IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUB FOR THE PREVENTION OF INJURY TO, AND THE SUDDEN BURSTING OF, STEAM BOILERS."
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Parsons, Mechanical Engineer and Machine
Manufacturer, conducting business at No. 50, High Street, Lambeth, in
the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUB
FOR THE PREVENTION OF INJURY TO, AND THE SUDDEN BURSTING OF, STEAM
BOILERS."
Manufacturer, conducting business at No. 50, High Street, Lambeth, in
the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR THE PREVENTION OF INJURY TO, AND THE SUDDEN BURSTING OF, STEAM
BOILERS."
Sealed the 7th January 1859, and dated the 9th July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Parsons at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
July 1858.
I, GEORGE PARSONS, Mechanical Engineer and Machine Manufacturer,
conducting business at No. 50, High Street, Lambeth, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF INJURY TO, AND THE SUDDEN BURSTING
OP, STEAM BOILERS," to be as follows:-
A regulator, having the effect of alarming the attendant or workman
generally, is fitted, screwed into, bolted on to, or applied (either in connection.
with or in the vicinity of the ordinary pump valves of the regular boiler feed),
the action of the appliance being as follows, viz. :-A cylinder (proportionate
in size to the dimensions of the boiler or steam vessel, as the case may be,) is
fixed or fitted, so that if, by any cause, the pump ceases to act, a spring

page_text: attached to the end of said cylinder (aided by the steam pressure) forces back
a piston bored or perforated with ports or other communications therein
which admit air to or exhaust the pump chamber thereby, and consequently
causing the immediate resumption of its duties. There are 2 openings in the
cylinder described; the one farthest from the pump being acted upon by the
steam and spring conjointly upon travelling beyond the first, allows or admits
the emission of steam therefrom, and sounds a whistle, giving notice and
alarm generally to all persons in the vicinity (consequently becoming an
indicator or tell-tale, warning and compelling the attendant fireman, stoker,
or other person to ascertain the cause of the pump ceasing to act); the other
orifice, while the piston is in the described position, admitting air to or
exhausting the pump chamber, thereby giving immediate action and main-
taining a constant feed, so long as there is water in the supply tank, reservoir,
or other vessel. In the event of inattention, accident, or other cause, and the
feeding action of the pump ceasing, injury to the tube or other plates and
explosion is prevented by making a swelling cup basin hemispherical, or other
shaped projection, or boss above an opening, or perforation cut or made in the
surface of the tube, fire box, or water space, subjected more particularly to the
action of the incandescent fuel in the furnace and products of combustion
therefrom. Therefore a conical or other shaped fusible metal plug attached
to a rod connected with a piston working in a cylinder on the boiler surface is
introduced, which, by receiving the full firing action ere the tubular or other
surface is heated, allows the piston to fall, the fire consequently is damped,
and the steam escapes, the result being that no injury to the boiler or setting,
or any loss of life or property can accrue, but simply a cessation of business
during the period that ensues ere a fresh piston can be inserted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Parsons in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th January 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
PARSONS, of 50, High Street, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Mechanical
Engineer and Machine Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give, and grant unto me, the said

page_text: George Parsons, Her special licence that I, the said George Parsons, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Parsons, 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
APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF INJURY TO, AND THE SUDDEN BURSTING OF,
STEAM BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Parsons, 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 George Parsons, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention is intended to prevent injury to, and the explosion of, steam
boilers, first, by insuring notice of any interruption in the supply of water from
the feed pump; and, secondly, by preventing injury should the water fall
sufficiently low as to expose the boiler plates to the action of the fire, and also
by the escape of steam from the boiler when above a given fixed pressure.
For these purposes I connect with the feed pipe, from a force pump of the
engine, a cylinder, in which works a piston; this cylinder is fitted with a
whistle, and has an opening communicating with a pipe descending into the
boiler; a steam pipe from the engine is also connected with the cylinder at
the back of the piston. The action is as follows:-When the feed pump is in
action, the water therefrom will force back the piston in the cylinder, so as to
cover the whistle and allow the water to pass into the boiler; but should by
accident the feed pump fail to supply water, then the piston will be forced
forward in the cylinder by the pressure of steam from the engine, so as to
uncover the whistle and sound the same, to give notice that the supply has
ceased.
To prevent explosion from the water falling so low as to expose the boiler
plates to the action of the fire, and also to secure the escape of steam when
above any desired pressure in the boiler, I place on that part of the boiler
which is most exposed to the action of the fire, a rising surface or cone,

