IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS
Year: 1885

page_text: I JAMES BLAKE of the Britannia Works, Newton Heath, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Boiler Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS" to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to steam generators of the locomotive or tubular type and
has for its principal object to produce a generator suitable for use in steam launches
and torpedo boats but generators constructed in accordance with my Invention may
be applied to locomotives or be used for any other purposes for which they may be
adapted. I make the outer shell which encloses the fire box of a cylindrical or
conical form and I incline its axis from the perpendicular so that the said axis
makes an angle with the axis of the boiler shell say for example of about
120 degrees the plates for the two shells being so cut as that the two shells are
united with a single joint which is inclined with respect to the axes of the two
shells say for example to the extent of about 60 degrees. The fire box I make of a
form suitable to the form of the outer shell that is to say of a cylindrical or conical
forn or of an irregular rounded formation which will not require the use of stays
to connect together the two shells. The crown of the fire box may be flat and be
stayed to the boiler shell or be otherwise suitably stayed. I prefer to make the
tube plate and the crown from one plate bent at an angle of 90 degrees or there-
abouts and suitably flanged for connection. In some cases I may contract the
upper end of the fire-box and connect this end with a combustion chamber which
is interposed between the fire box and the tube plate. The fire bars by preference
incline upwards from the rear end of the fire box toward the fire door as by this
arrangement and construction I am enabled to keep the fire box low whilst keeping
the fire door at a convenient height. The inclination of the grate and of the firing
opening gives the attendant command over the furnace without stooping. The .
general construction also enables me to keep the boiler shell low down. I also
obtain strength of construction with little requirement for stays and an economy
in material. I do not confine myself to the angles herein given which are only
furnished by way of example.

page_text: Improvements in Steam Generators.
I JAMES BLAKE of the Britannia Works, Newton Heath, Manchester in the
County of Lancaster, Boiler Maker do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS" and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying drawings:-—
My Invention relates to steam generators of the locomotive or tubular type and
has for its principal object to produce a generator suitable for use in steam launches
and torpedo boats but generators constructed in accordance with my invention may
be applied to locomotives or be used for any other purposes for which they may be
adapted. I make the outer shell which encloses the fire box of a cylindrical or
conical form and I incline its axis from the perpendicular the plates for the two
shells being so cut as that the two shells are united with a single joint which is
inclined with respect to the axes of the two shells. The fire box I make of a form
suitable to the form of the outer shell that is to say of a cylindrical or conical form
or of an irregular rounded formation which will not require the use of stays to
connect together the two shells.
In order that the nature of my invention may be fully understood I will describe
the same with reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings wherein two
examples of steam generators constructed in accordance with my Invention are.
represented in section.
In the said drawings Fig. 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of a steam
generator specially designed for application to a steam launch or torpedo boat but
applicable also for other uses. In the said Fig. a is the outer shell which encloses
the fire tubes; and c. is the outer shell which encloses the fire box d. In the
example both shells are supposed to be of cylindrical formation and are each cut
at one end to an angle of about sixty degrees with the axis of the shell so that
when the two shells are united together at b by the inclined ends the axis of the
shell c. makes an angle of about one hundred and twenty degrees with the axis of
the shell a as clearly shown in the drawing. The fire-box d. is also of cylindrical
formation and is cut or formed at its upper end to suit the plate c. This plate is
bent at an angle of about ninety degrees so that one part of the plate serves as a
tube plate and the other part constitutes the crown of the fire-box. The said plate
is shaped to fit inside the fire box and is moulded and flanged so as to connect with
the same without the necessity for the use of angle iron. The lower end of the
fire box is enlarged in diameter so as to connect directly with the shell c.
crown part of the plate e. is stayed to the shell a by means of stays f. or is
otherwise stayed in a suitable manner. The fire bars g. incline upwards from the
rear end of the fire box toward the fire door h. By the indicated construction
I am enabled to keep the fire box low whilst keeping the fire door at a convenient
height: The inclination of the grate and of the firing opening gives the attendant
command over the furnace without stooping. The general construction also enables
me to keep the boiler shell low down. I also obtain strength of construction with
little requirement for stays and with an economy in material. I do not confine
The

page_text: myself to the angles herein given which are only furnished by way of example.
Fig. 2 indicates a modified construction wherein the angle of connection of the
shells a and c. is different from the indication in Fig. 1. In this example the form
of the fire box is also varied and the shell c. is made of a slightly conical formation
the fire box shell being slightly coned to correspond. The plate e. has an additional
bend at el in order to extend the tubes over the fire to some extent the fire box
shell being cut or formed to suit the form of the said plate. In this example the
inclination of the fire bars is not so great as in Fig. 1 but on the other hand the
facility for clearing the bars is not so great and also the shell a stands higher so
that the generator is not so well adapted for some uses as the generator illustrated
by Fig. 1. I may make other modifications in the steam generator so long as the
shells a. and c. are united at such an angle as will give the shell c. a considerable
inclination from the perpendicular as for example I may contract the upper end of
the fire box and connect this end with a combustion chamber. which would be
interposed between the fire box and the tube plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The steam generator of the formation and construction substantially as set
forth and indicated herein before and in and by the accompanying drawings.
2. In a stem generator the cylindrically or conically formed shell c. united with
the main shell a at an angle considerably exceeding ninety degrees in combination
with 'a cylindrically or conically formned fire box substantially as and for the
purposes set forth and indicated.