Improvements Connected with Apparatus for Heating Water and Generating Steam.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements Connected with Apparatus for Heating Water
and Generating Steam.
I, THOMAS DRAKE, of Imperial Arcade, Huddersfield, Yorkshire, Solicitor do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS CONNECTED WITH
APPARATUS FOR HEATING WATER AND GENERATING STEAM," to be as follows:-
The primery object of my invention is the employment of apparatus for
generating steam for driving steam engines without the ordinary steam boiler,
and for all other purposes where steam in large volumes and-or-at high pressure
is required, and this I propose to do by the aid of a water heater described and
claimed in a prior Patent granted to me on the 29th of June A.D. 1831, No 2845.
This water heater consists of a coiled pipe or pipes supplied with water and
heated by gas, and is at once a rapid steam generator. This form of boiler combined
with other mechanism, I now propose to employ for actuating steam engines,
pumps, and other purposes requiring .steam; and in order to carry out my
invention with regard to the steam engine I place on the top or other convenient
position of the said water heater, a vessel spherical, cylinderical, or other suitable
shape, and made of copper, brass, iron, or other suitable metal. This vessel is
connected to one end of the coiled pipes, and forms a steam chest to receive the
steam generated in the pipes and not for the reception of water, the said steam
chest being provided with a steam and water gauge and blow off valve in the
same manner as an ordinary steam boiler. The steam chest is connected by pipes
to the valves of the engine, and is continuously supplied with steam from the
coiled pipes, the arrangement and manner of heating forms a rapid and continuous
steam generator.
For large steam engines, two, or more of such boilers may be arranged side by
side and connected to one steam chest, and in order to assist the engine to start,
steam is got up to the requisite pressure by a small hydraulic cylinder which forces
the water into the boiler or boilers, but when the engine is started the boilers are
fed by the engine pump.

page_text: By the employment of steam boilers in the manner herein set forth for driving
steam engines, many advantages will be found over the ordinary steam boiler, such
as a saving of fuel, the more rapid generation of steam, the abatement of all smoke,
and long chimneys rendered unnecessary. The starting of the engine is also
ensured in a few minutes, and should the pipes be over heated, and cold water be
quickly introduced, no serious explosion endangering either life or property would
take place, as is the case with the present shell steam boilers; these forms of
steam boilers also occupy less room, are less costly, more powerful, much safer, and
take less attention; the pressure of the steam can also be quickly raised, or lowered
at once by instantaneously extinguishing the gas.
Although I preferably use the water heater as patented by me,
I would observe
that the steam chest may be employed in combination with other forms of water
heaters, heated by gas.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements Connected with Apparatus for Heating Water
and Generating Steam.
I, THOMAS DRAKE of Imperial Arcade Huddersfield, Yorkshire, Solicitor do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS CONNECTED WITH
APPARATUS FOR HEATING WATER, AND GENERATING STEAM," and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
The primary object of my invention is the employment of apparatus for
generating steam for driving steam engines without the ordinary steam boiler
and for all other purposes where steam in large volumes and at high pressure is
required, aud this I propose to do by the aid of a water heater described and
claimed in a prior Patent granted to me on the 29th day of June A.D. 1881
N° 2845.
This water heater consists of a coiled pipe or pipes supplied with water and
heated by gas, and is at once a rapid steam generator.
This form of boiler combined with other mechanism I now propose to employ
for actuating steam engines, pumps, and other purposes requiring steam, and in
order to carry out my invention with regard to the steam engine I place on the.
top (or other convenient position) of the said water heater a vessel, spherical,
cylindrical, or other suitable shape and made of copper, brass, iron, or other suitable,
metal.
This vessel is connected to one end of the coiled pipes and forms a steam chest
to receive the steam generated in the coiled pipes and not for the reception of,
water, the said steam chest being provided with a steam and water guage and blow
off valve in the same manner as an ordinary steam boiler.
>
The steam chest is connected by one or more pipes to the valves of the engine,.
and is continuously supplied with steam from the coiled pipes, the arrangement
and manner of heating forms a rapid and continuous steam generator.
Such being the nature and object of my Invention I will now proceed to describe
the same more fully, and for that purpose have annexed the accompanying sheet
of drawings which is a sectional elevation of apparatus I employ for carrying out
my invention.
;
The part A is section of a water heater which it will be observed is
composed of coiled pipes B, C, D, and D¹ the latter three of which surround
cylinders E which are perforated so as to allow the gas arising from box F to pass:
through pipes F when it is ignited by a taper (or other means) passed through the,
hole a.
Gas is supplied to the box F from pipe G and distributed from box F
through pipes running through the cylinders E, E, E, having an inlet at the centre
of each cylinder by one or more perforations.

