Improvements in Water Tube Steam Boilers.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Aug., 1897-Accepted, 16th Oct., 1897
[Communicated from abroad by the HOGAN BOILER COMPANY, a Corporation
organized under the laws of the State of West Virginia, U.S.A., and doing
business at Middletown, in the County of Orange and State of New York,
U.S.A.]
Improvements in Water Tube Steam Boilers.
I, WILLIAM JORDAN, Patent Agent of No. 120 Chancery Lane, in the City of
London, England, 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:-
The present improvements relate to that class of boilers in which a steam drum
and water drum are connected by numerous tubes among which the heated gases
are circulated, and the object of the invention is three-fold
First, to furnish an improved means of distributing the heat among the tubes
which are intended for upward and downward circulation in such a boiler;
Second, to introduce the feed water to the tops of the tubes for downward
circulation, and at the same time protect the water in the vicinity of such tubes
from disturbance by steam currents; and,
Third, to exclude the water, by a joint of particular construction, from a steam
separator located in the upper part of the steam drum.
These improvements will be understood by reference to the annexed drawing,
in which Fig. 1 is a transverse section of the boiler on line 1, 1 in Fig. 2;
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the boiler on line 2, 2 in Fig. 1. with the tubes C
omitted from the drum B; Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the upper half of the
steam drum through the centre of the separator and steam thimble; and Fig. 4
is a plan of the descending tubes, the adjacent casing, and the passage to the smoke
flue, in section through the centre of the smoke flue.
A designates the steam drum at the top of the boiler; B the distributing drum
at the bottom of the boiler, and C the so-called ascending tubes arranged over the .
fire for the ascending current, and which are extended first laterally from the
distributing drum and then vertically into the steam drum, within which they
are provided with couplings and nines c extended above the water line 10.
The sides of the tubes C farthest from the fire are covered by fire brick or other
suitable material, to form a partition D extending upward over half their height;
such partition serving to direct the gases upwardly among the tubes before it
enters the descending flue.
E designates the so-called descending tubes for downward circulation, arranged
next the external casing of the boiler, with a sufficient space between such tubes
and the partition D to form descending and ascending smoke flues F and F¹.
Other descending tubes G connect the drums A and B intermediate to the
tubes C and E.
The boiler setting forms a casing S which encloses all the tubes and is provided
with fire-door s¹ and ash-door s³, a grate T being arranged beneath the laterally

page_text: projecting portion of the tubes C. The lower side of the drum B adjacent to the
grate, is guarded by a brick wall U which extends upward by the side of the same
and deflects the heat from the ends of the tubes C, which are also protected, where
they are secured in the drum B, by their arrangement upon the backwardly sloping
upper surface of such drum.
The tubes G should be kept at a lower temperature than the steaming tubes C,
to promote the downward movement of the water in tubes G, and the partition D)
protects the tubes G by its upward extension, while its lateral extension over
the grate reflects the heat upon the upper sides of the tubes C.
The partition 1 thus performs a double function, in protecting the tubes G and
in concentrating the heat upon the tubes C. A partition is formed between the
upper parts of the flues F, F', by an intermediate series of tubes G which are
arranged in contact with one another except at the ends, to form a solid wall but
necessarily separated at their ends for insertion into the steam and distributing
drums. The alternate tubes G are represented in Figs. 1 and 2 bent backwardly
at their lower ends and forwardly at their upper ends, the spaces thereby formed
between the intermediate tubes being blackened to exhibit such space clearly to
the eye.
A partition D¹, similar to the partition D, is applied to the upper ends
of the tubes G to prevent the passage of smoke between their separated upper ends;
but the smoke is afforded a passage between their separated lower ends in its
course to the smoke outlet H, which is formed in one side of the boiler setting S
adjacent to the tubes E.
