CERTAIN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS OF MACHINERY FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF SHIPS FIRE HEATHS, AND AN EXTENSION OF THE SAME TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1812

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
FLY BLUNT, of Prujean Square, Old Bailey, in the City of London, Engineer
Draftsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-first day of
April, in the fifty-second year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Fly Blunt, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, Iis especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Charles Fly Blunt, my
exors, adñiors, and assigns, should and lawfully might, during the term of
years therein mentioned, make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVED
ARRANGEMENTS OF MACHINERY FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF SHIPS FIRE HEATHS,
AND AN EXTENSION OF THE SAME TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES;" in which said
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, that if I, the said Charles Fly
Blunt, shall not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instru-
ment in writing under his hand and seal, and cause the same to be enrolled
in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the
said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby

page_text: granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and become void, as in and by the
same, relation being thereunto had, may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles Fly Blunt, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is fully described and
set forth in the annexed Drawings, and which are respectively numbered and
marked 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, and the following explanatory description thereof,
that is to say-
My said Invention consists in the arrangement and construction of a ship's
stove or fire hearth, improved in its general construction by alterations and
additions, and by the adaptation to it of the different apparatus (horein-after
lescribed) for the conversion of sea or foul water into fresh water; I say
it consists in the ship's fire hearth so improved (taking it as a compound),
and in the contrivanco and construction of those machines and apparatus
(herein-after described) for purifying or ameliorating sca or foul water
by simple distillation, which have not been hitherto known, used, and prac-
tised for the like purposes. I further declare that my said Invention has for
its objects:-1. A more convenient, safe, and efficacious cooking apparatus
for the use of ships than that hitherto used; and 2, a convenient, expeditious,
and effectual mode of distilling fresh from sea or foul water. And I claim to
make all such applications of the machinery I use on board ships for distilling
sea or foul water (and in the various other situations in which the same may
be required, as in camps, hospitals, dockyards, &c., whether in combination with
ships' fire hearth or not) to any branch of general distillation, or in any other
chemical operations, as may be beneficially made, and which may not be at
present known, used, and practiced for such purposes. I declare that to
effect these objects I construct my apparatus and machinery in manner
following:-I remove the fireplace for the boilers to the hinder part of the
machine, where it is at the greatest possible distance from the cables, which,
in the usual mode of construction, are more or less subject to the damages
incident to an exposure of the action of the fire upon them, and where such
alteration in the figure of the hearth is required, I curve the whole hinder part
of it, making the boilers of a corresponding figure, whereby a considerable
saving of space is obtained between the ship's bits for those who attend
the fire hearth and its operations. When the figure of the fire hearth is
rectangular I still place the fireplace for the boilers at its binder part. For
the production of fresh water from sea or foul water, I adapt to the boilers of
the hearth alembical vessels, of peculiar construction, which accord with the
form and local situation of the boilers, so as not to be cumbrous to the vessel,

