IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM AND HEAT."
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Malsbury Kirby, of Northampton, in the
County of Northampton, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM AND HEAT."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Malsbury Kirby at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th January 1865.
I, JOHN MALSBURY KIRBY, of Northampton, in the County of Northampton,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM AND HEAT" to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in generating steam and heat
applicable to various useful purposes, either for driving engines, or for heating
purposes. I propose to construct a chamber of iron, by preference in the
form of an inverted cone or dome, with a furnace beneath. The floor of the
chamber which forms the top of the furnace should be horizontal or flat.
Behind the furnace a flue is constructed, and an opening is made for the
ingress of cold air, which rushes into the chamber by a pipe fixed in an
oblique position, so that the air readily ascends therein. At the top of the
chamber is an exit pipe for the heated air and steam, and brickwork is set up
to enclose the chamber. Through the front wall of the chamber a water
[Price 8d 1

page_text: supply pipe is passed, down which water is allowed to flow slowly, so as to
drop upon the hot plate or floor, and thus become instantly converted into
steam. Coal or coke may be used in the furnace, and even jets of gas or
flame from oil may in some cases be adopted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Malsbury Kirby in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL 'COME, I, JOHN
MALSBURY KIRBY, of Northampton, in the County of Northampton, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Malsbury Kirby, Her special licence that I, the said
John Malsbury Kirby, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Malsbury Kirby, 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, and Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR
GENERATING STEAM AND HEAT," upon the condition (amongst others) 'that I,
the said John Malsbury Kirby, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 John Malsbury Kirby, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This Invention relates to improvements in generating steam and heat
applicable to various useful purposes either for driving engines or for heating
purposes. I propose to construct a chamber of iron or other metal or fire-

page_text: bricks, by preference in the form of an inverted cone or dome, with a furnace
beneath. The floor of the chamber which forms the top of the furnace should
be horizontal or flat. Behind the furnace a flue is constructed, and an
opening is made for the ingress of cold air which rushes into the chamber by
a pipe fixed in an oblique position, so that the air readily ascends therein.
At the top of the chamber is an exit pipe for the heated air and steam, and
brickwork is set up to enclose or complete the chamber. Through the front
of the chamber a water supply pipe is passed, extending close to the middle
of the chamber, down which water is allowed to flow slowly so as to drop
upon the hot plate or floor, and thus become instantly converted into steam.
Coal or coke may be used in the furnace, but jets of gas, or flame from oil will
in most cases be found sufficient.
I proceed to describe the Invention completely, and also a modification of
the same, in which water is absorbed by a fabric encasing the heated surface,
whereby steam is generated from the saturated cloth instead of from water
flowing through a tube.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a vertical section of one
form of apparatus. a, a, are the walls of the chamber for generating steam
or heated air; b is the furnace underneath the chamber wherein gas jets are
employed to heat the chamber, or the flame of oil may be used, or coal, coke,
peat, or other fuel; c is a wrought-iron plate, or copper, or fire-bricks, form-
ing floor of the chamber; this may be about th in. thick in case of iron
being used, but of course the thickness varies according to the size of the
apparatus, and the purpose for which it is intended. d is the water-supply
pipe which enters the brickwork and side of the chamber, and conveys the
water in drops upon the hot plate; e is the entrance for the cold air from the
pipe e', which is set obliquely so as to facilitate the supply of air by the
ascending tube; is the exit for the steam or air, or both combined; repre-
sents the brickwork encasing the metallic chamber, and h is the mouth of
the furnace, and i the flue. The pipe e is very small, penetrating the brick-
work and the cast or wrought-iron chamber, and is brought to bear nearly
upon the bottom of the chamber in nearly close contact with the hot
plate, just leaving space to drop the water, the cold air being conducted to
the hot plate, also at the bottom of the chamber. The size and shape of the
chamber is immaterial, and may be varied in many ways to suit special pur-
poses; it may be circular or square, fitting down upon the iron plate over the
furnace.
I now proceed to describe the second method or modification of my Invention.
Fig. 2 represents a portable stove or heating apparatus in vertical section.

page_text: a is a gas or oil burner; b, b, are tubes to conduct air into the chamber; c, c
is the heated surface covered with a layer of cloth, woollen, or other fabric
of an absorbent nature; e is the top of chimney, the smoke from which, i
any, is blended with the steam rising from the saturated cloth, which is con
tinually sucking up or absorbing, by capillary attraction, water from the
reservoir at the foot or base of the chimney or cone; g. 9. represent the
condensers taking all moisture out of heated air, which escapes purified at h
i, i, represent the perforated sides of the case. In this example of my Inven
tion I substitute the absorption of water and the application of moisture to
the surface of the heated chamber in lieu of the method of dropping the
water by the tube as in the first example, the principle being still a blending
of the elements in a confined space. It will thus be evident that by the
principle of my Invention I blend or unite the three elements, viz., fire
water, and air, in a confined space for the purpose of producing, driving, or
motive power; and heating power, by steam, by hot air, or the two combined.
The Invention is applicable to driving engines by hot air, or by steam, or
by both combined, for warming buildings of every description; for the latter
the heated products can be conducted through pipes laid in almost any form
heat travelling on this principle without pressure; the heat may be passed
between iron plates to absorb heat, and give it out by radiation; or the appa-
ratus may be used in the form of a portable stove giving pure heat. The
apparatus may be applied to warming green-houses or hot-houses by steam or
hot air, the pipes being arranged in the ordinary manner. The construction
or configuration of the chamber of the apparatus should be so arranged as to
afford such an extent of heating surface as would be suitable to the various
requirements of steam and heat, and the purposes to which such were to be
applied.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed or carried into effect, I would remark in
conclusion, that I do not limit myself to the precise details and configuration
of apparatus have detailed and shewn, as the same may obviously be varied
or modified in many ways without in any way departing from the principles
on which my Invention is based; I have merely given the two examples to
explain the principle. and reserve to myself the right of any or all other
forms of apparatus, in which steam or heat may be generated in accordance
with the methods I have described, applicable to any useful purpose; but
what claim as my Invention, and desire to be secured to me by the herein
in part recited Letters Patent are, the improvements substantially to all
intents and purposes as herein specified and shewn, constituting the novel
1

page_text: apparatus and means of generating steam and heat according to the title
hereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Malsbury Kirby, have hereunto" set
my hand and seal, this 3rd day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
JOHN HALL ROBERTS,
Northampton.
JOHN MALSBURY KIRBY. (L.S.)