Apparatus for Closing the Tube Insertion Holes in Water-tube Boilers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1899
Complete Specification Left. 24th July, 1900-Accepted, 6th Oct., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Closing the Tube Insertion Holes in Water-tube
Boilers.
I, FREDERICK ALTENSTEIN, of U, 80, Szondy, Budapesth, in the Kingdom of
Hungary, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:--
The object of this invention is to provide improved apparatus for closing the
tube insertion holes of water-tube boiler chambers.
Hitherto the holes have been elliptical, so that the elliptical cover furnished
with a packing rim, could be inserted from the outside, whereupon it was
tightened by means of screws and bent irons.
This contrivance, owing to the expense incurred in making the elliptical
holes and its uncertain action, is not satisfactory.
Recently a number of closing contrivances has been tried, the fundamental
idea of which is the insertion of a cone-shaped cover in the chamber, the hole,
likewise cone-shaped and having its narrower end outwards, being closed thereby
with the interposition of suitable packing. These covers are introduced into the
chamber through a large oval opening which is afterwards closed. In another
form the closing cover is made cone-shaped, but so small that it can be pushed
through the hole belonging to it, a spring-packing ring being forced on after
insertion and tightened by means of screws and stays to effectually close the
opening; or indentations are formed in the conical opening, which enables the
conical cover, which is diminished" in two places lying opposite to one another
to be inserted and after being turned round fixed by means of packing screws
and stays.
The disadvantages of this closing contrivance are the expense of making
the conical openings and covers and the loss of time involved therein, its uncer-
tainty in working, as it happens frequently that a freshly packed boiler has to
be emptied again because a single cover blows, and, in the rapid wearing away,
by repeated cleaning, which is very perceptible with bad water, the conical
openings become larger through the cleaning, and the covers smaller.
The new closing device obviates all these disadvantages. According to this
invention the tube inlet hole is formed by boring two circular holes the sides
of which intersect, one hole being smaller and forming a recess in the side of
the larger hole. The small hole is bored first. The closing-cover belonging
thereto is not cone-shaped and is of exactly the same form as this double hole,
and further is formed with a projecting edge or flange on which the packing
material rests. This cover in which the tightening screw of the stay is fixed,
can be easily inserted through the opening from outside, whereupon, after
being turned round, it can be screwed up in the hole without trouble, so that
the projecting edge or flange with the packing lies against the interior wall of
the water-chamber. The stay and the screw nut complete the fixing.
The

page_text: packing cannot possibly be pressed out, as the part of the cover which fills up
the hole fits exactly to the outline of the opening. The greater the internal
pressure the more effective is the packing.
Instead of one circular side recess two smaller such recesses lying opposite
to one another can be formed, which together furnish such a width that the
correspondingly shaped cover can be pushed through. The manner of forming
this hole is the same as with that previously described.
Dated this 9th day of October 1899.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,.
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.
Apparatus for Closing the Tube Insertion Holes in Water-tube
Boilers.
I, FRITZ ALTENSTEIN, Engineer, of 80, Szondygasse, Budapesth, in the King-
dom of Hungary, 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:-
-
This invention relates to a new closing apparatus for tube inlet holes of water
tube boilers, and which apparatus can also be employed for covering other
openings in vessels under pressure, such as manholes, &c., and which openings
have to be tightly closed.
Instead of the elliptical holes previously used, which were troublesome to
close properly, and above all very expensive to make, various attempts have
been made to employ some other form of opening with a more convenient and
thoroughly reliable means of closing same. In one of these attempts a circular
hole, furnished with very small incisions lying opposite to one another is formed.
The hole and the cover are made to fit conically one into the other, the incisions
being as deep as the degree of conicity at the corresponding places on the cover.
The packing ring between the hole and the cover lies however, rather in the
direction of the pressure, and is therefore very easily pressed out. In other
constructions of the same kind the insertion openings are so arranged, and of
such a form that the packing ring must fit precisely to the form of the projecting
edge of the cover.
The arrangement of the holes according to the present invention is such that
owing to the position of the different holes and enlargements in relation to one
another, their size and the form of the packing surface of the cover, the applica-
tion of ordinary rubber packing rings is rendered possible.
This is due to the fact that the circular hole forming the principal opening
and the additional recess or recesses for facilitating the introduction of the
cover, are so placed and of such a size that two or three arcs of circles are
created running outwards, and connected by tangents. By means of this arrange-
ment an ordinary rubber packing ring of any preferred section may be employed.
which is simply stretched around the circular arcs of the cover. Hereby a
further advantage is obtained, iz.. that the cover of the manhole can be fur-
nished on the outside with the packing ring and can be brought into use
together therewith on the spot, whereby an absolutely reliable mounting is
obtained. By pressing out the india rubber ring breadth wise, moreover, an
absolutely reliable packing of the closing contrivance is effected.

page_text: The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in various forms
and views.
As will be seen from Fig. 1 the principal hole has a circular side enlargement.
The operation is effected by first boring the small hole / and then the large
hole L. The closing cover ) thereto belonging is not made conical but precisely
in the same form as the double hole, and as a matter of course has a projecting
edge R formed like the packing ring and parallel thereto on the outside this
edge R serving to press the packing material. From Figs. 2 and 3 the applica-
tion will at once be understood. As will be seen from Fig. 4 the cover D
together with its rigidly fixed bridge bolt S can be inserted easily through the
opening from outside, and after being suitably turned into position to close the
opening pressed firmly against the inside W of the vessel to be closed. It is
thus absolutely impossible for the packing K to be pressed out. Instead of a
single circular side recess, two of these 11 12 may be made as seen in Figs. 5 to 7.
It is essential in connection with the invention, that the whole of the circular
holes forming the insertion opening should be so made that the cover D or D¹
with the rigid bridge bolt passes through and that their arrangement as well as
the form of the cover rim, should be such that the circular india rubber ring
can be stretched over the projecting part of the cover, whereby it assumes the
form of the cover rim, riz, arcs of circles, which are connected by tangents.
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:-
Internal closing apparatus for tube insertion openings, manholes or the like,
the distinguishing feature being that the circular bored cylindrical opening L
for the closing cover is furnished with one or two side enlargements or recesses 7
likewise cylindrically bored, the diameter of which is sufficiently large to allow
of the passage from the outside to the inside in any oblique position of the
closing cover D or D¹, which is furnished with an extension fitting exactly
into the opening, and engages above the latter by means of a projection R, its
position being regulated by the tightening screw S rigidly connected with the
cover for the purpose of enabling the cover to be packed tightly against the side
of the boiler by means of a packing ring K of circular shape and any preferred
section stretched to an oval form around the cover.
Dated this 24th day of July 1900.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE.
40. Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.