IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING INCRUSTATION FROM BOILER TUBES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Turner Whitelow, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD
OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING INCRUSTATION FROM BOILER TUBES." A
communication from abroad by. Hermann Esser, of Carlsruhe, Baden, in the
Empire of Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Turner Whitelow
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th January 1879.
EDWARD TURNER WHITELOW, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING
INCRUSTATIONS FROM BOILER TUBES." [A communication from abroad by Hermann
Esser, of Carlsruhe, Baden, in the Empire of Germany.]
The said Invention has for it's object to effect the removal of the incrustation or
scale which forms upon the exterior surfaces of the tubes of locomotive, marine,
and other tubular steam generators. To effect this object the tubes are caused to
revolve in contact with a number of comparatively small hard bodies. For the
purposes of the Invention pebbles are suitable. To effect the removal expeditiously
the tube is caused to revolve rapidly, and a receptacle containing the pebbles is
traversed to and fro along the tube, the pebbles being pressed into contact with the
tube, and being kept wet by means of a stream of water. In an apparatus designed
for the purpose a bed similar in form to a lathe bed is provided with fast and
following headstocks. The spindle is provided with a scroll-chuck or with a suitable
chuck for gripping the tube. For convenience the said spindle is held by means of
a detent and wheel at the times when the tubes has to be inserted or removed. The
following headstock is fitted with a spindle which is free to revolve in bearings, and
is provided with a conical end to enter the tube, and with a tail-pin which takes
the thrust. A sliding carriage carries a perforated cradle which holds the pebbles.
The said cradle is provided with a hinged or removable cover which when in
position is pressed towards the tube by means of a spring or weight. The parts

page_text: are so formed and arranged as that the tube is entirely surrounded by pebbles,
which are pressed against the tube. A water pipe or cock is connected by means
of-an-india-rubber tube with a water supply pipe, or is otherwise so connected as
that-the-movement of the said carriage will not interrupt the water supply. The
said carriage is traversed to and fro during the rotation of the tube, and the abrading
Faction of the pebbles removes the incrustation, and the particles removed are washed
away by the stream of water. A receptacle to receive the water and mud is formed
¯below the said cradle, and the said receptacle_communicates_by_means_of_a_pipe_or
spout with a gutter, which runs along the back of the bed and conveys away the
water and matters removed from the tube.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Turner Whitelow in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th July 1879.
EDWARD TURNER WHITELOW, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING
INCRUSTATION FROM BOILER TUBES." A communication from abroad by Hermann
Esser, of Carlsruhe, Baden, in the Empire of Germany.
The said Invention has for it's object to effect the removal of the incrustation or
scale which forms upon the exterior surfaces of the tubes of locomotive, marine,
and other tubular steam generators. To effect this object the tubes are caused to
revolve in contact with a number of comparatively small hard bodies. For the
purposes of the Invention pebbles are suitable. To effect the removal expeditiously
the tube is caused to revolve rapidly, and a receptacle containing the pebbles is
traversed to and fro along the tube, the pebbles being pressed into contact with the
tube, and kept wet by means of a stream of water. In an apparatus designed for
the purpose, which is similar to an ordinary lathe, the tube to be cleaned is caused
to rotate, and a sliding carriage provided with a cradle to contain the pebbles or
other hard bodies is traversed to and fro.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I have attached
hereunto a Sheet of Drawings marked with letters of reference, to which Drawings
I will now refer. Fig. 1, drawn to a scale of about two inches to the foot, represents
a front elevation of the complete apparatus designed for the purposes of the Inven-
tion. In the said Fig. A is a bed which corresponds to the bed of an ordinary
lathe. To one end of this bed is secured a fast headstock B, represented on a larger
scale by Fig. 4, and upon the said bed is mounted a following headstock C, which is
separately represented, drawn to a larger scale, by by Fig. 5. Upon the said bed is
also mounted a sliding carriage D, which is represented on a larger scale in Figs. 2
and 3. In the fast headstock is mounted a spindle to which a revolving motion
can be imparted by means of the strap pulleys e. Upon the front end of the spindle
is fixed a scroll chuck f, which is so suitably formed as that when a part of the
chuck is rotated jaws are forced towards the tube g, and are caused to grip the
same. A front view of the said chuck is seen at Fig. 7. A notched wheel h,
represented also in Fig. 6, is fixed on the spindle, and a hinged detent i is brought
into position to engage with one of the notches in the said wheel, in order to prevent
the said spindle from revolving when the said part of the bar has to be rotated.
The following headstock is provided with a sliding part k, which is formed with
bearings in which a spindle 7 is free to revolve. The front end of this spindle is
coned to enter the end of the tube g, and the tail end bears against a tail pin l,
which takes the end thrust of the tube. A spur rack is secured to the sliding part k,
and a pinion gears with the teeth of the said rack. A handle m is fixed on the
shaft of the said pinion. By turning the said handle the front end of the spindle
is thrust forwards into the end of the tube g, to hold the same in position to be
cleaned, or is withdrawn therefrom when the tube has to be removed from the
apparatus. A detent which engages with a ratchet wheel on the shaft of the rack
pinion prevents the part from sliding back during the action of the machine. A
spur rack n is fixed to the bed A, and a pinion o, which is fixed on a shaft which is
carried by the carriage D, gears with the said rack. A cross handle p fixed on the
last named shaft furnishes means for rotating the pinion o, and thereby of sliding
the said carriage upon the bed in either direction as may be desired. Upon the
said carriage is fixed a cradle R which is formed to hold a quantity of pebbles. The
said cradle in the example is in the form of a trough open at the ends, and for the
most part curved to partly enclose a part of the tube g. The spaces between the
said tube and the ends of the trough are closed by means of removable plates 8.
The said trough is provided with a concave covert which is hinged at u to the

page_text: carriage or cradle, and is loaded with a weight which tends to press the said cover
upon the pebbles, which are caused to surround the part of the tube which is within
the cradle or trough. The trough-and-cover-are perforated, and-a-stream of water_
supplied by a flexible pipe is caused to flow through the said perforations, and
therefore through the mass of pebbles in the cradle. The carriage is formed to
receive the effluent water, and to discharge it into a-trough v, - which extends
alongside the bed and conveys the water to any desired point of discharge: The
-cover-t can be turned back-out of the way when the pipe has to be removed. The
manner of using the apparatus may be described as follows: A tube to be cleaned
is mounted in the manner indicated, and the part within the cradle R is surrounded
with pebbles or other suitably hard bodies. The cover t is then moved over so as
to press upon the pebbles in the cradle, the water is turned on, and the tubė is
caused to rotate rapidly. The carriage is now traversed to and fro by turning the
handle P until the abrading action of the pebbles has removed the incrustation from
the tube. The mud and other matters are conveyed away by the water, and pass
into the trough v. In the example the strap fork w is connected by means of a
lever with a rod which extends about the length of the machine, in order that the
rotation of the tube may be conveniently started and arrested, but this arrangement
may be varied. The form and arrangement of the headstocks, holding, chuck, and
cradle, and the arrangements for supplying the water, may also be varied without
departing from the nature and intent of the Invention.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of the said Invention, and
the nanner in which the same may be carried into effect, I would have it to bo
understood that I claim,―
First. The apparatus substantially as and for the purpose set forth and indicated.
And, Secondly. Removing incrustation from tubes by acting upon the revolving
tube by means of pebbles or other suitably hard bodies placed in a cradle, which is
arranged to be traversed along the tube, substantially as set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Turner Whitelow, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.