IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Charles Pearce, of the Bowling Iron
Works, near Bradford, in the County of York, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS."
Scaled the 24th June 1853, and dated the 21st February 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Charles Pearce
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st February 1853.
1, JOHN CHARLES PEARCE, of the Bowling Iron Works, near Brad-
ford, in the County of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS" to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in arranging the furnaces, tubes, and flues of
tubular steam boilers in such manner that the heat may first take
effect as near as may be to the surface of the water, then traverse the
tubes lower down, and finally act on the bottom of the boiler before
passing away to the chimney.
For this purpose, I construct my boilers of a cylindrical or other
suitable form, and provide them with three furnaces (more or less)

page_text: which are situated at or about the diametrical line of the boiler. In
that part of the boiler which is beneath the furnaces I place the tubes
in any convenient number, their extremities being in communication
with a mixing chamber, into which also the products of combustion.
from the furnaces pass previous to their traversing the tubes. This
mixing chamber is supplied with atmospheric air, admitted through the
sides of the chamber, or through openings in the sides of the boiler at
the back of the fire bridges, in order to ensure more perfect combustion
of the smoke, &c. entering it. The opposite ends of the tubes com-
municate with a smoke box in front of the boiler, from which the
products of combustion pass through a fluc underneath the boiler to
the chimney. At the bottom of the smoke chamber there is a damper
for regulating the draught of the furnaces, and the front or cover of the
chamber is made in one or more parts, which are hung on hinges to
admit of being casily raised or opened for the purpose of cleaning or
examining the tubes. At the bottom of the boiler there is a man-hole,
which is used as a sediment collector, and to which the blow-off' pipe is
attached. The mixing chamber may be composed entirely of brick-
work; but it would be preferable in some cases to form it by extending
the body or shell of the boiler to a sufficient distance beyond the tube
plate, and lining it with fire-brick. A door is provided to the chamber
for the purpose of removing any accumulation of ashes or dust that
may have been formed behind the fire bridges of the furnaces; it may
also be used instead of or in conjunction with that in the smoke box
for cleaning out the tubes. It may not in all cases be desirable to
have a flue beneath the boiler; and when it is not employed the
smoke, &c. will be conducted direct from the smoke chamber to the
chimney in
any convenient manner.
In some cases I propose to use the centre fire box (when three are
employed) as a flue or a mixing chamber for the smoke, &c. to
traverse before entering the tubes. The fire boxes would communicate
with the central flue by D-shaped openings inside the boiler, and both
ends of the fire tubes may be left open for the admission of air to the
grate-bars. The fuel, if necessary, can be supplied from either or both
ends of the boiler.

page_text: For the purpose of enabling the tubes to be more easily and firmly
fixed in the tube plates, I weld, solder, or rivet or screw upon their
ends ferrules or rings of metal turned slightly conical, so as to form
collars which will exactly fit the holes in the tube plates. When the
tubes have been properly adjusted in the plates the projecting edges of
the collars are carefully riveted with a hand haminer, so as to fill the
countersunk or bell-mouth part of the holes of the tube plates. Tubes
fixed and formed in this way may be withdrawn from either end of the
boiler, notwithstanding any accumulation of scale upon their outer
surfaces.
In order to protect the glass water-gauge pipes of boilers from
breaking or flying to pieces by the effects of heat or cold or other
causes, I coat them with metal, such as lead, tin, or other metal, or
alloy, by casting it upon them, leaving a slot or groove, or a series of
slots or grooves, of any required length and breadth, along the side of
the pipe, through which the water may be seen.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Charles Pearce, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 20th August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN CHARLES PEARCE, of the Bowling Iron Works, near Bradford,
in the County of York. Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Charles Pearce, Her special
licence, that I, the said John Charles Pearce, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Charles Pearce,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter

