IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lionel Varicas, of 2, Montague Place, Russell Square,
London, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS." A communication from abroad by
William Mack Fisher, Inventor, Thomas Tinsley Heath, Counsellor-at-Law,
Augustus Lawrence, Underwriter, Charles Lawrence, Merchant, John Arm-
strong Gano, Journalist, all of Cincinnati, in the County of Hamilton, in the
State of Ohio, United States of America..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Lionel Varicas at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd March 1880.
LIONEL VARICAS, of 2, Montague Place, Russell Square, London, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS." A com-
munication from abroad by William Mack Fisher, Inventor, Thomas Tinsley
Heath, Counsellor-at-Law, Augustus Lawrence, Underwriter, Charles Lawrence,
Merchant, John Armstrong Gano, Journalist, all of Cincinnati, in the County of
Hamilton, in the State of Ohio, United States of America.
This Invention relates to certain improvements on steam boilers, more especially
designed for locomotive and marine boilers, and its objects primarily are the
attainment of a more perfect combustion & consumption of the combustible gases
proceeding from the furnace of such a boiler, and the production of a better cir-
culation of the water in the boiler.
To this end the Invention consists in arranging in the rear of the fire box, and
between it and the front flue sheets, a chamber with a perforated bottom for
supplying the hot gases from the fire-box with jets of air in quantities sufficient
to attain a more perfect combustion of such gases as they enter the flues of the
boiler.
The fire-box and air supply chamber are divided by a water partition provided
with a large opening for the exit of the gases from the fire-box, and with legs on
either side of such opening joining the crown sheet of the fire-box, where one leg
terminates, opening into the water space of the boiler, while the other leg extends
up to a point above the water line in the boiler, and opens in the steam space

page_text: through such water partition.
In the annexed Drawings,-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of steam boiler provided with this Invention.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section in planes indicated by the broken line x, x, of
Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section in planes indicated by the broken line y, y, of
Fig. 1.
The same letters of reference are used in all the Figures in the designation of the
same parts. The fire-box A, wherein coal is to be burnt on the grate surface B,
may be of the ordinary construction, except that the back is formed by a water-
partition C instead of by the front flue sheet D of the boiler, as is usual.
Between this water-partition C and the front flue sheet D a chamber E is
formed, the area of which may be about one-third, more or less, of that of the grate
surface of the fire-box. The bottom of this chamber E has multitudinous per-
forations e through which air enters the chamber in numerous fine jets. The water-
partition C is provided with a large opening C¹ extending from the crown-sheet of
the fire-box for the escape of the gases, smoke, &c., from the fire box. On their
way to the flues of the boiler these products of combustion are met by and are
mingled with the air jets entering the bottom of the chamber E, and are thus
supplied with the necessary amount of oxygen to ensure the complete combustion,
practically so, of all the combustible gases and particles escaping from the fire-box
in a more or less imperfect state of combustion.
The water-partition has a leg extending upwardly on either side of the
opening C. The leg C² terminates with the crown sheet of the fire-box, and its
open end reaches into the steam space of the boiler.
By this means a rapid circulation is effected in the water-partition, which is all
important by reason of its having to endure the intense heat of the furnace, and the
water in the boiler proper is thereby kept in circulation also.
The bottom of the water-partition may be level, as shown in Fig. 1, or it may be
curved with a view of facilitating the circulation through it, in which case the
grate surface should be curved correspondingly, as shown in Fig. 2.
The perforated bottom or the air supply chamber E is preferably made of two,
plates E', E', as shown in Fig. 3, hinged so that they may be turned down into a
position for discharging dust and cinders, if such should be deposited thereon. The
plates may be operated by bell cranks E² and rods E³, or by any other suitable or
preferred means. Steam pipes E may also be arranged to blow steam over and
through the plates E¹ if necessary to clean the perforations. These steam pipes
might discharge into perforated cross pipes arranged across the hinged ends of the
plates E, and these perforated cross pipes might constitute the shafts or. pintles on
which or by which the plates are hinged; and the arrangement of the parts might
be such that the lowering of the plates E¹ would be accompanied by automatic
opening of cocks and the blowing of steam over and through the said plates. It is
preferred to extend the elongated leg of the water-partition into the steam space:
of the boiler in most cases; but it will be found that its extension up to near the
water level in the boiler will answer in many cases to effect the desired rapid
circulation through the said water-partition, and such modification is considered
a part of this Invention,
In some cases it may be found expedient to use more than one water-partition,
and the additional water-partitions, if used, may be constructed like the one
described, or the opening C¹ may be omitted from them, and the flue so formed as
to compel the products of combustion to pass around the bottom of the additional
partition or partitions.
What is claimed as this Invention, and what is desired to be secured by Letters-
Patent is,―
1st. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the fire-box, the water-

page_text: partition, and the chamber in the rear thereof having a perforated bottom for the
entrance of air in jets.
2nd. The water-partition or partitions of the furnace having two legs of unequal
lengths, the shorter leg of each partition opening into the water space of the
boiler, and the longer leg opening near the water line, or into the steam space
thereof, so made and placed as to permit and cause the greatest flow and
evaporation of the water in the boiler, substantially as before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lionel Varicas, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty (1880).
LIONEL VARICAS. (L.S.)