CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TUBULAR BOILERS, AND IN THE MEANS FOR CLEANING THE TUBES OF SUCH BOILERS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Chapman Amos, of the Grove, Southwark,
in the County of Surrey, Engineer, and William Anderson, of Erith, in
the County of Kent, Engineer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TUBULAR BOILERS, AND IN THE MEANS FOR
CLEANING THE TUBES OF SUCH BOILERS."
Sealed the 6th June 1865, and dated the 5th January 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Chapman Amos
and William Anderson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 5th January 1865.
We, JAMES CHAPMAN AMOS, of the Grove, Southwark, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, and WILLIAM ANDERSON, of Erith, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TUBULAR BOILERS, AND, IN THE MEANS FOR
CLEANING THE TUBES OF SUCH BOILERS," to be as follows:-
The chief object of our Invention is the construction of a compact,
economical, and efficient steam boiler for general purposes.
The main feature of novelty of this Invention is the combination of a
horizontal cylindrical "case" containing within it a cylinder forming a fire-
chamber, ash-pit, and flue with a second cylindrical "case" fitted with tubular
flues like the boiler of an ordinary portable engine, the water spaces in the
two divisions of the boiler being connected by necks or tubes, which unite

page_text: "
the two cases, and form passages through which the water can circulate
freely.
In some instances we make the internal or fire-chamber cylinder shorter
than the enclosing or outer case, and this contraction of length we make up by
inserting tubes between the end of the internal cylinder and the end of the
enclosing cylinder. When this arrangement is adopted the flame and gases
after passing over the bridge go through the tubes contained in the "outer
case," and then return through the tubes in the "second case," and thence
through an "up-take" to the chimney.
Our improved boiler may be set in brickwork if desired. When this is the
case, the flues through which the flame and heated gases are led from the one
division of the boiler to the other, and thence to the chimney are formed by
the brickwork, but when it is required to produce a self-contained boiler the
coupling flues and smoke box will form a portion of the metallic structure,
fire-brick lining being provided where the heat is greatest.
One advantage consequent on our novel combination of parts in whatever
way the main divisions of the boiler may be relatively disposed is, that as the
boiler is not fired at the lowest point, or where the sediment is deposited, the
risk of burning out the boiler by reason of the non-conducting power of
the sediment will be removed.
In general we propose to place the tubular division of the boiler above the
cylinder or case containing the fire-chamber, and to connect the cases together
with short vertical tubes or necks, which will admit of the water circulating freely
around the annular water space of the lower division, and rising up between
the fire-tubes and giving-off its steam to the steam space in the upper division
of the boiler, whence it will be taken off by a steam dome as usual. In some
instances it may be advantageous to invert the position of the divisions of the
boiler, thus having the cylinder containing the fire-chamber on the top of the
tubular division. The products of combustion will then descend and pass
through the tubes, and reach, by any ordinary arrangement of flues, the
chimney. When this plan is adopted the feed water will be led into the
tubular division of the boiler.
The upper case is enlarged for steam space, and the steam chest and
mountings placed upon the top of it. Again, in some instances we may find it
advantageous to lay the cylindrical cases side by side, in others to use two
outer cases with internal cylinders or fire-chambers connected by necks or
tubes to one fire-tube case, any of which modes may be used without departing
from our Invention.
In order to cleanse the tubular flues of these and other tubular boilers of soot,

page_text: we provide the following contrivance for injecting jets of steam into the tubes.
In front of one of the tube plates we mount a hollow disc, which is capable
of being slidden to and from the ends of the tubes. That face of the disc
which is nearest the tubes is fitted with a series of nozzles corresponding in
number and relative position with the tubes. The disc we connect by means
of a jointed pipe with the steam-chamber of the boiler, and when it is required
to clean the tubes we advance the disc with its nozzles up to the tubes and
turn on the steam, whereby a jet is discharged simultaneously into all the
tubes. This operation may be effected while the boiler is in action, the soot
being discharged into the smoke box or an equivalent receptacle, from which
it may be removed at the first opportunity.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Chapman Amos and William Anderson in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 5th July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
CHAPMAN AMOS, of the Grove, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Engineer,
and WILLIAM ANDERSON, of Erith, in the County of Kent, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said James Chapman Amos and William Anderson, Her special license,
that we, the said James Chapman Amos and William Anderson, our execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said James
Chapman Amos and William Anderson, our 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TUBULAR BOILERS,
AND IN THE MEANS FOR CLEANING THE TUBES OF SUCH BOILERS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said James Chapman Amos and William
Anderson, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, 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

page_text: 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 James Chapman Amos, on behalf of
myself and of the said William Anderson, do hereby declare the nature of
our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and, to the letters
and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
The chief object of our Invention is the construction of a compact, economical,
and efficient steam boiler for general purposes.
The main feature of novelty of this Invention is the combination of a
horizontal cylindrical case containing within it a cylinder forming a fire
chamber, ash-pit, and flue, with a second cylindrical case fitted with tubular
flues like the boiler of an ordinary portable engine, the water spaces in the two
divisions of the boiler being connected by necks or tubes, which unite the two
cases, and form passages, through which the water can circulate freely.
In some instances, we make the internal or fire chamber cylinder of the
same length, and in others shorter than the enclosing or outer case. When the
length is contracted, we employ the space thus gained beyond the fire chamber
cylinder as boiler space, and insert therein short lengths of fire tubes, which
conduct the flame and heated gases through this extended portion of the
boiler. The flame and gases then pass upwards and return through the tubes
in the second case, and after circulating around the annular water space in the
lower cylindrical case, pass thence through an "uptake" to the chimney.
Our improved boiler may be set in brickwork, or it may be constructed as a
self-contained boiler, as desired.
In the accompanying Drawings we have illustrated both these arrangements.
In Sheet I., Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a boiler constructed
according to our Invention, and set in brickwork; and Fig. 2 is a partial
sectional elevation of the same, the section being taken in the direction of the
line 1, 2, of Fig. 1.
A, A, is a cylindrical case constituting the lower division of the boiler.
This case is made of boiler plate iron, and contains within it a cylinder B,
similarly constructed, and set excentrically therein. In this cylinder B a fire-
place is made, and access is gained thereto by a fire-door in the front end of the
cylinder. The other end is open and leads into a flue C formed in the brick-
work. Above the cylinder A, and connected thereto by short tubes or
necks a, a, is a cylinder D, which forms the upper division of the boiler.

