IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS GENERATOR
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Blake, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
GENERATORS"
Scaled the 29th June 1875, and dated the 3rd April 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Blako at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd April 1875.
I, JAMES BLAKE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM GENERATORS," to be as follows.
My Invention consists in the first place of improvements in a former
Invention, for which Her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent bearing date`
the Thirty-first day of January, in the year last passed, have been granted
to me
In the Specification of the said former Invention I described certain-
forms of vertical boilors having tubes extending from projecting water

page_text: chambers to the furnace crown. I now substitute cross water tubes for
the said chambers, and connect the lower ends of each row of the vertical
or inclined tubes with one of the said cross tubes.
In cases wherein I retain the said water chambers I connect them
with the fire-box shells by means of water tubes of a comparatively large
diameter; the said tubes extending from the lower part of the chamber
across a part of the fire to the said shell.
My Invention in the next place also refers to vertical boilers, and
consists in arranging within a vertical boiler two or more, say for
example, four chambers, containing vertical or nearly vertical water:
tubes, and communicating with a large fire-box from which the heated
gases rise into the said chambers, and flowing between the said tubes
leave the boiler through side openings. I prefer to construct this form
of generator with a water chamber situated centrally within the fire-box
and connected with the shell of the fire-box by means of inclined
radiating water tubes.
Another part of my Invention relates to horizontal internally flued
boilers, and consists in the first place in the employment in the internal
flucs of conical water tubes in alternation with water pockets or rounded
water chambers projecting inwardly from the shells of the flues; and m
the second place in constructing the internal flue, or cach internal fluc,
or the back portion of the internal flue, or of each internal fluc, in the
form, as regards its cross section, of two C shaped curves jointed
together by concave or concave and convex curves. This compound
fluo is sustained against collapse by a line of water tubes which connect a
together the said concave curved parts, and other water tubes are fixed
at intervals across the two side portions of the flue in vertical or inclined
positions, or in both of the said positions, the said tubes being preferably
made of a conical form.

page_text: over the fire and towards the fire-door, the ends of the extended tubes
being enclosed or partly enclosed in a shell which is connected with each
side of the fire-box shell, and is also connected by means of inclined
water tubes with surrounding water spaces, such water tubes acting as
stays furnishing additional heating surface and promoting the circulation
of the water A curved crown connects the upper part of the projecting
tube plate with the opposite side of the fire-box shell, or the upper part
of the said side of the shell is curved towards and attached to the upper
edge of the said tube plate.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Blake in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BLAKE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of April in the year of our Lord One
thousand cight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-ninth year of
Iler reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said James Blake, Her special license that I, the said
James Blake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said James Blake, 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 STEAM GENERATORS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Blake, 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 manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW. KNOW YE, that I, the said James Blake, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to he
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say.
My Invention consists in the first place of improvements in a former
Invention, for which Her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent bearing dato
tho Thirty-first day of January, in the year last passed, have been
granted to me.
In the Specification of the said former Invention I described certain
forms of vertical boilers having tubes extending from projecting water
chambers to the furnace crown. I now connect the said water chambers
with the fire-box shells by means of water tubes of a comparatively
large diameter; the said tubes extending from the lower part of the
chamber across a part of the fire to the said shell.
My Invention in the next place also refers to vertical boilers, and
consists in arranging within a vertical boiler, two or more, say for
example, four chambers, containing vertical or nearly vertical water
tubes, and communicating with a large fire-box from which the heated
gases rise into the said chambers, and flowing between the said tubes
leave the boiler through side openings.
Anothor part of my Invention relates to horizontal internally flued
boilers, and consists in the first place in the employment in the internal
flues of conical water tubes in alternation with water pockets or rounded
water chambers projecting inwardly from the shells of the flues; and in
the second place in constructing the internal flue, or cach internal fluc,
or the back portion of the internal flue, or of each internal flue in the
form, as regards its cross section, of two C shaped curves joined
together by concave or concave and convex curves. This compound flue
is sustained against collapse by a line of water tubes which connect
together the said concave curved parts, and other water tubes are fixed
at intervals across the two side portions of the fluc in vertical or inclined
positions, or in both of the said positions, the said tubes being preferably
made of a conical form.
In some cases the aforesaid rounded projecting water chambers may
also be employed.
A nomaining nant of my Invention unfour to boilous of the locomotive

page_text: type, and has for one of its objects to dispense with the crown stays of
thic fire-box. I extend the tubes or a number of the tubes forwards over
the fire and towards the fire-door, the ends of the extended tubes being
enclosed or partly enclosed in a shell which is connected with cach side
of the fire-box shell, and is also connected by means of inclined water
tubes with surrounding water spaces, such water tubes acting as stays
furnishing additional heating surface and promoting the circulation of
water.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood I havo
appended hereunto a Sheet of Drawings made with the exception of
Figs. 13 to 16 to a scale of about half an inch to the foot, and marked
with letters of reference, to which Drawings I will now refor, Fig. 1
representing a vertical section, and Fig. 2 a cross section on the line A
illustrate the first part of my Invention. In the said Figs. a is the said
water chamber and b, b, the water tubes The said tubes are conical in
form and are connected by their larger ends with the water chamber,
and by their smaller ends with the water space on each side of the fire-
door. The said tubes thus promote the circulation of water, and being
near to and over the fire add to the generating power of the boiler. The
said tubes may be made cylindrical instead of conical.
Fig 3 illustrates the second part of my Invention, and represents a
vertical section of a vertical boiler, Fig. 4 being a section on the line B,
and Fig. 5 a section on the line C. In this example the shell of the
boiler is made cylindrical in form with a hemispherical top, and tho
fire-box c is of a circular form in horizontal section, and has a domed
crown which is connected with a central cylinder & by means of conical
water tubes e Two openings for firc-doors are formed at f, ƒ, and
extend through the water space to the firc-box as is usual. In the upper
water space are fixed four cylindrical fire chambers g, each chamber
being connected with the crown of the fire-box by means of short fluc
tubes and 2. Each chamber is provided with water tubes 1, which are
fixed in the top and bottom end plates of the chamber. A larger conical
tube is fixed in an inclined position so as to act as a stay for the part
of the crown immediately over the opening h, but this tube may be
dispensed with if not considered necessary The flames from the fire-box
ascend between the tubes and through the openings h into the chambers
and
pass between the tubes into and through the flues which open
1
into an external flue formed outside the boiler and arranged to suit the
I,

