IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS, WATER HEATERS, AND FL OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Twibill, of the Fuel Economiser and
Engineering Works, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS, WATER HEATERS,
AND FL OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Twibill at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
. 27th October 1875.
I, JOSEPH TWIBILL, of the Fuel Economiser and Engineering Works,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS, WATER
HEATERS, AND FLUES OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as
follows:-
This said Invention has reference to improvements in connection with
steam boilers, and "fuel economisers," or water heaters therefor, and to
other fittings, also to the arrangement of the furnace or heat chambers

page_text: or flues thereof; parts of which Invention are improvements upon the
Inventions for which Royal Letters Patent were granted to the
Petitioner, No. 2378, dated 15th September 1866, and No. 3791, dated
21st November 1873, for maintaining the water in a purer state within
the said steam boilers and water heaters, and obtaining a better or more
economical utilization of the space available near the boilers, and of the
heat to save fuel; also a more perfect burning or prevention of the
escape of black smoke from boiler furnaces.
And the nature of this said Invention consists, first, in having water
heaters for steam boilers composed of rectangular "blocks" or
"stacks" of vertical or angled pipes erected on one or both sides of
the improved main large vertical cylindrical return water current filter
pipe A of the Petitioner's said Patent of 1873, with the lower ends of
cach set or "stack" of pipes jointed by turned spigot ends into bored
faucets in lower horizontal connecting pipes, and their upper ends
jointed by faced flanges to branches on the upper connecting horizontal
pipes, both these upper and lower pipes on one or both sides being con-
nected by one main branch to the upper and lower part of the return
current and filter pipe, all otherwise substantially fitted much as
described in reference to and shown in Figures 15 and 16, and
Figures 1 to 4 of the Specifications of the Petitioner's said two former
Patents, No. 23781808, and No. 3791178, respectively; the cold water
being fed in (in a usual manner) at the level of the lower horizontal
connecting pipes, and led to and from the boiler to the upper and lower
parts of the return current pipe above the filter part to give a return
current from the lower part of the boiler.
"
These new or improved feed water heaters or fuel economisers" for
steam boilers, are preferably erected, one to each boiler, in an enlarged
fluc or heating chamber at the back end of the boiler, where the two
return or side flues join or enter before escaping into the main flue
leading to the chimney, the throat of which would be provided with a
damper to regulate the escaping current from the heating chamber of
the water heater; and the scrapers for cleaning the outer surface of the
vertical pipes might be arranged to be worked by one chain pulley and
gearing placed over the central filter pipe for both sets or stacks with
long carrying bars, or for large stacks of many pipes a chain pulley
might be used for each set placed over the middle of the upper hori-
zontal connecting water pipes, the bars and scrapers on the one half of

page_text: the pipes rising on the one side as the others were falling on the
opposite side, as in Figures 3A, 3B, of the said Specification, No.
37911573. When so fitted with the scraping gear worked directly over the
pipes a dead weight loaded safety steam or pressure valve might bo
very conveniently fitted on the top part of tho return current pipe as a
valve chest; and the sludge blow-off pipe from the lower part of the
filter at the bottom of the said return current pipe is carried back
through, below the steam boiler, and, by another improvement, has a
small close chest fitted in it and open at top into the middle part of
the bottom of the boiler as a sludge and scum collector, with the lower
open end of the pipe led down into it from a large filter-shaped mouth at
the top surface of the water, for collecting and drawing-off the scum
down into the chest, which would also collect the heavy dirt from the
lower part of the boiler, and the chest being in the line of the blow-off
pipe it would be cleaned out at cach blow off.
The improvement in connection with the furnaces of steam boilers
for the prevention of black smoke, consists in making the fire-grate
much longer than usual, with an extra short rising incline smoke-box
grate at the extreme back of the furnace, close up to the bridge, which
is built quite or very nearly up to the top of the fire-box or flue, having
a close wall in the ash-pit near the middle of the grate or ordinary flue
bars (lengthened as stated), and then in letting a sufficient supply of
fresh air, as at present, through interstices in the furnace doors, with
means of heating it so that it will ignite with the hydrocarbon gases of
the coal and pass down through the fire and grate bars behind the close
wall in the ash-pit, and escape up and along the flue behind the close
wall or bridge at the back of the furnace, and in doing so heat the
smoke grate box at the extreme back of the fire, where the smoke,
when there is any, will in abutting against this back wall curl or droop
down through this angled smoke grate and be inflamed or burned before
passing down, or as it escapes into the hot chamber below the back
part of the fire, so that nothing but flame and hot fire gases pass along
the flues to heat the boiler on their way to the chimney, thus pre-
venting the production or escape of all black smoke from the furnaces
and chimneys of steam boilers. An air valve is provided in the close
wall in the ash-pit with a long handle reaching to the furnace door for
opening and closing it, so as to regulate the admission of hot air from
the ash-pit in front of the wall to the back so as to ensure perfect com-

