IMPROVEMENTS IN SURFACE CONDENSERS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Graham Browne, of 11. Queen Victoria Street,
in the City of London, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SURFACE CONDENSERS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Graham Browne at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th August 1883.
SAMUEL GRAHAM BROWNE, of 11 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN SURFACE CONDENSERS
"
My Invention relates to improvements in surface condensers, condenser tubes
and the manner of fixing same in place. The condensers may be of any convenient
form but of less cubical contents than those now in use and may be constructed
without condenser tube plates, for reasons hereinafter stated. Where condenser
tube plates are used I preferably make one external and one internal joint so
arranged that the plates and tubes may be placed in position or removed bodily,
the final joints being made by tightening the ferrules after the plates are jointed to
condenser. I make the tubes with one or more spirals or corrugations extending
either the full length or almost the entire length of the tube, and in the latter case
preferably reduce the diameter of the ends, which may be thickened up to the
minimum diameter of the spiral; such ends may be plain or or screwed. The ends
may also be tapered, or tapered and continue parallel either plain or screwed, or I
may use any combination of the above or similar equivalent means for making
jointing practical. For fixing these tubes in place I use in preference ferrules of
wood or of a comparatively soft non-galvanic alloy; such ferrules, one or both,
being slightly tapered externally to fit corresponding holes in condenser ends; one
or both ferrules being also internally tapered to suit ends of condenser tube. Thus
by tightening up the ferrules a joint can readily be made. The ends of the tubes
may be expanded in place and if desirable beaded over. I may make the ferrules
with an external shoulder and where internally screwed, square the same, or
provide other suitable means for tightening same. The ferrules may also be
screwed externally to fit corresponding threads in condenser ends and the tube
expanded or screwed in same to make a joint; tubes with plain ends, the ends

page_text: being of greater or less diameter than the external diameter of spiral, plain or
tapered, may be expanded directly into the tube plates. Where a non-galvanic
ferrule is used loose tube plates can be dispensed with, the corrugations or spirals
permitting of expansion and contraction. I propose making the external diameter
of the spiral on the tube thread of such a diameter that it will just pass through
the holes in the condenser ends. Where the ends of the tubes are reduced to the
minimum diameter of the thread of the spiral, I propose unaking the ferrules of
about the thickness of the depth of the thread, as for instanco-the internal
diameter of the ferrule being % of an inch, the external diameter One inch and
the external diameter of the tube thread /, I practically expose about 1/, more
cooling surface than a tube having an external diameter of 3/4 of an inch. It may
be found desirable to introduce an internal spiral or deflector so as to distribute the
current of the water passing through the tubes. Where the ends of the tubes are
tapered I propose placing the condenser at a sufficient angle to enable me to get rid
of the air. A plain tube with tapered or reduced ends might be used. In
condensers constructed as described the size can be reduced in about the proportion
of the increased cooling surface; a correspondingly less number of tubes and joints
being required. The tubes must be expanded to make a joint, the corrugations
allowing for expansion and contraction, and the form of the tube may also disturb
the current and scour air out of the top of the spirals.
Tubes of this form may be used for any analogous purpose, say for instance feed
water heaters &c.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed.
by the said Samuel Graham Browne in the Patent Office on the 23rd
February 1884.
SAMUEL GRAHAM BROWNE of 11 Queen Victoria Street in the City of London
Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN SURFACE CONDENSERS."
My Invention relates to improvements in surface condensers, condenser tubes,
and the means of fixing same in place. The condenser may be of any convenient,
form but of less cubical contents than those now in use, such decrease being in
about the proportion of the increased cooling surface exposed by the tubes, as
hereinafter described. The pitch of centre of such tubes remaining practically the
same as in tube plates where parallel tubes are used.
The condensers may be of the usual construction fitted with tubes as hereinafter
described, suitable provision being made for withdrawing same, one or both ends of
the tubes may however be expanded into the tube plates making a joint, the spirals
or corrugations allowing for expansion and contraction in the tubes. I make the
tube with one or more spirals running over a portion or almost their entire length,
as shewn on the accompanying Sheet of Drawing, and preferably taper one or both
of their ends, such taper ending in a parallel tube of about the same diameter as
the bottom of the spirals. Such tapered ends may be thickened and screwed, or a
ferrule brazed or cast on. Suitable tools for expanding sweeping and withdrawing
the tubes may be used, the latter arranged to be expanded out so as to firmly grip
the interior surface of the spiral grooves, and it can be used for fixing or withdrawing
the tubes. For a more detailed explanation I refer to the accompanying Drawing
as follows:
Figure 1-Shews a surface condenser fitted with spiral or corrugated tubes, the
ends of the condenser which form the tube plates and also the spaces for the circu-
lating water removable. Passages at A A are cast to enable the steam to pass
freely round the tubes from top to bottom of the condenser. The condenser may be
made with both ends removable as shewn, but is preferably made with one end cast
in one piece with the condenser, in either case the tubes may be held in correct
position relatively to the holes in the tube plate by means of a guide plate B; for
facilitating removal and replacement in position. The guide plate may be supported
by ribs on the condenser or other suitable stays.
Figure 2: Shews a section of a spiral tube reduced in diameter at both ends
and held in place at one end by a screwed ferrule, which latter may be brazed into
the tube, or the tube may be expanded directly into it, in which case the hole in
the ferrule may be slightly tapered. The other end of tube may be packed in any
ordinary way.
Figure 3-Shews a spiral tube having one end of the full diameter of the top of
spiral, or it may be slightly in excess of same to facilitate insertion or removal.
This end is expanded tightly into the tube plate.
Figure 4-Shews a spiral tube reduced at end and held in place by a wooden
ferrule.
Figure 5:—Shews a tube part of which only is in a spiral form and having a
reduced end, or it may have two reduced ends, as shewn in Figure 10.
Figure 6 Shews a spiral tube, with one end thickened and screwed, the joint
between it and the tube plate may be made tight in any suitable manner.
Figure 7: Shews another modification of a screwed ferrule having the end of
the tube closed over upon it to make a tight joint.

page_text: Figure 8: Shews a ferrule, preferably of a soft non galvanic material, cither cast,
or screwed upon tho spiral, and may be expanded into the tube plate when in
position.
Figure 9: Shews a section of a tube which may be used with the ends reduced
or tapered.
Any of the above devices may be used in conjunction, or interchangeably with
one another.
Having now Described and ascertained the nature of my Invention and in what
manner tlie same is or may be performed what:-
I Claim as secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is :-
Firstly The construction of surface condensers, provided with tubes as shewn
in Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10, which give a larger cooling surface in the
same length, than ordinary parallel tubes, and which can be placed with about the
same pitch of centres, and consequently enable the size and capacity of the condenser
to be proportionately reduced, substantially as described.
Secondly The use of condenser tubes made with one or more spirals or
corrugations and reduced at one or both ends, substantially as described and shewn
Thirdly: The use of conderser tubes made with one or more spirals running
the whole or a part of the entire length of the tube, substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said Samuel Grahain Browne have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty third day of February in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty four.
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