IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TUBULAR STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1868

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 TUBULAR STEAM BOILERS."
Bealed the 29th January 1869, and dated the 14th November 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Howard and
Edward Tenney Bousfield at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 14th November 1868.
We, 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 TUBULAR STEAM BOILERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements on the vertical tubular boiler
for which we obtained Letters Patent, dated February 8th, 1868, No. 430,
the objects being to facilitate the removal from such boilers of the
scum that is thrown up by the water employed in certain localitics,
to improve the connections between the vertical and horizontal tubes

page_text: composing the boiler, and to facilitate the detachment and removal of
any one or more of the vertical tubes when required.
We have found by experience that some waters under ebullition
instead of affording a calcareous or other deposit throw up a scum which
if allowed to accumulate would seriously interfere with the working of
the engine supplied with steam from the boiler. This is particularly
observable when using water derived from or that has passed over a
shale bed. When constructing boilers for districts yielding water of
this description we propose to divide the vertical tubes into two lengths
and to interpose between the upper and lower lengths additional
horizontal tubes (at about the level of the water line), to the upper
and lower sides of which the vertical tubes will be secured. These
horizontal tubes will be placed side by side so as to form a close division
in the heating chamber, thus serving the purpose of the plates heretofore
used to return the flame and heated gases to the front of the heating
chamber and cause them to play on the upper parts of the vertical
tubes. The ordinary water level of the boiler will be on a level with
the axes of these horizontal tubes, and there will be fitted to each a
scum pipe through which any foreign matter which floats on the water
can be cleared off at pleasure. In order to simplify and improve the
connection between the vertical and horizontal tubes, which connection
has heretofore been made by bolts passing through projecting lugs on
the vertical tubes and tapped into nuts inserted in recesses at the sides
of the horizontal tubes, we raise on the surface of the horizontal tubes
conical screwed nozzles and form on the ends of the vertical tubes a
corresponding internal thread, which fitted on the nozzles will make
a water-tight joint not liable to be injuriously affected by exposure in
the heating chamber. When it is necessary to take out for the purpose
of cleaning or otherwise a vertical tube thus fitted we apply heat to
it externally to expand it. A convenient method is to use a heated
iron ring lowered to that part of the tube embracing the projecting
nozzle. When the tube is expanded a suitable wrench being applied
to the tube will readily start it and disengage it from the horizontal
tube. As the nozzle rises above the horizontal tube the dirt is readily
cleared from it and the vertical tube can be replaced without the
workman going into the furnace chamber. Still further to facilitate
the removal of the vertical tubes we propose to dispense with the
horizontal steam pipes which take the steam from the sections of vertical

page_text: tubes and to couple together two rows or sections by means of a zig-zag
arrangement of short tubular pieces terminating in the main steam
pipe. This arrangement is composed of "elbows "fitted one to each
vertical tube and connected together by coupling nuts or their
equivalent. The connecting piece of any tube being released from
those of the adjoining tubes, that tube can be raised vertically out of
its place without interfering with the surrounding tubes. When wrought-
iron horizontal tubes are used for connecting the vertical tubes together
we propose to make them in some cases with a flattened side in order
that the nozzle pieces which receive the vertical tubes may be the more
readily attached thereto.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Howard and Edward Tenuey Bousfield
in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 14th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, 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 Fourteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-cight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, 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, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TUBULAR 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

page_text: 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 the vertical tubular boiler
for which we obtained Letters Patent, dated February eighth, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, No. 430, the objects being,
first, to facilitate the removal from such boilers of the scum that is
thrown up by the impure water employed in certain localities; secondly,
to improve the connections between the vertical and horizontal tubes
composing the boiler; and thirdly, to facilitate the detachment and
removal of any one or more of the vertical tubes when required.
We have found by experience that some waters under ebullition
instead of affording a calcareous or other deposit throw up a scum
which if allowed to accumulate would seriously interfere with the
working of the engine supplied with steam from the boiler. This is
particularly observable when using water derived from or that has
passed over a shale bed. When constructing boilers for districts
yielding water of this description we propose to divide the vertical
tubes into two lengths and to interpose between the upper and lower
lengths additional horizontal tubes (at about the level of the water
line), to the upper and lower sides of which the vertical tubes will
be secured.
In the accompanying Drawing this arrangement is illustrated by
groups of tubes in side elevation, end view, and plan view, Fig. 1
being a side elevation, Fig. 2 an end or front view, and Fig. 3 a plan
view of a group. The vertical tubes are divided into two parts A, A',
by means of the horizontal tubes B, and they are connected at their
ends by horizontal tubes C as heretofore and at their upper ends by
a novel arrangement of zig-zag steam pipes D, D. The horizontal
tubes B are placed side by side so as to form a close division in
the heating chamber, and they thus serve the purpose of the plates.

