IMPROVE- MENTS IN TUBULAR STEAM GENERATORS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Deuton Abel of N° 28 Southampton Buildings
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TUBULAR STEAM GENERATORS” Communicated to him from
abroad by Louis Constant Uhler of Paris in the Republic of France
•
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th November 1882.
"
CHARLES DENTON ABEL of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN TUBULAR STEAM GENERATORS
[Communicated to him from abroad by Louis Constant Uhler of Paris in the
Republic of France]
This invention relates to that description of tubular steam generators in which
the water is caused to circulate through a series of horizontal or inclined tubes
beated externally by the flames and hot gases of the furnace.
According to the present invention the said water tubes, by preference slightly
inclined enter at one end a series of horizontal collecting tubes which serve to
connect together each row of water tubes, and which in their turn communicate at
one end with a vertical collecting tube that is connected at its upper end with a
cylindrical vessel in which the steam collects and from which the water circulates
through the water tubes and connecting tubes. The said horizontal collecting
tubes are built up of a trough shaped piece to the open side of which is bolted a
gun metal plate having a series of circular holes through which the water tubes
enter it. The plate is formed with an annular recess surrounding the end of the
tube, in which recess is inserted a packing of caoutchouc, and a perforated cap
fitted over the end of the tube is pressed into the said recess so as to compress the
packing by means of a screw bolt screwed through the outer side of the trough
shaped piece. The other end of the water tube is closed by a bonnet, pressed
steam tight against caoutchouc packing by a screw bolt in a cross bar held in a
socket fixed on the end of the tube. This socket has an inwardly projecting flange
at its outer end, which flange is cut away at two points and the cross bar being
introduced at such points is then turned somewhat so as to take a bearing against

page_text: the inner side of the flange. The bonnet has projecting lugs which are also passed
through the notched part of the said flange and then turned round somewhat, so
that should the screw bolt and cross bar give way, the bonnet will still be retained
by the flange.
Within the water tubes are placed loose tubes of smaller diameter, which serve
to facilitate the circulation of water and steam through them and also to receive
a great part of the calcareous or other deposit from the water. These tubes are
readily removed from time to time and cleared of their deposit.
The upper part of the steam generator is formed by three large cylindrical
vessels one of which is situated above the other two and which are connected
together by pipes, the one lower vessel being connected by a vertical connecting
tube to the one end of the before mentioned horizontal connecting tubes, while the
other vessel is connected to the other end of such tubes by another vertical pipe
with branches, so that the water descends through the last nained pipe to the
connecting tubes and water tubes, and ascends together with the steam from the
latter to the upper vessels again. Here the steam rises into the topmost cylindrical
vessel, from a steam dome on which it is conducted to a superheater, consisting
of a box shaped chamber divided into compartments, from which pipes of small
diameter extend over the tops of the water tubes, so as to be heated by the flames
from the furnace.
The furnace-grate is formed of a number of tubes branching from connecting
tubes at each end which are connected by pipes with the upper water vessels, so
that water is made to circulate through the grate tubes which thus furnish an
additional supply of steam. Intermediate tubular supports are provided for the
water tubes, which supports are also connected by pipes with the upper water
chambers, so as to establish water circulation therein.
From the furnace chamber enclosing the water tubes the hot gaseous products
pass into a vertical flue at the rear end, where they are caused to pass downwards
in a zig-zag direction by projecting battle plates, and from the bottom of which they
escape through openings leading to the chimney flue. At the bottom of this
Vertical flue is a cylindrical vessel constituting the feed water heater, from which
two rows of tubes rise up to the water chambers at top, with which they are
connected by branch pipes, so that the feed water, being made to rise from the
bottom vessel through the vertical pipes into the upper water chambers, becomes
heated by the zig-zag currents of hot escaping gases.
The furnace chamber is closed at the front end by metal plates with doors, and
the end of the water tubes projecting through to the outside are supported by
blocks of fire-brick inserted between them.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th May 1883.
"
CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in
the county of Middlesex IMPROVEMENT[S] IN TUBULAR STEAM GENERATORS"
A communication to me from abroad by Louis Constant Uhler of Paris in the
republic of France
This invention relates to that description of tubular steam generators in which
the water is caused to circulate through a series of horizontal or inclined tubes,
heated externally by the flames and hot gases of the furnace.
The construction of the improved generator will be readily understood from the
accompanying drawings, in which fig. 1 shews a part front view and part cross
section of the generator; fig 2 is a longitudinal section, Fig. 3 is a part section on
line M N Fig. 2, and fig. 4 is a part plan and part horizontal section; the other
figures shew detached details.
According to the present invention, the water tubes A, by preference slightly
inclined, enter at one end a series of horizontal collecting tubes B which serve to
connect together each row of water tubes, and which, in their turn, communicate
at one end with a vertical collecting tube C, that is connected at its upper end with
a cylindrical vessel in which the steam collects and from which the water circulates
through the water tubes and collecting tubes. The said horizontal collecting
tubes B are built up of a trough shaped piece, to the open side of which is bolted,
by screw-bolts b, a gun metal plate a, as shewn to an enlarged scale at fig. 5, having
a series of circular holes, through which the water tubes A enter it. The plate is
formed with an annular recess surrounding the end of the tube, in which recess is
inserted a packing of caoutchouc e and a cap c, having perforations d and fitted
over the end of the tube is pressed into the said recess so as to compress the
packing by means of a screw bolt f screwed through the outer side of the trough
shaped piece. The aperture g establishes a communication between the horizontal
and vertical collectors. The other end of the water tube A is closed by the
arrangement shewn at figs 6, 7 and 8, a bonnet k pressed steam tight against
caoutchouc packing 7 by a screw-bolt n in a cross bar m held in a socket h fixed
on the end of the tube. This socket has an inwardly projecting flange at its outer
end, which flange is cut away at two points ii and the cross bar being introduced
at such points, is then turned somewhat so as to take a bearing against the inner
side of the flange. The bonnet, shewn in plan at fig. 8, has projecting lugs o0
which are also passed through the notched parts of the said flange and then
turned round somewhat, so that should the screw bolt n and cross bar m give way,
the bonnet will still be retained by the flange; a screwed hole u allows the bonnet
to be removed. Within the water tubes A are placed loose tubes D of small
diameter which serve to facilitate the circulation of water and steam through
them, and also to receive a great part of the calcareous or other deposit from the
water. These tubes are readily removed from time to time and cleared of their
deposit. The inner and outer surfaces of the tubes D are about equal to the inner
surface of the tubes A, so that these receive about one half of the deposit they
otherwise would have. The tubes A are supported at an intermediate point by
refractory bricks Z.
The upper part of the steam generator is formed by three large cylindrical
vessels E F G, one of which E is situated above the other two and which are

