AN IMPROVED FEED WATER HEATER, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Noah Paxman, of the Firm of Davey,
Paxman, and Company, of Colchester, in the County of Essex, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED FEED WATER HEATER, APPLICABLE ALSO
FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 19th December 1873, and dated the 15th September 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Noah Paxman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th September 1873.
I, JAMES NOAH PAXMAN, of the Firm of Davey, Paxman, and Com-
pany, of Colchester, in the County of Essex, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED FEED WATER HEATER, APPLICABLE
ALSO FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:—
My Invention relates to an improved construction of feed water
heating apparatus which is also adapted for use as a surface condenser,
as a refrigerator, or for heating air or other gaseous fluids, and such like
purposes.

page_text: It will describe the apparatus applied as a feed water heater, in which
case it also serves as an incrustation trap by causing the deposit therein
of the impurities held in suspension in the water.
In constructing a feed water heater it is necessary to provide a very
extended heating surface in order to utilize as much as possible the heat
of the exhaust steam.
In the apparatus constructed according to my Invention I am enabled
to effect this in a comparatively small space, and with unusual facilities
for cleaning out the apparatus, which may, moreover, be readily increased
in dimensions if circumstances should require it.
]
The apparatus consists of an external shell or cylinder, within which
are fitted a series of flattened chambers, each consisting of a pair of
dished or cupped discs bolted together, face to face, with a central
dividing plate or diaphragm between them, or the whole of each chamber
may be cast in one piece, and to increase the heating surface the discs 1
may be corrugated. The diaphragm has apertures around the edge for
the passage of the steam from one side to the other. A central aperture
is provided in the top and bottom of each chamber by which it
communicates with the chambers above and below, the several chambers
being fitted the one on the other, and a tight joint made between each 2
by a conical shoulder turned on, the one being received in a correspond.
ing seat in the other, or by recessing an india-rubber or other elastic ring
in the one part and providing a projection on the corresponding part, or
any other convenient and suitable means may be adopted.
The external shell may be made in ring shaped sections similarly, or 2
otherwise connected together, so that by simply adding additional rings
and chambers the size of the apparatus may be increased indefinitely,
whilst the several parts may be readily taken to pieces to be cleaned and
replaced, the whole of the parts being held together and the joints made
tight either by a single central bolt, or the discs may be severally bolted a
together at their centres.
Instead of making the external shell in rings it might be divided
vertically into two halves bolted together. Around the inside of the
shell are a number of circular ribs or feathers which project between the
adjacent surfaces of the chambers in order to force the water or other 3
fluid to circulate along every portion of the surface of the said chambers:

page_text: The steam passes through the inner series of chambers, and the water.
through the outer shell, or vice versa.
At the lower part of the apparatus is a chamber, into which the steam
is first admitted, and which serves as a receptacle for the water of
condensation for which an outlet is provided. The steam is then passed
through the series of chambers, and after traversing the whole of their
surface, in close contact with which it is kept by the divisional plates, it
escapes into the air or into a receptacle provided for it.
The water is pumped into the external shell at the opposite end to
that at which the steam enters, or at any other convenient place, and
after traversing the whole of the external surface of the inner chambers
passes direct into the boiler or into a receptacle provided for it.
it
A suitable space is left at the lower part of the external chamber for
the deposit of sediment from the water, provision being made for the
removal of this sediment by means of a suitable opening.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said James Noah Paxman in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th March 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
NOAH PAXMAN, of the Firm of Davey, Paxman, and Company, of
Colchester, in the County of Essex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in
the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Noah Paxman, Her
special licence that I, the said James Noah Paxman, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Noah Paxman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter 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

page_text: Invention for "AN IMPROVED FEED WATER HEATER, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR
OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Noah Paxman, executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 James Noah Paxman, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheets of Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say) :-
My Invention relates to an improved construction of feed water
heating apparatus, which is also adapted for use as a condenser, as a
refrigerator for heating air or other gaseous fluids, and such like
purposes.
I will describe the apparatus applied as a feed water heater, in which
case it also serves as an incrustration trap by causing the deposit of
the impurities held in suspension in the water.
In constructing a feed water heater the chief object in view is to
provide a large extent of heating surface in order that the heat of the
exhaust steam may be utilized as much as possible.
In the apparatus constructed according to my Invention this is
effected in a comparatively small space, the apparatus being very
compact in its arrangement and affording unusual facilities for cleaning
it out when required. The apparatus may moreover be readily increased
in dimensions if circumstances should require it, without interfering
with the general arrangement, by simply adding to the number of
flattened chambers, and by lengthening the outer cylinder, as hereafter
described.
In order that my Invention may be more readily understood I have
represented in the accompanying Drawings a feed water heater, of
which Figure 1 shows a central vertical section and Figure 2 a
horizontal section on line 1-1, Figure 1.
•

