IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER HEATING APPARATUS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Russell, of Dorset Street, in the City of
London, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER
HEATING APPARATUS."
Sealed the 11th April 1871, and dated the 20th October 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Russell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th October 1870.
I, JOSEPH RUSSELL, of Dorset Street, in the City of London, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WATER HEATING APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in the "boilers" or water
heaters of apparatus employed for obtaining a circulation of hot water
for domestic or other purposes, the object of these improvements being
to maintain a constant circulation through the boiler and circulation pipes
of the water to be heated, and thereby ensure the efficient and econo-
mical working of the apparatus. For this purpose I employ a water heater.
or boiler furnished with a number of the so-called "Field tubes" pendent

page_text: in an internal heating or fire chamber, or in a flue, or otherwise, to
receive the action of the heat in the ordinary way. These tubes,
which are double, are attached the outer one to the crown of the fire
chamber or flue as usual, the inner tube according to my Invention
being suspended from a horizontal plate or diaphragm, by which the
water heater is divided into two distinct compartments. The upper
compartment receives the cold water from the source of supply, whence
it passes down through the inner circulating tubes, and up through
the outer tubes to the hot water compartment, the water being heated
in its passage. The inflowing current of cold water is thus kept entirely
separate from the outflowing current of heated water, and in order
to more effectually prevent the cool or descending current of water in
the inner tubes being checked or retarded by the transmission of heat
from the surrounding water in the outer tubes non-conductive of heat,
either by making them of a double thickness of metal, having the
intervening space filled in with a non-conductive substance, such as
sand or charcoal; or I may make said inner-tubes of a non-conductive
material, as also the plate, diaphragm, or partition separating the hot and
cold water compartments. Tubes made of a material non-conductive of
heat may also be attached to the horizontal plate or diaphragm and lead
down the water walls to the lower part of the boiler (when the latter is
provided with an internal fire chamber) to maintain a circulation in the
lower part of the heater; or a vertical partition extending from the plate
or diaphragm to near the bottom of the heater may be employed to
separate the water walls of the heater into two portions communicating
the inner one with the hot, and the outer with the cold water com-
partments. Instead of the cold water compartment with which the
inner circulating tubes communicate forming part of the heater. it
may be detached, or the tube may be carried to one main supply
pipe.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters. Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Russell, Her special licence that
I, the said Joseph. Russell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or"
such others as I, the said Joseph Russell, my 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER HEATING
APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Russell, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, 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 I, the said Joseph Russell, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to,
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the:
following statement, reference being had to the three Sheets of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say) :-
My Invention relates to improvements in the "boilers
39. or water
heaters of apparatus employed for obtaining a circulation of hot water
for domestic or other purposes, the object of these improvements being
to maintain a constant circulation through the boiler and circulation:
pipes of the water to be heated, and thereby ensure the efficient and
economical working of the apparatus. For this purpose I. employ a
water heater or
>.
" boiler furnished with a number of the so-called
"Field tubes" pendent in an internal heating or fire chamber, or in a
flue or otherwise, to receive the action of the heat in the ordinary way..
These tubes, which are double, are attached the outer one to the crown
of the fire chamber or flue as usual, the inner tubes according to my
Invention being suspended from a horizontal plate or diaphragm by which

page_text: the water heater is divided into two distinct compartments. The upper
compartment receives the cold water from the source of supply, whence
it passes down through the inner circulating tubes and up through the
outer tubes to the hot water compartment, the water being heated in its
passage. The in flowing current of cold water is thus kept entirely
separate from the out flowing current of heated water, and in order to
more effectually prevent the cool or descending current of water in the
inner tubes being checked or retarded by the transmission of licat from
the surrounding water in the outer tubes I render such inner tubes com-
paratively non-conductive of heat, either by making them of a double
thickness of metal having the intervening space filled in with a substance
by which heat is not readily transmitted, and which I term a non-
conductive material, such as sand or charcoal, or I make said inner tubes
of a non-conducting material, as also the plate, diaphragm, or partition
separating the hot and cold water compartments. Tubes. made wholly
or partially of a material non-conductive of heat may also be attached
to the horizontal plate or diaphragm, and lead down the water walls to
the lower part of the boiler (when the latter is provided with an internal
fire chamber) to maintain a circulation in the lower part of the heater,
or a vertical partition extending from the plate or diaphragm to near
the bottom of the heater may be employed to separate the water walls
of the heater into two portions, communicating the inner one with
the hot and the outer with the cold water compartments. Instead of
the cold water compartment with which the inner circulating tubes
communicate forming part of the heater it may be detached, or the said
tubes may be carried to one main supply nine.

