IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS PROVISIONAL
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Howard Line of 117 Palmerston Buildings Old Broad
Street in the City of London Civil Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Howard Lane at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th May 1883.
HOWARD LANE, of 117 Palmerston Buildings, Old Broad Street, in the City
of London, Civil Engineer, IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM
BOILERS
"
The object of my said Invention is to effect improvements in the construction of
Steam Boilers, such Improvements relating to "sectional steam boilers, such as
that known as Roots Boiler.
In these boilers the heating surface consists of inclined tubes, which contain
water only, or water and steam, the ends thereof being fitted with means and
arrangements for the circulation of the water and passage of the steam.
Many practical difficulties have arisen in connecting the tubes of such boilers,
owing chiefly to unequal expansion and contraction causing leaks, thus entailing
much delay and expense in their use. The circulation of the water in these boilers
is also very imperfect.
These difficulties and effects are overcome entirely in my improved boiler by so
arranging the tubes that each tube is free to expand independently, and the
expansion of each and all the tubes may vary indefinitely, without causing leaks.
The inclined tubes are entirely closed at one end, the other end being fitted to,
and opening into, a vertical, or nearly vertical receiving tube; this receiving tube
is either circular or elliptical, or of other convenient form, and has a division plate
or diaphragm in a longitudinal direction, dividing the same into two parts. A
number of these receiving tubes are arranged side by side, and a number of
inclined tubes are fitted to each of the receiving tubes according to the respective
diameters and lengths of the tubes. The diaphragm in each receiving tube is
fitted with as many inner circulating tubes as there are outer inclined water tubes.

page_text: Each circulating tube traverses an inclined water tube, nearly its entire length.
Opposite the end of each inner tube there is a plugged opening in the receiving.
tube, each plug being removable for the purpose of fitting, renewing, or cleansing
the inclined and circulating tubes.
The upper ends of the series of receiving tubes are connected with a general
receiver, which forms a reservoir of water, and a steam chest.
The usual fittings are added, such as feed pipes, water and steam gauges, blow
off cocks, safety valves, &
The entire boiler is set in brickwork, or other suitable casing, and a furnace or
furnaces is or are fitted below the inclined tubes, with suitable bafflers for usefully
directing the currents of heated gases on their passage to the flues.
The steam chest and general receiver is so arranged that whatever deposit arises
from the water is retained therein, and prevented from taking place in the inclined
tubes, and the water flows therefrom to the several receiving tubes, from whence
it gains access to the inclined tubes by means of the inner circulating tubes, from
the farther ends of which the water enters the inclined tubes: Part of the water
is then formed into steam, and the steam and heated water travel together to the
receiving tubes, and thence to the general receiver, where the steam separates
from the water and collects in the steam chest, the water again returning as before,
to the inclined tubes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Howard Lane in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th November
1883.
HOWARD LANE of 117 Palmerston Buildings Old Broad Street in the City
of London Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM
BOILERS"
The object of my said Invention is to effect improvements in the construction of
Steam Boilers, such improvements relating to "Sectional Steam Boilers" such as
that known as Roots Boiler.
In these Boilers the heating surface consists of inclined tubes, which contain
water only, or water and steam, the ends thereof being fitted with means and
arrangements for the circulation of the water and passage of the steam.
Many practical difficulties have arisen in connecting the tubes of such boilers,
owing chiefly to unequal expansion and contraction causing leaks, thus entailing
much delay and expense in their use. The circulation of the water in these boilers
is also very imperfect.
These difficulties and effects are overcome entirely in my improved boiler, by so...
arranging the tubes that each tube is free to expand independently and the
expansion of each and all the tubes may vary indefinitely, without causing leaks.
The inclined tubes are entirely closed at one end, the other end being fitted to,
and opening into, a vertical or nearly vertical receiving tube; this receiving tube
is either circular or illiptical, or of other convenient form, and has a division plate.
or diaphragm in a longitudinal direction, dividing the same into two parts. A
number of these receiving tubes are arranged side by side, and a number of
inclined tubes are fitted to each of the receiving tubes according to the respective
diameters and lengths of the tubes. The diaphragm in each receiving tube is
fitted with as many inner circulating tubes as there are outer inclined water tubes
Each circulating tube traverses an inclined water tube, nearly its entire length.
Opposite the end of each inner tube there is a plugged opening in the receiving
tube, each plug being removable for the purpose of fitting, renewing, or cleansing
the inclined and circulating tubes.
The upper ends of the series of receiving tubes are connected with a general
receiver, which forms a reservoir of water and a steam chest
The usual fittings are added, such as feed pipes, water and steam gauges, blow
off cocks, safety valves, &.
The entire boiler is set in brickwork, or other suitable casing, and a furnace or
furnaces is or are fitted below the inclined tubes, with suitable bafflers for usefully
directing the currents of heated gases on their passage to the flues.
The steam chest and general receiver is so arranged that whatever deposit arises.
from the water is retained therein and prevented from taking place in the inclined
tubes and the water flows therefrom to the several receiving tubes, from whence
it gains access to the inclined tubes by means of the inner circulating tubes, from
the farther ends of which the water enters the inclined tubes: Part of the water}
is then formed into steam, and the steam and heated water travel together to the
receiving tubes, and thence to the general receiver, where the steam separates, from
the water and collects in the steam chest, the water again returning as. before to.
the inclined tubes.

