IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BOILERS FOR GENERATING STEAM, AND OTHER HEATING' PURPOSES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Burch, of Crag, near Macclesfield, in the
County of Chester, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF BOILERS FOR GENERATING STEAM, AND OTHER HEATING'
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 12th March 1861, and dated the 19th October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Burch at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th October 1860.
I, JOSEPH BURCH, of Crag, near Macclesfield, in the County of Chester,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE->
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BOILERS FOR GENERATING STEAM AND OTHER.
HEATING PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The steam generators and boilers to which my improvements are chiefly
applicable are known as upright or vertical boilers, my object being to
obtain a large amount of heating surface in a small space, with due regard to
strength and safety. In boilers with both ends closed, the furnace is a short
circular tube with convex ends; it is placed upright inside about the centre of
the boiler, and within a few inches of the lower end, thus leaving a water
space. underneath between it and the skin of the boiler; some of these boilers

page_text: are constructed entirely open under the furnace bars, and without water
space. Outside round the furnace and between it and the skin of the boiler
are narrow concentrically-formed flues or tubes, and at the opposite side to
the furnace door above the surface of the fire there is a draught communi
cation between the furnace and the flues or tubes through which the heat or
flame passes, and above or about the furnace door there is an opening from
the flues or tubes through. the skin. of the boiler communicating with the
chimney. When concentric tubes are used, the draught opening from the
furnace enters a narrow vertical chamber into which one end of each tube is
fixed, while the other ends of the tubes communicate with the opening over
or about the furnace door. The water spaces between the furnace and the
concentric flues I prefer to be about two or three inches wide, and the flues
in small boilers about three or four inches, but when tubes are used less space
is required; the depth of the concentric flues corresponds with the length
of the parallel sides of the furnace, and the concentric tubes are placed above
each other round the furnace, and fill the same space. The crown of the
boiler I prefer to form similar in shape to the small-pointed end of an egg,
and the base of the boiler to the flat or larger end, and as I do not consider it
safe in the construction of these boilers to go beyond a reasonable diameter
in the size of their furnaces and flues in order to increase the power of such
boilers I construct them with two or more furnaces and concentric flues or
tubes placed above each other only sufficiently far apart to leave a water
space between each furnace with its concentric flues or tubes, and openings
acting and being independent of the others, and having no communication
therewith, the skin of the boiler forming the only necessary connection, but
the same water pervades and circulates through all, and the crown of the
upper boiler of the tier forms the steam room for the whole. I call these
tier. boilers. It is not necessary that the furnace doors be placed directly.over
each other; under .some circumstances I prefer. to place them, otherwise, in
order that when lofty tier boilers are used they may be reached by a winding
staircase attached to the boiler or from platforms at the necessary heights.
The flues are. cleaned through openings for. that purpose. The boilers, áre
very efficient steam generators for motive power and other purposes.
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Burch in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th April 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
BURCH, of Crag, near Macclesfield, in the County of Chester, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Joseph Burch, Her special license that I, the said Joseph
Burch, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Joseph Burch, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BOILERS FOR GENERATING STEAM, AND OTHER
HEATING PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Joseph Burch, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Joseph Burch, 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 and accompanying Drawings, that is to say
The first part of my Invention consists in the construction of vertical
boilers with central furnaces and narrow concentric flues. The furnace of this
description of boiler is closed beneath the fire-bars, excepting the fuel and
draught opening. The shell extends underneath and forms a water space
between it and the ash chamber. This modification is exhibited by the
Figures 1 and 2, delineated on Sheet 1.
The second part of my Invention consists in the construction of boilers,
with central furnaces and narrow concentric flues, without water space beneath
the fire-bars; the lower end of the furnace beneath the fire-bars being open.

page_text: This modification is exhibited by the Figures 4 and 5, delineated on Sheet 1,
and Figures 1, 2, and 3 on Sheet 2.
The third part of my Invention consists in the use of concentric tubes
instead of the narrow concentric flues. This modification is exhibited by the
Figures delineated on Sheet 2.
The fourth part of my Invention consists in the use of two, three, or more
furnaces placed above each other in a round vertical shell, thereby com-
pounding the first, second, and third parts of this Invention. This modification
is exhibited by the Figures delineated on Sheet 3.
The precise forms of the different parts of my Invention, herein-after
described and referred to, may be varied, so also the construction. That
shewn by the Drawings is the mode to which I give a preference. The same
reference letters and figures are used to indicate the corresponding parts of my
Invention, on all the Drawings.
I will now describe the first part. a is the central.furnace; it is an upright
cylindrical tube, with convex or spherical ends; it is surrounded by water.
space, excepting at a 1, which is the fuel and draught feed opening, and on
the opposite side at 6, which is the draught communication where the flame
and smoke pass from the furnace into the concentric flues c. These flues
are narrow and encircle the furnace, with which in height and depth they
about correspond. They are of sufficient diameter to leave the narrow water
spaces d between them and the furnace. The heat draught from the furnaco
divides, as indicated by the arrows, as soon as it enters the flues, where the
heat is absorbed on its passage round. It meets again at the opposite side
over the furnace door at the exit opening e, where it passes out through the
shell of the boiler f to the chimney. The vertical sides of the shell of the boiler
enclose a narrow water space g between it and the flues, and underneath
at g 1, between it and the bottom of the furnace. a 2 are the fire-bars; a 3
is the furnace door; the dome of the boiler h forms a capacious steam
chamber. These boilers are very suitable for wood-built steam boats, and such
like: purposes, where open ash-pits would be dangerous. Drawing, Sheet 1,
Figure
is a front elevation; Figure 2 is.a vertical section, and Figure 3 is
a sectional plan.
The second part of my. Invention of improvements in boilers is exhibited on
Sheets 1 and 2. It consists in the construction of such boilers without a
water space beneath the fire-bars, under which they are entirely open. The
lower end of the furnace below the fire-bars is not required. Curved plates i
are rivetted to the lower edge of the plates, which form the vertical sides of