page_text: and are furnished with contrivances to facilitate the operations of condensing
the vapour they receive from the boilers, and for cooling the produce, without
the incumbrance and cost of the condensing worms and vats hitherto used for
that purpose. The construction and appearance of the front of a fire hearth,
having curved back and boilers, its ovens, the forms and places of the boilers,
and the forms, relative dimensions of the parts, and the whole arrangement of
the front, are shewn in the Drawing marked and numbered 1, and the
arrangement of the like matters of the hinder part of the hearth are shewn
in the Drawing marked 2.
The Drawing, marked 3 shews, in the Figures 1 and 2 respectively,
perspective views of the back and front of the fire hearth, on a smaller scale
than those of the Drawings marked 1 and 2, and placed in the proper situation
with respect to the cables and bitts, as it stands when on board a vessel,
shewing the advantage of removing the fireplace of the boilers to the farthest
distance from the cables, which lie on each side the fire hearth. The Figure 3
of this Drawing is an horizontal section of the hinder part of the apparatus,
marked B, B, in the Drawings 1 and 2, and containing the boilers. It shews
the figure of the boilers for a fire hearth with a curved back, and the situation
and relative dimensions of their flues. The machines I use for obtaining
fresh water by means of distillation with the fire hearth I apply immediately
over one or both of the boilers, and it occupies in some cases the whole
opening or mouth of the boiler. The Drawing marked 4 contains in Figure 1
a vertical section, and in Figure 2 a perspective view of an apparatus which
I use for this purpose on the boilers of those of my fire hearths which are
made with curved backs. The Drawings which I have already mentioned,
marked 1, 2, 3, and 4, referring to those fire hearths which are made with
curved backs, I will now give more detail references to them, and after
describe those other machines and apparatus which I use more particularly
with the fire hearth of rectangular figure.
REFERENCES TO DRAWING 1.
A, A, B, B, is the body of the fire hearth; B, B, the place of the boilers ;
C, the fireplace of the boilers; D, the opening, containing the register; E, the
door of a side oven; F, the slope or contraction of the chimney; G and I
the tube or chimney; K, the usual cover for the extremity; II, H, the water
plate for the deck; L, the support for the communication with the smoak jack;
M, the cylinder, over which the chain passes; N, the communication with the
vanes of the jack; P, the spit, and (p) the sliding rack for ditto; Q, fender;
R, R, cocks for discharging boilers; S and T two boilers of different sizes; U, U,

page_text: and W, W, the lifting handles respectively of the boilers; V and X, the
respective openings of the boilers T and S; Y, an opening to the flue about
the boilers, for the purpose of cleaning it; Z, Z, lifting ring bolts.
Drawing 2. In this Drawing the same things are shewn as in Drawing 1,
but in a different position, or, as seen from a different point of view; the
references to the letters are therefore the same respectively as they were in
Drawing 1, but in a different position, or as seen from a different point of
view; the references to the letters are therefore the same respectively as they
were in Drawing 1. In this Drawing Y is a side opening to the flue, which
surrounds the boiler.
Drawing No. 8.-In this Drawing the Figures 1 and 2 have the same
letters of reference to the same parts respectively of the fire hearth as in
the same views of it in Drawings 1 and 2, except that in 8 the letters of
reference are small italics instead of Roman capitals, as in Drawings 1 and 2.
A, A, A, in Figure 1, are the bitts in front of the fire hearth; C, C, the
cables on either side; D, D, the deck, on which the apparatus stands.
B, B, B, in Figure 2, are the bitts at the back or hinder part of the fire
hearth; C, C, the cables, and D, D, the deck. In Figure 3, T is the larger
boiler, S the smaller one. B, B, B, the outer part of the apparatus, leaving
a space between it and the boiler. Y is the opening referred to in the
Drawing 2 by the capital letter Y.
Drawing 4, Figure 1. A, A, is the biler, copper, or other cooking
vessel of the fire hearth; B, the space above the surface of the liquid it
contains, through which space the steam rises during the bolling. C, C, an
alembical head or cover, of a flat curve, and having a gutter I, I, passing
round it at its lower edge. The bottom of this gutter is perforated with a
number of outlets or holes, communicating with a second cutter or trough
H, which, lying immediately below the cutter I, receives from it all the
water collected by it, and retains it exposed to the effect of the condensing
water in the refrigerator D, D, till it is discharged to its receiving trough or
vessel L by the pipe at K. The condensing water is brought to the refrige-
rator D by a pipe M, which communicates with a head of water on deck or
other convenient place. The open vessel N equalizes the supply made by the
pipe F, which enters the refrigerator at G. The cooling water is thus forced
to circulate rapidly through the refrigerator, and goes off at the aperture P
into the open vessel O, and thence by the two pipes U, U, seen in the per-
spective, Figure 2. One of these discharging pipes is set on cach side, in order
to ensure an equal and constant discharge of the condensing water with cach
lurch or inclination of the ship. At V, or in any convenient part, a tube is

