AN IMPROVED BOILER
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Smith and Thomas Phillips, of
Snow Hill, in the County of Middlesex, Gas Engineers, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED BOILER."
Sealed the 3rd November 1853, and dated the 5th August 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Smith and
Thomas Phillips at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 5th August 1853.
We, WILLIAM SMITH and THOMAS PHILLIPS, of Snow Hill, in the
County of Middlesex, Gas Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED BOILER" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a mode of constructing what are com-
monly called circulating boilers for heating bodies of water for baths
and other vessels, and consists of a number of concentric cylinders
forming inner and outer casings, in which a very thin body of water is
constantly exposed to the action of heat; in the interior of the whole
there is a chamber, which is closed at the top and bottom, so that no
water can get therein; a casing round this chamber forms the inner
part of the boiler, between which and the outer part thereof an opening
is left all round and over the top for the circulation of the heat; the

page_text: outer casing is formed in a similar manner to the inner one, except
that the bottom is left open, there also being an aperture in the top
through which the heat passes; the inner and outer casings are
connected together by means of tubes. The heat is applied at the
bottom, and first comes in contact with the lower surface of the inner
part of the boiler, under which it passes, and thence up the space
between the outside of the inner case and the inside of the outer
case, and through tho aperture in the top of the latter before men-
tioned. Immediately over the aperture last mentioned there is a
second boiler, with the bottom of which the heat comes in contact;
in the interior of this second or upper boiler there is a heat chamber
or linen warmer fitted with a close cover at the top; between the top
of the circulating and the bottom of the second or upper boiler a
small space only is left, so that while the heat passes under the
latter it is still in contact with the top of the former, no heat being
allowed to escape till it reaches the greatest altitude of the boilers,
when the waste, if any, may be conducted into a flue or otherwise.
The circulating boiler should be placed on a level with the bath or
other vessel, and the filling of both will be simultaneous. The second
or. upper boiler (which contains the heat chamber) is filled at the top;
an aperture in the side regulates the quantity of water it is to be
supplied with. The heat chamber is so fitted that the heat above the
surface of the water circulates round it. The whole is enclosed in an
iron case
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Smith and Thomas Phillips in the
Great Seal Patent Office, on the 4th February 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
WILLIAM SMITH and THOMAS PHILLIPS, of Snow Hill, in the County
of Middlesex, Gas Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-

page_text: teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said William Smith and Thomas Phillips, Her
'special licence that we, the said William Smith and Thomas Phillips,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said William Smith and Thomas Phillips, our 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 Kinglom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED BOILER," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Smith and
Thomas Phillips, by an instrument in writing under our 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 we, the said William Smith & Thomas
Phillips, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 in and by the
Drawings accompanying this Specification, together with explanation
thereof herein cóntained, that is to say:
. Our Invention consists of an improved boiler for heating bodies of
water in pipes, baths, and other vessels. These boilers are commonly
called circulating boilers. Our improved boilers consists of a number
of concentric hollow cylinders, in which a very thin body of water is
constantly exposed to the action of the heat. In the interior of our
improved boiler we form a vacuum or air chamber, which consists of a
cylinder of copper or other metal closed at both top and bottom, and
made air and water tight, and is so placed that- no water can enter
therein; round this chamber an outer cylindrical case is formed,
which is also provided with a top and bottom so as to enclose the
chamber above mentioned, leaving a small space at the top, bottom,
and sides for the water, and thus forming a hollow cylinder with a

page_text: hollow head and bottom, which comprises the inner portion of the
boiler round this hollow cylinder or inner boiler there is another
hollow cylinder, which is similarly constructed, except that an aperture
is left at the head, while the bottom is left open. This outer cylinder
or boiler incloses the first or inner one, leaving a space all round and
over the top for the purpose hereafter mentioned. The inner and outer
cylinders or boilers are connected by short tubes, through which the
water flows from one to the other. Immediately over the aperture in
the top of the outer cylinder or boiler there is a flat circular hollow
head, which is also connected with the cylinder below with tubes, as
before described, and through which the water flows to or from the
cylinders. The whole are inclosed in an iron case, and immediately
above the boiler head last described a cast iron plate is fitted so as to
confine the heat upon the boilers. In this cast iron plate there is an
aperture in the centre through which the products of combustion are
conducted to the bottom of a second or upper boiler, which is of a
circular form, with a flat bottom. An opening is left between the sides
of this boiler and the outer iron case. In the interior of this boiler
there is also a hollow chamber, which is fitted into the boiler and
renders it steam-tight. This chamber is open at the top, and is closed
with a loose cover, and is heated by the steam from the water in the
boiler circulating all round it; this chamber we denominate the heat
chamber or linen warmer. The gas burners or other heating medium
is applied at the bottom of the cylindrical part of the inner boiler, and
after coming in contact with the bottom of the inner cylinder or boiler
passes under the same, and thence up the space which is left all round
between the inner and outer cylinders or boilers till it comes in contact
with the underside of the head of the outer cylinder or boiler, under
which it returns over the head of the inner cylinder or boiler to the
aperture in the head of the outer boiler, through which it passes, and
comes in contact with the underside of the flat circular boiler head
before mentioned, under which it passes to the sides thereof, and thence
being confined by the cast iron plate before mentioned passes over the
top also of the flat boiler head till it arrives at the aperture in the sd
plate, through which is passes, when it comes in contact with the bottom

