IMPROVEMENTS IN SURFACE OR FRESH WATER CONDENSERS, CHIEPLY APPLI- CABLE TO STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tomlinson Bousfield, of Sussex Place, Lough-
borough Road, Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SURFACE OR FRESH WATER CONDENSERS, CHIEPLY APPLI-
CABLE TO STEAM ENGINES."-A communication from Nathan Thompson
junior, of Williamsburgh, King's County, New York, United States of
America.
Sealed the 17th June 1856, and dated the 15th April 1856.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 15th April 1856, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Sussex Place, Loughborough Road, Brixton, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SURFACE OR FRESH WATER CONDENSERS, CHIEPLY APPLICABLE TO STEAM
ENGINES," (communicated to me by Nathan Thompson, junior, of Williams-
burgh, King's County, New York, United States of America,) and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
Figure 1 is a section taken through the condenser, showing all the parts
thereof; Figure 2 is a section on the line A, A, of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an
end view of one-half of a condenser; Figure 4 is partly an elevation and
partly a section of a nest of tubes with their collar, elastic junction, &c.,

page_text: on a larger scale; Figure 5 is an end view of a nest of tubes and their collar;
Figure 6 is a section through a large tube on a large scale, as applied by an
elastic junction to a tube sheet; Figure 7 is a top view of a ring for clasp-
ing an elastic tube upon a collar, thimble, or tube. Surface condensers of
various kinds have been so long in actual use that it is unecessary herein to 5
make mention of their properties or the advantages arising from their employ-
ment. The difficulties incident to their use are also well known, three of
them being more important than the others.
These are, first, the leakage arising from the unequal expansion and con-
traction of the tubes, which breaks the joints between them and the tube
sheets, such leakage causing a mixture of salt water with the fresh, or, if of
great amount, drowning or flooding the condenser.
Secondly, the firring up of the tubes by deposits of grease and scale, making
them non-conductors, and preventing condensation.
And, thirdly, the difficulty of removing tubes which are worn out or filled
up or coated over by a deposit.
In certain late improvements in condensers attempts have been made, in
some instances with great success, to remedy these difficulties, and this also is
the object of the Invention, but I have proceeded in a different manner from
those who have gone before me.
Mr. Hall, in his surface condenser, obviated the first evil, by fitting each
end of each tube into the tube sheet and securing it there by a regular stuffing
box and packing. Since then others have devised various methods of joining
the tubes with the tube sheets so as to admit of play at a greater or less cost,
and with varying degrees of success.
Now the nature of the first part of the Invention consists in securing a tube
or a set of tubes united by a single collar to a tube sheet, by means of a short
tube of vulcanized rubber, or its equivalent, and a socket or thimble upon the
tube sheet, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-after
specified.
The nature of the second part of the Invention consists in combining several
small tubes by means of a collar to which they are firmly attached when said
collar is secured to a tube sheet by some flexible or sliding junction, sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purposes described.
And the nature of the third part of the Invention consists in combining
with a short india-rubber tube, making a joint in the manner above specified,
two or more spring rings, or their equivalents, as herein-after set forth.
In order to carry out the first part of the Invention, I form my tube sheets
with a set of thimbles projecting from their surfaces, through a hole in each of

page_text: which is passed a tube, or a collar of a set of tubes, in such manner that when
the tube is in place in each tube sheet, its ends shall project for a short distance
beyond the greatest projection of the thimble. I then take short lengths of
india-rubber tubing, or its equivalent, a little less in internal diameter than the
outside of a collar or condenser tube, and force it over them and the thimbles
down to the level of the tube sheet, or nearly so. In this manner the spring
of the elastic tube makes its interior surface adhere tightly to the peripheries
of the condensing tube, or the collar thereon, and the thimble forming tight
joints therewith, while its elasticity in the direction of its length permits the
condensing tube to slide out and in for a short distance, but fully sufficient to
compensate for the expansion or contraction of the condensing tube, or for any
practical variation of distance between the tube sheets arising from expansion
or contraction of the shell of the condenser. It is possible, however, that the
condensing tubes might tend to creep in one direction, finally releasing them-
selves from one or the other of the elastic junction tubes, or that the pressure
of the condensing water, if it should act on the inner surface of the junction
tubes, might overcome their elastic force, and in either event a leak would be
the consequence. I, therefore, intend usually to groove the exterior surface of
the collar or condensing tube, where it projects beyond the thimble, and to
make similar recesses in the exterior of the thimble. The tube will, by its
elasticity, conform in a measure to these depressions, thus obviating, to a
certain extent, the danger of creeping; but, in order to made sure on this head,
and also to counteract to a certainty the pressure of the water, I force over
the outside of the elastic tube split elastic metallic rings, which compress it
into the grooves on either the collars or the thimbles. As an equivalent of
this latter device it may sometimes be expedient to bind thin wire around the
elastic tubing, securing the ends thereof in any usual manner.
In condensers, when in actual use, there is but little difference between the
expansion and contraction of tubes in the same neighbourhood; four, five, or
more tubes in the same vicinity may, therefore, have a common stuffing box or
some device serving the same purpose, thus greatly lessening the expense with-
out increasing the danger of leakage. I have, therefore, contrived the plan of
brazing or attaching otherwise several tubes to the interior of a single collar,
and then making the joint between that collar and the tube sheet by my
5 elastic tube and thimble, or by some other device. This plan becomes of
special importance when tubes of very small bore are employed, as the expense
of a separate elastic junction for each tube would in the aggregate be enor-
Small tubes are, however, much more efficient and practical than
larger ones; first, for the reason that they expose greater surface in a condenser
mous.

