IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEAM-BOILERS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Howden, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineer, and William Becket Hill, of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Steam-ship Owner, for an Invention of IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM-BOILERS."
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Howden and William
Becket Hill at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th
November 1880.
JAMES HOWDEN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer,
and WILLIAM BECKET HILL, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Steam-ship
Owner. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS."
This Invention has for its object to construct steam boilers in an improved and
simplified manner, boilers made with the improvements being well adapted for
high pressures, although also advantageously applicable with low or moderate
pressures.
A steam boiler made with the improvements comprises two horizontal cylindrical
shells placed end to end in the same vertical plane, but with the front shell higher
than the back one. The back end of the front shell partly overlaps the front end
of the back shell, and the boilers are open to each other at the overlapping part,
the end plate of each shell being flanged out and rivetted to the cylindrical part of
the other shell. With this exception, each shell forms a complete cylinder, there
being no upward indentation in the bottom of the front shell to form a firebox or
flame chamber, and which constitutes a constructive difficulty and defect in certain
existing steam boilers. The furnace or fire space is formed under the front shell
with firebrick sides, and the fire gases pass thence through tubes occupying nearly
the whole of the part of the back shell below the front shell. With the improved
construction hereinbefore described, the front shell can be kept of a moderate size
suited for high pressures, whilst the back shell may be varied in size relatively to
the front shell to suit the requirements of different cases.
The front shell may with advantage be placed with its axis slightly inclined from
the horizontal with the inner end lower, to favor the descent of sedimentary
matters from the upper shell to the bottom of the lower one and the back shell
may be placed with a slight opposite inclination, its back end being made higher to
give a slight upward direction to the tubes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Howden and William Becket Hill in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 13th May 1881.
JAMES HOWDEN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer,
and WILLIAM BECKET HILL, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Steam-
ship Owner. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS."
Our said Invention has for its object to construct steam boilers in an improved
and simplified manner, boilers made with our improvements being well adapted
for high pressures, although also advantageously applicable with low or moderate
pressures.
A steam boiler made with our improvements comprises two horizontal cylindrical
shells placed end to end in the same vertical plane, but with the front shell higher
than the back one. The back end of the front shell partly overlaps the front end
of the back shell, and the shells are open to each other at the overlapping part.
With this exception, each shell forms a complete cylinder, there being no upward
indentation in the bottom of the front shell to form a fire box or flame chamber,
and which constitutes a constructive difficulty and defect in certain existing steam
boilers. The furnace or fire space is formed under the front shell, and the fire gases
pass thence through tubes occupying nearly the whole of the part of the back shell
below the front shell. With our improved construction, the front shell can be kept
of a moderate size suited for high pressures, whilst the back shell may be varied
in size relatively to the front shell to suit the requirements of different cases.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, we hereunto append a Sheet of explanatory Drawings,
to be hereinafter referred to, and representing a pair of steam boilers as made with
our improvements.
Figure 1 of the Drawings is a longitudinal vertical section, and Figure 2 is a
sectional front elevation. The same reference numerals are used to mark the same
or like parts wherever they are repeated.
In the Drawings, two boilers, each with its furnace, are shown combined with
one uptake 3, but the boilers may be used singly, or more than two may be com-
bined. Each boiler consists of two cylindrical shells 4, 5, placed horizontally or
nearly so, and end to end, but the front shell 4 at a higher level than the back
shell 5. At the part where the adjacent ends 6, 7, of the two shells overlap, an open
communication is made from one shell to the other, and the end plates 6, 7, are
flanged outwards, and are riveted each to the cylindrical part of the other shell.
Horizontal stays 8 are fixed between the upper part of the front end plate 9 and
the inner end plate 6 of the front shell 4, and similar but longer stays 10 fixed to
the lower part of the front end plate 9 pass through to the upper part of the back
end plate 11 of the back shell 5. A large part of the portion of the back shell 5,
that is, below the level of the front shell 4, is occupied by tubes 12, a sufficient
number of which are fitted to act as stays between the lower part of the back end
plate 11 and the forward or inner end plate 7 of the back shell 5. The furnace or
fire space 13, with the usual fire bars 14, is formed under the front shell 4, and the
fire gases pass from it through the tubes 12 in the back shell 5 to the smoke box 15
at the back, and to the uptake 3. The furnace 13 is formed with sides 16 of fire-
brick or other suitable refractory material, and is enclosed by an external sheet iron
casing 17, between which and the firebrick side 16 there is a space which is packed
with any suitable non-conducting material.
The front shell 4 may with advantage be placed with its axis slightly inclined
from the horizontal with the inner end lower, to favor the descent of sedimentary

page_text: matters from the front or upper shell 4 to the bottom of the lower or back shell 5,
and the back shell 5 may be placed with a slight opposite inclination, its back end
being made higher (as shown in the Drawing), to give a slight upward direction to
the tubes 12.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we have to state that we do not restrict ourselves to the
precise details herein described or delineated, but that what we believe to be novel
and original, and claim as the Invention secured to us by and in terms of the here-
inbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
The improved construction of steam boiler, in which two horizontal or nearly
horizontal cylindrical shells are combined, the front shell being placed higher and
having the furnace beneath it, but without any upward indentation, and the part
of the back shell which is lower than the front shell, being occupied by tubes for
passage of the fire gases, substantially as hereinbefore described.
the
In witness whereof, I, the said James Howden, on behalf of myself and of
the said William Becket Hill, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and eighty one.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JAMES HOWDEN. (L.S.)