page_text: connected together by pipes the one lower vessel being connected by a vertical
connecting tube to the one end of the before mentioned horizontal connecting
tubes, while the other vessel is connected to the other end of such tubes by another
vertical pipe with branches, so that the water descends through the last named
pipe to the connecting tubes and water tubes, and ascends together with the steam
from the latter to the upper vessels again. Here the steam rises into the topmost
cylindrical vessel E, from a steam dome H, on which it is conducted by a pipe p to
a superheater K. consisting of a box shaped chamber, divided into compartments,
from which pipes of small diameter extend over the tops of the water tubes, so as
to be heated by the flames from the furnace. The steam passes away through the
pipe q. are openings for cleansing, and the plate s can be removed for taking
out the superheater for repairs.
The furnace grate is formed of a number of tubes N branching from connecting
tubes OP at each end, which are closed by bonnets and are connected by pipes v
and xx with the upper water vessels, so that water is made to circulate through
the grate tubes which thus furnish an additional supply of steam. Intermediate
tubular supports Q Q are provided for the water tubes A, which supports are also
connected by pipes R and S with the upper water chambers so as to establish
water circulation therein.
From the furnace chamber enclosing the water tubes A, the hot gaseous products
pass into a vertical flue T at the rear end, where they are caused to pass downwards
in a zig zag direction by projecting baffle plates U U, and from the bottom of
which they escape through openings X Y leading to the chimney flue V.
At the bottom of this vertical flue is a cylindrical vessel I, constituting the feed
water heater, from which two rows of tubes J J¹, closed at top by bonnets k rise
up to the water chambers E G at top, with which they are connected by branch
pipes t, so that the feed water, being made to rise from the bottom vessel through
the vertical pipes into the upper water chambers, becomes heated by the zig zag
currents of of hot escaping gases.
The water is supplied to the collectors B by the tube L and branches M, M, as
shewn at fig 9. The furnace chamber is closed at the front end by metal plates
with doors and the end of the water tubes projecting through to the outside are
supported by blocks of fire brick inserted between them.
Having thus described the nature of the said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
claim in respect of steam generators of the kind herein referred to
First: The described arrangement of the water tubes connected to horizontal
collecting tubes which are themselves connected by vertical collecting tubes to the
upper water chambers of the boiler.
Second: In the connection of the water tubes with the collecting tubes, the
provision of a perforated cap secured by a screw bolt in such a manner as to allow
of the expansion of the water tube, while affording a watertight joint, substantially
as herein described.
Third Closing the one end of the water tubes by a bonnet having lugs passing
through notches in a socket on the tube and turned partly round so as to secure
the bonnet, substantially as herein described
Fourth Providing within the water tubes smaller tubes for assisting the
circulation of the water and steam, substantially as herein described.
Fifth The described construction of superheater arranged above the water tubes
and through which the steam is made to circulate on its way from the steam dome
to the engine or other locality.
Sixth The described construction of feed water heater consisting of a cylindrical
vessel situated near the exit of the combustion gases from the furnace, and having
two rows of vertical tubes connected to the upper water chambers.
Seventh: The described construction of tubular grate through which the water
supply of the boiler is made to circulate so as to assist in the production of steam.

page_text: Eighth The described arrangement of tubular supports for the water tubes
through which the water supply is also made to circulate
Ninth The described arrangement whereby the combustion gases, after passing
round the water tubes, are made to pass in a zig zag direction in contact with the
tubes of the feed water heater.
In Witness whereof I the said Charles Denton Abel have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty sixth day of May in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.