IMPROVEMENTS IN AN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE FIRE FLUES OF STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Martin Benson, of No. 9, Southampton Buildings,
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AN APPARATUS FOR
CLEANING THE FIRE FLUES OF STEAM BOILERS."-A communication from
abroad by Addison Crosby, of the City and State of New York,
United States of North America, and William McCabe, of Toronto,
Canada
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Martin Benson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th November 1875.
I, MARTIN BENSON, of No. 9, Southampton Buildings, London, do
3 hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING FIRE FLUES OF STEAM BOILERS," a communication
to me from abroad by Addison Crosby, of the City and State of New
York, United States of North America, and William McCabe, of
Toronto, Canada, to be as follows:-
My improvement is intended for cleaning the fire flues or tubes of

page_text: steam boilers by causing a vacuum in the flue by a current of steam or
air, which is made to draw out the soot and other matter therefrom that
may have lodged in the flue; this is effected by a portable nozzle pipe
constructed for attaching to a single flue or tube at a time, and provided
with a nozzle and steam pipe and valve for passing a current of steam
through the said nozzle pipe in such a manner as to cause a vacuum to
be formed in the flue of the boiler, and thereby cause a current of air
to rush into the flues and loosen and remove the soot and other matter
therefrom.
The nozzle or exhaust pipe may be made of any form to suit the 1
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Martin
Benson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd May 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARTIN]
BENSON, of No. 9, Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentyith day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Hér heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Martin Benson, Her special
licence, that I, the said Martin Benson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Martin Benson, 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 2
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
AN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING FIRE FLUES OF STEAM BOILERS," a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Addison Crosby, of the City and State of 3
New York, United States of North America, and William McCabe, of
Toronto, Canada, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Martin Benson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
L
"

page_text: 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 on or before the Twenty-
third day of May, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Martin Benson, 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 :-
.
My improvements are intended for cleaning the fire flues or tubes of
steam boilers by causing a vacuum in the flue by a current of steam or
air, which is made to draw out the soot and other matter therefrom that
may have lodged in the flue; this is effected by a portable nozzle pipe
constructed for attaching to a single flue or tube at a time, and provided
with a nozzle and steam pipe and valve for passing a current of steam
through the said nozzle pipe, in such a manner as to cause a vacuum to
be formed in the flue of the boiler, and thereby cause a current of air
to rush into the flue and loosen and remove the soot and other matter
therefrom.
The nozzle or exhaust pipe may be made of any form to suit the
condition, size, and structure of the flue or tube to be cleaned.
In order to give a better understanding of the improvement, reference
will be made to the accompanying Drawings forming part of this
Specification by the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a side clevation; Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing the
instrument applied to a flue, but not in action; Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7,
are details.
B represents a section of a boiler, and F, a section of a flue; C is a
double reducing nozzle of cast metal: The mouth m which is applied
to and over the flue to be cleaned is faced with a rubber ring a, and is
of the full diameter of the flue, say four inches. The discharge mouth d
is about two inches diameter, being a reduction as one to four from the
diameter of the flue mouth .m. This reduction greatly increases the
power of the draft; I is a reducing, injector pipe, being about three
quarters of an inch in diameter at its butt where it is screwed into the
steam mouth S of the reducing nozzle, and being about half an inch at
its nozzle which discharges its jet of steam about two inches within the

page_text: discharge mouth d, I prefer that this should be a reducing pipe, but
this reduction is not indispensable; E is a pipe some two or three feet
long, and about three quarters of an inch in diameter, and is screwed to
the nozzle at its mouth S. This pipe is surrounded by a wooden
jacket e, so that it may be used as a handle in applying the instrument; .
W is an angle valve seat screwed to the other end of pipe E, and is
provided with a spring valve V which controls the admission of steam
to pipe E; N is a screw nozzle screwed to seat W for the attachment
of the three-quarters inch flexible steam hose; H is a stirrup handle
attached to seat W for convenience in applying the instrument; G
is a gripe leaver pivoted at one end to stirrup H, and in the middle to
the valve rod, so that the hand of the operator while grasping handle H
may also grip lever G, and thus admit the steam.
The operation is as follows:-Pipe S is attached to a steam nozzle of
the boiler; the mouth m is then applied over the flue to be cleaned, and
pressed against it so as to make a joint. By opening lever G, the
valve V is opened and a jet of steam is admitted, which rushes through
pipe E and injector I into and out of discharge mouth d, thereby creating
a vacuum (the power of which is intensified by "reduction") which
powerfully draws a current of air through the open flue, thus cleaning
out its soot and other injurious contents.
:
The cheif feature of my Invention consists in having the discharge
mouth d of a much reduced area as compared with the flue mouth.
•
Instead of taking in the steam as shown at an angle to the line of
discharge it is possible to take it in a direct line from the boiler at a point
marked X, and the same result will ensue.
Having now described the nature of my improvement and manner of
constructing and working the same, what I claim is,—
1rst. The combination of the stirrup G, V, steam jet I, bent nozzle C,
constructed and operating substantially as set forth.
end.
2rd. The combination of stirrup H, lever G, valve V, valve seat W,
rod r, and spring o, substantially as set forth.
3rd. The valve W in combination with stirrup H, and pipe E, sub-
stantially as set forth.

page_text: purpose o
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and seventy-six.