CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BOILERS FOR STEAM ENGINES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND TO STEAM NAVIGATION
Year: 1836

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HOLMES, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, send
greeting.
.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Seventh day of April, in the sixth year of His reign,
and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six, did,
for Himself, Elis heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Holmes, His especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said John Holmes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Holmes, my executors, adiiors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
BOILERS FOR STEAM ENGINES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE
TO LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND TO STEAM NAVIGATION;" in which said Letters Patent
is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said John Holmes, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
bad, will more fully and at large appear,

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that, in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Holmes, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner of carrying the same into effect, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof (that is to say):-
-
My Invention of certain improvements in the construction of boilers for
steam engines has for its object the exposing of an extensive surface of boiler
or steam generator, formed of plate metal, to the action of the heat of the fire,
without the employment of small tubular flues, which are liable to get choaked
with the soot and dust arising from the furnace, and are troublesome to clean
out; and consists in constructing the said steam boilers, by placing semi-
spherical or dome-shaped parts or sections, or waggon-head or culvert-shaped
parts or sections, one within the other, and connected together so as to form
flues and water chambers between them; the heated vapour and smoke arising
from the furnace ascending and descending in the flues, or passing along them
lengthwise of the boiler between the water chambers, which are connected on
to the other proper water and steam ways or passages; the flues being also
connected to each other by flue ways or passages, so as not to interrupt the
proper draught throughout the furnace flues and chimney; and which im-
proved construction of boilers' are more particularly shewn in the several
Figures of the Drawings hereunto annexed, to which I shall now refer, the
better to explain my improvements.
The several Figures in Sheet I. are representations of one of my improved
constructions of steam boilers, composed of semi-spherical or dome-shaped
parts or sections, one within the other, the draught or passage way through
the flues ascending and descending between the water ways or chambers; and
in this instance the fire-place is furnished with a revolving or travelling grate
or fire bars.
The several Figures in Sheet II. are representations of another of my im-
proved constructions of steam boilers, formed of waggon-head or culvert-shaped
parts or sections, the flue ways or passages ascending and descending between
the water chambers, as in the former instanco; but in this the furnace is
shewn with a stationary grate or fire bars.
And the several Figures in Sheet III. are representations of another of my
improved constructions of boilers, also composed of waggon-head or culvert-
shaped parts or sections, in which the heated vapours and smoke in their
passage from the furnace to the chinney passes longitudinally through the flues
between the water ways or chambers, and is also shewn with stationary fire bars.
Figure 1, Sheet I., is a vertical section to shew the flue ways, and how

page_text: they are connected to each other, and is taken through the boiler and furnace
in the direction of the line a, b, in Figure 2, which is a plan view or
horizontal section taken in the line c, d, in Figures 1 and 3; the latter Figure
being another vertical section, to shew the chambers or water ways, and how
they are connected together, and is taken through the boiler and furnace in
the line e, f, in Figure 2. Figure 4 is another horizontal section taken in the
line g, h, in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a representation of the bottom or under
side of the boiler and furnace, shewing the method of actuating the rotary
fire bars or grate, and the situation of the cocks for the supply and dis-
charge of water for the boiler. The boiler is composed of the several parts
or sections a, b, and c, d, connected together in pairs to form the water
chamber, and are firmly secured to the strong bottom plate of the boiler e, e;
the steam chamber being formed by the part f, and the whole surrounded
by the jacket or outer casing 9, 9. A is the furnace or fire-place; B, B,
the several water chambers, connected together by the ways or passages h, h;
C, C, are the flues; D, the steam chamber; E, the chimney, in which is
placed a proper damper to regulate the draught; F, the steam pipe leading
to the boiler, in which the safety valve G is placed; H is the water guage;
I, I, the cocks for supplying the water to the boiler, and also discharging
its contents when necessary for cleaning out. The fire is supplied with fuel
from the hopper K, the coal or coke being carried or taken therefrom by
the grooved or toothed roller i, and caused to descend the pipe k on to the
fire bars, the fuel being retained or held up by the shelf 1, which turns
with its pin in an hinge joint, and is kept up by a spring m or weight
applied to the lever on the end of the joint pin, whereby the shelf I will be
allowed to give way to any large lumps of fuel, and again return to retain the
smaller pieces from falling through. The feed roller i is actuated by a worm or
endless screw on the upper end of the shaft n, taking into a toothed wheel on
the end of the axis of the roller, or in any other convenient manner, the shaft n
being actuated by an endless screw on the shaft o. The rotary motion is com-
municated to the fire bars or grate through the shaft o, which carries another
endless screw taking into a toothed wheel mounted on the boss or collar p,
which is connected to the hollow shaft q, which supports the frame of the fire
bars by a key and slot, so as to cause the shaft to revolve with it; at the same
time the shaft q with the grate can be raised or lowered without throwing the
worm and wheel out of gear, for the purpose of removing the fire when neces-
sary, on any extraordinary pressure of steam in the boiler, or for the purpose
of lighting the fire or other purposes. The hollow axis shaft or tube q serves

