IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Kesterton, of Park Road, Mosely, near
Birmingham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS."
Sealed 'the 16th December 1873, and dated the 19th July 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Kesterton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th July 1873.
I, HENRY KESTERTON, of. Park Road, Mosely, near Birmingham, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of
steam boilers.
In constructing a steam boiler I employ a number of wrought-iron or
steel pipes of large diameter by preference rolled seamless pipes, or they
may be rivetted. I place these pipes one on the other so as to form.
four or other number of parallel vertical partitions enclosing three or

page_text: other number of spaces. At the lower part of these spaces fire-bars are
placed and furnaces formed; they are enclosed at the top by an hori-
zontal row of tubes. The products of combustion pass from the
furnaces along beneath the horizontal row of pipes and returns again to
the front over the pipes which thus serve to separate an upper from a
lower flue. Above are other horizontal rows of pipes enclosing flues
and thus the products of combustion are led to and fro amongst the
pipes in a zig-zag course. The pipes are closed at both ends, and for
this purpose a ring is rivetted inside the pipe, and this ring has lugs
upon it.
Over the opening in the middle of the ring a cap is placed and
a tight joint is made by means of a suitable packing. The cap has lugs
upon it and is secured in its place by means of I formed clips. The heads
of the clips are inserted between the lugs. The clips are used hot and
are tightened upon the lugs by slightly clenching them. The pipes are
made to communicate the one with the other by holes in their sides,
cast rings are rivetted upon the pipes around the holes, and these rings
rest the one on the other, a packing being inserted to. render the joint
tight. There are lugs upon the rings and I form clips are used to hold
them together as already described.
Boilers thus constructed are very suitable for marine use as if any
nant should hosome defective + can ho namored he simple outting the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Kesterton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
KESTERTON, of Park Road, Mosely, near Birmingham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Kesterton, Her special license
that I, the said Henry Kesterton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Kesterton, my executors, ad-

page_text: ministrators, 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 THE CON-
STRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Henry Kesterton, 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 Henry Kesterton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:―
This Invention has for its object the improvement of that class of
steam boilers known as tube boilers. I arrange the tubes in contact
the one with the other, so that they of themselves guide the results of
combustion in the furnaces in such direction and in such manner as
may be most desirable to abstract the heat therefrom before passing into
the stack; instead of employing deflecting or guide plates, or partitions
made of cast iron or fire-brick or other material liable to be destroyed
by intense heat as has been done hitherto, and the joints and con-
nections required between the tubes necessary for the circulation of the
water and the escape of the steam, I make inside the tubes where they
will always be covered with water instead of outside where they are
exposed either to the cooling effect of the atmosphere, causing loss by
radiation of head or to the action of intense heat and flame by which
they are soon destroyed.
I employ tubes of sufficiently large diameter to admit a man inside
them. I place these tubes in contact the one with the other for the
whole, of their length, either the one over the other vertically or beside
one another horizontally or in contact with one another diagonally.
By so placing the tubes a number of spaces or intestices are formed
around and between the circumferences and the whole length of the

page_text: tubes which form separate passages or flues running from front to back
of the boiler of sufficient area to give the results of combustion in the
furnaces free access to the heating surface. I make the tubes longer
or shorter as may be required, and so arrange them at the ends as to
form combustion chambers, and to guide the heat through the different
flues. I place the furnaces and fire-bars beneath or, if preferred, it might
be inside the lower tubes, and the results of combustion pass below
or through the bottom tubes to the back, returning through the
interstices or spaces between the tubes to the front, and in some cases
returning again through the interstices or spaced to the back of the
boiler and so into the stack. I connect the tubes by cutting holes in
their sides at any point it is desirable they should be connected; these
holes are flanged upwards from the body of the tube until the surface
around their edges for a width equal to, say, 2 inches is level with the
outside diameter of the tubes at that point of their circumference at
which they are to be placed in contact with other tubes. Through the
flat faces so formed I make holes through which are passed rivets or
bolts at such a pitch or distance apart as will enable them to draw two
such abutting faces together steam tight. Thus any number of tubes
provided with such raised faces of corresponding size, shape, and
position can be placed in close contact the one with the other for the
whole of their length, and can be rivitted or bolted together steam
tight from the inside of the tubes wherever it is necessary to connect
them, leaving the joints inside the tubes where the action of intense
heat cannot effect them and where they are always covered with