page_text: Figures 5 and 6 show vertical sections taken at right angles to one
another (on lines 5-6, 7-8, Figures 7 and 8, respectively) of a similar.
apparatus constructed of circular form, as shown in Figure 7, which
is a plan on line 9-10, and Figure 8, also a horizontal section on
line 11-12. Figure 5.
Figures 5 and 6 show vertical sections taken at right angles to one
another (on lines 5-6, 7-8, Figures 7 and 8, respectively) of a similar.
apparatus constructed of circular form, as shown in Figure 7, which
is a plan on line 9-10, and Figure 8, also a horizontal section on
line 11—12, Figure 5.
Figure 9 is a front elevation, Figure 10 a vertical section, and
Figure 11 a horizontal section (on line 13-14, Figure 10,) of a water
heater of simplified construction.
Figure 12 is an elevation and Figure 13 a longitudinal section on an
enlarged scale of an inner tube composed of metal and a non-conductive
material. The same letters of reference indicate similar parts in all
the Figures.
A is the hot water compartment of the apparatus separated from the
upper or cool water compartment by a horizontal division plate C
supported around its edges by angle irons rivetted to the sides of the
boiler, as shown, by which plate the transmission of heat from one
compartment to the other is prevented. These chambers A and B are
distinct, and communicate one with the other only through a number
of double tubes (similar to those known as "Field tubes") pendent in the
fire chamber and flue, and each arranged in the following manner :-
The outer tube D is closed at the lower end and suspended from the
hot water chamber with which it communicates, and is subject to the
action of the fire in the same manner as that of an ordinary "Field"
tube, whilst the inner tube E, which is open throughout, is suspended
by a flange at its upper end from the bottom of the cool water chamber
(if any space intervencs between the two chambers), or from the plate C
which separates them as in the present case.. The column of water
contained in the space between the inner and outer tubes rises when
heated into the hot water compartment A, its place in the tubes being
supplied by water at a lower temperature, which flows down the inner
tubes E from the compartment B. Cold water is supplied to the latter,
and the heated water which is taken from compartment A by pipes F
is returned to compartment B by pipes G, after having passed through
the circulation pipes. By so separating the apparatus into hot and
cold water compartments, arranged and communicating as above
described, the outflowing current of heated water is kept entirely separate

page_text: and distinct from the inflowing current of cooler water, so as to promote
a vigorous circulation of the water through the water heater itself and
also through the circulation pipes.
In order to prevent the circulation being checked by the transmission
of heat from chamber A to B I interpose in the intervening space (if
any) between the top of chamber A and the bottom of B a thickness, of
material non-conductive or a bad conductor of heat, or, if the chambers
A and B are separated by a plate C only (as in Figures 1 and 2), upon
the said plate, and round the hot water pipes F I place a layer G¹ of non-
conductive material of sufficient thickness, the tubes E being carried
up through the said layer as shown. Also to prevent the ascending
current of water in the outer tubes D being cooled, and consequently
retarded by the abstraction of heat by the down flowing current of cooler
water in the inner tubes E, I make the latter as non-conductive of
heat as possible, and for this purpose they are made of two thicknesses
of metal united at the lower end by soldering, as shown in Figure 13,
and with the intervening space filled with a suitable substance that
will not readily absorb heat, which substance may be in the form of a
cement, the two metallic surfaces being afterwards sealed or soldered
together at the upper end to prevent the wear of the filling by the water..
The material I use and find best suited for this purpose is what is
known as Ransome's silicious stone, or sand, charcoal, or plaster of
Paris will answer the purpose. The layer G' which covers the partition
plate C separating the two chambers A and B may also be composed
of the material known as silicious stone, or if said plate C is made double
with an intervening space, as before mentioned, asphalte, felt, sand, or
plaster of Paris may be used for filling the same. H is the fire-place
supplied with fuel through an opening I closed by a door; K is a
combustion chamber in which the double circulating tubes are pendent
as shown, and L is the flue for carrying off the products of combustion..
The sides M, M, of the heater may (if the apparatus has an internal
fire chamber) also be made double with a water space N between them
forming part of the hot water compartment in which I suspend
tubes E¹ from the cool or return water compartment B, precisely similar
to tubes E above described, to ensure a circulation of the water at the
lower part of the apparatus by supplying a descending current from
the chamber B to replace the ascending current of heated water in the
space N.

page_text: In the arrangement shown in Figures 3 and 4 an opening O is made
through both compartments above the fire for supplying fuel through
the top instead of through a door at the end, the particular features of
my Invention being the same as before described, although the general
arrangement of the apparatus is slightly modified.
-
In the apparatus shown in Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 the tubes E¹ are
replaced by a vertical partition P, which is a continuation of plate C and
divides the water walls of the apparatus into an inner and an outer
compartment A and B¹, communicating respectively with the hot and
cool water chambers. In this case the plate C does not extend to the
exterior wall of the boiler but terminates at the partition P by which it is
supported. Openings are made at the bottom of the partition P to allow
the flow of the current of water from space B' to A'. R and S are the

page_text: 3rdly. Making the tubes E and E¹ substantially as shown and
described in reference to Figures 12 and 13, for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Russell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.