page_text: fixed, which passes through the refrigerator, for the purpose of introducing a
gage stick or rod W. This may either be dipped simply into the tube Y,
which, being open at bottom, will have the liquor in itself at the level of that in
the boiler, or it may be furnished with a float X, and mark the depth by proper
divisions on its upper part. The boiler is supplied with water to replenish
the waste by boiling (if required) from the refrigerator by the pipe S, which
has an opening at the bottom at T, and communicates with the refrigerator
by a cock at R, formed of two short cylinders having opposite perforations.
The upper of these are fixed to or is of one piece with P, and is turned by the
head Q. The lower one is fixed in the upper end of the pipe S. Figure 2
of this Drawing is a perspective view of this machine, shewing its external
arrangement and appearance, in which the same parts are respectively marked
with the same letters of reference as in the section of Figure 1, except that
in this Figure the discharging pipes U, U, are shewn, which are not in
Figure 1. It be will observed that this apparatus as a quadrantal figure
being intended to fit on the larger of the two boilers of a fire hearth having
a curved back. The figure will in all cases be made to conform with that of
the boiler, whereas in this instance it occupies the whole surplus of it.
Drawing 5 contains sections of the other apparatus and machines which
I apply to my ships' fire hearth, for the purposes of producing fresh water
from sea or foul water by simple distillation. In Figure 1, A, B, C, and
D are respectively the boiler neck, alembical head, and refrigerator, as in
Fig. 1 of Drawing 5, but in this machine the vessel D, or the space included
between the vessel D and the head C is divided by a spiral division, a, b, c,
d, e, f, g, h, &c., forming a spiral path or worm on the upper surface of the
head C, and being perfectly closed down by the outer vessel D, so that the
condensing water entering the space between C and D at H, as before, is by
the course of the spiral oblige to wind about the space between the vessel
C and D till it reaches the opening at E, whence it is conveyed by the pipe
F. Figure 2 is a section of a contrivance for lowering the temperature of the
produce from the head C still further than it is when delivered to the
receiving trough H (see Figure 1, Drawing 4). A small metal spiral pipe,
of capacity equal to the reception of the produce as it flows from the trough,
has one end inserted in an aperture of the trough (or several small outlets
or appertures are made in the trough, at equal distances, whence smaller
tubes convey the produce to the spiral pipe). The pipes then takes two
three, or more turns about the apparatus, as in the Drawing, still being
immersed in the condensing water, to prevent the heat from the boiler
affecting the condensing water about the lower part of the refrigerator. The

page_text: .
space (x, x,) may be filled up with fire brick, or any bad conductor of heat
which it may be convenient to apply, according to the scale and circumstances
of the apparatus. This apparatus is used with either or with both the
machines last described. Figure 3 is a section of an apparatus in which
the condensing water is distributed over the condensing head C in an
extremely thin sheet, which necessarily runs off with great rapidity, and cools
the head C by its constant and quick change. The condensing water is led
to the apparatus by a pipe to the funnel A, which delivers it over the centre of
the head C at B. The plate D, which surrounds the apperture at (a),
prevents the water from splashing abroad, returning it on the head C, as
shewn in the Drawing, or a rose may be applied to the end of the funnel,
as in Figure 4, which distributes and equal shower over the head C. This
method I use without the spiral described in Figure 1, but either with the spiral
pipe described at Figure 2, or with the double trough described in Figure 1
of Drawing 4. Figure 5, Drawing 5, is a section of an apparatus which I
use in cases where sufficient space can be afforded. A, A, is the boiler or
copper; B, a neck; C, a cylindrical vessel of metal, placed within a large
cylinder D, the space between them being converted into a spiral path or
channel by the divisions a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, &c. The boiler communicates
with the inner cavity of the apparatus or inner cylinder C, and a supply or
head of water E communicates with the spiral D which surrounds it. The
condensing water passes through the spiral, producing condensation within the
cylinder D. It passes off at F. The produce from the cylinder D goes off
at G. The operation of this apparatus may, in some cases, be reversed with
advantage, as in the section, Figure 6; the neck of the boiler B communicates
them with the spiral path a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, &c. The inner cylinder C,
included by the spiral, and the outer cylinder E which surrounds it, are
kept full of flowing water by the supply or head F, the discharge being at G,
and the produce collected in the pipe H. Figure 7 is a section of au
apparatus which is very convenient and productive in situations where com-
pactness is required. An alembical vessel A, of a flat curve, as a perforation
(a, a,) at its top, of a diameter about one fourth less diameter than (x, x,) that of
the boiler. The opening (a, a,) communicates with B, B, a second alembical
vessel having at its top an opening (b,b,) of about one fourth less diameter than
(a, a,) that of A, A; and this vessel B, B, communicates in like manner with a
third, C, C, which terminates with apparatus, and is closed at the top. An
outer vessel or case D, D, D, incloses the whole, and is kept full of flowing
water by a supply at E. Each of the vessels A, A, B, B, and C, C, has a
trough to receive the produce of its vessel, and the troughs discharge them-

