IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ENGINES AND BOILERS
Year: 1867

page_text: to Thomas Messenger, Marine Department, London,
Chatham, and Dovor Railway, Dovor, in the County of Kent, Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ENGINES
AND BOILERS."
Sealed the 23rd June 1868, and dated the 31st December 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Messenger at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st December 1867.
I, THOMAS MESSENGER, Marine Department, London, Chatham, and Dovor
Railway, Dovor, in the County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
STEAM ENGINES AND BOILERS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in improvements in vertical water tube boilers and in
steam engines, and is illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawing forming
part of this my Provisional Specification, Figure 1 being a vertical section
through a boiler and engine constructed according to my--Invention, Figure 2
a horizontal section through the boiler at A, B, Figure 3 a horizontal
section through the boiler at C, D, Figure 4 a side view of engine,
Figure 5 a plan of cylinder, and Figure 6 a plan of engine framing.
The outside shell of my improved boiler is a cylinder, as also is the fire-box,
as shewn' in Fig. 1. Out of the top of the fire-box a circular flue T passes
through the steam space and through the top of shell, from which it is con-
tinued up as a chimney. The top of the fire-box at E, E, is slightly coned,
so that the centre lines of the tubes F, F¹, F, FI, are at right angles to it.
The water tubes F, F1, are of the form shewn in the Drawing at Fig. 1,
opening at their lower ends F, F, into the water space at the side of fire-box

page_text: and at their upper ends F¹, F', through the slightly coned top of fire-box.
The spiral tube through which the feed water enters at G and leaves at H is
in the Drawing Fig. 1 broken off at I, so as to shew the water tubes F, F¹,
more distinctly; this spiral tube is to be continued down inside the water
tubes to the point J. The fire-door is at K; L is a baffle plate..
My improvements in the engine consist in the form of frame carrying the
overhung crank U, Fig. 6, the arrangement of the pillars M, M, M, con-
necting the cylinder to the framing, and the arrangement of the feed pump N,
Fig. 1.
The modus operandi is as follows:-The boiler having been filled with
water to the line O and the fire lighted the heat or flame from the fire
first exerts its influence in raising steam on the sides of the fire-box at P; it
is then baffled by the plate L and surrounds the lower ends of the water
tubes F, passing between them through the openings Q; it then generates steam
by acting on the sides of the fire-box at R, surrounds the upper part of water
tubes, and passes between them a second time through the openings S, S.
The remaining amount of heat contained in the products of combustion which
have not been made use of in generating steam is now arrested by coming in
contact with the stream of feed water passing from the pump through the
spiral tube in the flue T. The feed water enters this tube at G, and after
traversing down the spiral tube is carried up again, leaves at H, and is then
conducted almost boiling into the boiler. The circulation of water through
the water tubes is natural and very rapid, the whole course through these
tubes entering at F, F, and leaving at F', F', being upwards. The working
strains of the engine are all taken by the pillars M, M, M, and the
brackets V, V, shewn in Figs. 5 and 6, connecting the cylinder and the
framing to the boiler merely have to carry the weight of the engine. The
slide valve is worked by the eccentrics fixed on the overhung crank U. The
pump N is fixed to the cylinder and close to one of the pillars M.
It need scarcely be observed that my improved construction of boiler may
be adopted quite independently of my improvements in the engine.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen. Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand. eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her. heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Messenger, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Messenger, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Thomas Messenger, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed; should and lawfully.
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM ENGINES AND BOILERS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Messenger, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I; the said Thomas Messenger, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:--
The nature of my
Invention consists in improved combinations or
arrangements of parts forming a vertical steam boiler, wherein a set of water
tubes are employed; in the introduction of a cylinder in the outer water
'space; in applying a coil or spiral tube in the' uptake or chimney through
which the feed water passes; in a combination entirely of water tubes forming
a vertical steam boiler; and in certain improvements in the steam engine.
The whole of the arrangements and the construction will be clearly under-
stood from the following description, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed and forming part of this my Specification, and to the letters
of reference marked thereon. The same letters denote similar parts in each of
the Figures respectively.
Figure
is a side elevation in section of my improved boiler; Figure 2 is
a horizontal section of the same through the line A, B, of Figure 1; Figure 3
is a horizontal section through the line C, D, Figure 1; Figure 4 is an end
elevation.
E denotes the outer casing; E', the inner. casing; H, H, are the water