page_text: Both this cylinder and the cylinder A are set in brickwork, as shewn at
Fig. 2, by means of which the divisions of the boiler are properly supported
and the external flues are formed. The cylinder D is provided with tubular
flues E, the ends of the cylinder forming the tube plates. It is also fitted with
a steam dome and safety valve. The water space of the boiler is indicated by
blue color, and the fire-place and flues are tinted red. The course of the
flame and heated gases is indicated by arrows.
When the heated gases pass
the bridge and leave the fire chamber cylinder they enter a flue" C, and passing
upwards proceed to the front through the tubes E. The gases then enter the
smoke box F and pass between the two cylinders A and D. Here they meet
a wall of brickwork G, and the current is deflected downwards and caused to
traverse along one side of the cylinder A until it reaches the end of a
divisional wall H, when it takes a reverse course, and passes along the other
side of the cylinder A, and thence to the chimney by the flue I.
Fig. 3 shews in longitudinal section, and Fig. 4 in vertical section, taken in
the line 3, 4, of Fig. 3, a self-contained boiler constructed on the principle of
arrangement above described. In this instance, the coupling flue Cand smoke
box F form a portion of the metallic structure; fire-brick lining being provided
at those portions of the case where the heat is greatest. Within the lower
division of the boiler are short fire tubes K, which divide up the water space
formed by the contraction in length of the cylinder B. The course of the
flame and heated gases is somewhat different in this boiler from that of the
first-described arrangement, for the gases when they have arrived at the smoke
box F pass under and around the cylinder D, and through openings in the rear
end of the parting plates b, b, which split the gases into two currents. These
currents then circulate around the cylinder A, returning to the front of the
boiler, and they then pass off by the chimney L. One advantage consequent
on our novel combination of parts in whatever way the main divisions of the
boiler may be relatively disposed is that as the boiler is not fired at the lowest
point, or where the sediment is deposited, the risk of burning out the boiler
by reason of the non-conducting power of the sediment will be removed.
In general we propose to place the tubular division of the boiler above the
cylinder or case containing the fire chamber, as shown in the Figures above
referred to, and to connect the cases together by means of the short vertical
tubes or necks a, a, which will admit of the water circulating freely around
the annular water space of the lower division, and rising up between the fire
tubes, and giving off its steam to the steam space in the upper division of the
boiler, whence it will be taken off by a steam dome, as usual. But in some
instances it may be advantageous to invert the position of the divisions of the

page_text: boiler, thus having the cylinder containing the fire chamber on the top of the
tubular division.
This arrangement is shewn in Dingram at Fig. 5, Sheet II. The products
of combustion will in this arrangement descend and pass through the fire tubes,
and reach by any ordinary arrangement of flues the chimney. When this 5
plan is adopted the feed water will be led into the tubular division of the
boiler. The upper case is enlarged for steam space, and the steam chest and
mountings are placed upon the top of it.
In some instances we may find it advantageous to lay the cylindrical cases
side by side, as shewn in the Diagram Fig. 6. This arrangement will serve 1
where head room is limited and extended lateral space is available.
Another arrangement of our improved boiler is shewn in Diagram at Fig. 7,
where two outer cases with internal cylinders or fire chambers are connected
by necks or tubes to one fire-tube case. This arrangement may be found
convenient for marine purposes.
In order to cleanse the tubular flues of these and other tubular boilers of
soot, we provide the following contrivance for injecting jets of steam into the
tubes. In front of one of the tube plates (see Fig. 1, Sheet I.) and within
the flue C, we mount a hollow disc M, which is capable of being moved to
and from the ends of the fire tubes E. That face of the disc which is nearest
the tubes is fitted with a series of nozzles m, corresponding in number and
relative position with the fire tubes E. The disc M is carried by a pair of
pipes N, which are jointed at their lower ends to a fixed horizontal pipe
connected by a pipe O with the steam chamber of the boiler. These pipes N
form a rocking frame, and serve to bring the nozzles m up to the ends of the s
tubes when it is required to clean them. The disc with its nozzles is moved
up to the drawn position of Fig. 1 by means of a forked lever shewn by dots
in the Figure.
To clean the tubes it is only necessary to advance the hollow disc from its
dotted to its drawn position, and then to turn on the steam, a jet will then
be discharged into all the tubes simultaneously. This operation may be
effected while the boiler is in action, the soot being discharged into the smoke
box, or an equivalent receptacle, from which it may be removed at the first
opportunity.
Ilaving now set forth the nature of our Invention of improvements in the
construction of tubular boilers, and in the means of cleaning the tubes of such
boilers, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, we wish it
to be understood, that under the above in part recited Letters Patent, we
claim,
1

page_text: First, the novel combination of parts forming horizontal tubular boilers,
suitable for various requirements, as above described.
Secondly, the means above described for injecting steam into the fire tubes
of horizontal tubular boilers.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Chapman Amos, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
JAMES CHAPMAN AMOS. (L.S.)