Improvements in Headers or Water Boxes for Connecting Tubes to Steam and Water Drums in Water Tube Steam Boilers
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 27th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Headers or Water Boxes for Connecting Tubes to
Steam and Water Drums in Water Tube Steam Boilers.
I, JOHNSON MILLS of High Green Villa Prestwich in the County of Lancaster
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The improvements which are the subject of this invention relate to the form of
headers or water boxes which are used as a means of supporting and connecting the
series of tubes of which water tube steam boilers are composed, to the upper steam
and water drum, and the object of this invention is to promote free circulation of
steam and water through said tubes.
In this invention I construct a header or water box either of wrought iron, mild
steel or other suitable material, and in the form of an angular, elliptical or circular
hollow case, of which one side is preferably vertical, and the opposite side is at an
angle therewith of 60 degrees more or less, or at right angles to the inclined water tubes
which usually pass through combustion chamber of boiler furnace: the base of the angular
case thus formed I. place upwards, and the narrow part downwards: to the angular
side of this water box or header I connect one or more vertica! series of the several
inclined tubes which form the boiler: I connect the broadest or upper part of said
header to the steam and water drum by means either of horizontal or vertical ferrules
or nipples by the form of header as herein above described, the steam is more freely
separated from the water and the circulation of steam and water through the inclined tubes
is not impeded, inasmuch as the water box or header is wider and of greater capacity
at the part where the water from the upper tubes meets the upward flow of the water
from the lower tubes, and free, circulation is by these means obtained: I form caps
or covers in the herein before described headers in order to allow the nipples and tubes
to be readily examined from end of boiler.
T
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED)
Improvements in Headers or Water Boxes for Connecting Tubes to
Steam and Water Drums in. Water Tube Steam Boilers.
.
"
་
I, JOHNSON MILLS of High Green Villa, Prestwich in the County of Lancaster
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 improvements which are the subject of this invention relate to the form of
headers which in water tube steam boilers are used as a means of supporting and
connecting one of the vertical rows of the series of inclined tubes of which said steam
boilers are composed, with the upper steam and water drum, and are in contra-
distinction to water slabs which in like boilers are employed for connecting two or
more vertical rows of the series of inclined tubes with the upper steam and water
drum: The object of this invention is to promote free circulation of steam and water
through the tubes and headers and their connections with the steam and water drum :
PQ877

page_text: this is obtained by the use of a form of header having a larger internal area at the
upper end, as is hereinafter described, by which more than one nipple to each vertical
row of inclined tubes may be fitted either one over the other or placed zigzag for
the purpose of connecting each of said headers to the water box or pocket which is
attached to steam and water drum the number of nipples used being proportionate
to the number of inclined tubes connected to each header, in lieu of one nipple only
being employed for the like purpose as hitherto.
In this invention I construct a header either of wrought iron, mild steel, or other
suitable metal, and of an angular, elliptical or circular shape, forming a hollow case,
the internal area of which at the broader part, or at the junction of the top inclined
tube therewith, is approximately equal to one combined area of one vertical row of
inclined tubes.
I make these headers of a taper form and place the larger end upwards.
I make this upper end sufficiently long to connect therewith, and to the water box
or pocket which is attached to steam and water drum, two or a greater number of
nipples as may be required, placed in a vertical row, in lieu of only one nipple as
hitherto.
I place one side of lower part of header at right angles to one vertical row of
inclined tubes: I connect the ends of said tubes to aforesaid header either in one
vertical row line or in a zigzag form:
The berein above described header may also in like manner be employed at rear end
of boiler In order more clearly to describe this my invention I have annexed here-
unto two sheets of drawings: in the several views therein shown similar letters refer
to similar parts: Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 10 are side views of various forms of
taper header, varying in capacity, constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is
front view of Fig. 1: Fig. 6 is front view of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is front view of Fig. 7
and Fig. 11 is front view of Fig. 10. In these views is the header, 6 a vertical
or zigzag row of a series of inclined tubes in which the tubes are arranged either
vertically below one another or in a zigzag form as shewn in Fig.8: c the nipples which
in Figs. 1 to 9 are represented as placed horizontally and in Figs. 10 and 11 the
nipples are placed vertically: The side a¹ of header a is represented at right angles to
inclined tubes b: the side a² may be either vertical or at an inclination according
to the capacity required in the upper part as of the header a.
By these means a header is formed which has greater capacity at the upper end
than at the bottom: Fig. 12 is side view and Figs. 13 and 14 are end and side
views respectively of part of steam and water drum with pockets constructed in
accordance with the specification of my patent No. 12545 A.D. 1888 representing
headers as herein above described placed in position so as to support and connect the
vertical rows of the series of inclined tubes and with the upper steam and water
drum by means of two or more nipples which are placed horizontally in a
vertical row: By the form of header as herein above described the steam is more
freely separated from the water and the circulation of steam and water through the
inclined tubes is not impeded, inasmuch as the header is wider and of greater capacity
at the part where the water from the upper tubes meets the upward flow of the
water from the lower tubes, and free circulation is by these means obtained: I form
eaps or covers g in the herein before described headers in order to allow the
nipples and tubes to be readily examined from the outside and at the end of
boiler.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1st. In a water tube steam boiler the use of a taper shaped header which at the
junction, or that part where the top inclined tube is connected therewith has a capacity
equal to, or nearly equal to the combined area of one vertical row of the inclined tubes
forming of the boiler substantially as herein described with reference to the Drawings
annexed.

page_text: 2nd. In a water tube steam boiler the use of a taper shaped header of a construction
substantially as represented on annexed drawings for the purpose of connecting one
its vertical row of inclined water tubes forming-boiler with the water box or pocket
attached to the steam and water drum, by means of two or more nipples for each
vertical row of the series of inclined tubes, said nipples being placed either one over
the other or zigzag substantially in the manner as herein before described.
Dated this 24th day of September 1889
THOMAS PRESCOTT,
Agent for Applicant.