AN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE FLUES OF BOILERS AND BOILER SEATINGS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Bates, Manager, and John Taylor, Engineer,
both of Dukinfield, in the County of Chester, for the Invention of
"AN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE FLUES OF BOILERS AND BOILER
SEATINGS."
Sealed the 25th September 1868, and dated the 27th March 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Bates and John
Taylor at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their.
Petition, on the 27th March 1868.
We, ISAAC BATES, Manager, and JOHN TAYLOR, Engineer, both of
Dukinfield, in the County of Chester, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE FLUES OF BOILERS
AND BOILER SEATINGS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists of an apparatus which is principally intended
for cleaning out the internal tubes or flues of steam boilers, but it may
be applied to the side flues formed by the seatings of boilers.
The apparatus consists of one or more scrapers, which are hinged to a
rod jointed together in certain lengths to facilitate the drawing of the.

page_text: same out of the flue. The bridge of the fire-grate is provided with a
swing door to allow the scrapers and rod to be passed into the flue and
drawn out of it. When the flue wants cleaning the rod is moved to and
fro by hand or other power, and the scrapers acting on the bottom of
the flue loosen the soot and cinders and bring them towards the bridge,
when the apparatus is drawn forward; but when it is pushed back the
scrapers (being hinged to the rod as above described) pass over the soot
and cinders. When the apparatus is drawn out of the flue it brings with
it all the soot and cinders. By this apparatus the flues can be cleaned
without stopping the boiler, whereas when the flues are cleaned by hand,
as now necessary, the boiler must be stopped and allowed to cool before
they can be cleaned, consequently the flues can be kept free from soot
and cinders which are now frequently allowed to accumulate to a
considerable depth, and which prevent the proper absorption of heat in
the flues.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Isaac Bates and John Taylor in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 26th September 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ISAAC
BATES, Manager, and JOHN TAYLOR, Engineer, both of Dukinfield, in the
County of Chester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-cight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Isaac Bates and John Taylor, Her
special licence that we, the said Isaac Bates and John Taylor,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said Isaac Bates and John Taylor, 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 Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN APPARATUS FOR CLEARING THE FLUES OF
BOILERS AND BOLLER SEATINGS," upon the condition (amongst others) that

page_text: we, the said Isaac Bates and John Taylor, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said Isaac Bates and John Taylor, 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:-
This Invention consists of an apparatus which is designed principally
for cleaning out the internal iron and other flues of steam boilers and
the flues of steam-boiler seatings, but which may also be used for other
similar purposes.
The apparatus consists of one or more framed and hinged scrapers
made and fitted with a rod or rods in sectional lengths, and jointed
together for working the apparatus forwards and backwards. This
division and jointing of the rods is intended to facilitate the introduction
and withdrawing of the apparatus to and from the flues where the space
in front of the boilers is confined.
Hitherto it has been the custom to wall up or permanently close the
flue space below the bridge of the fire-grate, so that the bottom of that
portion of the internal and other boiler flues beyond the bridge is
inaccessible from the front or difficult of access therefrom.
Now in place of this wall or closing media which we propose to
remove, we provide and fit in its place a cast-iron frame for supporting
the fire-bridge or lump (which consists of one solid brick so that it can
be lifted off when required for giving access to the flue beyond it for
repairs) and fit the open part of the frame with a door for closing the
said opening therein. This door may be made to fix to the frame and
be removeable therefrom bodily, or it may be suspended therefrom or
hinged thereto, to rise and fall or swing sideways and allow the
apparatus to pass and repass when in use.
The accompanying Drawing is intended to illustrate the form and
mode of working the apparatus, and also shews the form and mode of
fitting the frame and door under the bridge.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 a transverse section of an
ordinary double-flued boiler. a is the frame fitted under the bridge,
with an opening therein, as shewn at a¹ (Fig. 1) without the door, and
closed, as shewn at a² (Fig. 1) with the door; b, the closing door; c, the
flue. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of one of the flues shewing the apparatus
advancing as at d, and working against a mass of deposit, and as working
backwards and drawing the deposit with it as at e. The scraper being
hinged rises and passes over the deposit when forced against it and into
the flue, and falls and draws the deposit with it when worked in the
opposite direction or out of the fluc. Fig. 4 is an end view or elevation
of the apparatus. f (see also Figs. 1 & 2) is the frame to which the
scraper is hinged; g, the scraper; h, the jointed rod for working it.
Figs. 4 and 5 are enlargements shewing the form of joint for quickly
coupling and uncoupling the sectional lengths of the rod to and from
each other, i being the fore end or small coupling, and j the after end
or female coupling. To couple or uncouple the after length is raised, as
shewn by dotted lines at Fig. 5, when the male will enter the slot in the
female, and when lowered into a horizontal position will be locked
therein, so that they cannot come asunder in the flue until withdrawn
therefrom sufficiently to allow the male to be again raised to the inclined
position, when it may be readily separated from the female, and so on
with each length until the rod or shaft of the apparatus is lengthened
or shortened as required. Figs. 6 and 7 are enlargements shewing a
vertical section and plan view of a closing door for the space under
the bridge of the fire-bars. In this case the bridge which carries the
fire-lump k is supposed to be a fixture, and the door made to fit the
opening underneath and be placed in position and removed therefrom
bodily by means of the rod 1, which is made of sufficient length for
that purpose.
m is a notched bracket in front of the door bolted
thereto and curved underneath to cause it to pass freely over the boiler-
plate seams and rivets. The end of the rod is formed with a slot
or eye, so that as it is placed upon and caused to slide up the bracket m
the eye will fall into the notch m¹ and lock itself therein. n is
another bracket rivetted or bolted to the back of the door, and also
curved at the bottom to enable it to rise or slide over the rivet heads
as it is pushed forward by the rod.
Without restricting ourselves to the particular forms of the apparatus,

page_text: that what we desire to secure by the before-mentioned in part recited
Letters Patent and claim as our Invention is,―
First. The improved scraper apparatus for scraping the iron and other
internal flues of Cornish or other boilers, or clearing the same of soot,
cinder, and other deposit.
Secondly. The use and application of the said apparatus as a tem-
porary or permanent fitting to boilers for keeping clean and free
from deposit their internal flues and flue seatings, economising the
consumption of fuel, rendering the combustion more perfect, and thus
diminishing the quantity of unconsumed smoke.
And, thirdly. The provision of the frame and moveable door under the
bridge for facilitating the cleaning out of the internal flues of boilers
and other similar purposes.
In witness whereof, we, the said Isaac Bates and John Taylor,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-third day
of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-eight.
ISAAC BATES. (L.S.)
JOHN TAYLOR. (L.S.)