page_text: circumstances of cach case. The central cylinder d and the inclined
tubes e act as stays to support the crown of the furnace, and at the samo
time furnish additional heating surface and promote the circulation of
the water, but they may be dispensed with in some cases. The number
of the chambers and the form of the outer shell of the boiler may be
varied.
Figs. 6 to 12 illustrate the third part of my Invention, Fig. 6
represents a horizontal section, and Fig. 7 a vertical section of a
horizontal two-flued boiler. In this example each internal flue is
formed with water pockets 1, 2, which project from the sides of the flucs
at intervals and contract the area of the flue at the points where they
arc situated. Conical water tubes m, m, are also fixed across the said
flues, the said tubes alternating with the pairs of water pockets. In
consequence of this arrangement the flames from the furnace are
deflected from tubes to pockets, and from pockets to tubes. This
arrangement is applicable to boilers having internal flues of a com-
paratively small diameter. Fig. 8 represents a horizontal section, and
Fig. 9 a vertical section of another form of horizontal boiler. In this
example the boiler is provided with a single flue of the peculiar cross
sectional form indicated in Fig 9; the said fluo resembling two partly
cylindrical flues united together. As a flue of this form would collapse
when exposed to high internal pressure vertical conical water tubes n
are fixed in a central position in the flue, and form a row of tubes
extending from end to end of the flue or thereabouts, and whilst acting
as struts or stays to prevent the collapsing of the flue add to the heating
surface Other tubes o, o, fixed in inclined positions across the fluo
furnish additional heating surface, and may be considered to add to the
strength of the fluc In the example the tubes n arc arranged closer
together for some distance from the front end of the boiler, the tubes o
not being applied to this part of the flue in which would be fitted two
fire-grates, one on each side of the row of water tubes, which would
separate the two furnaces to some extent This construction may be
varied, as for example, the flue may be arranged for one furnace only,
or the furnaces may be in two cylindrical flues connected with a back
fluc of the cross sectional form represented in Fig. 9. Under some
circumstances a boiler may be formed with more than one internal fluc
of the form indicated. The arrangement of the water tubes may also be
varied.

page_text: Figs. 10 and 11 represent flues having vertical water tubes and water
pockets similar to the pockets shown in Figs. 6 and 7.
A modification in the form of the flue is illustrated by Fig. 12. In
this example the two C shaped curves are united by concave and convex
curves, so as to produce a form of flue resembling to some extent three
cylinders united. By this method of construction, flues of any required
width may be constructed. A flue so formed may if considered to
be desirable be fitted with three furnaces. Conical water tubes aro
represented in the Drawings, this form being preferred, but any suitable
form of water tube may be substituted therefor.
"
The remaining Figures illustrate the last part of my Invention, Fig. 13
represents a longitudinal section of a locomotive boiler, and Fig. 14 a
vertical section, the portion to the right hand being a section on the line
D, and the portion to the left hand a section on the line E in Fig. 13.
In this example a shell p of a semi-cylindrical form or thereabouts is
riveted by one end to the back wall of the fire-box, and by its upper
sides to the upper parts of the sides s of the said fire-box. A tube plate
t is attached to the other end of the said shell, and also to portions of
the side plates of the fire-box which extend above the shell p. The front
plate of the fire-box is curved upwards and towards the top of the
tube plate to which it is attached. The tubes are fixed in the plate t
instead of in the plate ordinarily situated at r, and are thus extended
over the fire and increased in length as compared with an ordinary boiler
having the same length "over all." The shell p is connected with the
sidess by means of water tubes w, the employment of which constitutes
an important feature in this part of my Invention as they promote
the circulation of water, furnish additional heating surface, and
tend to prevent the deposit of sediment in the lower part of the said
shell. A gusset plate x is attached to the crown and end plate of the
boiler, and to the lower edge of this gusset plate are riveted two angle
irons to which the crown of the fire-box is stayed by means of rivets
passing through thimbles or short tubes. The said gusset plate may be
dispensed with if not considered to be necessary. I consider that the
tendency to the formation of smoke will be lessened as compared with
ordinary boilers; Figs. 15 and 16 illustrate modifications in the arrange-
ment.
on shouton then the others and au

page_text: Sixthly. The boiler constructed substantially as described and
indicated herein-before and by Figures 8 and 9 of the said Drawings.
Seventhly. Extending the ends of the fire-tubes or of some of the fire-
Lubes over the fire within an enclosing shell, which is connected by
means of inclined water tubes with the side water spaces, substantially
as herein-before set forth and indicated when describing the last part of
my Invention.
And, Lastly. The general construction and arrangements, substantially
as illustrated by Figures 13 to 16 of the said Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Blake, have horeunto
set my hand and scal, this First day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Signed and scaled by the said
James Blake in the presence
of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent to the Patentoo,
3, Princess Street,
Manchester.
JAMES BLAKE. (L.S.)