IMPROVEMENTS IN DEVICES FOR PREVENTING THE EXPLOSION OF STEAM-BOILERS
Year: 1885

page_text: 1, DENDIX MEYER, Manager of Gleiwitz, Prussia, German Empire, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DEVICES FOR
PREVENTING THE EXPLOSION OF STEAM-BOILERS" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to devices or appliances for preventing the explosion of
steam-boilers.
The liability of a boiler explosion is, as proved by experience, only partially
removed by the means hitherto employed for ensuring safety.
Safety-valves, and alarm apparatus for indicating that overpressure exists in the
boiler, afford a very imperfect guarantee against an explosion. The former are
liable to become corroded, and stick, or to jam, while the latter are generally very
complicated, especially when electricity is employed in connection with them,
thereby necessitating the most scrupulous care and attention. Neither does the
employment of plugs driven into the shells of boilers, remove the liability of an
explosion as the said plugs are, like the valves, very liable to become fast in their
seats through corrosion and they are moreover constantly exposed to the danger of
jamming, in consequence of the unequal expansion of the material.
This invention consists in the provision of means for preventing boiler
explosions, which means are devoid of any of the defects herein before mentioned.
The devices constructed according to this invention are arranged at those parts
of a steam-boiler which are least liable to incrustation, and where the water and
steam can be allowed to escape without danger, independently of the safety-valves
and other appliances, before the limit of elasticity of the several parts of the boiler
has been reached. The improved devices can be of any desirable and suitable form
and can be arranged on a straight, curved or angular wall, and for covering or
closing round or angular holes. The said devices, which are applicable for use with
or without packing, are adapted to be torn or bent from their seatings when the
pressure reaches a certain limit, thus enabling the water and steam to escape.
According to the said invention I form an opening in the boiler shell, which
opening is adapted to be closed by a small plate of polygonal shape and of com-
paratively thin metal. A ring or strip of packing is placed between the said plate
and the boiler shell, and two screw-bolts firmly connect the said covering-plate at
Price 871

page_text: one end with the shell. In this case the said covering-plate must possess sufficient
inherent elasticity to withstand any normal pressure within the boiler, but not
enough to prevent it from yielding before the limit of elasticity of the material of
which the boiler is composed is reached.
Care must be taken to arrange the safety device in such a position upon the
boiler that in case of its being set in operation, no person is scalded.
According to a modification of the said invention I employ a covering-plate of
round, instead of polygonal, shape. This round plate is pressed, by means of a
cross bar and screw-bolts, upon a packing ring surrounding the opening in the
boiler.
The capacity of resistance of the covering plate is such that prior to the
increasing steam-pressure causing the limit of elasticity of the boiler plates to be
reached, it yields by bending away from the boiler wall; or the said small plate or
the packing is torn, in order to permit the water and steam to escape.
It is not essential to the nature of this invention that the said yielding devices
should be of any particular form, or that they should be applied to any special
part of the boiler; they are however preferably arranged in such a position that
they are not liable to become incrusted.

page_text: I, BENDIX MEYER, of Gleiwitz, in the Empire of Germany, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to devices or appliances for preventing the explosion of
steam boilers.
The liability of a boiler explosion is, as proved by experience, only partially
removed by the means hitherto employed for ensuring safety.
Safety-valves, and alarm apparatus for indicating that overpressure exists in the
boiler, afford a very imperfect guarantee against an explosion. The former are
liable to become corroded and stick, or to jam, while the latter are generally very
complicated especially when electricity is employed in connection with them,
thereby necessitating the most scrupulous care and attention. Neither does the
employment of safety plugs driven into the shells of boilers, remove the liability of
an explosion, as the said plugs are, like the valves, very liable to become fast
through corrosion, and they are moreover constantly exposed to the danger of
jamming, in consequence of the unequal expansion of the materia!.
This invention consists in the provision of means for preventing boiler
explosions, which means are devoid of any of the defects hereinbefore mentioned.
The devices constructed according to this invention are arranged at those parts
of a steam-boiler which are least liable to incrustation, and where the water and
steam can be allowed to escape, without danger, independently of the safety valves
and other appliances, before the limit of elasticity of the several parts of the boiler
has been reached.
The improved devices can assume any desirable or suitable form and can be
arranged on a curved or angular wall, and for covering or closing round or angular
holes. The said devices, which are applicable for use with or without packing, are
adapted to be torn or bent from their seatings when the pressure reaches a certain
limit, thus enabling the water and steam to escape,
Two examples of the improved safety devices, operating in the manner set forth,
are illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
In the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 an opening is formed in the boiler-
shell a, which opening is adapted to be closed by a small plate b of polygonal
shape and of comparatively thin metal. A ring or strip of packing e is placed
between the said plate and the boiler-shell, and two screw-bolts d firmly connect
the small covering-plate 6 at one end with the boiler shell a In this case the said
covering-plate must possess sufficient inherent elasticity to withstand any normal
pressure within the boiler, but not enough to prevent it from yielding before the
limit of elasticity of the material of which the boiler is composed is reached.
Care must be taken to arrange the safety device in such a position upon the
boiler that in case of its being set in operation, no person is scalded.

page_text: The construction of the safety device shown in Figures 3 and 4 is based upon
the same principle as that just described. In the present instance, however,
I employ a covering-plate b of round instead of polygonal shape. This round
plate is pressed, by means of a cross bar 8 and screw-bolts d, upon a packing ring e
surrounding the opening o in the boiler.
The capacity of resistance of the covering plate is such that prior to the steam
pressure reaching the limit of elasticity of the boiler plates it yields by bending
away from the boiler wall; or the said small plate or the packing is torn, in order
to permit the water and steam to escape.
It is not essential to this invention that the said yielding devices should be of
any particular form, or that they should be applied to any special part of the
boiler; they are however preferably arranged in such a position that they are not
liable to become encrusted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
A yielding device for preventing the explosion of a steam boiler through over-
pressure, the said device consisting of a plate arranged over an opening in the
boiler-shell and adapted to bend or tear when a certain pressure is attained within
the boiler, thereby enabling the water and steam to escape independently of the
safety-valve, before the limit of elasticity of the several parts of the boiler is
reached, as set forth.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.