page_text: during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Charles Pearce, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and scal, 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 John Charles Pearce, 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, reference being had to the drawings annexed,
that is to say:
My Invention consists, firstly, in the construction of steam boilers,
with the furnaces, tubes, and flues arranged in such manner that the
heat may first take effect, as near as may be, to the surface of the water,
then traverse the tubes lower down, and finally act on the bottom of
the boiler before passing away to the chimney.
Secondly, in a method of enabling the tubes of such steam boilers to
be more easily and firmly fixed in the tube plates, at the same time that
they may be withdrawn from either end of the boiler, notwithstanding
any accumulation of scale upon their outer surfaces.
And thirdly, in a mode of protecting the glass water-gauge pipes of
steam boilers from breaking or flying to picces from the eflects of heat
or cold, or from other accidental causes. And in order that my said
Invention may be more readily understood, I will proceed to describe
the drawings annexed.
Figures 1, and 2, are respectively a transverse section and a longi-
tudinal section of a stationary steam boiler, constructed according to my
Invention. A, A, is the shell of the boiler; B, B, the furnaces (three
of which are shown, but two or one only may be used), which are
situated at about the diametrical line of the boiler, in order that the

page_text: heat from them may act, as near as may be, to the surface of the water.
The furnaces are fitted with fire bars in any convenient manner, and
provided with furnace doors, ash-pit doors, &c. in the customary way.
C, C, are the tubes (the number, size, and form of which may be
varied), fitted in that part of the boiler immediately beneath the
furnaces. D, is a mixing or combustion chamber, with which the
extremities of the tubes are in communication, and into which also
the products of combustion from the furnaces pass previous to their
traversing the tubes. This chamber is supplied with atmospheric air,
admitted through the sides of the chamber, or through openings in the
sides of the boiler at the back of the fire bridges, in order to ensure the
more perfect combustion of the smoke, &c. entering it. The opposite
ends of the tubes C, C, communicate with a smoke box E, in front of
the boiler, from which the products of combustion pass through the
flue F, underneath the boiler to the chimney. At the bottom of the
smoke chamber.E, there is a damper G, for regulating the draught to
the furnaces. H, is a handle by which this damper is opened or closed,
when required. I, is the front or cover of the chamber, which is made
in one or more parts, hung on hinges to admit of being casily raised or
opened for the purpose of cleaning or examining the tubes. K, is a
man-hole in the bottom of the boiler, which is used as a sediment
collector, and to which the blow-off pipe is attached.
Instead of constructing the mixing chamber entirely of brick-work,
as shown in Figure 2, I should prefer to form it in some cases by
extending the body or shell A, of the boiler to a sufficient distance
beyond the tube plate at that end, and lining it with fire-brick, as
represented in the longitudinal section, Figure 3. A door L, is pro-
vided to this chamber for the purpose of removing any accumulation of
ashes or dust that may have been formed behind the fire bridges of the
furnaces; it may also be used instead of or in conjunction with that in
the smoke box E, for cleaning out the tubes. It will be seen that in
this case also the flue F, beneath the boiler is dispensed with, the
boiler resting direct on the rubbish, with brick-work setting for the
mud-hole K, and a flue leading from the smoke-box to the chimney.
Figures 4, and 5, are respectively a transverse section and a longi-

page_text: tudinal section of another stationary boiler, constructed similarly to
those before described, but differing from them in the tubes being of
less length in order to admit of the smoke chamber F, being con-
structed, as it were, within the body of the boiler, and immediately
under the floor of the fire boxes. The mixing chamber D, is con-
structed by an extension of the shell of the boiler, lined with fire-brick,
as before. M, is the steam chest, and N, a man-hole in the top of the
boiler.
In some cases I construct my boilers, when three fire boxes are
employed, so that the centre fire box may be used as a flue or mixing
chamber for the sinoke, &c. to traverse before entering the tubes. The
two side fire boxes would communicate with the central flue by
D-shaped openings at the middle of its length, and the fires then be fed
from both ends of the boiler, or at one end, and the fires be fed from
the opposite end. In the former case, air would be admitted to the
grate bars at both ends of the fire boxes.
Figure 6, is a longitudinal section of another construction of boiler,
embodying my improvements; Figure 7, is a transverse section on the
line a, b; and Figure 8, another transverse section on the line c, d. A,
is tho shell of the boiler; B, the furnace or fire box (although one
only is shown, I should in many cases use two fire boxes). B', is a
mixing or fire chamber at the end of the fire box and between it and
the tubes. O, (Figure 8) is an opening or man-hole for convenience in
making good the ends of the tubes, and cleaning out dust, &c. from the
back of the furnace bridge. The smoke, after passing through the
tubes C, C, enters the smoke chamber D, which is furnished with a
damper, and passes from thence through the flue F, and away to the
chimney. P, P, are iron supports, upon which the boiler rests; Q, a
sediment collectors, to which the blow-off pipes are attached. R, is a
mud or man hole in the end of the boiler, near the bottom of the smoke
chamber D. In some cases, I prefer to construct the man-hole at the
side of and near to the bottom of the boiler. S, is a door into the smoke
chamber for giving access to clean out the tubes, &c. The chamber B',
is shown with a fire-brick lining for preventing over-heating of the
shell of the boiler at that part; but this lining may be dispensed with,