page_text: selves into one common pipe d. The condensing water goes off ate. The
spiral described in Figure 1 may be applied to the apparatus to direct the
condensing water, and in cases where it is desirable to take the product off
at a lower temperature than the troughs of the condensers would deliver it,
the spiral pipe described at Figure 2 may also be applied to it. Drawing 6
contains figures descriptive of apparatus which in some cases are of more
convenient use, as they may may be kept constantly at work, it not being
necessary to remove them from the ship's boilers during any part of the
cooking operations. Figure 1 is a geometrical Drawing of the upper part of
the ship's boilers. A, A, A, A, the two boilers as they stand together. The
extent of the larger boiler is pointed out by the dotted line (a, a,) and that of
the lesser boiler by the dotted line (b.) The lesser boiler is closed with a lid,
shewn at D, and the large boiler is partly covered with a lid, shewn at C, of
similar size. The space which remains uncovered between them is closed by
a lid B, B, having an opening E, E, of as large diameter as the width of
the cover conveniently allows. Into this opening is fitted a vessel F, F,
having a circular neck for the fitting at E, E, but being itself of an elliptical
form, the shorter dameter not much exceeding the diameter of the opening
E, E, the longer extending over each of the lids C and D (the neck or coller
of the fitting at E, E, standingly sufficiently high to clear the bottom of the
vessel F, F, from the lifting handles of the lid C and D). The proportion
between the diameters of the eliptical cover may vary according to cir-
cumstances, but a convenient shape in practice I find produced by making
the longer diameter to the shorter as three to two. This is encased with
another cover of corresponding figure and larger dimensions, so as to includo
a space between them for the passage of the condensing water, as in the
condensers already described. This eliptical condenser will extend beyond
the division between the two boilers, and therefore will recieve steam from
them both. The condensing water is delivered to the apparatus by a funnel
or opening at I (see Figure 2), into which a pipe is led from a reservoir, as
in the cases already described. The spiral for the condensing water (Figure 1,
Drawing 5), or the spiral pipe (Figure 2, Drawing 5), or the trough H
(Figure 1, Drawing 4), for lowering the temperature, may also be applied to
condensors of this figure with equal effect. The three covers above described
slide on and off. The boilers may be uncovered at pleasure during the
operation of cooking, without the necessity of lifting off the condensing
apparatus, or materially checking its work. If the cover C and D are slided
off the condensing cover may then be also slided along on the edges of the
two boilers, either to the side G or I of the fire hearth. Figure 2 (Drawing 6)

page_text: is a bird's eye view of the whole upper part of the boilers, as they appear
when all the covers are in their places. The same letters of reference are
set respectively to the same things as in Figure 1. The condensing water
is supplied by a pipe to a funnel or apperture at I; and K and L are re-
spectively pipes of discharge for the condensing water and the produce (fresh
water). Figure 8 (Drawing 6) is a perspective view of a ship's fire hearth
(seen from behind), with the apparatus, Figures 1 and 2, set on the boilers.
For the application of this condensing apparatus I find it more commodious to.
construct the hinder part of the fire hearth of a rectangular figure, as in the
Figure (8) of this Drawing, still placing the fireplace for the boilers at the
hinder part of the hearth, as before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Fly Blunt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twelve.