page_text: bustion of all gases which may pass down through the back fire and
grate, without being burned, into the space or chamber below at the
back of the ash-pit wall.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Twibill in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
TWIBILL, of the Fuel Economiser and Engineering Works, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors
give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Twibill, Her special licence
that I, the said Joseph Twibill, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Twibill, 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 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 BOILERS, WATER HEATERS, AND FLUES OR APPA-
BATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH,' upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Joseph Twibill, 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 Joseph Twibill, 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, reference being had to the two

page_text: accompanying Sheets of Drawings, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention has reference to improvements in connection with
steam boilers and "fuel economisers," or water heaters therefor, and to
other fittings; also to the arrangement of the furnace or heat chambers
or flues thereof, parts of which Invention are improvements upon the
Inventions for which Royal Letters Patent were granted to me, No. 2378,
dated 15th September 1866, and No. 3791, dated 21st November 1873,
and for maintaining the water in a purer state within the said steam
boilers and water heators, and obtaining a better or more economical
utilization of the space available near the boilers, and of the heat to save
fuel; also a more perfect burning or prevention of the formation and
escape of black smoke from boiler furnaces.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing my
said Invention or improvements may be properly understood I will now
proceed to describe the several Figures on the two Sheets of Drawings,
which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing the best
modes and means I am at present aware of for putting the Invention
into effect or practice, the same reference letters indicating the same or
equivalent parts in all the Figures where shown.
---
Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet 1 are respectively a longitudinal elevation
and plan, both in irregular section through the flues and furnaces; and
Figures 3 and 4 on Sheet 2 are a back end view and transverse section
of the same taken on the lines 1 1 and 2. - 2 respectively in
Figure 1, all of a double flue internal furnace Cornish boiler Z, con-
structed in accordance with or having my improvements fitted and
applied thereto, and illustrative of my Invention or one modification or
arrangement thereof.
One duplex arrangement of my improved water heater H, with
current return and filter or sludge collector A in the centre, consisting
of two stacks of sixteen vertical pipes B on each side of it, is shown as
fitted and built in a back flue chamber H' behind the boiler Z (with the
pipe scrapers and their carrying bars and actuating mechanism), being a
slightly improved construction and application or arrangement of the
Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to me bearing date the
21st day of November 1873, No. 3791, but having the pipes B arranged
in rectangular stacks somewhat analogous to that shown in the Specifi

