CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINE BOILERS OR STEAM GENERATORS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE EVAPORATION OF OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1826

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
POOLE, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Shopkeeper, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth
did, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of His United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fourth day of
July now last past, give and grant unto me, the said John Poole, my exors,
adñiors, and assigns, His Majesty's special licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said John Poole, my exors, adñiors, and assigns,
by myself and themselves, or by my and their deputy or deputies, servants
or agents, or such others as I, the said John Poole, my exors, admors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM ENGINE BOILERS OR STEAM GENERATORS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE
EVAPORATION OF OTHER FLUIDS," within that part of His Majesty's United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, His Dominion of
Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all His Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the said
licence, powers, privileges, and advantages, unto me, the said John Poole,
my exors, adñiors, and assigns, for and during and unto the full end and
term of fourteen years from the date of the said Letters Patent; in which

page_text: said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that if I, the said John Poole,
should not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the sail Letters Patent, that then
the same Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby
granted, should utterly cease, determine, and become void, as by the said
Letters Patent, reference being thereunto had, will more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso contained in
the said Letters Patent, I, the said John Poole, do hereby describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention in manner following (that is to
say)
My Invention or improvements consist in constructing, in the manner
herein-after mentioned and described, the interior of a steam engine boiler
(whether it be of a round, square, oblong, or other convenient form) so
that steam shall be generated at several surfaces of water by means of
certain divisions placed one above another for containing separate portions
of water, each of which is to generate steam from its surface, with sufficient
room over each surface to admit of the generation of steam in manner
herein-after stated, the top of one division forming part of the bottom for
that next above, and having communication with each other and also with
the boiler by means of manholes or apertures from the centre of the top of
cach, by which means a much greater quantity of steam is obtained than
from a boiler of the same diameter made upon the old construction. The
accompanying Figures No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4, to which for greater
distinctness I refer, shew the interior construction in different instances.
The following description is given for a round or circular boiler, but the
same mode of constructing the internal divisions may be applied to boilers
of any other shape or dimensions, and the divisions may be one or more,
according to the size of the boiler or other circumstances; but I have
selected one instance in which to give a detailed statement of the mode of
construction, from which the method of proceeding in any other case will
clearly appear. To a steam engine boiler (H, H, H, H,). whose sides are
in nearly a perpendicular direction from the bottom, of the form and con-
struction now in common use, and .commonly called a round boiler, and
whose diameter is ten feet, and of a proportionate height (see Fig. No. 1),
I make the following internal additions:-To the bottom. (A) of the said d boiler,
and about two feet six inches from and around the centre, and forming a

page_text: circular parallel with the side of it, I affix or unite, by rivetting or otherwise,
a rim or circular division (B, B.) of sheet or plate iron, or other metal, to the
height of two feet six inches, to the top of which rim or circular division
I affix in like manner a somewhat rounded or flat top (C), of the same
material, with a tube or aperture (D) in the centre eighteen inches in
diameter, and about eighteen inches high, which answers for a manhole to give
access to the interior, and likewise for admitting the steam through the same
from the water to be contained within the said circular division so formed.
To the bottom of the said boiler, and at equal distances from the outside
side thereof and from the said rim or circular division, I then affix or unite,
by rivetting or otherwise, another rim or circular division (E, E,) of sheet or
jlate iron, or other metal, of about five feet in height, surrounding the first
described interior rim or circular division, and placed in a circular parallel
with the inside of the said boiler, thereby forming another division containing
the former one, to the top of which last-mentioned rim or circular division I
unite a somewhat rounded or flat top (F), as before, with a tube or aperture
(G) in the centre, eighteen inches in diameter, and rising to about eighteen
inches high, so that the tube of each division may rise above the surface of
the water in the division or space above it, and be sufficiently high to allow a
surface of water (equal nearly to the whole section of the division above it) to
flow round it and generate steam, see Figs. No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No, 4,
w, w, w The tube also answers for a manhole to give access to the interior,
and likewise to admit of the steam rising through the same from the water to
be contained in both the said divisions: A third or fourth internal division may
be added in like manner, but care must be taken that there be no more than
the boiler will admit of, so as to leave sufficient room over each for generating
and containing the steam; and I find that two are well adapted for a boiler of
the above-described 'dimensions. These internal divisions will be more con-
veniently made before the outward top is fixed on the boiler. The internal
divisions being thus made, and the boiler being set in a suitable manner, I
charge the same with water, putting into the first or central division water to
the height of twelve inches or thereabouts; I then fill the second division or
space between the first and second rims with water until it cover the top of
the said first division to the depth of six inches or thereabouts; and I then
fill the boiler with water until it rises and flows over the top of the second
division to the depth of six inches or thereabouts; the tube or manhole in
each division obviously prevents the water from getting into the divisions
below, see Fig. No. 1, w, w, w, the surfaces of the water in each division.
The boiler and several divisions of. generators may be supplied with the