page_text: of the same area; second, because they can be made very short, as the con-
densing water in them soon heats up, or, if the steam enters them, it soon
condenses. Short tubes are more advantageous than long ones, as they expand
and contract less, are more easily cleaned, and are more easily removed when
worn out and replaced by new ones. The plan, therefore, of uniting several
tubės solidly to a single collar, and then securing such a collar to the tube
sheet by an elastic tube or some device permitting of expansion and con-
traction without leakage, enables me to employ small tubes and attain all their
advantages at a cost not exceeding the ordinary arrangement of large tubes.
The number of tubes secured in a single collar may vary, so may their cross
section, but I prefer the use of from four to seven with such a shape as shall
nearly fill up a cylindrical collar when they are properly packed. If steam be
admitted outside of the tubes, and water passed through them, which is the
arrangement I prefer, the interstices between the tubes may be very small or
narrow; when the water is outside of the tubes these spaces should be larger.
As I generally intend to use upright tubes (although they may lie at any angle),
and as the weight of these tubes might as well be taken off of the elastic
tubing, I intend at times to enlarge the upper collar upon each set of tubes,
so that it may rest as a flange on the thimble, and thus sustain the weight of
the tube; I moreover intend usually to apply the elastic tubing junction on
each tube sheet, but it is obvious that a very good result may be obtained by
fastening one collar, or one end of a tube in any usual way, using my plan at
the other end only.
I wish it distinctly understood also that the elastic tube junction is appli-
cable either to tubes themselves or to collars, which unite a set of tubes,
although the best effect will be produced where all parts of the Invention are
used together; but when the junction is used alone it will remedy all diffi-
culties of leakage, and will present a very easy means of removing and re-
placing tubes. In the Drawings I have represented a condenser in which
water is forced or drawn through the tubes while steam or vapor is admitted
into the condenser shell and surrounds the whole nest of tubes. The steam
and water may, however, be made to change places, and the more ordinary
plan of admitting steam into the tubes be adopted.
At a, a, is shown the shell of the condenser, in whose interior are tube
sheets b, b, each provided with a series of thimbles c, c. The condensing tubes
are represented at d, d, and their collars, which unite them by sets, are shown
at ff. The elastic junction tubes are shown at 9, g, with their elastic metallic
rings or binding wires at h; h. The shoulders or flanges on the upper collars
are represented at j, j. The Drawings show clearly how the tubes or their

page_text: collars project beyond the thimbles, and the relative position of all the parts
that go to make up a complete elastic junction. Steam enters the condenser
at a, a, and is drawn off condensed by any suitable means at y, while the
condensing water is admitted cold and withdrawn warm by either of the
apertures, 2. All the usual accessories of fresh water condensers, such as
distributing plates for water or steam, bonnets for examining the interior,
or stays for supporting the tube sheets against the differing pressures on the
opposite sides thereof, may be added to this condenser, but, as they are well
known, are not described specially. Neither do I describe the the way of
putting the parts together or removing or replacing a tube, or a series of them,
as any mechanic can see his own way in these matters by inspecting the
Drawings.
Having thus fully described the improvements in surface condensers, I claim
as of the Invention,―
First, an elastic junction of a tube with a tube sheet composed of a thimble
on a tube sheet, and a short piece of elastic tubing applied thereto, and to a
tube end or a collar on a set of tubes, substantially in the manner and for the
purposes hereiu-before specified.
Second, I claim uniting firmly several small tubes into a collar, which latter
is attached to a tube sheet by means of a slip or elastic joint, whereby several
tubes require only a single stuffing-box or elastic junction in order to com-
pensate for their expansion and contraction, substantially as herein set forth.
And, lastly, I claim, in conjunction with an elastic junction, such as is herein
described, metallic clamping rings or their equivalents, applied substantially
in the manner and for the purposes herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
W. S. HARRISON.
New Court,
St. Swithin's Lane.
GEO. T. BOUSFIELD. (L.S.)