page_text: cation of the Patent granted to me bearing date the 15th September
1866, No. 2378.
Figures 5 and 6 on Sheet 2 are a side clevation and plan of a series of
three such rectangular duplex stacks of vertical tube water heaters H,
analogous to that shown in Figures 1 to 3, with a filter A between each
set of tubes B, as suitable for a set of boilers erected in one large heating
flue chamber H' between the boilers and the chimney, so as to be heated
by the hot waste gases in their passage thereto. A fourth water heater H,
with a duplex set of circular or annular vertical tubes B is also shown
to the right in these Figures 5 and 6, and in end view in Figures 8,
analogous to that described in the Specification of the said Patent,
No. 3791, and which may be single or more in number, same as the
three rectangular sets of tubes before mentioned.
1878,
Figures 7 and 8 show end views of the rectangular and circular sets
of tubes, respectively corresponding to Figures 5 and 6, all to a larger
scale than in Figures 1 to 3, to show the details of the construction and
arrangement of these economisers more clearly.
"
Referring to these Figures, 1 to 4, the nature, novelty, and mode of
performing my said Invention or improvements consist all as follows:-
First, in having water heaters II for steam boilers composed of rectan
gular" blocks or " stacks" or vertical pipes B, B, or it might be
angled pipes erected on one or preferably on both sides of the improved
main, large, vertical, cylindrical return water filter pipe A (of my said
Patent of 1873), with the lower ends of each set or stack of pipes B, B,
nted in rows by turned spigot ends into bored faucets in lower
horizontal connecting transverse pipes D, all connected by a pipe D¹
crossing the others, and jointed at one side at d to the central filter
pipe A, some distance above the bottom A", which forms the deposit
collector, and also connected on both sides to a central T shaped
branch E¹ and pipe E" to the lower part of the water space of the
boiler Z. When I do not use spigot and faucet joints and caps or lids
at top and bottom the upper ends of the vertical pipes B, B, are jointed
by faced flanges at a to branches on the under side of the upper
horizontral transverse pipes D", D", connected by a cross pipe D',
which is connected by the branches D' leading in through the upper
part of the filter at A' into the top of the central return current pipe a
_open at its lower end a" some considerable distance down within the

page_text: filter A, which is connected at the top by the pipe F' conducting the
heating feed water down into the water space at F of the boiler Z after
it has been fed in a usual manner by pumps or otherwise at the pipe E
(direct or by ordinary valves X at front end of boiler) into the lower
pipes D, and circulated up the pipes B, down through the pipe a, and
up through the annular space a' between it and the sides of the filter A,
as indicated by the arrows in the Figures, the return current being
completed from the lower part of the water space of the boiler through
the pipes E¹, E", and the pipes D, D', connected at d to the lower parts
of the return current filter pipe A above the part A", where the greater
part of the sulphates and carbonates of lime or other mineral or organic
matter in the water are deposited when it is at its highest temperature
after circulating through the hot tubes B, all before it enters the boiler
by the pipe F, F",
These new or improved feed water heaters or "fuel economisers" H
for steam boilers are preferably erceted (in the duplicate sets or stacks,
as shown in Figures 1 to 4) one to each boiler in an enlarged flue or
heating chamber H' at the back end of the boiler Z and ordinary back
flue 1, where the two return or side flues 2 join or enter the chamber H¹
before escaping into the main flue H" leading to the chimney, the
throat of which would be provided with a damper H³ to regulate the
escaping current from the heating chamber H' of the water heater H,
and otherwise fitted, all substantially as described in reference to and
shown in Figures 15 and 16, and Figures 1 to 4 of the Specifications of
my said two former Patents, No. 23781800, and 37911573, respectively.
Each set or stack of tubes B, B, when numerous, as for heaters for
large boilers, would have a chaiu pulley b, b', carried on a pillar or
standard placed over the centre of the upper cross pipes D", D³, so
that the two ends of the chain could be attached to the cross bars
or fork frames b³, e, working in the spaces between the half of the
vertical tubes B, B, on each side, and which carry the improved
quadruple scrapers so as to clean them as the chain 6* reciprocates up
and down by the oscillation or reverse turning of the chain pulley b, b',
through a wheel and worm h, h¹, on the shaft h" actuated in the reverse
directions through the short shaft i, and three small pinion wheels
,, reversed at the proper time by a tilting lever ², and tappets on
the intermediate wheel driven by the chain pulley shaft /', or by other
equivalent reversing gear, the bars or forks b, c, and scrapers on the

