IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF STEAM GENERATORS AND EVAPORATORS
Year: 1865

page_text: Sealed the 15th August 1865, and dated the 16th March 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 16th March 1865.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF STEAM GENERATORS AND EVAPORATORS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, first, in a peculiar construction and arrangement
of the boiler, whereby in lieu of a large amount of water being exposed at
one and the same time to the action of the heat from the furnace, as has
heretofore been the case, only a small or comparatively small portion is
exposed to the same, thus causing steam to be more quickly and expeditiously
generated.

page_text: Second, in forming the fire-grate of the furnace of a coil or coils of pipes
into which water is passed through any suitable connecting pipe, and by
the heat of the furnace converted into steam, and as fast as formed conveyed
into the steam chamber of the boiler.
The boiler is formed with a false or double bottom plate, which is attached
to the upper end of a hollow cylindrical drum loosely set in an annular space
around the furnace, in the chamber between which and the boiler plate in
direct contact with the heat of the furnace water is conveyed through any
suitable pipe or pipes, and as fast as steam is formed it passes into a steam
chamber above, from whence it is conducted to the piston chamber through
any ordinary arrangement of pipes and valves; this false bottom rests at all
times upon the water in the chamber between the same and furnace plate,
and is consequently raised or lowered according to the agitation thereof
caused by boiling and the generation of steam therefrom, thus letting in
more or less water in direct proportion to the heat of the furnace.
Attached to the upper surface of the false bottom is a circular raised lip
forming a cup or receptacle around the orifice leading from the boiler to the
steam chamber, in which cup all the sedimentary matters contained in the
water are deposited, they being carried over from the boiler through its orifice
somewhat by the steam in passing from the boiler, but more fully by the
continual splashing and spurting of the boiling water through the same
caused by the constant vibrating movement in a vertical plane of the false
bottom before referred to; thus the sedimentary deposit taking place away
from the surface of the boiler, that is, in direct contact with the heat and
flames of the furnace, the deterioration of the boiler plates is greatly retarded,
and consequently there is less liability to explosion, and the evaporating
power of the boiler is maintained.
A perforated plate or its equivalent is interposed between the coil of pipes
forming the furnace grate and the products of combustion. In the pipe
which supplies water from the boiler to the coil of pipes a check valve is
mounted for the purpose of temporarily cutting off the supply of water to
the coil; the power of the coil to generate steam is thus increased. The
ascending steam pipe may be passed up through the furnace chamber, or
on the outside of the same, as desired.
It may be remarked, that by connecting the vibrating alse bottom, above
mentioned, through any suitable devices with any ordinary steam pump used
to pump water, its movement in a vertical plane can be thus caused to operate
the pump, and thereby supply its boiler with water; and that, furthermore,
although the improvements have been described particularly in connection with

page_text: the generation of steam from water, they are applicable to the evaporation
of any liquids or substances, to do which it is necessary to subject them to
the action of heat substantially in the manner described for water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 GENERATORS AND
EVAPORATORS," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 mannor 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention consists,first, in a peculiar construction and arrangement of
the boiler, whereby in lieu of a large amount of water being exposed at one

