IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO PORTABLE ENGINES AND BOILERS, PART OF " WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO STATIONARY BOILERS."
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Edward Jeffery and Robert Luke, both of
Stamford, in the County of Lincoln, Engineers, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO PORTABLE ENGINES AND BOILERS, PART OF
"
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO STATIONARY BOILERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Edward Jeffery
and Robert Luke at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 31st January 1871.
We, GEORGE Edward JefferY and ROBERT Luke, both of Stamford,
in the County of Lincoln, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO PORTABLE ENGINES AND
BOILERS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO STATIONARY BOILERS,"
to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to that class of portable engines in which the
cylinder and working parts of the engine are secured by means of a
bracket or brackets on the side of a vertical steam boiler which is
mounted on a horizontal platform provided with running wheels so that
it may be transported with facility from place to place where it may be
required.

page_text: The first improvement has for its object to construct the boiler in such
a manner that the heat evolved from the fuel may be more effectually
taken up than heretofore, and a consequent economy in fuel may be
effected.
To this end the boiler, which is placed vertically, is constructed inter-
nally in the following manner :-Suspended centrally from the top of the
fire-box is a large vertical water chamber or tube closed at bottom and
open at top. To the bottom of this large tube is attached one or more
circulating pipes to connect the central water tube or chamber with the
narrow water space surrounding the fire-box. By this means a perfect
circulation of water from the central tube into the surrounding water
space is secured and a large amount of very effective heating surface is
obtained as the large central water tube is suspended immediately above
the fire the smoke and heated gases from which surround the central tube
and are carried away by vertical flue tubes, which are attached to the
tube plate at top of the fire-box. Immediately above the central tube is
a manhole in the top of the boiler, and this affords most complete facility
for inspection, cleaning, or repairs.
It will be obvious that this mode of constructing vertical steam boilers
may be employed for stationary or marine boilers. The boiler with the
vertical cylinder and other working parts of the engine connected there-
with is mounted on a foundation plate or platform to which are adapted
three travelling or running wheels, two of which run on either a cranked
or straight axle; the other wheel is placed in front and its axle turns in
bearings fixed on a strong metal disc or turntable which fits in a strong
circular frame forming part of the platform. The wheel with its circular
disc or turntable may be easily turned in any direction required. The
axle of this wheel is so attached to the disc or turntable that when the
disc is turned to the right or left the wheel moves round also within the
platform and answers to every movement required and therefore acts
as a steering or guiding wheel. By this mode of arranging the front or
leading wheel the greatest steadiness is secured while travelling and the
most rigid firmness is obtained while the engine is at work, thus obviating
the great disadvantages arising from the unsteadiness and weakness of
the ordinary swivel or bogie wheel attachment.
Another great advantage is that the fly wheel of the engine (and
a the daising whool whorohy nawan is transmitted
L

page_text: machinery which requires to be driven) will not interfere with the front
steering wheel. The platform of the disc in which the front wheel works
is provided with lugs, ears, or other suitable connections for attaching
shafts or a draught pole so that the engine may be drawn anywhere by
horse power, the centre of the fore axle being in a direct line with the
draught.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Edward Jeffery and Robert Luke in the
Great Scal Patent Office on the 31st July 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
EDWARD JEFFERY and ROBERT LUKE, both of Stamford, in the County
of Lincoln, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in
the thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said George Edward Jeffery and
Robert Luke, Her special licence that we, the said George Edward Jeffery
and Robert Luke, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said George Edward Jeffery and Robert Luke, our
exccutors, 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 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
APPLICABLE TO PORTABLE ENGINES AND BOILERS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
APPLICABLE TO STATIONARY BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said George Edward Jeffery and Robert Luke, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said George Edward Jeffery and Robert
Luke, our do hereby declare the nature of the 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 Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
Our Invention relates more particularly to that class of portable
engines in which the cylinder and working parts of the engine are
secured by means of a bracket or brackets on the side of a vertical
steam boiler which is mounted on a horizontal platform provided with
running wheels so that it may be transported with facility from place to
place where it may be required.
The first part of our Invention has for its object to construct the
boiler in such a manner that the heat evolved from the fuel may be
more effectually taken up than heretofore and a consequent economy in
fuel may be effected.
This part of the Invention is shewn in Sheets I. and II. of the accom-
panying Drawings. Fig. 1 is a vertical section of an upright boiler con-
structed according to our improvements.
The boiler is constructed internally in the following manner :
Suspended centrally from the top of the fire-box a, a, is a large vertical
water chamber or tube 6 closed at bottom and open at top. To the
bottom of this large tube are attached two or more circulating pipes
c, c, c, to connect the central water tube or chamber with the narrow
water spaces d, d, surrounding the fire-box. By this means a perfect
circulation of water to the central water chamber or tube from the
surrounding water space d, d, is secured, and a large amount of very
effective heating surface is obtained as the large central water chamber
or tube b is suspended immediately above the fire. The smoke and
heated gases enter the space d and surround the central water chamber
or tube b, and are carried away by vertical flue tubes e, e, which aro
attached to the tube plate e¹ at the top of the fire-box a. Immediately
above the central water chamber or tube 6 is a man hole f in the top
of the boiler, and this affords most complete facility for inspection,
cleaning, or repairs.
In order still further to increase the heating surface and the evapo-
rative power of the boiler we sometimes insert one or more smoke or

