IMPROVEMENTS IN. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING STEAM BOILERS WITH WATER
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Woolner, of Blue Pits, in the County
of Lancaster, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
APPARATUS FOR FEEDING STEAM BOILERS WITH WATER."
Sealed the 5th January 1859, and dated the 5th July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Woolner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th July 1858.
I, THOMAS WOOLNER, of Blue Pits, in the County of Lancaster, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING STEAM BOILERS WITH WATER," to be as
follows:-
The Invention is designed for the purpose of economizing the fuel employed
for generating steam in locomotive and stationary steam boilers by the appli-
cation of this improvement thereto.
The improvement consists in a novel and peculiar arrangement and position
of the feed pipe for supplying the boiler with water, which is caused to pass
through the interior of the boiler flue or flues in a continuous serpentine or
zig-zag direction or course, commencing at the fire-hole of one flue and
making its exit at the fire-hole of another flue, and in all the flues passes
beneath the fire-bars, so that the water in the pipe is not subjected to the
heat of the flames until it has passed beyond the bridge of the fire-bars. The

page_text: serpentine or zig-zag bend of the pipe is confined between the bridge and the
extreme end of the boiler flue, and from thence passes into the next flue.
The feeding end of the pipe is supplied with a valve opening inwards to the
boiler, so that the water once admitted to the boiler, cannot return; by this
means the boiler and pipe is kept full.
The water having been beated by this means becomes ready for admission
to the boiler, where it is readily converted into steam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Woolner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th January 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM, THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WOOLNER, of Blue Pits, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Woolner, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
Her special license that I, the said Thomas Woolner, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Woolner,
my 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR FEEDING STEAM BOILERS WITH WATER," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Woolner, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the 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 Thomas Woolner, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
The Invention is designed for the purpose of economizing the fuel employed

page_text: for generating steam in locomotive and stationary steam boilers, by the appli-
cation of this improvement thereto.
The improvement consists in a novel and peculiar arrangement. and position
of the feed pipe for supplying the boiler with water, which is caused to pass
through the interior of the boiler flue or flues in a continuous serpentine or
zig-zag direction or course, commencing at the fire-hole of one flue and
making its exit at the fire-hole of another flue, and in all the flues passes
beneath the fire-bars, so that the water in the pipe is not subjected to the
heat of the flames until it has passed beyond the bridge of the fire-bars. The
serpentine or zig-zag bend is confined or supported between the bridge and
the extreme end of the boiler flue, and from thence passes into the next flue..
The feeding end of the pipe is supplied with a valve opening inwards to
the boiler, so that the water once admitted to the boiler, cannot return; by
this means the boiler and pipe is kept full.
The water having been heated by this apparatus becomes ready for admission
to the boiler, where it becomes quickly converted into steam.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawing, made upon a scale of
about three-fourths of an inch to a foot, and having similar letters of reference
marked upon corresponding parts of the apparatus, clearly exhibiting my
Invention as applied to an ordinary steam boiler.
Fig. 1 is a plan view, shewn in section, of a steam boiler with two internal
flues, having my improvement attached; this view shews the serpentine
direction of the feed pipe, extending from one fire door to the other. Fig. 2
is a side view shewn in section, taken thro' one of the internal flues,
shewing the position of the feed pipe in such flues; and Fig. 3 is an end view
of the boiler, exhibiting the fire-doors with the feed pipe connected to the
apparatus for maintaining the circulation of the water throughout such pipe
when the pumps are not acting. In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a, a, is the boiler, and
b, b, the internal flues, extending from end to end thereof; c, c, c, is the feed
or supply pipe, which passes first beneath the fire bars, and then into one flue,
returning in a zig-zag or serpentine form as many times as may be required,
and thence into the next flue in a serpentine form, beneath the fire-bars of the
next furnace and out of the fire-door, and returns to the boiler at a point
slightly below the water level. The circulation of the water through this
pipe when the pumps are at work is effected by the action of the said pumps,
and the valve d opening inwards to the boiler and allowing of no return; but
when the pumps are not acting, the water at the bottom or lower surface of
the boiler opens a supplementary valve e in the pipe f, and allows the said

page_text: water from the boiler to pass up the pipe f, and through the feed pipe c, c,
and again into the boiler, instead of a fresh supply of cold water, whereby a
continuous circulation of water. is maintained. By supplying the boiler with
feed water thus previously heated in the feed pipe, it will be evident that
steam will be generated more quickly than when cold feed water is used, and
consequently a considerable economy in fuel is effected.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with the
method of performing the same, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I
claim the novel and peculiar arrangement and position of the feed pipe or
pipes in the internal flue or flues of boilers for supplying the boiler with
heated water, together with the particular arrangement of apparatus for
maintaining the continuous circulation of the water, as herein-before described,
set forth, and fully exhibited in the Drawings attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Woolner, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth. day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
THOMAS WOOLNER.
(L.S.)