Improvements in Apparatus for Effecting the Discharge of Ashes from Steamships.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 18th May, 1894-Accepted, 7th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Effecting the Discharge of Ashes
from Steamships.
A communication to me from HERBERT A. SHIPMAN, of Temple Court,
7, Beekman, New York, United States of America.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In steamships considerable inconvenience is always experienced in discharging
overboard the ashes and clinker which rapidly accumulate in the furnaces of the
boilers and must be got rid of at frequent intervals, and my present invention has
for its object a novel method of constructing and operating apparatus by which
such discharge is effected to a great extent automatically, so that much saving of
labour is effected.
For this purpose I arrange a tube, preferably of iron, circular or of any other
convenient section, and of sufficient diameter, in the lower part of the vessel,
either below the keel, or in substitution for the latter, or inside the vessel above the
keel or in other convenient position. This tube is open at each end and in a
convenient part of its length is arranged in its upper side an opening communicating
with a similar tube or passage, vertical or inclined, the upper open end of which is
brought up sufficiently high and may be provided with a moveable cover. When
the vessel is moving through the water, a considerable current will pass from the
forward to the after end of the lower tube, and any ashes or other refuse placed in
the upper end of the vertical tube will pass down the latter into the horizontal one
along which it will be carried and discharged at the after part of the vessel.
The vertical pipe or channel into the upper end of which the ashes are put, is
preferably inclined considerably forward, so that the ashes passing down it enter
the lower tube at a favourable angle to be at once carried away as described.
In order to promote or increase the current of water through the lower tube, and
to render the latter available when the vessel is not moving, one or more helical
screws or other propelling devices, may be arranged in the tube, in front of the
point where the vertical or inclined pipe enters it, and made to revolve by steam or
other available power.
To a small extent such propeller will also aid in the propulsion of the vessel
when the latter is in motion.
The horizontal tube may be sufficiently strongly stayed, and where a single
propeller is used in the vessel the tube may be branched, one part of it discharging
upon each side of the central line of the propeller. Or, where twin screws are
used, the single tube may pass out between them.
A separate tube may also be used receiving water from any convenient part
in front of the vertical tube and discharging it down into the lower end of the
latter.
It is evident that the details and methods of construction and arrangement may
be varied more or less in putting my invention in operation.
Dated this 18th day of August 1893.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: CUBLE LEIE
DIECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Effecting the Discharge of Ashes
from Steamships.
A communication to me from HERBERT A. SHIPMAN, of Temple Court,
7, Beekman, New York, United States of America.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 65 and 66 Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, 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, that is to say :-
In steamships considerable inconvenience is always experienced in discharging
overboard the ashes and clinker which rapidly accumulate in the furnaces of the
boilers and must be got rid of at frequent intervals, and my present invention has
for its object a novel method of constructing and operating apparatus by which
such discharge is effected to a great extent automatically, so that much saving of
labour is effected.
The accompanying drawings are in illustration of the invention.
The action of the improved apparatus for the purpose described is dependent
upon the principle by which (as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2), if a tube a be
drawn rapidly through water in the direction of its length (or if water be forced
rapidly through it whilst it remains stationary) an induced current is caused in a
tube inserted into it, the water in which will be drawn down as indicated at c to
a level below that at which it would naturally stand.
In order to apply this principle to the required purpose I arrange a tube a
(Figure 3) preferably of iron, circular or of any other convenient section, and of
sufficient diameter, in the lower part of the vessel, either below the keel, or in
substitution for the latter, or inside the vessel above the keel or in other convenient
position.
This tube is open at each end and in a convenient part of its length is arranged
in its upper side an opening communicating with a similar tube or passage b vertical
or preferably inclined as shewn, the upper open end of which at e is brought up
sufficiently high and may be provided with a moveable cover. When the vessel is
Inoving through the water, in the direction of the arrow, a considerable current
will pass from the forward to the after end of the lower tube, and any ashes or
other refuse placed in the upper end c of the vertical tube 6 will pass down the
latter into the horizontal one a along which it will be carried and discharged at the
after part of the vessel.
The vertical pipe or channel into the upper end of which the ashes are put, is
preferably inclined considerably forward as shewn, so that the ashes passing down
it enter the lower tube a at a favourable angle to be at once carried away as
described.
In order to promote or increase the current of water through the lower tube,
and to render the latter available when the vessel is not moving, one or more helical
screws or other propelling devices not shewn in the drawings may be arranged in
the tube in front of the point where the vertical or inclined pipe enters it, and made
to revolve by steam or other available power.
To a small extent such propeller will also aid in the propulsion of the vessel
when the latter is in motion.
Figure 4 is a plan, Figure 5 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 6 a back view,
illustrating a somewhat modified form of construction, in which a is the outer tube,
and the vertical or inclined passage into the upper end of which the ashes which
are to be got rid of are introduced.
