IMPROVEMENTS IN VERTICAL STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1884

page_text: TRUVIDIONAL
DIECI
We, THOMAS STIRLING, and ROBERT STIRLING, both of Govan, in the County of
Lanark, Boilermakers, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VERTICAL STEAM BOILERS," to bo as follows:—
This said Invention has reference to certain improvements in the construction of
vertical steam boilers, specially applicable to the larger class or sizes of such
boilers, for giving greater heating surface, in proportion to the sizo of boiler and
grate surface, and a more perfect circulation of the water, with greater facility
for access and repairs, than in boilers of this class heretofore.
These improvements consist as follows:-In forming,-within the outer ordinary
cylindrical shell of the boiler containing the water with domed top and steam
spaco above, a large cylindrical low set fire-box at the lower part, with narrow
annular water space between this and the outer shell through which three or more
furnace mouths would be formed, fitted with doors at equal distances round the
lower part of the outer shell for feeding in the coal or fuel on to an annular furnaco
of grate bars filling up the lower end of this firo box, closed in on top by an annular
tube plato above the grate, and formed with a large open flanged central water
pot-like chamber or vessel projecting down through the fire chamber and grate
bars, with closo domed end below, fitted with blow-off cock and manhole door
under the grate. In the upper part of this annular fire-box over the grate and
between the furnace doors, a set of six, eight, or moro "Galloway" or other water
circulating tubes are fitted, from the narrow annular water space between the outer
shell and fire-box, and the said central hanging water chamber. A low cylindrical
flame or hot gas receiving chamber is formed within the upper part of the water
space, with a tube plate bolow similar to, and two or three feet above the top or
tube plate of the fire-box. These tube plates, of the fire-box below and flame
chamber above, are joined and socured together through a water space between
them, by an annular close ranged vertical set of parallel tubes, through which the
flaunes pass from the fire-box to this upper chamber and the chimney; which is
jointed to the center of its top domed plate and to that of the outer shell, thus
passing through the steam space at top; the hot gases superheating the stoam in
the steam space above tho water before passing off at top of chimney. Another set
of water circulating Galloway or other tubes are arranged conically, from the
central domed part of the tube plate of the flame box, to its upper domo plato
leading to the annular water space round the superheating part of tho chimney.