page_text: The bottom coils C, D, and D¹ are connected by branch pipe H to the coil B so
that there is a direct and continuous through communication from end to end of
the coils; this water heater however is more fully set forth in my former Patent
No 2845 A.D. 1881, and although I prefer to use this construction of heater, other
forms may be used instead.
°
On the top of the water heater (or in any other convenient place) I fix the dome
or vessel I which is in communication with the water heater by pipe J, so that as
steam is generated in the pipes it passes into and fills the dome, which is practically
a receiver of steam, and is employed for purposes hereinafter explained.
This dome is provided with an ordinary steam gauge K and by pipe L is
connected to the valves M of a steam engine in exactly the same manner as the
pipe from a steam boiler, the said dome is also provided with a water guage N so
that the quantity of condensed water which may get therein can be seen and let
out by tap O.
For the purpose of starting the engine water can be supplied to the heater from
the main service pipe by tap P, after which it can be pumped in by the engine
pump Q, and if necessary the feed water may be heated before being pumped into
the coiled pipes, and this I accomplish by the employment of the vessel R which it
will be observed is made in the form of a jacket, or one vessel within another
leaving an annular space all around.
The inner vessel is supplied with a small continuous stream of water from tap S,
the stream being equal to the quantity of water required to keep up a continuous
feed the exhaust steam from the engine cylinder or a portion thereof is then
conducted by pipe T to the jacketted vessel, whereby the water is heated as will be
well understood, and is pumped by the engine up the pipe U and through the
conducting pipe V the several taps shewn are necessary for starting the engine,
either by main pressure or by means of the hydraulic cylinder W as occasion may
require and as hereinafter explained.
In places where the pressure of water is not sufficient I employ apparatus to
increase the pressure, consisting of the hydraulic cylinder W above referred to, the
piston of which is forced down upon the water within the cylinder by the
adjustable weights X which may represent any number of lbs per square inch, but
the pressure can be further increased by blowing steam upon the upper surface of
the piston conveyed thereto by pipe Y from the dome, whereby I am enabled to
equalize the number of lbs pressure gained in the dome I by the back pressure
which operates against the weights X consequently I always obtain and maintain
the same flow of water equal to the pressure of the weights X.
A stop tap is shewn at Z.
The employment of water from the main service pipes or from the cylinder W is
only necessary for the purpose of starting the engine, but immediately the engine
is set in motion the taps communicating with the main service pipes or with the
cylinder W are at once closed and the tap S (which is provided with a quadrant) is
opened which allows a stream of water to flow into the jacketted vessel R at a
rate equal to the consumption required by the engine, such said stream of water
being supplied either from the main or from a cistern or other convenient source.
The jacketted vessel R is heated by the exhaust steam issuing from a small
pipe so that the stream of water flowing therein becomes heated which is
rendered serviceable as feed water, as will be well understood, and from this time
the engine becomes self-maintaining.
By the employment of steam boilers in the manner herein set forth for driving
steam engines, many advantages will be found over the ordinary steam boiler, such
as a saving of fuel, the more rapid generation of steam, the abatement of smoke,
and long chimneys rendered unnecessary.
The starting of the engine is also ensured in a few minutes, and should the
pipes be over-heated and cold water be quickly introduced, no serious explosion
endangering either life or property would take place, as is the case with the

page_text: present shell steam boilers, because the pipes employed in the coils of the boiler or
water heater will rarely if ever exceed 14 inches in diameter, and the pressure to
burst them would have to be equal to 500 lbs per square inch, and as the coils
contain only enough water as to generate steam before it has passed through them,
the bursting of a pipe at any given point of the coil would only discharge a jet of
steam of the pressure above named, and certainly not sufficient water as to destroy
life, besides which the peculiar formation of the boiler being a coil prohibits a
possibility of any section been blown out when the explosion takes place, as is the
case with other boilers of large internal area.
As the domes I are of small construction, it is possible to have them made at a
very little cost to withstand a pressure equal to 500 lbs per square inch.
The boilers or water heaters as herein shewn and described, may have as many
cylinders E and coiled pipes connected to them according to size as may be found
most compatible with economy, and according to horse power required, and several
of such boilers may be combined and detached as is desirable.
These forms of steam boilers also occupy less room, are less costly, more
powerful, much safer, and take less attention, the pressure of the steam can also
be quickly raised or lowered at once, by instantaneously extinguishing the gas.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is,
Firstly. The combination with a gas water heater such as A of a dome or steam
chest I for the purpose of receiving and storing steain which may be employed for
actuating steam engines, steam hammers, and other like machines.
Secondly. The combination with a water heater and steam chest such as is
herein described of a hydraulic cylinder W for increasing the pressure of water so
as to start the engine.