As it is understood that in many or most cases the upper end c of this tube is

page_text: below the level of the water outside the vessel, it is necessary that a valve d should
be provided, which when the vessel is moving forward with sufficient speed opens
by the downward current induced by the rapid passage of the water through a,
whilst when the vessel stops or moves astern the valve d closes and prevents the
entry of water into the ship through the upper end c of the pipe b, the valve
remaining closed by the pressure of water from below.
As an additional safeguard, in case the valve d should become inoperative from
any cause, a stop-valve e is shewn which can be opened or closed by hand from the
interior of the vessel.
The valve d can be examined by removing the cover f when the valve e is
closed.
The open
end c
of the pipe b may also be provided with a door or valve A which
can be closed and made watertight if desired.
Instead of being circular as shewn, the pipes may be of any desired or convenient
shape in section. In Figure 7 they are shewn rectangular.
Or, in some cases a valve may be fitted to the outer end of the inner tube through
which the ashes are discharged. In Figure 8 such a valve g is shewn hinged at h
to the upper edge of the pipe b the opening of which (forming the seat of the
valve g) is preferably made inclined (instead of at right angles to the bore as
shewn in Figure 3). The valve g is shewn in Figure 8 as a substitute for the
valve d shewn in Figure 5.
In Figures 9 and 10, the valve g is shewn hinged to the lower edge of the
opening of the pipe b, and provided with a balance weight in order to prevent it
from remaining open as shewn in Figure 9 when the vessel stops or goes astern,
as already described.
In both the last mentioned arrangements shewn in Figures 8 and 10, the stop
valve e is shewn arranged at an angle instead of horizontal, so that it is more
easily accessible when required.
It is evident that the method of applying the invention to steamships may be
almost infinitely varied and modified to suit different requirements arising from
the size, shape, and character of the vessels in which it is to be used.
In Figures 11 to 19 some such modifications are shewn, but it is to be understood
that they are in illustration only and are not intended to represent accurately the
proportions and details of construction and application.
In Figures 11, 12, and 13, a small steam vessel, drawing little water is shewn.
The pipe a is shewn at each side of the keel of the boat, the inner pipes b passing
into the latter, and being united in one inclined vertical pipe, through the upper
end of which at c the ashes can be introduced. It is evident that in such very
small vessels the upper end of the vertical or inclined pipe may be brought to a
height above the level of the water outside the vessel, and in such case no valves
or covers of any kind are required.
In Figure 14 a similar arrangement is shewn, but the pipe a extends to nearly
the full length of the keel.
Where the vessel is intended to move with sufficient speed, sufficient current
may be induced in the tube b to keep the water in it sufficiently below the level of
the external water, without any external tube. Such an arrangement is illustrated
in Figure 15 in which a tube 6 (of which there may be one at each side of the
keel), is shewn turned back for a sufficient distance, its forward end entering the
vessel and communicating with the pipe into the upper end of which at c the ashes
are introduced.
In this form of arrangement, it is also necessary that one or more valves should
be provided in the pipe b as already described. Figures 16, 17, and 18, illustrate
the invention applied to vessels of larger size. In Figure 16 twin screw
propellers m, n, are shewn, the external pipe a and the internal one b being
rectangular in section, and being arranged in the centre of the vessel and inside
for the full length of the latter. The inner tube b communicates with th inclined
or vertical tube through the upper end of which c the ashes are introduced.

page_text: In Figure 17, a single screw propeller is shewn, an external rectangular pipe a
and an internal one 6 being fitted at each side of it, but the arrangement being
otherwise similar to Figure 16.
In Figure 18, external and internal tubes a, b, are illustrated outside the side of
the ship, the ends of the inner tubes b entering the vessel and communicating with
pipes into the upper ends of which the ashes are supplied. In the arrangements
illustrated in Figures 16, 17 and 18, valves of the kinds already described are
provided but are not indicated in the figures.
Where the apparatus is applied to large vessels carrying several boilers, as many
sets of the apparatus may be used as may be found advisable, as indicated in
Figure 19.
The tubes may be sufficiently strongly stayed where necessary. As indicated
by the diagram, Figure 20, a separate tube i may also be used receiving water from
any convenient part in front of the vertical tube b and discharging it downward
into the lower end of the latter.
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. For discharging ashes from steam-ships, the method of utilizing the induced
current or suction caused by the passage through the water of a tube having its
open end directed backward, whilst its other end enters the ship and receives the
ashes to be discharged, substantially as described and illustrated.
2. The combination with a tube such as that described in Claim 1, of an external
tube of larger diameter open at both ends, substantially as and for the purpose
.described and illustrated.
3. The combination with the tube such as is described in Claim 1, of an automatic
valve by which the entrance of water is prevented when the ship stops or goes
astern, substantially as described and illustrated.
4. The combination with a tube such as is described in Claim 1, of one or more
adjustable doors or stop valves, by which the tube may be closed when necessary,
substantially as described and illustrated.
5. In combination with the internal and external tubes described in Claim 2,
the communicating pipe i, operating substantially as described and illustrated in
Figure 10.
Dated this 10th 1 M
1004
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.