page_text: flue tubes into the suspended central water chamber or tube b. This
arrangement is shewn at Fig. 2 and is the plan we generally prefer.
It will be seen that we fix in the chamber 6 one large flue tube g open
at bottom and closed at top, and the smoke is carried off by means of
smaller tubes g¹, g¹, fixed into the top plate of the boiler, as shewn in
the Drawing. By this means a large hot air chamber is formed, which
increases very much the heating power of boiler, and at the same time
by reducing the volume of cold water it enables steam to be raised very
much more quickly than in boilers of the ordinary construction. In
order to provide a convenient mode of cleaning the smoke tubes e, e,
and g¹, g', they are so arranged that a sliding ring plate can be attached
to the smoke box casing, and holes i, i, are made in it corresponding to
the tubes e and g. This ring or plate thus forms a cover which can be
very easily opened or shut as may be desired.
Figures 3 and 4, Sheet II., are sectional views of vertical boilers,
which are modifications of those above described, the principal difference
being that in Fig. 3 the central water chamber b is made in the form
of a frustum of an inverted cone in contradistinction to the cylindrical
chamber 6 shewn in Fig. 1. In Fig. 4 the water chamber b is provided
with a conical hot air tube or chamber g, from whence the gases escape
through the tube g¹ to the chimney.
It will be obvious that these modes of constructing vertical steam
boilers may be employed for either stationary or marine boilers as well
as for portable engines for which we more particularly intend them.
The boiler with the vertical cylinder and other working parts of the
engine connected therewith is mounted on a foundation plate or plat-
form in the usual manner, and to which is adapted three travelling or
running wheels, two of which run on either a cranked or straight axle,
the other wheel is placed in front, and its axle turns in bearings fixed on
a strong metal disc or turntable which fits in a strong circular frame
forming part of the platform.
This improvement is shewn in Sheet III. of the Drawings, in which
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the lower part of boiler mounted on a
platform with running wheels arranged according to our Invention.
h, h, are the two hinder running wheels; i, the platform; j, the front
running wheel mounted in bearings fixed on the circular disc or turn-
table k. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the under side of the circular disc or
turntable k. Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section through the centre

page_text: of Fig. 6. The axle of the wheel j being mounted in bearings fixed
on or to the disc or turntable k, it follows that when the disc is turned
in its seat to the right or left the wheel j moves round also with it, the
disc moving round within the groove or seat made in the platform for
the purpose. As this wheel answers to every movement required it
acts as a steering or guiding wheel. The disc or turntable k in which
the front wheel works is provided with lugs, ears, or other suitable
connections 1, Figures 5 and 7, for attaching shafts or a draught pole,
so that the engine may be drawn anywhere by horse power, the centre
of the fore axle being in a direct line with the draught.
By this mode of arranging the front or leading wheel ; the greatest
steadiness is secured while travelling, and the most rigid firmness is
obtained while the engine is at work, thus obviating the great disadvan-
tages arising from the unsteadiness and weakness of the ordinary swivel
or bogie wheel attachment.
Another great advantage is that the fly wheel of the engine (and
which is the driving wheel whereby power is transmitted to any
machinery which requires to be driven) will not interfere with the front
steering wheel.
Having now described our Invention of "Improvements applicable
to Portable Engines and Boilers," and having explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we claim as the Invention secured to us
by Letters Patent as aforesaid, -
First. The mode or modes herein set forth of constructing vertical
steam boilers.
Second. The mode herein set forth of adapting the fore wheel j to the
platform of a portable engine.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Edward Jeffery and
Robert Luke, have hereunto set our hands and scal, the Twenty-
eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-one.
GEORGE EDWARD JEFFERY. (L.s.)
ROBERT LUKE.
(L.S.)