page_text: and a water-space formed in place of it. The object of employing this
chamber is to obtain a large surface of tube plate, and a correspondingly
ample number of tubes, which could not be done if the circular fire box
were continued to the tube plate. The top of the fire chamber B', is
made flat and strengthened by sley-bars, as shown at N, N; and, in
order to secure the fire box, or fire boxes when more than one are
used, of as large a diameter as possible, I place the angle irons in front,
one inside the fire box and the other outside, as shown at Q, Q. The
front plate of the boiler (when there is no return flue underneath it) is
made to reach the floor line, and shaped as in Figure 8, which is a
front elevation of such a boiler, so that the ashes or coals scattered or
falling upon the floor may be shovelled up without being driven under
the boiler.
The manner in which the second part of my Invention for fixing the
tubes of steam boilers in the tube plates is carried into effect is as
follows:-I weld, solder, or rivet or screw upon the ends of the tubes
ferrules or rings of metal (by preference, copper or wrought iron),
turned slightly conical on the exterior, as represented in Figure 9,
which is a longitudinal section of a tube thus fitted. These rings or
ferrules form collars, which should exactly fit into the holes in the
tube plates.
When tho tubes have been properly adjusted in the
plates, the projecting edges (H) of the collars are carefully riveted
with a hand hammer, so as to fill the countersunk or bell-mouthed
parts of the holes in the tube plates, as shown at I, I, Figure 10.
Figure 11, is an end elevation of a tube, with the collar fitted to it,
ready for being fixed in the tube plates. This method of fitting and
fixing the tubes admits of their being withdrawn from either end of the
boiler, notwithstanding any accumulation of scale upon their outer
surfaces.
The third part of my Invention is performed in the following manner,
that is to say: by coating or covering the glass water-gauge pipes with
soft metal, such as tin, lead, or other soft metal or alloy cast upon
them, leaving a slot or groove, or a series of slots or grooves, of any
required length and breadth, along the side of the pipe, through which
the water may be seen.

page_text: Figures 12, 13, 14, and 15, are sectional and other views of a water-
gauge pipe, coated with metal in this manner: A, is the glass pipe;
B, the metal coating cast thereon; and C, a slot at the side, through
which the height of the water in the pipe can be seen.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1 claim
in respect thereof is,―
First, the construction of steam boilers with the furnace or furnaces
and tubes combined with mixing and smoke chambers, and arranged, as
before described, with or without a return flue underneath the boiler;
and also the use, in certain cases, of the central fire box (when three
are employed) as a flue or mixing chamber, as before described.
Second, the adaptation of rings, ferrules, or collars, riveted or other-
wise fitted to the ends of the tubes of steam boilers, for the purpose of
enabling the tubes to be fixed in the tube plates, as before described.
And, third, the coating or covering of the glass water-gauge pipes of
steam boilers with tin, lead, or other soft metal or alloy cast thereon,
so as to leave a slot or slots to enable the height of the water in the pipe
to be seen, as before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Charles Pearce, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of August One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
JOHN CHARLES PEARCE. (L.S.)