These descending tubes E are of larger diameter than the ascending tubes, and
are arranged in a single row which is interrupted, as shown in Fig. 4, adjacent to
the smoke outlet H; to permit the free escape of the gases, the vertical portion
of the tubes being covered with a fire-brick facing e¹ to direct the gases into such
outlet.
A cover supported upon beams d¹ connects the bottom of the partition D'
and the facing e¹, to enclose the top. of the flue F¹, and the heated gases rising
from the grate are thus compelled to pass first upwardly over the partition D,
then downwardly within the flue F and between the lower ends of the tubes G.
through the spaces which are blackened in Fig. 2, and then upwardly within
the flue to the outlet H which is located at the upper edge of such flue.
A manhole I is formed at the end of the flue F to clean the same; the flue FI
being accessible through the outlet H. A feed water drum J is shown inserted in
the bottom of the steam drum A at the side of the extension pipes c, and provided
with numerous jet pipes j to mingle the feed water in slender streams with the
water in the steam drum. The parts thus described operate as follows.
The entire boiler is filled with water to the line w near the tops of the tubes c
in the steam drum; the water descending in the tubes E and G, and thus filling
the tubes C and pipes c. The heat operates most powerfully upon the tubes C,
thus generating steam therein which rises with a proportion of the water and is
⚫ discharged into the steam drum above the water line, where the water quickly
separates from the steam and passes downward through the tubes E and G to
re-enter the bottoms of the tubes C. As the steam is carried by the tubes C above
the water line, it does not produce a violent disturbance of the water in the bottom
below such water line, and the water separated from the steam thus flows without
any obstruction into the tubes E and G, which would be prevented if the tubes C
discharged steam directly into the bottom of the steam drum.
No rising current is generated in the tubes E, and but seldom in the tubes G,
as they are wholly protected from the direct action of the fire by the partition D,
and receive the impact of the gases after they have traversed the tube C, and the
upper part of the space in contact, with the bottom of the steam drum.
"
By the arrangement of the feed water drum J below the tops of the pipes c, the
water which is separated from the steam flows downwardly in the direction of the
small delivery -pipes j, and the latter do not therefore offer any obstruction' to

page_text: the descending current of water, while they deliver the feed water into such
current.
A steam separator is shown enclosing a segmental space in the upper part of the
drum A, the space being enclosed by segmental heads connected at the bottom
by horizontal plate m. The separator is formed of a box n having a cover n¹
with opening at each end, and central aperture connected by a nipple
o to the
steam thimble o¹. (See Fig. 3). The plate m is formed with numerous perfora-
tions through which the steam enters and passes into the box n near the ends upon
the top, as shown by the downwardly pointing arrows at the ends of the box in
Fig. 2, and the arrows r in Fig. 3.
A perforated intercepting plate m¹ is shown at each side of the box in Fig. 3,
and arrows p in this figure indicate the course of the steam through the plates m
and m¹, while the arrows show the course of the steam into the box at the ends.
The nipple o in Fig. 3 appears to obstruct the passage of steam from the perforated
plate m into the box upon its upper side; but such passage is unobstructed at
the ends of the box, as is shown by the arrows r in Fig. 2. Arrows in Figs. 2
and 3 indicate the passage of steam from the separator to the thimble o¹.
The entire separator is shown sustained by bolts t (see Fig. 2) which support
the box to the bottom of which the plate m is attached; and with such construc-
tion it has heretofore been impossible to proportion the plate m and heads to fit
the shell of the steam drum perfectly.
With the use of such a separator it is found in practice that the water is liable
to creep upwardly at the sides of the drum A to the edges of the plate m where,
if such edges are imperfectly fitted to the shell, the water can penetrate in
considerable quantities, and escape from the steam thimble. There is no such
tendency of the water to rise against the perforated portion of the plate m, which
is thus able to separate its own share of the suspended water from the steam.
