IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING LIQUIDS AND GENERATING STEAM
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thomas Stammers, of 2, Winchester Yard, Borough
Market, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING LIQUIDS AND GENERATING STEAM."
Sealed the 13th December 1878, and dated the 14th June 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomas Stammers at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th June 1878.
JOHN THOMAS STAMMERS, of 2, Winchester Yard, Borough Market, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING LIQUIDS AND
GENERATING STEAM."
My Invention of "Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Liquids and Gene-
rating Steam" relates to apparatus wherein gas is used as fuel.
The boiler or vessel for containing the water or liquid to be heated has flue tubes
passing through it, and these flue tubes are traversed by other tubes communicating
at their ends with the interior of the said vessel for the circulation of water or
liquid. Below the flue tubes is a drum or vessel, adjustable as to its distance from
the ends of the said tubes. This drum or vessel is in communication with the gas
supply, and is furnished with burners for the several flue tubes.
These burners are arranged as follows:-A cock communicating with the interior
of the drum or vessel is surrounded by a tube or pipe, having slots or openings to
admit air between itself and the cock. At the upper part of the tube or pipe is
an enlargement in the form of a hollow inverted frustum of a cone.
At the junction
of the smaller diameter of this part with the upper part of the tube or pipe that
surrounds the cock is a finely perforated diaphragm, which may be composed of
wire gauze. The upper part of the enlargement has a cover, suitably guided and
able to be moved upward when acted upon by the pressure of the mixed gas and
air, so as to allow the same to escape laterally between the cover and the rim of the
enlargement into the corresponding flue tube of the boiler.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Thomas Stammers in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
December 1878.
JOHN THOMAS STAMMERS, of 2, Winchester Yard, Borough Market, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING LIQUIDS AND
GENERATING STEAM."
My Invention of improvements in apparatus for heating liquids and gene-
rating steam relates to apparatus wherein gas is used as fuel.
The boiler or vessel for containing the water or liquid to be heated has flue tubes
passing through it, and these flue tubes are traversed by other tubes communicating
at their ends with the interior of the said vessel for the circulation of water or
liquid and steam. Below the flue tubes is a drum or vessel, adjustable as to its
distance from the ends of the said tubes. This drum or vessel is in communication
with the gas supply, and is furnished with burners for the several flue tubes.
These burners are arranged as follows:-A cock communicating with the interior
of the drum or vessel is surrounded by a tube or pipe, having slots or openings to
admit air between itself and the cock. At the upper part of the tube or pipe is an
enlargement in the form of a hollow inverted frustum of a cone. At the junction
of the smaller diameter of this part with the upper part of the tube or pipe that
surrounds the cock is a finely perforated diaphragm, which may be composed of
wire gauze. The upper part of the enlargement has a cover, arranged to allow
mixed gas and air to escape laterally between the cover and the rim of the enlarge-
ment into the corresponding flue tube of the boiler.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, of the Drawings is a vertical section of apparatus according to
my Invention.
Fig. 2, a plan with the top or cover of the smoke box removed.
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan, shewing the tops of the burners.
Fig. 4 is a sectional plan showing the top of the gas drum or vessel with its
adjusting apparatus and other parts.
1 is the boiler or vessel for containing the water or liquid to be heated; 2 are
the flue tubes passing through it, and each traversed by other tubes 3, commu-
nicating at their ends with the interior of the said vessel below and above the
water line. The tubes 3 are inclined, as shewn, to promote circulation. In
practice I fix the tubes 2 so that they may be readily drawn out and replaced in
the tube plates when required, as well understood by boiler makers. 5 is the
adjustable drum or vessel carrying the burners; it is supported by the forked end
of a bell-crank lever 6; 7 is the fulcrum of this lever, which is operated by the
hand wheel 8 and screw 9, so as to adjust at will the vertical position of the drum
or vessel 5. Gas is supplied to the drum or vessel 5 through the pipe 10 and
upright tubular part 11, on which the tubular part 12 of the drum or vessel 5 fits
accurately, but so as to allow the drum or vessel to be rotated as required when
the tops of the burners are below the flues.
Each burner is as follows:-13 is a cock communicating with the interior of the
drum or vessel 5; 14 is a tube or pipe surrounding the cock; 15 are slots or
openings in this tube or pipe to admit air; 16 is a conical pipe or hollow frustum
of a cone, whose upper diameter is such as to fit (freely) the lower interior part of
any one of the flue tubes 2, so that cold air may be practically excluded from the
flue tubes; 17 is a fine copper wire-gauze diaphragm; 18, a cover (which may be
made adjustable); 19 are openings or spaces for escape of mixed gas and air; at
this point the ignition takes place. The cover 18 acts as a regulator, causing a
complete circle of flame to be formed around the whole of the rim of the burner.
To ignite gas at the several burners, they are first lowered, then the drum or
vessel 5 is caused to revolve intermittently on the fork of the lever 6 so as to bring
cach burner successively into proper position (opposite the opening 20) for turning

page_text: on its cock and lighting. After being lighted the whole of the burners are raised
up into the tubes, as shown in Fig. 1, by operating the wheel 8.
It is not necessary to apply an independent light to more than one burner, as
after having ignited the gas at one the others required may be caused to light from
the one gas flame by rotating the drum or vessel 5.
The arrangement of burner above described is suitable only when a considerable
pressure of gas is available.
Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 (Sheet 2) shew a modification of my apparatus. This
arrangement differs from that described with reference to Sheet 1 of the Drawings
in the construction of the burners. In this arrangement the tubes or pipes 14 are
dispensed with; the conical pipes 16 are fixed directly in the drum or vessel 5,
and the openings 15 for admitting air are formed in their lower parts. From each
of these openings a separate channel 21, furnished with wire-gauze diaphragm 17,
proceeds to the upper end of the conical tube. Each channel 21 receives gas from
the drum or vessel through a cock 13.
By this modification I am enabled the better to control the consumption of gas,
as one, two, or three only of the gas jets of any of the burners may be used at a
time as may be required. I prefer this arrangement to that shewn on Sheet 1 of
the Drawings, and should use it in all cases where the gas pressure is low or
variable.
Having described the nature of my said Invention and explained the manner of
carrying it into practical effect, I would have it understood that I do not limit
myself to the use of the number of flue tubes 2, cross tubes 3, or burners, shewn
in my Drawings, as more or less may obviously be employed, according to circum-
stances, but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the In-
vention secured to me under the Letters Patent herein-before in part recited
is,-
1. Constructing steam generators or apparatus for heating liquids with flue
tubes (2) traversed by other tubes (3), substantially as herein-before described and
shewn.
2. The method, substantially as described, of arranging the gas burners and
making them adjustable in relation to the flue tubes.
3. Constructing the gas burners, substantially as herein-before described, with
reference respectively to Sheet 1 and to Sheet 2 of the Drawings.
4. The combined apparatus constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as
described, with reference to Sheet 1 of the Drawings, for heating liqui'ls and gene-
rating steam.
5. The combined apparatus, constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as
described, with reference to Sbeet 2 of the Drawings, for heating liquids and gene-
rating steam.
In witness whereof, 1, the said John Thomas Stammers, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
J. T. STAMMERS. (L.S.)