tubes to horizontal, vertical, or
inclined outside pipes by small curved pipes, so as to allow for expansion
and contraction, substantially as hercin-before described and represented
in the accompanying Drawings.
3rd. The employment in water tube generators of what I have herein-
before termed separators, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Newton John Suckling, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of June One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.