page_text: The circumferential plates of the fire-box, and the upper flame chamber, are
strongly bound together by numerous short screw stays, to the outer cylindrical
shell of the boiler, through the narrow annular water space between them. And
the end plates of these heating chambers are strongly stayed together by the
numerous vertical flame tubes passing through the water circulating and heating
space between them, and by the conoidal or angular water circulating and heating
A manhole door would be formed
tubes passing through the upper flame chamber.
and fitted in the upper dome plate of the outer shell of the boiler, and smaller
doors would be fitted lower down in the outer shell opposite each of tho water
circulating tubes passing through the upper part of the fire-box, and at intervals
opposite the vertical tubes, all for convenience of cleaning these tubes, and suitable
sludge doors would be formed and fitted to the lower part of the outer annular
water space and furnace. And by another improvement, an air blast pipe, from
any suitable air blower, would be led down the chimney into an air heating vessel
fitted in the centre of the upper heating or flame chamber, having two or more
pipes led down at equal intervals apart through some of the vertical flame tubes to
a circular or ring pipe in the upper part of the fire-box; this ring pipe being per-
forated with numerous small holes to allow the air heated in this heating vessel
and pipes to be forced out laterally in jets all round the furnace to ignite and
completely burn the gasos and fuel without producing smoke.
The lower part of the annular water space would preferably be closed by a ring
of double flanged or reverse angle iron (Z), riveted to the lower edge of the fire-
box case and the outer shell of boiler below the fire grate to allow of a free
discharge of all deposit by blow-off cocks or sludge doors fitted at this part.
While the ash-pit formed within this annular water space below the furnace grate
might either be closed in for working by forced combustion, and the blowing in of
air from any ordinary suitable blowor; or it might be left open and set on feet or
stools for the free admission of air up through the fire grate and fuel thereon by
natural draught whichever were preferred.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
WO THOMAS STIRLING and ROBERT STIRLING, both of Govan, in the county of
Lanark, Boilermakers, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN VERTICAL STEAM BOILERS," and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This said invention has reference to certain improvements in the construction of
vertical steam boilers, and is especially applicable to the larger class or sizes of such
boilers, the object of the improvements being to provide greater heating surfaco,
and a more perfect circulation of the water with greater facility of access for
repairs than is usual in this class of boilers.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section and Figures 2 and 3.
are horizontal sections on the lines ✗- -X and Y Y, respectively, illustrating
a modification of our improved boiler.
"
"3
---
The improved boiler is formed with an ordinary cylindrical shell A containing
the water, with domed top A¹ and steam space A above, and with a large
cylindrical low-set fire-box B at the lower part, with a narrow annular water
space a between this and the outer shell through which three or four furnace
mouths C are formed, and fitted with doors O, through which the fuel is fed on to
an annular furnace of grate-bara D, filling up the lower end of the fire-box B. The
fire-box B is closed in on top by an annular tube plate E above the grate, and is
formed with a large open flanged central water pot-like chamber or vessel F pro
jecting down through the fire chamber and grate bars with closed domed end
below, and fitted with a blow-off cock and manhole door under the grate. In the
upper part of this annular fire-box B over the grate and between the furnace doors,
a set of six, eight, or more Galloway or other water circulating tubes Gare
fitted, from the narrow annular water space a, between the outer shell and fire box,
and the said central hanging water chamber. A low cylindrical flame chamber or
hot gas receiving chamber B¹ is formed. within the upper part of the water space,
with a tube plate H below similar to, and two or three feet above the top or tube
plate E-of the fire-box B. Those tube plates, of the fire-box below and flame
chamber above, are joined and secured together through a water space a' between
them, by a set of parallel tubes h, through which the flames or hot gases pass from
the fire-box B to this upper chamber B' and the chimney I, which is jointed to the
centre of its top domed plate, and to that of the outer shell A, thus passing through
the steam space at the top; the hot gases serving to superheat the steam in the
steam space above the water before passing off at the top of the chimney. Another
set of water circulating "Galloway" or other tubes J are arranged in an inclined or
conical form from the central domed part of the tube plate H₁ of the flame box, to
its
upper dome A¹ plate leading to the annular water space A³, round the super-
heating part of the chimney. The circumferential plates of the fire-box B, and the
upper flame chamber B², are strongly bound together by numerous short screw
stays to the outer cylinder shell A of the boiler, through the narrow annular water
space a between them; and the end plates E and H of these heating chambers are

page_text: strongly stayed together by the numerous vertical flame tubes h and stay tubes h¹
passing through the water circulating and heating space between them, and by the
conoidal or angular water circulating and heating tubes J passing through the
upper flame chamber B'. A manhole door is formed or fitted in the upper dome
plate of the outer shell of the boiler, and smaller doors are fitted lower down in the
outer shell opposite each of the water circulating tubes for convenience of cleaning
these tubes. Suitable sludge doors are also formed or fitted to the lower part of
the outer and annular water space. An air blast pipe K from any suitable air
blower, is led down the chimney I into an air-heating vessel L fitted in the centre
of the upper heating or flame chamber B¹, having two or more pipes / led down at
equal intervals apart through some of the vertical flame tubes to a circular or ring
pipe M in the upper part of the fire-box B, this ring pipe being perforated with
numerous small holes to allow the air heated within this heating vessel and the
pipes to be forced out laterally in jets all round the furnace to ignite and com-
pletely burn the gases and fuel without producing smoke. The lower part of the
annular water space would preferably be closed by a ring of double flanged or
reverse angle-iron (Z) riveted to the lower edge of the fire-box case and the outer
shell of the boiler below the fire grate, to allow of a free discharge of all deposit by
blow-off cocks or sludge-doors fitted at this part. While the ash-pit formed within
this annular water space below the furnace grate might either be closed-in for
working by forced combustion and the blowing in of air from any suitable blower,
or it might be left open, and set on fect or stools for the free admission of air up
through the fire grate by natural draught.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, wo declare that what we claim is
i. The improved construction of steam boiler herein described, and illustrated.
2. A steam boiler consisting of an outer and an inner shell forming a water
space enclosing a firo-box and flame chamber connected by flame tubes, a central
water pot being provided and connected by radial or inclined water tubes passing
through the fire box to the annular water space, substantially as herein described
and illustrated.
3. The arrangement in a steam boiler of the air pipes and air-heating vessel for
supplying heated air to mingle with the furnace gases, substantially as herein
described and illustrated.