page_text: OF WAR Tavers detiened.
Figure 4 shows a central vertical section of the same apparatus, with
the outer cylinder made in sections, as hereafter described.
The apparatus consists of a series of flattened chambers B fitted
within an external shell or cylinder A. These flattened chambers B
may each consist of a pair of "dished" CE
or cupped" discs bolted
together face to face, with a central dividing plate or diaphragm c
between them, as shown in the detached view, Figure 3, but preferably
each chamber is cast in one piece round its dividing plate, as in
Figure 1. The top and bottom sides of these chambers may be slightly
inclined or dished, as shown, and to still further increase the heating
surface they may be corrugated, which although not shown will be readily
understood. The diaphragms c may either have apertures d around their
edge for the passage of the steam from the one side to the other, or
preferably the diaphragms are made of less diameter than the interior
of the chambers B, so as to leave an equal opening or passage all round
between the edges of the diaphragms and the sides of the chambers,
as shown in Figure 4. The diaphragms are held in place in the
chambers, and the latter prevented from collapsing under pressure by
studs or pillars x cast or formed on plates e. A central aperture e is
provided in the top and bottom of each chamber, as shown, by which
it communicates with the chambers above and below respectively, the
series of chambers being fitted together and tight joints made between
them by a shoulder f turned on the bottom of each chamber, fitting
accurately in a corresponding seat g in the top of the chamber below,
or vice versa, or by recessing an india-rubber or other elastic ring in
the one and providing a corresponding projection on the other, or any
other convenient and suitable means may be adopted.
The external shell may either be cast in one piece or it may be made
in ring shaped sections a, a, a, as shown in Figure 4, fitted the one on
the other, and a tight joint made between them, as shown, or any
other suitable mode of making the joints may be used. When thus
made in sections the size of the apparatus may be increased to any
extent with the utmost facility by simply increasing the number of
sections a and chambers B, whilst all the parts may with equal
readiness be taken to pieces to be cleaned and repaired.
Instead of making the shell A in ring shaped sections it might,
though with less advantage, be divided vertically into two halves bolted

page_text: together. The whole of the parts are held together, and the joints
between the chambers made tight by a single central rod or bolt h
passing through the diaphragms c and secured by nuts to bridge pieces
resting upon the top and bottom covers A' of the casing A, other
bolts being also provided round the flanges of the covers when the 5
shell is made in sections. Around the inside of the said casing are a
number of annular circulating plates i, which project between the
chambers, in order to force the water or other fluid to circulate in close
contact with the surface of said chambers. These plates i may either
be cast each in one piece with one of the sections of the shell A or they 1
may be made separate and fixed between the sections. When the shell
is cast in one these circulating plates are made separate and dropped
in one on top of each chamber, the plates being held in position
between the chambers by small studs y cast thereon.
In some cases the chambers and the dividing or circulating plates 1
may be made of thin wrought metal instead of being cast to still
further economise space. A sufficient space is left between the lower-
most chamber B and the bottom A¹ for the deposit of any sediment
from the water, provision being made for the removal of this sediment
by means of openings closed by suitable covers. It is intended in the 1
arrangement shown that the steam should pass through inside the
chambers B as indicated by the black arrows, and the water between
the outside of the chambers B and the shell A as indicated by the blue
arrows, k being the steam inlet, and the steam outlet, whilst mis
the water inlet, and n the water outlet. This arrangement may
however be reversed, the steam passing outside and the water inside the
chambers B; but in eith case it is preferable that the steam and
water should pass through the apparatus in opposite directions, so that
the water may take up as much of the heat of the steam as possible.
The steam entering at k is caused by the plates c to circulate in
contact with the surfaces of chambers B, and after passing through the
whole series it enters a chamber D at the lower part of the apparatus
to receive the water of condensation, and thence escapes into the air
or into a receptacle provided for it; o, outlet for water of condensation.
The water is pumped into the shell at the opposite end to that at which
the steam enters, or at any other convenient place, and after traversing
the whole of the surfaces of the inner chambers it passes direct into
the boiler, or into a receptacle.

page_text: The shell A may be covered with felt or some other suitable non-
conducting material, enclosed in lagging in the usual manner to prevent
loss of heat by radiation.
When used as a refrigerator cold water would be passed in the
direction of the blue arrows, the hot liquors to be cooled following the
course of the black arrows, or © vice versa.'
"
"
As a condenser also cold water would be passed either through or
round the chambers B, the steam being passed on the opposite side, as
above described.
For heating air steam would be admitted outside the chambers B,
and the air drawn or blown through the interior. In either case the
apparatus may be vertical, as shown, or it may be horizontal.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention
to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
is,―
1st. An apparatus constructed of a series of flattened chambers B,
of the form shown, enclosed in a shell A with or without plates or
diaphragms c in the chambers and annular circulating plates i between
the chambers, substantially as shown and described, for heating feed
water and other purposes, as specified.
2nd. Making the several chambers B detachable, the one from the
other, and fitting them together, substantially as shown and described,
so that any number may be readily fitted in a shell or casing of suitable
dimensions, whether the shell itself be made in sections or not, as sct
forth.
3rd. Making the shell or casing A, enclosing the series of flattened
chambers B, in ring shaped sections, substantially as and for the purpose
shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Noah Paxman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
JAMES N. PAXMAN. (L.S.)