page_text: one half of the pipes B, B, rising on the one side as the others are
falling on the opposite side, as in Figures 3A and 3 B of the said
Specification, No. 37911679. When the number or sets of pipes are few
on each side of the filter pipe A to suit marine or other boilers one
chain pulley and its actuating and reversing gearing might be placed
over or on the top of this central filter pipe A. so as to work the cleaning
quadruple scrapers of both sets of pipes B, B, on opposite sides by their
long cross carrying bars ³, Fig. 8. When each set of pipes is fitted
with scraping gear worked directly over them on each side, as shown in
Figures 1, 2, and 3, a spring or dead weight pressure loaded safety
steam valve, or a group of small ones 7 might be very conveniently
fitted on the top part A' of the return current filter pipe A as a valve
chest, which would be more necessary when the filter is placed in the
"down take" immediately behind the boiler at H to save room, or
when made of seamless copper tubes B and fitted in circular or
rectangular forms to marine boilers, and when not requiring external
scrapers, as shown in this form in end view, Figure 9, with sockets d
above as well as below, and cleaning out and securing plugs .
Another improvement consists in carrying the sludgo blow-off pipe I,
connected to the lower part of the deposit collector A", back through
below the steam boiler Z, and connecting it to the lower end of the new
or improved small close chests or conical deposit collectors K. fitted with
an open mouth at top into the middle bottom part of the boiler for the
purpose of collecting the sludge below and the scum from the upper
part of the water, each having the lower open end of a pipe & led down
into it from a large skimmer or funnel-shaped mouth ', preferably open
at the top, and perforated round the edges so as to float near the top
surface of the water Z', and collect the scum therefrom, which would
settle in and be drawn off down the skimmer k¹ and pipe k into the
chests K, the lower end of the pipe working loosely in a guiding cross
in the chest K, which would also collect the deposits or dirt from the
lower part of the boiler, and the bottom of these collecting chests K
being in the line of the blow-off pipe I they would be cleaned out on
the ejector principle at each discharge of the water, carrying with it the
deposits therein and in the filters A" through the ordinary blow-off
cock I placed in the ash-pit in front of the boiler convenient to be
opened at suitable intervals for so cleaning the boilers and economisers,
according to the nature of the water used and resultant deposits, in

page_text: The improvements in connection with the furnaces or flues of
steam boilers under this Invention for preventing the formation of
black smoke in or its escape from such furnaces consist in making the
fire-grate longer than usual, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, with an
extra short rising incline grate L for a part of the fire to rest on close
up to the bridge", which is built nearly close up to the top of the fire-
box or flue, so that a portion of the inflammable gases evolved in the
front part of the furnace or grate, ¹, passes down through it into the
smoke box L below it, and behind the cleaning door L" or wall, with
door at the back of the ash-pit, so as to be highly heated or burned,
and then passes under the bridge " so as to meet the colder gases or
smoke passing through the space or hole (made smaller than usual)
above this bridge, and which, if not burned in passing over the raised
hearth L, would be inflamed behind the bridge at L by meeting and
mixing with the hot flames and gasses passed through the fire-brick
grate L'. A sufficient quantity of fresh air is supplied, as at present,
through interstices in the furnace doors, preferably with heating box or
other means of heating the air thus admitted, so that it will mix and
burn with the hydrocarbon gases evolved from the coal and pass down
through the new fire-brick or grate bars L, behind the close wall or
door L" through which some heated air from the ash-pit may be
admitted to ignite with the hot gases passing through the box I below
the grate L and escaping up and along the fluc at, behind the bridge
", and ignite or burn with the gases passing over it, and in doing so
heat the bridge ", or it might be a grate or fire-brick box placed thero
at the extreme back of the fire so that the inflammable gases or smoke
not burned on reaching it would, in abutting against this back box or
wall, be heated and burned or deflected down through the new smoke
burning grate L before passing down into the hot chamber L' and back
part of the fluc, so that nothing but flame and hot burned gases
would pass along the heating flues of the boiler and water heater on
their way to the chimney, thus preventing the production or escape of
black smoko in or from the furnaces and chimneys of steam boilers
fitted with my said improvements. A long handle might be fitted to
the cleaning-out valve or door l, provided in the closing-in wall L", at
the back of the ash-pit reaching to the furnace door for the convenience