page_text: the furnace. These curved plates are fashioned to the required shape. Their.
outer edges are turned down and rivetted to the bottom edges of the vertical
sides of the shell. The lower edges of the furnace and of the shell may be of
the same length, and the connection between them forming the base of the
boiler may be made by the use of box iron j, as shewn by the Figure 7. on
Sheet 1. The top and bottom edges of the flues may be constructed in the.
I prefer the curved plates, which although rather more diffi-
cult of construction, afford freer access of the atmosphere to the fire-bars...
The other arrangements of these boilers are the same as described in the first,
part of this Invention. On Sheet 1, Figure 4 is a front elevation; Figure 5.
is a vertical section; Figure 6 is a sectional plan...
same manner.
:
The third part of my Invention of improvements in steam boilers is. shewn,
on Sheet 2; it consists in the use of concentric tubes k. These tubes encircle:
the furnace between it and the shell of the boiler. They are used instead of
the concentric flues described in the first part of this Invention. After the
heat draught has passed from the furnace through the draught opening bit,
enters the narrow vertical chamber l, where it divides and passes right and left,
into the concentric tubes, where the heat. is absorbed on its passage through.
The draught meets again on the opposite side of the boiler in the chamber m;
and from thence passes through the exit opening e to the chimney. The.
required number of these tubes depends upon the height of the furnace and the,
power of the boiler. The Figures on Sheet.2, exhibiting this part of my Inven-
tion, shew concentric tubed boilers with open ends. They may also be fitted.
to boilers with closed ends of the construction as shewn by Figures 1, 2, and 3
on Sheet 1. Figure 1 on Sheet 2 is a front elevation; Figures 2 and 3 are,
vertical sections; Figure 4 is a sectional plan from A to B; Figure 5, .a.
sectional plan from C to D; Figure 6 is a plan of the concentric tubes.
The fourth part of my Invention of improvements in steam boilers is shewn,
on Sheet 3. It consists in the construction of compound or tier boilers. The
upper furnaces used in these boilers are the same as described in the first part
of this Invention. They are shewn on Sheet 1 by Figures 1, 2, and 3: The,
lower furnace is the same as described in the second part of this Invention, as,
shewn on Sheet 1 by Figures 4 and 5. They may be constructed with either.
concentric flues or tubes, or both methods may be introduced in the different
sections of the same boiler. Any reasonable number of furnaces may be used',
for the construction of, boilers, of great power. The Figures 1 and 2 ou
Sheet 3 shew a triple furnace boiler; the lower section from E to F is the,
same as the. boiler on Sheet 1, Figure 4, excepting the dome or steam

page_text: chamber. The top rim of the shell is flanged with angle iron all-round. It
may be constructed with water space under the furnace, as shewn by
Figure 1. The shell of the second section from F to G is flanged top and
bottom. It must be a few inches longer than the extreme length of the
furnace it contains in order to preserve a water space above and below. All
the intermediate sections required are alike, excepting that concentric flues
may be used in some and concentric tubes in others. All the fires of the
different sections act independent of each other; they are arranged to dis-
charge their smoke into the same chimney by means of pipes or flues outside
the shell. The furnace doors may either be placed over each other or on
different sides of the boiler. Figures 1 and 2, on Sheet 3, shew the fire-
doors on different sides of the tier boilers; the flanges N being rivetted or
bolted together from a complete shell. I prefer making the connection by
bolting the different sections of the shell together, as in case of repairs' a
séparation may then be easily effected. The apex of the boiler or steam dome
on the upper section must be increased in height in proportion to the number-
of sections and furnaces used. The water feed is given at the base of the
lowest section. These boilers may be constructed of great power; they have
the important advantage of occupying very little ground space, which is a
great desideratum on shipboard, as well as under similar circumstances ashore
when used as stationary boilers. On Sheet 3, Figure 1 shews an elevation of
a triple furnace boiler; Figure 2, a vertical section of the same; Figure 3, a
sectional plan from H to J, and Figure 4 is a sectional plan from K to L.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, I wish it to be
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise form of the different
parts as herein described and shewn by the Drawings, as other modifications
may be made, and the peculiar principles of my Invention still be retained;
neither do I confine myself to any particular dimensions, and what I claim as
new and as my Invention is,-
First, I claim the mode of constructing vertical boilers, containing the
general combination of parts upon the principle which is herein described and
further explained by reference to the Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet 1, and herein
styled the first part of my Invention.
Secondly, I claim the mode of constructing vertical boilers, containing the
general combination of parts upon the principle which is herein described and
further explained by reference to the Figures 4 and 5 on Sheet 1, and herein
styled the second part of this Invention.
Thirdly, I claim the mode of constructing vertical boilers, and using therein

page_text: between the central furnace and outer shell concentrically formed tubes upon
the principle shewn by the Figures on Sheet 2, and herein described with
reference thereto as the third part of this Invention.
Lastly, I claim the mode of constructing vertical boilers, herein called
tier boilers," such boilers being compounded of sections of the first, second,
and third parts of this Invention, after the manner and principle herein
described and further explained by reference to the Figures on Sheet 3, and
which is herein styled the fourth part of this Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Burch, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, in the year of 'our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
JOSEPH BURCH. (L.S.)