IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Howard, Agricultural Engineer, and Edward
Tenney Bousfield, Engineer, both of Bedford, in the County of Bedford,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM
BOILERS."
Sealed the 21st December 1866, and dated the 10th July 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Howard and
Edward Tonney Bousfield at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 10th July 1866.
WC, JAMES HOWARD, Agricultural Engineer, and EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD,
Engineer, both of Bedford, in the County of Bedford, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM
BOILERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements on that class of steam boilers which
are formed of sections or groups of vertical tubes, around which the flame and
heated gases of the furnace are free to circulate, the chief objects being to
facilitate the disconnection of the tubes with the view to the replacement of
any that may be injured, and to provide for the free circulation of the steam

page_text: in the boiler. The lower ends of the tubes of each section we fit into sockets
or annular recesses formed for them in a transverse pipe, which serves to
connect the water space of all the tubes together. The tubes are bedded on
vulcanized india-rubber or other suitable substance, and are held in place by
screw bolts. The tops of the tubes are by preference closed permanently by
welding or casting a cap upon them, and in order to lead off the steam from
the top of the tubes a central hole is tapped into the caps to receive a screwed
tube which is similarly connected with a transverse steam pipe. The joints
of these screwed tubes are made good by nuts and elastic washers. All the
tubes therefore of one section discharge their steam into the same transverse
steam pipe, and the steam pipes of the several sections all connect with a
main longitudinal steam pipe. When it is required to disconnect any one of
the vertical tubes the nuts on the screwed tube are to be slackened, and this
tube is then to be raised clear of the cap into which it was inserted. The
bolts at the foot of the tube are then to be withdrawn, and the tube will then
be free to be lifted out of its seat.
As a modification of the above described Invention it is proposed to allow
cach tube of the several sections to expand and contract independently. This
may be effected by securing the tubes in position by bolting them to the
transverse water pipes, as above described, and instead of coupling them at
top with a transverse stcam pipe leading the steam down a central tube to a
steam pipe enclosed in the water pipe that carries the vertical tubes, which
steam pipe will connect with a main pipe, as before mentioned, similarly
connected with all the sections.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Howard and Edward Tenney Bousfield in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 10th January 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, JAMES
HOWARD, Agricultural Engineer, and EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD, Engineer,
both of Bedford, in the County of Bedford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said James Howard and Edward Tenney Bousfield, Her special licence that
we, the said James Howard and Edward Tenney Bousfield, our executors,

page_text: administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said James Howard and
Edward Tenney Bousfield, our 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said James Howard and Edward Tenney Bousfield,
our exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
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 James Howard, on behalf of myself and
of the said Edward Tenney Bousfield, do hereby declare the nature of our
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):
This Invention relates to improvements on that class of steam boilers which
are formed of sections or groups of vertical tubes enclosed in a fire chamber,
and around which the flame and heated gases of the furnace arc free to
circulate, the object being to facilitate the disconnection of the tubes with the
view to their removal for cleaning and the replacement of any that may be
injured.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 shews in side elevation (partly in
section) one of a series of groups or sections of vertical tubes intended to form
a steam boiler fitted according to our Invention; Fig. 2 is a plan of the
sa-me group, also partly in section; and Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the
same. The groups or sections are set up transversely of the fire chamber in
which they are placed, and their number will depend upon the supply of
steam required.
A, A, are the vertical tubes for receiving the water that is to be converted
into steam, and B and C are the transverse pipes to which the tubes A are
severally connected at top and bottom. Cast on the lower ends of the
tubes A are bands or flanges a, a, with holes for receiving screw bolts for
attaching the tubes A to the transverse pipe B. These tubes A are fitterl
into sockets or annular recesses formed for them around circular openings

page_text: made in the upper side of the transverse pipe B which serves to connect tho
water space of all the tubes of the group or section together. The transverse
pipe B of each section or group is provided with "unions" for connecting
them altogether, and thus making a horizontal zig-zag or serpentine channel
for the flow of the water as it enters the boiler from the supply pipe. The
tubes A are bedded on vulcanized india-rubber or other suitable substance, as
described in our Patent dated January Twenty-third One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six, No. 226, and they are held in place by the screw
bolts b. The tops of the tube are by preference closed permanently by
welding or casting a cap a¹ upon them, and in order to lead off the steam
from the top of the tubes a central hole is tapped into the caps to receive a
screwed tube D which passes through the moveable covering E of the fire-
chamber, and is similarly connected with the transverse steam pipe C. The
upper joint of these screwed tubes is made good by simply screwing the tube
tight into the pipe O, but their connection with the tubes A. is secured by a
nut a and elastic washer. The screw at the lower end of the tubes D we
find it convenient to make somewhat larger in diameter than their upper
part to allow of their being lowered in the tubes A in the act of disengaging
them from the pipe C.
From the above explanation it will be understood that all the tubes of one
section or group discharge their steam into the same transverse steam pipe,
and that the steam pipes of the several sections all connect with a main
longitudinal steam pipe F. When it is required to disconnect any one of
the vertical tubes the nut as on the screwed tube is to be slackened, and this
tube is then to be turned by a spanner until it is disengaged from the pipe C.
To facilitate this operation we cast on the tube a nut or collar to receive the
spanner as shewn. When the tube D is lowered clear of the pipe C the
bolts at the foot of the tube A are to be withdrawn, which is readily
accomplished from the top of the boiler by the use of a long box spanner,
and the tube will then be free to be lifted out of its seat. To prevent the
setting or locking of the bolts in the pipe B, and also to avoid weakening the
boiler by drilling holes into the pipe, we propose to core out dovetail recesses
in the edges of the flat face with which the pipe is cast, and to insert in these
dovetail recesses screwed brass or malleable iron nuts or sockets to receive the
screw bolts, as clearly illustrated in the Drawing.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention, of "Improvements in
the Construction of Steam Boilers," and explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, we wish it to be understood, that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent we claim, the means above described for facilitating

page_text: the disconnection of the vertical tubes from their upper and lower connecting
tubes.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Howard, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JAMES HOWARD. (L.S.)