page_text: tubes; J, a cylinder open at top and bottom, the object, of which is to
provide a passage for a down current of water to improve the circulation;
Kis. a coil or spiral tube passing down the chimney; and uptake into the
middle of the water tubes, its use being to heat the feed water; L is a baffle
plate. The joints of the boiler M, M, M, are bolted together; when unbolted
and separated the cleaning and repair of boiler are greatly facilitated.
The modus operandi is as follows:-The products of combustion rising
from the furnace first exert their influence is raising steam on the sides of the
inner casing E¹ below the water tubes; they are then baffled by the plate L
and circulate around the lower ends of the water tubes, passing between them
. through the spaces H³, H', Figure-3; they then impinge against the sides of
the inner casing E' above the lower ends of the water tubes and circulate
around the upper parts of the water tubes, passing a second time between
them through the openings or spaces H2, H2, Figure 2; they are then split
up a third time in circulating from the outside into the inside, and passing up
the coiled pipe K until they leave it at the top of the chimney. The feed
water enters K at K¹, travelling down it, and passes up again, leaving it at K³,
from whence it is conducted into the boiler. The cylinder J, which I call a
circulating cylinder, provides a free passage between the outside of itself and
the inside of the outer casing E for the downward currents of water, and all
the currents of water inside this cylinder both between the inside of itself and
the inner casing E' and through the water tubes are upward, caused by the
rising bubbles of steam.
I will now proceed to explain and show a modification of my improved
boiler, of which Figure 5 is a top plan, Figure 6 an elevation in section, and
Figure 7 a horizontal section through the line N, O, of Figure 6. In this
modification I dispense with the casings, and compose this boiler entirely of
water tubes of two different patterns P, P¹, and Q, Q'; these water tubes are
bolted at the top to a ring circular inside and polygonal on the outside, having
a number of sides corresponding to the number of water tubes. One. part of
these tubes P and Q forms the external part of this boiler, and the other parts
P and Q cause a circulation of the products of combustion by means of the
baffle plate R, similar to that already described in relation to Figure 1. The
parts of these water tubes P and Q have a partition in them S, S, which also
causes a similar circulation. T, T, are short pipes connecting the lower ends
of these water tubes for the purpose of preserving the water level in all the
tubes; one of these water tubes is made short to form the fire-door, as at U.
The different patterns of water tubes P, P', and Q, Q', are placed alternately,
so that the smaller branches Q' are placed over the openings or spaces left by

page_text: the larger branches P1, P', and this causes a larger circulation of the products
of combustion than in the modification first described.
Figure 1 is an elevation in section of shewing my improvements as applied
to a steam engine combined with the boiler (also at Figure 1). They consist in
the form of the framing, the arrangement of the pillars connecting the cylinder
to the framing, and the method of attaching the feed pump and reversing
gear to the pillars. Figure 3 is a plan of engine framing, and Figure 4 is
an end elevation. V, V. V. are pillars which connect the cylinder to its
framing, and these pillars also carry or fix the feed pump W and the
reversing gear W, W. The framing is fastened to the boiler by means of
the bracket X, and the cylinder is fastened in a similar manner. These
brackets have very little to carry besides the weight of the engine, the
pillars V, V, V, taking nearly all the working strains of the engine.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and means by .
which I carry it into practical effect, I would have it distinctly understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein given or illustrated
in the Drawing, as such may be varied or modified to suit the circumstances
of particular cases without departing from the principle or main characteristics
of my Invention; and I make my boiler and the parts used in the construction
thereof of iron, copper, or any suitable metal, amalgam, or material. I claim
the exclusive use as of my Invention,-
Firstly. Of the new and improved arrangement of mechanical parts described
and shewn forming improvements in the construction of the steam engine.
Secondly. The exclusive use of the various combinations of mechanical
parts forming, when combined or arranged substantially as herein directed
and shown in the Drawing, a new and improved steam boiler.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Messenger, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
THOMAS MESSENGER. (L.s.)