page_text: water by the use of the balance float or buoy and water pipe, such as are
commonly used to steam engine boilers, with this difference, that there is a
balance float or buoy and water pipe for the boiler and for each division, and
which may be applied as follows, viz.:-The pipe (a) for the first or central
division desends perpendicularly from the top of the boiler through the top
of each division down to a proper depth into the said central or first division,
and is secured to each of the tops through which it passes near to the manhole
of each top.
At a convenient distance from the pipe, and at the top of the
first or central division, is affixed a small tube (d), rising to the same height
as the manhole; a similar tube (e) is affixed on the top of the second division,
and likewise a tube (f) on the top of the boiler, such as is now used for the
rod, by which the balance float or buoy in the first or central division is
suspended to work through. The pipe (9) for the second division descends
from the top of the boiler down to a proper depth in the said second division,
and, with the tubes for the rod of the float or buoy, are made and secured in
the same manner as is above described for the pipe and tubes for the first or
central division. The pipe (h) for the boiler also descends from the top
thereof to a proper depth therein, and which has also a small tube on the top
for the rod of the balance float or buoy to work through, by which means each
of the said divisions, and the said boiler, receives a distinct and separate supply
of water. The steam from the lower divisions passes through the manholes
into the boiler, and is conducted from thence to the engine in the usual
manner. For the purpose of drawing off the water from the said boiler and
internal divisions, a pipe (i) is fixed to the side and close to the bottom of the
first division (B), and passes through the side and close to the bottom of the
second division (E), and in like manner through the side of the boiler (H),
which carries the water from the said first division to the outside of the boiler
and then discharges it in the usual manner; and a similar pipe (7) is fixed in
the side close to the bottom of the second division (E), which passes in like
manner through the side of the boiler (H), for discharging the water from the
said second division in like manner; and a pipe (k) is likewise fixed in the
boiler (H) for drawing the water therefrom. The boiler and divisions, with
the mode of supplying the same with water, above described, are represented in
the Drawing No. 1, hereunto annexed, to give a greater facility in understand-
ing the above Specification. The boiler and the several divisions may also
be supplied with water by the use of the forcing pump in the following manner,
see Fig. No. 2-The water is first forced into the boiler on the side near to
the top thereof (G), and when risen to a certain height falls into a pipe (1) of
about six inches in height, fixed on the top of the second division, and descends.

page_text: into the said second division, which is also provided with a similar pipe (K),
and when the water rises above the top thereof it descends through the same
into the first or central division, which has also a pipe (L) by which the water
is conducted through the side and close to the bottom of the boiler into the
receiver (M), from which the forcing pump draws the supply. The divisions
in the interior of the boiler may also be formed in the manner represented in
the Drawing No. 2, where the rims instead of being parallel with the boiler are
made to slope, and some advantage is thus gained in point of surface, but the
construction is not so simple as in No. 1. The boiler and the divisions may also
be constructed so as to have the projections outward for the bottom of each
division, one projecting further outward than the other as they rise in succession
upwards, in manner represented at B, B, B, B, in the Drawings No. 3 and
No. 4, and an increased surface is thus gained, but the construction is not so
simple as in No. 1. From the aforefaid descriptions it will be observed that
the number of water surfaces may be increased by diminishing the distances from
each other, and the divisions in the interior may be made nearer to or at
greater distances from each other, as may be found most advantageous, and the
outward and the inward projections may be also enlarged or diminished, as may
be found most convenient, according to the form and dimensions which may be
required. N.B. Care must be taken that the bottom or lower part of each
division be sufficiently below the level of the water in the division below it, so that
the outsides of the boiler may be always lined or incased with water to prevent
as much as possible the burning of the boiler. Agreeable to the aforesaid
descriptions, a steam engine boiler, either of a square, oblong, or other con-
venient form, may have the internal additions or divisions affixed therein, in the
same proportions and manner as described in the circular or round boiler.
When the divisions are required to be made at a short distance from each
other, or the spaces between them are narrow, so that there is not sufficient
room for a person to enter therein for the purpose of cleansing the same,
I make use of the following method for that purpose:-I make an iron rod or
upright shaft (1) to turn as on a pivot in a centre (m) at the bottom of the
boiler in the centre of the first or bottom division, and likewise in a centre
tube (n), at the top of the boiler, and rising in height about two feet therefrom,
having a cross bar or lever handle (o) for the purpose of putting it in motion;
and from the aforesaid rod, and about six inches above the water, in the first or
bottom division, is united an iron armı (p) or arms, reaching nearly the extent
of the inside of the circular division which incloses the same, to which arm or
arms are affixed at certain distances, say one, two, or more inches, several iron

page_text: chains (), sufficiently long for the bottom parts thereof to lic upon the bottom
of the boiler, so that when the iron shaft is turned round by means of the lever
handle at the top, the chains sweep the bottom and displace the sediment
deposited by the water, which is then drawn off by the pipe ("), fixed at the
bottom of each division for that purpose. There is also an arm (s) or arms of
iron extending from the shaft or upright rod to nearly the extent of each
circular division, the same as the first, with chains (7) reaching to the bottom
of each division or space affixed thereto, so that the whole of the divisions are
swept at the same motion given by the turning of the rod at the top of the
boiler. This operation supersedes the necessity of entering the boiler to
cleanse it in the manner now in practice. But this can be done only where
the boiler is a round one, for which, see Fig. No. 3.
In distillation and the evaporation of fluids, to which my Invention is also
applicable, the vessel or vessels for such purposes may be made of iron,
copper, or such other metals as may be found suitable, and the outward and
inward form made to accord with such purposes, after the manner and method of
this my Invention herein disclosed, as having a multiplied water surface.
I do not claim as any part of my Invention the modes of filling or sup-
plying the boilers and divisions and other operations in common use, but I
claim as my Invention or improvements the above modes of constructing steam
boilers or steam generators, by which the water surface is increased, and which
is also applicable to the evaporation of other fluids.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Poole, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Thirtieth day of December, in the seventh year of the
reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Fourth, by the Grace of God
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King, Defender
of the Faith, and in the year of our Lord Christ One thousand eight
hundred and twenty-six.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirtieth day of December,
in the year of our Lord 1826, the aforesaid John Poole came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and twenty-seven.