page_text: And in order that my said invention, may be clearly understood reference is
hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in both figures.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved boiler. a is the furnace b is the
first baffler formed of fire brick or fireclay, or other refractory materials. 6¹ is a
second baffler of similar materials to the first. c c are the outer steam generating
tubes, closed at the ends c¹ by removable plugs. dd are the inner circulating
tubes, which supply the tubes c. c with water.
The tubes c. c are fitted into bosses c² formed in the receiving tube e These
ends of the tubes c. c are open to the tube e and packed to form a steam tight joint
as shewn in Fig. 1.
.
.
The receiving tubes e have a vertical diaphragm e' extending from side to side
and from end to end. This diaphragm has as many openings as there are
generating tubes.
The front of the receiving tube has also as many openings as there are generating
tubes fitted thereto.
The inner tubes d d are fitted into flanges f. f. which also have distance
pieces f¹.
Covers g. g are fitted to the front openings as shewn which have central
screws g¹ to press inwards the distance pieces fl.
A general receiver h is placed above the vertical receiving tubes where the
steam accumulates and from whence it is withdrawn as required.
The end wall k k is preferably built up of iron castings, made to fit and support
the tubes.
The putting together of the boiler is effected by first passing the tubes c. c
through the openings g g resting the closed end on and in the wall and the other
(open) end resting in the boss or stuffing box c². The flanges f. f with the distance
pieces f¹ and inner tubes d are then inserted and fitted into the diaphragm e' as
shewn. The covers g. g being then placed in position and screwed up the central
screw is used to compress the packing in c², similar packing being placed under the
flange of the covers g g.
Fig. 2 is a front view shewing the form of these covers.
The upper end of the receiving tube is suitably attached to the steam chest,
having an uptake pipe o for steam and any water which may be carried therewith,
and a down-take tube n for conveying the surplus water downwards. Slots
are formed in o and n to let the water pass when it is below the level of the
top of n.
It will be seen that all the steam necessarily rises to the space e and therefrom
by the pipe o to the steam chest. Also that the water in the steam chest descends
by the pipe n into the space m and thence by means of the inner circulating
tubes d to the ends of the generating tubes c at or near c¹.
A diaphragm p is fitted in the steam chest to assist in separating the steam
from the water, such diaphragm having a few holes in the upper portion to
preserve the equilibrium of pressure and the normal water level.
"
In constructing the several parts of my improved boilers more or less of wrought
iron the tubes are screwed into sockets and I use screwed plugs instead of the
covers g, the stuffing boxes shewn in the drawings being dispensed with and the
receiving tube e being built up of as many separate parts as may be necessary.
Having thus particularly described the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
1. In sectional boilers of the coustruction shewn the use of the diaphragm e¹ for
the purposes substantially as described and shewn in Fig 1. of the drawings.
2 The arrangement of the inner circulating tubes d opening into the space m
for the purposes substantially as described and shewn in the drawings.
3 The arrangement of the outer tubes c opening into the space e for the purposes
substantially as described and shewn in the drawings.

page_text: 4 The general combination and arrangement of the sets of tubes opening into
the respective spaces for the purposes described and shewn in the drawings or any
mere modification thereof. In witness whereof I the said Howard Lane have
hereunto set my hand and seal this ninth day of November in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
1
HOWARD LANE