page_text: prolongation of an upper row of tubes as shewn at G, G, and are
guided along the flues B, B, into the smoke chamber F, F, and from
thence along the flues C, C, into the descending flue H, H, leading to
the stack; I, I, is the brickwork setting of the boiler. The tubes
A, A, are closed at the back ends permanently by means of circular
dished and flanged plates rivited in. The front ends for the purpose of
access to the interior of the tubes are provided with loose covers, or by
preference the tubes are made sufficiently large to admit of man-holes
being made in the front ends. The tubes are of such size, usually about
24 inches diameter at least, that a man can enter them readily to make
the joints or examine the tube internally.
The way in which the tubes, where in contact with one another are
connected so as to establish communication between their water and
steam spaces, is shewn in section at Figure 3, where K and L are two
separate tubes joined together at M and N by riviting together the
two flat raised faces as shewn. The flat faces which are to be brought
into contact to establish the communication from tube to tube are raised
solid from the body of the tube by pressing the side of the tube when
highly heated between two cast-iron dies of suitable shape, which are
drawn together by hydraulic or other pressure, one die being inside the
other outside the tube. I prefer raising them solid out of the side
of the tube to riveting them in separately, although they may be con-
veniently fixed by this means, or tubes flattened for their whole length
at those points of their circumferences where they come in contact with
other tubes may be used, the communication from tube to tube being
made through the flattened sides. Either rivets or bolts may be used;
in making these joints with the latter it may be found advisable to place
a packing piece of softer metal, say, copper between the abutting flat
faces of any two tubes, or several strands of copper wire may be placed
round the joint between the two faces before they are drawn tight
.together.
In Figure 4, a vertical cross section, and Figure 5, a vertical longi-
tudinal section, the tubes are placed in a diagonal position; here O is
the furnace, P, P, flues returning to the front of the boiler. The middle
and upper tubes project at the back end to guide the results of com-
bustion along the flues P, P, the two top tubes being shortened at the
front to lead them into the flues Q, Q, to the back of the boiler, where
they pass on into the descending flue R.
n

page_text: Figures 6 and 7 shew respectively a vertical and a longitudinal section
of a marine boiler constructed according to my Invention. S, S, are the
tubes arranged in three vertical rows, and the first and fourth rows are
also connected transversely to distribute similarly the feed water and to
allow of the scum being drawn off at the water level. Each set of tubes
is supported on a flat tubular bearer. T communicating at the front and
back with the lower tube, and having a water space within it. The
bearers Tare of the same length as the tubes, and themselves stand
upon the girders U, which are protected by fire-brick from becoming
unduly heated. The furnaces are between the bearers T, and the results of
combustion pass into the combustion chamber V, then back by the flues
W between the tubes to the smoke chamber X over the top of the tubes
to the chimney Y. The upper rows of tubes are prolonged and meet
cach other to prevent the direct passage of the results of combustion
from V to X; Z is the exterior casing of the boiler. The tubes may
be connected at any number of points it may be considered desirable
and placed in relation to one another in either a vertical, horizontal, or
diagonal position, as shewn.
I claim the construction of steam boilers of metal tubes of large size
such as a man can enter within to get to the joints, the said tubes being
placed in contact the one with the other so as to form flue partitions,
and being made to communicate the one with the other where they are
in contact, substantially as described.
I claim the means of connecting the said tubes when in contact the
one with the other so as to establish communication between their water
and steam spaces; substantially, as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Kesterton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.