page_text: and the same time to the action of the heat from the furnace, as has
heretofore been the case, only a small or comparatively small portion is
exposed to the same, thus causing steam to be more quickly and expedi-
tiously generated; and, second, in forming the fire-grate of the furnace of a
coil or coils of pipes into which water is passed through any suitable con-
necting pipe, and by the heat of the furnace converted into steam, and as
fast as formed conveyed into the steam chamber of the boiler.
The boiler is formed with a false or double bottom plate which is attached
to the upper end of a hollow cylindrical drum loosely set in an anuular space
around the furnace, in the chamber between which and the boiler plate in
direct contact with the heat of the furnace water is conveyed through any
suitable pipe or pipes, and as fast as steam is formed it passes into a steam
chamber above, from whence it is conducted to the piston chamber through
any ordinary arrangement of pipes and valves; this false bottom rests at all
times upon the water in the chamber between the same and furnace plate,
and is consequently raised or lowered according to the agitation thereof
caused by boiling and the generation of steam therefrom, thus letting in
more or less water in direct proportion to the heat of the furnace, as will
be presently described.
Attached to the upper surface of the false bottom is a circular raised lip
forming a cup or receptacle around the orifice leading from the boiler to the
steam chamber, in which cup all the sedimentary matters contained in the
water are deposited, they being carried over from the boiler through its
orifice somewhat by the steam in passing from the boiler, but more fully by
the continual splashing and spurting of the boiling water through the
same caused by the constant vibrating movement in a vertical plane of the
false bottom, as herein-before referred to. Thus the sedimentary deposit
taking place away from the surface of the boiler, that is, in direct contact
with the heat and flames of the furnace, the deterioration of the boiler
plates is greatly retarded, and consequently there is less liability to explo-
sion, and the evaporating power of the boiler is maintained.
Having thus described in general terms the arrangement and objects of
the present improvements, I will now proceed to describe the same in
detail, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, in which similar
letters represent the same parts.
Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of a steam boiler constructed according
to the present improvements, and shewing a steam-generating grate; Fig. 2
shews a modification or another manner in which the.improvements can be
applied to boilers, the principle and the operation, however, being the same;

page_text: Fig. 3 is a plan or top view of the grate coil of pipes, and Fig. 4 is a detail
view, to be herein-after referred to.
a, at, represent a furnace made of any desired shape and size; b, b, the
fire chamber, and c, c, the grate formed of a coil of pipe, into which water is
admitted, the arrangement of which and connection with the boiler and steam
chamber will be presently described; d, d, the top plate of furnace and
bottom plate of boiler f,f, having through its centre a flue pipe g, g, passing
to the chimney to convey the gases and products of combustion from the
furnace to the same; h, k, false bottom plate attached to upper end of a
hollow cylindrical drum l,l,set loosely in the vertical annular space m around
the furnace a, a, between its outer and inner plates n aud o, and of about the
same height as the depth of the space m, so that the false bottom rests upon
the boiler furnace plate d, d. In the centre plate h, h, is an opening p, in
and to which is secured a short vertical pipe qof larger internal diameter than
the external diameter of flue pipe, leaving a space or opening r between
the same. S, S, a lip raised around or near the outer edge or periphery of the
false bottom, and on its upper surface and securely attached thereto, forming
a receptacle or pant; u, the steam chamber, and v, the top plate or covering
of the same; w, water pipe connecting the water tank with the annular
around the furnace,provided with any suitable cock,and through which water
is passed to the same; a, steam pipe passing from the steam chamber con-
necting it with the piston chamber of the engine in any proper manner.
space
To the chamber between the false bottom and the boiler plate, in direct
contact with the products of combustion in the furnace, water is fed through
the water pipe, first passing into the annular space around the furuace, and as
fast as formed into steam by the action of the heat of the furnace the steam
passes out of the same through the space around the flue pipe into the steamn
chamber above, from whence it is conducted through the steam pipe to the
piston chamber in any of the ordinary modes; but by the above arrangement
of the false bottom set loosely within the boiler, as described, it is evident
that it constantly rests upon the water between it and the fire plate, causing
it to be kept in close contact therewith, and also is moved up or down
according as steam is formed from the water, thereby allowing more or
less water to be fed to the water space between the two bottoms of the
boiler through the annular space.
By this constant vibrating of the false bottom within the boiler and on the
surface of the water,the water is continually spirted through the steam orifice
of the false bottom, necessarily conveying with it all its sediment, and depo-
siting it on the upper surface of the false bottom plate, from which it can be