page_text: heretofore used for returning the flame and heated gases to the front
of the heating chamber and causing them to play on the upper
parts of the vertical tubes. The ordinary water level of the boiler
will be on a level with the axes of these horizontal tubes B, and
there will be fitted to the end of each a scum pipe through which
any foreign matter which floats on the water can be cleared off at
pleasure. In manufacturing the groups of tubes it will be convenient
to cast the tube B onto the half tubes A¹ by laying the latter in
the mould, and thus to form the junctions in the mould. The same
remark applies also to the connection of the tubes C to their respective
groups of half tubes A'. The upper halves A of the vertical tubes
we propose to fix in a novel way to the horizontal tubes B. In ordor
to simplify and improve the connection between the vertical and
horizontal tubes (which connection has heretofore been made by bolts
passing through projecting lugs on the vertical tubes and tapped into
nuts inserted in recesses at the sides of the horizontal tubes) we raise on
the surface of the horizontal tubes conical-screwed nozzles and form
on the ends of the vertical tubes a corresponding internal thread which
fitted on the nozzles will make a water-tight joint not liable to be
injuriously affected by exposure in the heating chamber. This arrange-
ment applies not only where the additional horizontal tubes B are
used, but also to the fitting of the undivided vertical tubes to the water
supply tubes C. This part of our Invention is illustrated at Figures 4
and 5 in end and side elevation, one of the vertical and horizontal
tubes of the group shewn in Fig. 4 being in section. These Figures
represent the tubes A as connected to cast-iron tubes C. In this case
conical-threaded nozzles E are placed in the mould, and they are thus
connected to the tube C in the act of casting. When however the
vertical tubes are to be connected to wrought-iron horizontal tubes
we prefer the arrangement shewn in vertical section and on an enlarged
scale at Fig. 6 and in end elevation at Fig. 7. The horizontal tube
is flattened on its upper side and tapped to receive double coned
nozzles F which have screw threads cut thereon. The one screw thread
fits into the thread cut in the horizontal tube and the other receives
the tapped end of the vertical tube A. When it is necessary to take
out for the purpose of cleaning or otherwise a vertical tube thus fitted
we apply heat to it externally to expand it. A convenient method
is to use a heated iron ring lowered to that part of the tube embracing
the projecting nozzle. When the tube is expanded. a suitable wrench

page_text: being applied to the tube will readily start it and disengage it from
the horizontal tube. As the nozzle rises above the horizontal tube
the dirt is readily cleared from it and the vertical tube can be replaced
without the workman going into the furnace chamber. Still further.
to facilitate the removal of the vertical tubes we propose to dispense
with the horizontal steam pipes which we have heretofore used to
take the steam from the sections of vertical tubes and to couple together
two rows or sections by means of a zig-zag arrangement of short
tubular pieces terminating in the main steam pipe. This arrangement
(see Fig. 3) is composed of flanged elbows D, D, fitted one to each
vertical tube and connected together by screw bolts passed through
the flanges and secured by nuts. The connecting piece of any tube
being released from those of the adjoining tubes that tube can be raised
vertically out of its place without interfering with the surrounding
tubes.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improvements
in the Construction of Tubular 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,-
First. The means above described for collecting and removing the
scum produced in tubular boilers.
Secondly. Connecting the vertical to the horizontal tubes by means of
conical screwed nozzles, as described.
Thirdly. The manner of connecting together the upper ends of the
vertical tubes for the purpose above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Howard, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.