Improved Stays for Steam and other Boilers.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 15th May, 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Stays for Steam and other Boilers.
We, REUBEN THOMAS PRESTON of the Firm of J. Stone & Co. of Deptford
in the County of Kent Engineers and JAMES HOLDEN of Hermon House
Wanstead, in the County of Essex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the construction of improved stays for steam and other
boilers by the use of which the liability to fracture which obtains in the existing
stays shall be prevented or very materially reduced.
Our improved stay consists of a bundle of wires of Stone's bronze, steel or other
suitable metal or alloy, the wires being united at each end in a manner suitable for
being fixed in the plates which are to be stayed together. The wires may be
straight and parallel to each other, or the bundle may have imparted to it a slight
twist in which case the middle wires may be of larger diameter than the outer ones
so that all the wires bear an equal strain. The wire may be round square or of
any other suitable section. Various modes of suitably uniting the wires at the
ends may be employed but the following may be named as examples. By one
method we unite the ends of the wire bundle by welding, and "jump" them up if
increased thickness is desired at those places, for instance for forming screw thread
of enlarged diameter; or we unite the ends by welding, electrically or otherwise,
and provide a ferrule or hoop welded on the end parts. By another method we
unite or solidify the ends by pouring molten metal or alloy around or upon them
or by fusing or soldering them together. We may also produce a somewhat similar
result by cutting through a solid stay in two directions at right angles to each other
by milling, sawing or otherwise the ends being left solid.
Stays made as described are of special value for staying surfaces in locomotive
fireboxes and in marine boilers of the ordinary types and of the more recently
introduced water tube constructions used for torpedo boats where the stays are
much exposed to racking or transverse strains but the stays may also be used for
steam and other boilers in general.
Dated the 15th day of August 1894.
We, REUBEN THOMAS PRESTON of the Firm of J. Stone & Co. of Deptford
in the County of Kent, Engineers, and JAMES HOLDEN of Hermon House
Wanstead in the County of Essex, 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 :-
Our invention relates to the construction of improved stays for steam and other
boilers by the use of which the liability to fracture and consequent need for
replacing which obtains with the existing forms of stays is prevented or very
077

page_text: materially reduced. Our stays have because of their flexibility been found to be
much stronger or more durable than the ordinary stays. Moreover these our stays
from the same reason prevent the formation of grooves round the stays and also
grooving from stay to stay in the plates to which they are fixed.
Our improved stay is in the portion intermediate between the plates to be stayed
together provided with recesses which divide it up into sections or provided with
through slots which divide it up into entirely separate parts. These sections or
parts are each of so small cross sectional area as to contribute to the desired
flexibility while their total or combined sectional area is such as to resist the
tensile strain and also the racking or bending strain to which they are subjected.
The dividing up of the intermediate portion between the plates required to be
stayed may be carried out through a part or through the whole of the length of
such portion and in various ways of which we will now give nine examples the
Figures 1 to 9 being side views and the Figures 1 to 9^ being corresponding cross
sections through the intermediate portion of the stay.
Figs. 1 and 1 show a stay in which a bundle of wires A of Stone's bronze,
steel or other suitable metal or alloy forms the intermediate portion or part of
same; the wires, here seven in number as an example, are united at each end in a
manner suitable for being fixed in the plates which are to be stayed together.
The wires A are straight and parallel and the ends B are shown screw threaded.
The wires A may be round as shown or square or of any other suitable section.
Figs. 2 and 24 show a modified arrangement in which the bundle of wires A have
a slight twist imparted to them and in such cases the middle wire or wires may
be of larger diameter than the outer ones so that all the wires bear an equal, strain.
Various modes of suitably uniting the wires at the ends may be employed but the
following may be named as examples. By one method we unite the ends of the
wire bundle by welding and "jump" them up if increased thickness is desired at
those places, for instance as here shown for forming screw threaded ends B, of
enlarged diameter, or we unite the ends by welding, electrically or otherwise and
provide a ferrule or hoop welded on the end parts. By another method we unite
or solidify the ends of the wire bundle by pouring molten metal or alloy around.or
upon them or by fusing or soldering them together. Care should however be taken
to highly heat the wires before the uniting process and afterwards to maintain that
heat in such manner that the intermediate parts A do not cool down more rapidly
than the ends B, as otherwise the wires at the places of junction with the ends are
liable to become brittle.
In Figs. 3 and 3* is shown a stay made of a solid bar of metal or alloy and cut
through in the middle of the intermediate part A in two directions at right angles
to each other so as to produce four separate sector-like parts by milling, sawing or
otherwise, the ends B being left solid. Figs. 4 and 4 show, the stay partly cut
through by recesses thus leaving a solid central part. Figs. 5 and 54 show a
modification of Figs. 3' and 34, the cuts being in this case slanting instead of
parallel to the axis of the stay. Figs. 6 and 6 show a similar modification
of Figs. 4 and 44. Figs. 7 and 7 show a form of stay similar to Figs. 3 and 34 but
having the intermediate portion A reduced in diameter. Figs. 8 and 8 show a
form differing from Figs. 4 and 44 in that a central hole is formed throughout its
length. This bole will generally have to be plugged at one or both ends or
closed by rivetting over when in actual use. Figs 9 and 9 show a form differing
from Figs. 6 and 6A in that a central hole as in Figs. 8 and 8 is formed throughout
its length.
"
Although we have in Figs. 3 to 9 shown only a middle part of the intermediate
portion A provided with recesses or slots, the said .recesses or slots may be formed
throughout a less or greater part of or through the entire length of the intermediate
portion of the stay between the plates required to be stayed.
Stays made as described are of, special. value for the staying of surfaces in
locomotive fire. boxes, and in marine boilers of the ordinary types and of the more
recently introduced water tube constructions used for torpedo boats where the stays

page_text: are much exposed to racking or transverse strains but the stays may also be used for
steam and other boilers in general.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A. boiler stay which in the portion intermediate between the plates to be stayed
is divided up into parts wholly or partly separated from each other for the purpose
of imparting to that portion of the stay a flexibility suitable for resisting the
racking strains caused by unequal and varying expansion and contraction, substantially
as set forth.
2. A boiler stay which in the portion intermediate between the plates to be
stayed consists of a bundle of straight or twisted wires substantially as set
forth.
3. A boiler stay which in the portion intermediate between the plates to be
stayed is formed with recesses or slots which divide up into sections or separate
parts the said portion as regards a part of or the whole of its length substantially
as set forth.
4. The constructions of stays shown in the drawings.
1 May 1895.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.