page_text: through which passes the end of a rod, secured and held in its position, by a
fusible metal plug. On the other end of the rod is placed a loose piston or
valve, weighted down to any required pressure by means of a spring, and
placed in a cylindrical cover (on the outside of the boiler) in which it works.
The cylinder is made in two parts bolted together, and a padlock is fastened
through one of the bolts to prevent the removal of the cover or access to the
spring after it is adjusted to the pressure desired. The pressure on the spring
is regulated by a set screw on the end of the rod.
By this arrangement the steam is allowed to blow off at a given pressure
by the lifting of the piston or valve, and should the water fall so low as to
expose the boiler plates to the action of the fire; the metal plug, which is
fusible at a low degree of temperature, will melt and liberate the rod and.
piston or valve, and allow the steam in the boiler to escape.
In order to explain my said Invention more fully, I now proceed to describe
the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the feed apparatus attached to a boiler.
(a) is the cylinder connected with the feed pipe (b), from the force pump of
engine (c) is the piston; (d), the whistle; (e), the steam pipe from engine;
(f), pipe to supply boiler, fitted with a valve (9), to prevent back pressure;
when the pump ceases to supply water, the piston (c) is forced forward by the
steam from the engine, so as to uncover the whistle (d) and sound the same.
Figure 2 shows the above apparatus in longitudinal section slightly varied.
(h) is the feed pipe; (i), the cylinder; (k, k,) is a double piston; (1) the
whistle; (m), a rod passing through the piston and also the end of cylinder,
and is connected with a rod (n) which works the pit-cock of the force-pump,
so as to relieve the latter of atmospheric pressure; (o) is the steam pipe from
engine; and (p) the supply pipe.
Figure 3 shows another arrangement in longitudinal section placed within
the boiler. (2) is the feed pipe; (7), the cylinder; (s), the piston; (t), a rod
connected to one end of the lever (u), which is supported by a pillar (v).
The other end of this lever opens the cock (w) communicating with the
whistle (a) placed on the outside of the boiler; (y) is the steam pipe from
engine.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of my apparatus for preventing explosion,
and securing the escape of steam when above a given pressure, as applied to a
dish-end boiler; and Figure 5 is a transverse section of the same, taken
through the line A, B, on Figure 4; (a') is the cone or rising surface; (b) is

page_text: a fusible metal plug, securing one end of the rod (c). The other end of this
rod is held by the crank (d¹), connected to which is the vertical rod (e¹), on
which works the piston (f), weighted down by the spring (9¹) to the desired
pressure; (¹) is a cylindrical cover, in which the piston works, made in two
parts bolted together, and having a lock (¹) to prevent access to the spring;
(,) are holes, allowing the steam to escape as the piston (f¹) is raised by
the pressure.
Figure 6 shows in longitudinal section the above apparatus placed on a
cornish boiler, (¹) is the cone placed over the flame bridge; (7), the fusible
metal plug; (m), the rod; (¹), the piston; (0¹), the spring; (p', p',) holes
to emit steam; and (9') is the set screw.
Figure 7 shows a valve (¹) used in place of the piston before mentioned;
and (s) is an outlet for the steam.
Having now described the nature and object of my Invention, and the
marner of carrying the same into practical effect, I hereby declare that what
I claim is,-
First, the apparatus in connection with the boiler feed, as herein described.
And, secondly, the combined apparatus to prevent injury from a defi-
ciency of water, and also to secure an escape of steam when above the desired
pressure, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Parsons, have hereunto set
hand and seal, this Fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
my
GEORGE PARSONS. (L.B.)