page_text: as an air or blow pipe, and is furnished with a fire-brick mouth-piece r,
and a regulating damper below, to supply fresh air into the midst of the flame
and vapour above the top of the ignited coals, in order to ensure the more
perfect combustion of the smoke arising therefrom. L is the man-hole, in
this instance placed on the top of the steam chamber, through which a work-
man can get, to clean the various water chambers, the chimney being removed
for the purpose.
s, s, is an angular ledge, placed around the revolving grate,
to prevent the admission of air into the furnace, at this part. There are
apertures t, t, in the bottom plate of the boiler for the purpose of cleaning
out the flues, and are furnished with covers properly secured to the plate.
I would here remark that the boiler may be taken to pieces, by first removing
the outer jacket or casing 9, and then unscrewing or separating the boiler at
the line c, d, in Fig. 3, (as Fig. 2,) and also unscrewing or separating the
boiler at the line g, h, (as Fig. 4,) when the two outer domes shape parts or
sections of the boiler a, b, may be removed or separated from the two inner
ones c, d, whereby all the flues will be opened, and the water chambers sepa-
rated from one another, but each chamber will remain complete in itself. I
would here remark, that all the parts of the water chambers or boiler are
intended to be rivetted together, and screwed nuts only applied at the joints
next the flues; and I would further remark, that I have not shewn the shape
of the various plates of which the boiler is to be formed, or where they are to
be rivetted together, as different boiler-makers would prefer different shaped
plates; therefore it is unnecessary for me to shew the particular sections or
shapes of the plates or pieces of which the boilers are composed.
Fig. 1, Sheet II., is an end elevation of a vaggon-head or culvert-shaped
boiler, with ascending and descending flues and stationary fire bars; Fig. 2 is a
transverse section, taken vertically through the boiler flues and furnace in the
line a, b, in Figures 3 and 4; the former Figure being a vertical section, taken
longitudinally through the bars, furnace, and flues in the line c, d, in Figures 2
and 4; the latter Figure being a horizontal section in the line e, f, in Figures
1, 2, and 3, shewing the fire bars and water passages which connect the
chambers to each other at the bottom part. Fig. 5 is another horizontal
section, taken in the line g, h, in Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is another transverse
vertical section, taken in the line k, l, in Figures 3 and 4. A, A, is the furnace
or fire-place; B, the water chambers; C, C, the flues; D, the steam chamber;
F, steam pipe; E, the chimney; K, the fire bars. The other letters of
reference being marked upon corresponding parts to those in the former
Figures, no further reference to them will be necessary.
u, u, are apertures

page_text: with screw plugs for cleaning out the bottom of the water chambers. This
construction of boiler can be taken to pieces, after removing the jacket and
chimney, by unscrewing or separating the boiler at the parts v, v, in Fig. 1,
and at the parts w, w, in Fig. 2 (as in Figures 4 and 5), when the two
water chambers are parted, as in the former instance.
Fig. 1, Sheet III., is a side elevation of one of my improved con-
structions of waggon-head or culvert-shaped boilers, in which the flues
traverse the boiler longitudinally, instead of ascending and descending, as
in the former instances. Fig. 2 is an end elevation; Fig. 3 is a longitu-
dinal vertical section, taken through the fire-place, flues, and water chambers
in the line a, b, in Fig. 4, which Figure is a horizontal section taken
in the line c, d, in Fig. 3 and Fig. 5, the latter Figure being a transverse
vertical section taken in the line e, f, in Figures 1 and 4. Fig. 6 is a
transverse section, taken in the line g, h, in Fig. 3, shewing the flues and
water chambers. A is the furnace; B, the water chambers, connected together
by the passages h, h; C, C, are the flues; D, the steam chamber; F, steam
pipe; E, the chimney. The same letters of reference are marked on other
corresponding parts to the former Figures; therefore the same description will
serve to explain them. x is the feed or supply pipe, the lower end of which is
plugged up and has apertures y, y, at the sides, opening opposite the several
water chambers;,, are pipes extending along the bottom of the boiler, with
branch pipes connected to the bottom of the water chambers, for the purpose
of blowing off the sediment deposited in the bottom part of the water
chambers and emptying the boiler. &, &, are side flues or passages which
connect the outermost flues between the culvert-shaped water chambers to the
jacket or casing surrounding the steam chamber and leading to the chimney,
the lower ends of these passages or flues &, &, being connected to the boiler
by a cemented or luted joint. It will be seen that in this construction of
boiler there is an extra pan of waggon-head or culvert-shaped parts or sections
facing another water chamber, which may be also applied in the former con-
structions, if desirable. This boiler may be taken to pieces, by unscrewing at
t, t, are the apertures,
the parts v, v, and w, w, in Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5.
supplied with screw plugs, to clean the bottom part of the flues; and u, u, are
other similar holes and plugs, to clean the lower part of the water chamber.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Holmes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six.
JOHN (L.S.) HOLMES.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of September,
in the seventh year of the reign of His Majesty King William the Fourth,
the said John Holmes came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery,
and acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and everything therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the instrument
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the
fifty-fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Seventh day of October, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-six.