IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE STEAM BOILERS, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1848

page_text: THE EARL OF DUNDONALD'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Vice
Admiral the Earl of DUNDONALD, of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Tenth day of February,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, in the eleventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Earl of Dundonald, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Earl of Dundonald,
my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Earl of Dundonald,
my exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with; and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MARINE STEAM BOILERS, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Earl of Dundonald, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to he performed, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within

page_text: six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in par
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso I, the said
Earl of Dundonald, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described, and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being, had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked.thereon,
that is to say-
The nature of my improvements in the construction of boilers, and apparatus
connected therewith, consists in the better arrangement and adaptation of parts
to useful purposes. Referring to my former Patent, dated the
of
One thousand eight hundred and
"
day
for the means of
producing a more perfect absorption of caloric and economy of fuel in gene-
rating steam, I now proceed to give the general outline of my more recent
improvements.
First, I produce a more-perfect ignition of the gaseous products of com-
bustion on their entering the tube chamber.
Secondly, I construct marine steam boilers in such manner that the steam
chests heretofore applied above the boilers are dispensed with, and I apply
suitable steam chests, below the water line, of the boiler, and so that the steam
chests are less exposed to injury by shot.
13.5
Thirdly, I remedy the great evil attendant on water flowing over with steam
termed "priming, which endangers the collapsing or explosion of boilers and
chokes, the engines.
A
....
Fourthly, I apply a means to communicate power to immersed propellors
without the intervention of extended shafts or gear, so disagreeable from their
noise, and inconvenient in other respects.
Fifthly, I construct boilers for boats so that rotatory engines may bo placed
within the steam chests, secure from external injury, or from occasioning injury
to seamen or inexperienced persons.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a general view of my economical boiler, similar to that described
under my said former Patent, to which I now make certain alterations or
dditions. A is an aperture at the back of each ash pit to admit heated air
through a duct or channel B, C, to unite with the candent gaseous products of
combustion at C,, and complete the decomposition of fuliginous matter.. From
this boiler (as constructed in. the Drawing annexed to the explanation in my
..

page_text: .
Patent aforesaid) I cut off the steam chest D, E, F, G, reducing the altitude
of 'the boiler to D, G, and in lieu of the steam chest I add a reservoir H, K,
of sufficient capacity, using 'the device L, M, (being a plate of iron or other
substance,) whereof the part M may either be immersed in the water, or a pipe
of channel M, L, máy be added, whereby the spray or water hurried up by the
"steam" may descend, so that the steam which shall enter the centrifugal sepa-
rator O; P, may be comparatively dry, but should any spray remain enveloped by
the steam, the same 'will adhere to and fall down from the separator through
the tube or channel Q, which performs the same office as M, N." It is obvious
that these channels being immersed at their lower extremities 'do not permit
'the flow of steam in a direction contrary to the issue of the separated water.
Figure 2 exhibits a common tubular boiler, from which the lofty appendage
of a steam chest may be removed and my steam reservoir substituted. 'H, 'K,
represents that reservoir, and D; E; F, G, the steam chest cut off, which im-
portant improvement 'I render 'practicable by devices that retain the spray or
water termed "priming." L, M; is a guard to ward off the effect of violent
ebullition, and at M, N, is an opening" or channel (the lower part" whereof
terminates under water to prevent a counter current of steam), through which
'opening or channel the greater part of the "priming" descends, leaving the
steam comparatively dry to enter the centrifugal separator O, P. Figure 3 is.an
enlarged view of that separator, on the sides of which the remaining spray
impinges by its rectilinear impulse, and adheres until it descends (as"in the
foregoing case) through a 'submerged pipe or channel Q, and returns into the
boiler. The dry steam enters the reservoir 'H, K, at the ends of the separator
O, P, by the openings P, the rest O being closed. But in constructing boilers
it is proposed wholly or partly to envelope the funnel in the réservoir, and
so render the steam still more dry by imparting thereto the heat which the pro-
ducts of combustion may then and there be able to impart. Condensed
steam may be 'drawn off from the reservoir 'H, K, and returned to the boiler
by a small transfer pump R, or by a connection with the feed pump, or it may
be blown out through a pipe by the steam pressure. Figure 4 shews my
means of communicating power to propelling apparatus without long shafts or
gear as now in use. a is a steam generator; y is a steam pipe inclosed in a
case composed of the least conducting material to prevent loss of heat; and z is a
steam reservoir, placed as near the extremity of the vessel as may be convenient;
thus a short propeller shaft from an engine contiguous thereto will suffice, but I
prefer to place à rotary engine within the reservoir in order to economize.
heat, and subdue the noise of powerful machinery. Contiguous to the reser-
:

page_text: voir z, and reaching to the stern frame, I place a water or an air and water
tight tank, through which the short propeller shaft shall pass, whereby the
bearings will be kept cool, and leakage from the stuffing boxes will be prevented.
Figure 5 is a boat boiler (which as regards its steam generating arrangements
may be on the usual locomotive plan). My improvements consist in placing
around the funnel, or where most convenient, my steam separator to ward off
the effect of violent ebullition or external agitation, and draw off the spray or
"priming" arising therefrom by my pipe or channel (M, N, or) Q, as before
described, leaving the steam comparatively dry to pass into my lower reservoir
H, K, wherein I place a rotatory engine, so that the whole machinery shall
be contained within the reservoir, from which any condensed water may be
blown off in the usual manner.
:
The foregoing descriptions and Drawings are sufficient to enable practical
persons, to construct or apply whatever is herein set forth as improvements in
the construction of boilers and apparatus connected therewith.. And I claim
the more perfect combustion of gaseous products at their entrance into a tube
chamber constructed according to my former Patent, by directing a stream of
undecomposed hot air as herein described, combined with the trapping or
retention of such additional heat, by the means fully set forth and explained in
my former Patent.
I claim the constructing of boilers with steam reservoirs below the level of
the water in lieu of and dispensing with steam chests above; and I also claim
the means of retaining the heat and drying the steam in my said reservoir by
the presence of a portion of fire surface, or by the passage of the flue or chimney
therein.
I claim my means of preventing the overflow of water (termed "priming")
into my steam reservoir by protecting plates or channels, having grooves or
ducts, whose lower extremity is immersed in water within the boiler, or
terminates in the steam reservoir,. and so leaves a free issue for the "priming"
which separates from steam. And I claim the exclusive working or making of
a spiral or other centrifugal separator, which for the purpose might be square
or other shape, and still perform the office of separator on the principle thereof;
and I claim the submerged opening, groove, pipe, duct, or channel, whereby the
spray or water so separated may descend or pass off unopposed by a counter
current of steam.
I claim my means of communicating power to propelling apparatus without
the long shafts or gear now in use, and my means of preventing the tremor,
noise, and other inconvenience thereof.

page_text: Lastly, I claim the arrangement of my boat boilers, engines, and apparatus
attached thereto, in the manner and for the purposes before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Earl of Dundonald, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Seventeenth day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and forty-eight.
(L.B.) DUNDONALD.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Seventeenth day of February,
in the year of Lord 1848, the aforesaid Vice Admiral the Earl of Dundonald
came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and everything 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.
Enrolled the Tenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty-eight..