An Improved Process for the Prevention of Incrustation in Boilers,
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 13th Jan,, 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for the Prevention of Incrustation in Boilers,
I, JACOB GOTTLOB, of No. 29, Aquinenstrasse, Cologne-on-the-Rhine, in the
Empire of Germany, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement: -
The object of this invention is a process for the prevention of incrustation
or the collection of scale in boilers, whereby the scale forming on the boiler
walls is by the employment of electricity removed from such walls and precipi-
tated at the bottom of the boiler in the condition of a muddy deposit.
The process mainly consists in the arrangement upon standards, rising within
the boiler and fitted with insulators, of electrodes connected to the positive pole
of a battery or machine. The electrodes are suspended by wires in such a posi-
tion that the electrodes only are immersed in the water of the boiler. The
negative pole of the battery, whereof the positive pole is situated at the elec-
trodes, joined on to the boiler wall, so that the scale forming on such wall
is by the current from the battery precipitated to the bottom of the boiler in
the condition of a muddy sediment. The positive pole, which must necessarily
be inserted into the boiler in an insulated condition is pressed against the boiler
wall by means of a piece of porcelain surrounded by an outer metal casing and
further by a porcelain plate or disc adapted by its shape to serve the purpose
of an insulator; a perfectly steam-tight joint and reliable insulation being thus
secured.
In the accompanying drawing, the improvement is illustrated as applied to
a boiler of which a longitudinal section is shewn.
a is the boiler wherein the standards e e are secured in position by means of
screws ff. Upon the standards are provided insulators d d between which a
wire his stretched. The arrangement of the insulators is such that the wire
stretched between them does not touch the water. From the wire h, electrodes
such as g, g¹, g², g³, g, g, preferably of zinc, are suspended so as to be immersed
in the water contained in the boiler. The wire his connected with the posi-
tive pole c of a battery k by means of an insulated conductor i. The negative
pole joins the boiler wall. The insulation of the conductor i is effected by
tightly screwing it into a cylindrical body of porcelain 7, enclosed in a metal
case or socket m.
The metal case or socket m is reduced near its lower end, and the portion so
reduced is provided with a screw thread whereby the said socket is screwed into
the boiler wall. Between the lid or cover of the socket and the piece of porce-
lain 7, and also between the bottom part of the socket and the porcelain, asbestos
washers o and p are inserted, so that the lid n serves to completely insulate the
interior of the socket. The piece of porcelain 7 is both at its top and bottom
provided with recesses in which nuts 7 screwed upon the conductor are em-
bedded. The wire i passes through the piece of porcelain 7 and the screw nuts q,
through the medium of the asbestos washers, firmly press the conducting wire

page_text: against the porcelain, thereby forming a steam tight joint. Against the inner
boiler wall an asbestos plate r is placed, which, by means of a porcelain washer
or discs, constructed to act as an insulator, is pressed against the boiler wall,
the arrangement being secured by a nut t screwed on to the conductor i; a
perfect steam tight insulation of the conductor, as at the point where it passes
through the boiler wall, being the result. The porcelain disc s carries a central
projection u which enters the lower aperture of the case or socket m.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is: :-
1. A process for preventing incrustation in steam boilers, the main feature
of such process being that electrical current is sent through the boiler within
which electrodes are arranged in such a position that they dip into the water in
the boiler, and are connected with the positive pole of a battery while the nega-
tive pole of such battery is joined on to the boiler wall, substantially as shewn
and described.
2. One form of the process claimed in the First Claim the main feature of
such process being the arrangement of standards such as e e in the interior of
the boiler such standards being secured in position by means of screws such
as ff, and provided with insulators, such as d d between which there extends
a conductor such as h which is kept out of contact with the water in the boiler
and fitted with electrodes of zinc or the like immersed in the water in the boiler,
such conductor being connected with the positive pole of a battery, while the
negative pole of such battery is joined on to the boiler, substantially as shewn
and described.
3. In connection with the process referred to in the First Claim, one form in
which the positive pole may be connected to the electrodes immersed in the
water through a steam tight and reliably insulating joint the main feature of
the arrangement being a cylindrical piece of porcelain such as 7 surrounded by
a metal case such as m which is reduced and screw-threaded at its lower part
whereby it is adapted to be screwed into an aperture of corresponding size in
the boiler wall while the upper orifice of such case has a cover or lid such as n
screwed down upon it, such cover or lid n being adapted to press washers such
as o, p, against the piece of porcelain 7 so that a steam tight joint is secured in
the interior of the case the piece of porcelain 7 being moreover provided with
central recesses in its top and bottom surfaces to afford room for the screw nuts
which are screwed on to the conductor passing through the piece of porcelain
while in the interior of the boiler the conductor is insulated and made steam-
tight by means of a porcelain insulating washer such as s which is provided with
a cylindrical projection such as u in the centre of its upper surface while its
lower surface is pressed upon by a nut screwed on to the conductor, substan-
tially as shewn and described.