page_text: easily removed at pleasure, either by being blown off, or in any other proper
manner, the advantages of which are, that the incrustation of the boiler plate
in contact with the fire is prevented, and thus its oxydation and deterioration
obviated, thus rendering explosions less liable to occur, the surface of the
boiler being always kept in a bright and clean condition.
From the above description of the arrangement of the boiler with its false
bottom it is evident that steam can be more quickly and expeditiously gene-
rated than by the use of the ordinary form of boiler, for the reason, that in the
present form only a small surface and amount of water can be and is subjected
at one and the same time to the action of the products of combustion in the
furnace, whereas by the use of the ordinary forms it is necessary before steam
is formed to raise the whole body of the water contained in the boiler to
two hundred and twelve degrees Fahrenheit, as is evident without further
explanation.
Having fully described the manner in which the boiler is constructed and
operated, I will now proceed to describe the peculiar construction of the
furnace grate, whereby the heat of the fire heretofore wasted is transferred to
a coil or coils of pipes properly arranged and connected at one end with the
water space of the steam boiler, and at the other with the steam chamber. c,c,
is the coil of pipes, herein-before alluded to,placed horizontally within the fire
chamber, and with a perforated plate or disk y interposed between the same
and the products of combustion therein. In lieu of a perforated plate a series
of cross bars or an iron netting or any other similar and proper device may
be used, it being found best in practise that some perforated plate or similar
device should be interposed between the coils of pipes and the products of
combustion to prevent the intense heating of the pipes, which might in time
cause their deterioration. Into and through the coil water is fed, passing from
the water space around the furnace through a connecting pipe provided
with a suitable cock a¹ to close or open the communication at pleasure, and
becoming sufficiently heated is formed into steam, which exerting an equal
pressure in every direction within the coil finally closes a check valve in the
water pipe to the passage of water to the coil. The whole force of the steam
is then exerted in the opposite direction toward and up through the steam
pipe, the steam entering the steam chamber at u¹. As soon as the pressure
of the steam within the coil is relieved, and thus made equal to that within
the steam boiler, the check valve opens and water again flows into the
coil, when the same operation again takes place, and so on as long as may
be desired.
It may be here remarked, that were no check valve used in the water pipe

page_text: so arranged, that under a certain pressure of steam within the coil it should
close the communication between the same and its water chamber, the steam
would be balanced, as it were, in the coil, but by the use of the check valve
the pressure of the steam is all turned toward the steam pipe, and finally
being raised sufficiently in temperature, passes up out of the same into the
steam chamber until the check valve opens, as herein-before described.
To facilitate the heating of the steam within the coil of pipes after the
check valve has been closed, and thus increase the power of the coil to
generate steam, the upper steam pipe may be passed up through the furnace
chamber in lieu of on the outside of the same as represented in the
Drawings.
It is evident that although the inprovements in the construction of boilers
are described and represented in the Drawings as of a cylindrical shape with
flat bottom plates d, they may be made of various shapes, and in lieu of their
bottom plates being made of a flat shape they may be inclined, as represented
in Fig. 2; and also, in lieu of making the coil of pipes in a convolute shape,
as represented, it may consist of a serios of parallel pipes suitably connected
at their ends with elbow joints, and therefore I do not intend to limit myself
in the present improvements to any particular size or shape of the boiler or
its false bottom plate, or to the use of any particular form of coil.
In order to prevent any loss of steam by contact with the lower surface
of the false bottom, on the upper surface of which is comparatively cold
water, it may be constructed with a second plate /', leaving a little space d¹
between the two, which plates to resist pressure can be bolted in any proper
mauner. In case any sediment should be deposited in the coil grate, it is
only necessary, in order to remove the same therefrom, to open the blow-off
cock g' and close the water cock in the water pipe, and the steam then
rushing with great force through the coil from the steam chamber will force
through and eject all sediment of whatsoever nature that may have been
deposited therein at the blow-off cock before referred to.
It may be here remarked, in conclusion, that by connecting the vibrating
false bottom through any suitable devices with any ordinary steam pump used
to pump water, its movement in a vertical plane can be thus caused to operate
the pump, and thereby supply its boiler with water, and that, furthermore,
although the improvements have been described particularly in connection
with the generation of steam from water, they are applicable to the evapo-
ration of any liquids or substances, to do which it is necessary to subject
them to the action of heat substantially in the manner described for water.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in the

page_text: Construction of Steam Generators and Evaporators," as communicated to
me from abroad, and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I clain, constructing steam generators and evaporators in the manner
and for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON.
(L.S.)