The present improvement consists in fitting the edges of the plate into close.
contact with the drum, by hammering or bending the edges to fit the shell of
the drum, or attaching to the edges of the plate metallic flanges u which can be
readily bent into close conformity with the shell, after the separator is secured
into place; it being understood that the steam drum is of suitable size to admit a.
workman, and that it would be furnished with a manhole upon the top or end,
as is common for such purpose.
The curved edge of the heads would be provided with a similar attachment
or flange u to be bent into conformity with the shell of the steam drum, and such
bending of the plate m or of the flanges u into close contact with the shell, thus
separates the segmental space between the heads in the most effective manner
from the space below the plate.
The separator is thus isolated from the space below most perfectly and no water
is permitted to enter the same, except such as passes through the holes in the
plate m, and is intercepted by the plates m¹ or arrested in its passage to the box n.
In the drawing a boiler is shown with only one distributing drum; but it is
obvious that boilers of larger capacity may be constructed with these improve-
ments, by arranging two of the drums B symmetrically beneath the drum A,
and providing tubes and flues similar to those shown in Fig. 1 in connection
with each of the drums B; the casing $ being then provided with a smoke
outlet H at each side, to discharge the smoke from each of the flues F¹.
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:
1. In a water tube steam boiler, the combination, with the steam drum A and
the distributing drum B, of the ascending tubes C projected laterally from one side
of the distributing drum and upwardly into the steam drum, the descending
tubes E arranged as described with space between the same and the ascending
tubes for the flues F and F', the intermediate tubes G separated at their lower

page_text: ends, the partitions D and D¹ applied respectively to the lower and upper ends of
the tubes C and G, a casing enclosing all the tubes, and a smoke outlet through
the casing at the back of the tubes E, the tubes G serving to deflect the gases
downwardly in their passage from the flue F to the flue F¹, substantially as
herein set forth.
2. In a water tube steam boiler, the combination, with the steam drum A and
the distributing drum B, of the ascending tubes C projected laterally from one
side of the distributing drum and upwardly into the steam drum, the descending
tubes E arranged as described with space between the same and the ascending
tubes for the flues F and F¹, the intermediate tubes G separated at their lower
ends, the partitions D and Di applied respectively to the lower and upper ends of
the tubes C and G, the facing upon the tubes E at each side of the outlet H, and
the cover d joining the top of such facing and the bottom of the partition D¹, to
enclose the flue F¹, substantially as herein set forth.
3. In a water tube steam boiler, the combination with the steam drum A and
the distributing drum B, with the ascending tubes C projected laterally from the
side of the distributing drum and then upwardly into the steam drum, of the
grate T with wall U between the edge of the grate and the side of the drum B
adjacent to the ends of the tubes C, the partition D operating to deflect the heat
downwardly upon the upper sides of the tubes C, descending tubes connecting
the two drums, a casing enclosing all the tubes, and an outlet from the casing
for the smoke, substantially as herein set forth.
4. In a water tube steam boiler, the combination, with the steam drum A and
the distributing drum B, of the ascending tubes C projected laterally from one side
of the distributing drum and upwardly into the steam drum, the descending
tubes E arranged as described with space between the same and the ascending
tubes for the flues F and F¹ the intermediate tubes G separated at
their lower ends, the partitions D and D¹ applied respectively to the
lower and upper ends of the tubes C. and G, a casing enclosing all
the tubes, with smoke outlet adjacent to the descending tubes, the
pipes c extending the water tubes C above the water line, and the feed water
drum J arranged below the water line between the extension pipes c and the
inlets of the descending tubes E, with small outlets adjacent to such descending
tubes, the whole arranged and operated substantially as herein set forth.
5. In a water tube steam boiler, the combination, with a distributing drum
and steam drum connected by water tubes, of a separator chamber formed of plates.
enclosing a space in the upper part of the steam drum adjacent to the steam
thimble o¹, such plates having edges bent or hammered into close contact with the
irregular surface of the steam drum shell, as and for the purpose set forth.
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