Improvements in Means for Closing the Openings in Boilers employed in Vulcanizing Operations.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 25th May, 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1898
Improvements in Means for Closing the Openings in Boilers employed
in Vulcanizing Operations.
:
I, FRANCIS KNOEFERL, of 106, Great Portland Street, London, W., Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In a vulcanizer it is necessary to provide for hermetically closing the opening
of the boiler for the purpose of getting up steam to a high pressure. This object
is usually attained at present by clamping down a lid upon its seat on the boiler,
with a suitable packing intervening between the two; this packing requires renew-
ing more or less frequently, through weare and tear. My object is to provide a
packingless joint, which shall by the action of the lid itself, when clamped down,
hermetically seal the boiler, and shall do so though the lid be placed in its seat
out of line.
I attain this by turning or shaping the edge of the lid, and its seat in or on the
boiler-rim to the same arc of a circle struck from a centre in the line of axis of lid
& boiler; this centre being outside the line of edge or rim of the boiler seat, in
the cross section, when the lid is fitted to the boiler with an inside seat, & vice versa
if fitted outside, thus preventing jamming and allowing of travel of the lid in the
boiler-seat in any plane of section along their axis, so that if the lid be placed by
accident out of parallel with boiler seat, the corresponding portions of lid-edge &
boiler seat shall form a steam-tight joint: a certain amount of wedge like action
is however obtained when the lid is clamped down, & not much power is therefore
required.
Dated this 11th day of October 1807
Improvements in Means for Closing the Openings in Boilers employed
in Vulcanizing Operations.
I, FRANCIS KNOEFERL, of 39, Oseney Crescent, Kentish Town, London, N.W.,
late of 106, Great Portland Street, London, W., Engineer, 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 acts and is constructed as follows, In a vulcanizer it is necessary
to provide for hermetically closing the opening of the boiler, for the purpose of
getting up steam to a high pressure; this object is at present usually attained by
clamping down a cover upon its seat on the boiler with a suitable packing provided

page_text: between the two; this packing requires renewing more or less frequently, through
wear and tear; my object is to provide a packingless joint, which shall be
mechanically perfect and close,, when the cover is clamped-to, even through the
cover should be placed in its seat out of line; I attain this object as follows:-
referring herein to the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 & lettered alike,-
by turning or shaping the edge a, of the cover A, and its seat b, in the opening of
rim, c of the boiler, B; to the same arc j, of a circle struck from a centre, d, in
the line of axis f, f, of the boiler-rim and the cover, both being circular, in section
across that line; and such centre d, being necessarily above, or outside the outer
rim c, of the boiler opening; thus the chord g, of the arc, at the outer edge e, of the
boiler-opening, will be greater than the chord h, at the inner edge i, by these
means, jamming of cover and boiler is prevented, and though the cover should be
clamped down out of parallel with the boiler-rim, the arc j, to which the cover
and its seat are shaped at right angles to the rim c, provides for this, as shewn at b,
where, the edge of each being circular in every direction, a perfect and steam tight
joint is secured. The cover A, is closed down in its seat b, by any form of clamp,
for instance, such as is shewn at k, l, Fig. 2.
•
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a vulcanizing boiler, the construction and adaptation of the cover and the
seat thereof so as to be steam tight without any packing, when such cover is
clamped down, by forming the rim of each where they meet, to a like arc of a circle,
the centre of which shall be outside the boiler-rim; substantially as described
herein & shewn by the accompanying drawings.
Dad: 95th dow of M... 1000