page_text: of the upper boiler, and thence passes up between the iron case and the
sides thereof till it reaches the highest altitude at the top, where the
waste heat (if any) is either carried off through a pipe into a flue, or
ventilates through a number of apertures provided for that purpose
under the cornice.
The mode of constructing the said improved boiler is shown upon
the accompanying Drawings, to which the following explanation
applies:
waste heat (if any) is either carried off through a pipe into a flue, or
ventilates through a number of apertures provided for that purpose
under the cornice.
The mode of constructing the said improved boiler is shown upon
the accompanying Drawings, to which the following explanation
applies:
EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The Drawings accompanying this Specification are laid down to a
scale of
Fig. 1, the elevation of the improved boiler, and shows the mode
of applying the same to a bath or other vessel.
Fig. 2, is a general plan of the same.
Fig. 3, is a transverse section through the centre of the boiler, &c.
on the line L, M, Fig. 2..
Fig. 4, is a sectional plan at A, B, Fig. 3.
Fig. 5, is a sectional plan at C, D,
Fig. 6, is a sectional plan at E, F,
Fig. 7, is a sectional plan at G, H,
"
"
"
Fig. 8, is a plan of the gas burner at I, K, Fig. 3.
For convenience of reference the same parts of the apparatus
are lettered with similar letters in each illustrations, the various parts
being shown in different positions for the better explanation of their
form and use. It will therefore be understood that one explanation
applies to the whole. N, is the vacuum or air chamber. O, O, the
inner hollow cylinder, of which O', is the bottom, and O", the head.
P, P, is the outer cylinder, of which P', is the head. G, is the aperture
in the head. G', is the flat hollow circular upper head. R, R, R, are
the short tubes by which the whole are connected together. S, is the cast
iron plate with the aperture in the centre S'. T, is the upper boiler.
U, is the heat chamber or linen warmer. V, is the loose cover to do.
W, is a funnel-headed pipe for supplying the upper boiler with water,
the requisite quantity being regulated by the waste pipe X, through

page_text: which the waste water flows into the bath. Y, is the iron case in
which the boilers and heat chambers are inclosed. Z; are. the gas
burners by which the boilers are heated. a, is the pipe which supplies
b, the tap for turning off the gas. c, the door with which the burners
draw out for the purpose of being lighted, and hinges at the point d.
The boiler is placed on a level with the bath or other vessel; and the
filling of both will be simultaneous. It is necessary in using the
boilers to, 1stly, fill the upper boiler to the required height, that is, till:
the waste flows out through the waste pipe X.
When the bath and circulating boiler is supplied with water to the
proper level, and the burners are ignited, as the temperature of the
water is raised it will flow through through the pipe e, from the boiler
to the bath, and through the pipe f, from the bath to the boiler, until
the whole is heated to one temperature. The water is shown coloured
blue. The space through which the products of combustion pass from
the burners to the top of the iron case, red; and the direction of the
current or circulation is shown by the arrows..
We have now, to the best of our ability, described and ascertained
the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, but we do not confine ourselves to the precise form and
dimensions shown upon the Drawings, as the same may be modified; we
therefore claim the boiler and linen warmer as herein described, and
all such modifications thereof as may be, so long as the principle of
our said Invention is maintained.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Smith and Thomas
Phillips, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourth
day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and fifty four
WILLIAM (L.S.) SMITH.
THOMAS (L.B.) PHILLIPS.
WILLIAM (L.s.) SMITH.
THOMAS (L.B.) PHILLIPS.