page_text: of the fireman opening and closing it for the cleaning out of it and
admission of hot air from the ash-pit to the hot back chamber L', so as
to insure the perfect combustion of all gases which may pass down
through the back fire and grate L or over the bridge =".
Although these improvements for preventing or consuming the smoko
in steam boiler furnaces have only been described and shown as applied
to furnaces within the flues through the boilers, it will be evident that
they are equally applicable to furnaces fitted in the brickwork below or
in front of the boiler.
Though not specially mentioned these boilers and furnaces would be 1
fitted with all the usual fittings, such as floats, water and steam gauges,
safety and service valves, manhole and sludge doors (though these latter
would hardly ever be required with these improvements), furnace doors,
fluc dampers, and cleaning doors not shown in the Drawings.
Referring to the arrangement of improved water heaters H for steam
boilers, shown in Figures 5 to 8, with three sets of duplex vertical
tubes B arranged rectangularly with twelve (more or less) on each side
of the large filter pipe A. In this case the whole three longitudinal
rows of four tubes in each set are joined together at their lower socket
box D by a cross pipe D', and connected or not to the lower part of the
filter A (as it was in the former arrangement, shown in Figures 1 to 3),
and the cold water is led by the pipe F to one end of the upper pipe D",
joining the outer row of the pipes B₁, so as to descend through these and
riso through the two rows B nearest the centre and hotter part of the
flue chamber I and filter A, to the upper part of which these two rows
are jointed by their upper longitudinal box D, D³, or pipes D" with
cross pipe D, D', so that the water descends the small central pipe a,
and passes up the annular space a', as before explained, all as indicated
by the arrows, circulating down and up right through the whole three
sets, passing off by the pipe F¹ to the water space of the boilers, thus
insuring the heating of the water to its highest maximum degree
required to part with and deposit any salts of lime, or minerals, or
organic matter it may contain in the filters A, A, A, on its way to and
before entering the boilers. In the case of the fourth or annularly
arranged set H* of tubes B the cold feed water would be fed in at the
top branches E of the two outer tubes B" of cach set, so as to descend
through these and rise in all the others while being heated, and pass by

page_text: the branches D, D³, down the internal tube a of the filter A, ascending
up the sides and out by the branch F', F, from its top part A' to the
other sets to be further heated, or directly to the boiler when the water
used was comparatively pure and did not require to be passed through
the other sets of heaters, as before explained, to part with and deposit
the foreign matters contained in it.
It will be understood that although the three main improvements or
arrangements in water heaters, scum and sludge collectors, and furnaces
or heating flues for land or marine steam boilers, contained in or
forming my said Invention, have all been described and shown as
applicable together and to one boiler, it is to be understood that any
one by itself, or any two combined may be used or applied without the
others to the same steam boiler or sets of land or marine boilers, these
forming separate essential parts of the Invention.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and mode of
performing or putting it into effect or practice, I would observe that I
do not desire to confine or restrict myself to the precise form or con-
struction of the details of the improved parts by themselves, or the
general arrangement or combination of these parts with the old parts
common to water heaters, steam boilers, and their furnaces heretofore in
use, as many variations may be made from what I have had occasion to
describe and show in the Drawings, without departing from the main or
essential features of my said Invention or improvements; on the other
hand, there are many of the parts which I do not desire to claim except
in combination with my improvements; but what I consider novel and
original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Paient is,―
First. The general construction or combined arrangement of water
licaters, steam boilers, and their furnaces and flues for land and marine
purposes, all substantially as and for the purposes herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere
modification thereof.
وو
Second. The construction and arrangement of water heaters or
"fuel
economisers H for steam boilers, in rectangular or circular sets of
tubes B, B, on one or both sides of a large filtering or depositing pipe A,
all substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the
accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.

page_text: Third. The general construction or arrangement of scum and sludge
collectors K, k, k¹, in and for steam boilers, and the mode and means of
blowing off or discharging the scum and deposits therefrom, all substan-
tially in the manner herein described in reference to and shown in the
accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Fourth. The construction of steam boiler furnaces or flues with a
grate or open hot box L close to the back bridge, for the whole or part
of the gases raised from the fuel in the furnace to pass down through
and be consumed or burned, so as to leave no black smoke to pass to or
escape up the chimney, all substantially as herein described in reference
to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Twibill, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-second day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six