Improvements in and Machinery or Apparatus for the Manufacture of Marine and other Steam Boilers.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 26th May, 1892-Accepted, 2nd July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Machinery or Apparatus for the Manufacture
of Marine and other Steam Boilers.
We HENRY PERSHOUSE PARKES of Tipton Green Chain and Anchor Works
Tipton in the County of Stafford Chain and Anchor Manufacturer and JOHN
MCALPINE, of New Road, Blackwall London Manager of Engine Works do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object to manufacture the shells or bodies of marine
and other steam boilers wholly or mainly without rivetting, whereby their strength
and durability are so increased as to fit them for the generation of steam of very
high pressure and the liability of the yielding of or injury to the rivetted plates
when subjected to high pressures which attends the use of boilers made of rivetted
plates is avoided.
This object we effect principally by making the shell or body of the boiler and
welding the parts together by the combination of processes and by the use of the
machinery or apparatus hereinafter described so as practically to form a boiler
consisting of a solid shell or body.
We will describe our method of manufacture and the machinery or apparatus
which we employ in conducting the said manufacture in connection with the making
of a large cylindrical or oval marine boiler of steel with flat ends the said boiler
having, say, a length of about 10 or 12 feet and a diameter of about 14 feet.
In making a boiler of this kind we take a rolled steel plate of the required length
and width and of about an inch in thickness except near its ends which are pre-
ferably left of about one eighth of an inch thicker than the intermediate part. The
ends of this plate are formed by planing to a scarf or bevelled edge, the scarf ends
having parallel bevels or inclinations. The plate thus prepared is operated upon in
plate bending rolls so as to bend it into a cylindrical or oval figure and cause its
bevelled ends to abut closely against each other and form an unwelded scarf joint,
which scarf joint is welded in the manner and by the use of the following machinery
or apparatus.
This machinery or apparatus consists of a pair of joint welding rolls of a length
greater than the length of the shell of the boiler to be made. The upper roll is
capable of being separated by a vertical motion a considerable distance from and
depressed to the lower roll and one of the end standards or housings is capable of a
sliding motion for placing the upper roll within the partly made shell, the joint of
which is to be welded. We use in conjunction with this pair of welding rolls a
movable forge or hearth of the required length on which the partly made shell is
supported the said forge being provided with at least twelve blast pipes for the
purpose of bringing to a welding heat the scarf joint of the shell through the whole
of its length. This forge or hearth is mounted on wheels so that it can be drawn
back when the joint has been raised to a welding heat in order not to interfere
with the operation of the rolls. The lifting of the shell onto the upper roll and
onto the forge or hearth is effected by an overhead crane. The joint of the partly
made shell having been brought to a welding heat the forge is drawn back, the
shell is lifted by the crane and the joint part of the shell brought onto the lower
roll. The upper roll within the shell is now lowered in its hearings so as to bring
it in contact with the joint part of the shell. The joint part of the shell is thus
situated between the two rolls, one roll being outside the shell and the other roll
being inside the shell, and by operating the rolls backwards and forwards through
a small angle the edges of the joint are welded together and a cylindrical or oval
shell open at its ends formed.
The front and rear ends of the partly made boiler ore each made from a circular

page_text: or oval steel plate or disc of the required diameter which is treated in the following
manrer. The disc or plate is placed in a lathe, and by a turning operation a
portion of its edge is removed so as to leave a fin or projecting piece which fin or
projecting piece is by a forging operation bent at right angles to the disc. There
is thus formed on one face of the disc a projecting or scarf piece bevelled on its
inner edge. The scarf or projecting piece of each disc forms with the edge of the
disc a large surface by which the disc can be securely welded to the inside of
the thickened end of the cylindrical or oval shell for completing the boiler. The
welding of the circular or oval disc in the end of the shell may be conveniently
effected by means of electrical forges but we do not limit ourselves to their use.
Although both the circular or oval ends may be secured in the ends of the shell
in the manner described yet the fore end disc may be secured in its place in other
ways, which we do not consider it necessary here to describe. And although we
have described the use of a plate and discs of steel yet wrought iron or copper or
other hard and durable metals or alloys capable of being welded or brazed may be
used in place of steel.
Our improvements are applicable to the manufacture of steam boilers of various
shapes and sizes.
Dated this 2nd day of Sentember 1801
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Machinery or Apparatus for the Manufacture
of Marine and other Steam Boilers.
We, HENRY PERSHOUSE PARKES, of Tipton Green Chain and Anchor Works,
Tipton, in the County of Stafford, Chain and Anchor Manufacturer, and JOHN
MCALPINE, of New Road, Blackwall, London, Manager of Engine Works do
hereby declare the nature of our 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 has for its object to manufacture the shells or bodies of marine
and other steam boilers wholly or mainly without rivetting, whereby their strength
and durability are so increased as to fit them for the generation of steam of very
high pressure and the liability of the yielding of or injury to the rivetted plates
when subjected to high pressures which attends the use of boilers made of rivetted
plates is avoided.
This object we effect principally by making the shell or body of the boiler and
welding the parts together by the combination of processes and by the use of
the machinery or apparatus hereinafter described so as practically to form a boiler
consisting of a solid shell or body.
We will describe our method of manufacture and the machinery or apparatus
which we employ in conducting the said manufacture in connection with the making
of a large cylindrical or oval marine boiler of steel with flat ends the said boiler
having, say, a length of about ten or twelve feet and a diameter of about fourteen
feet but we do not limit ourselves to these proportions.
In making a boiler of this kind we take a rolled steel plate of the required length
and width and of about an inch in thickness except near its ends which are pre-
ferably left of about one eighth of an inch thicker than the intermediate part. The
ends of this plate are formed, by planing to a scarf or bevilled edge, the scarf ends
having parallel bevils or inclinations. The plate thus prepared is operated upon in
plate bending rolls so as to bend it into a cylindrical or oval figure and cause its
bevilled ends to lap closely over each other and form an unwelded scarf joint, which
scarf joint is welded in the manner and by the use of the following machinery or
apparatus.

page_text: This machinery or apparatus consists of a pair of joint welding rolls of a length
greater than the length of the shell of the boiler to be made. The upper roll is
capable of being separated by a vertical motion a considerable distance from and
depressed to the lower roll and one of the end standards or housings is capable of a
sliding motion or of being turned down for placing the upper roll within the partly
made shell, the joint of which is to be welded. We use in conjunction with this
pair of welding rolls a movable forge or hearth of the required length, the said
forge being provided with a number of blast pipes for the purpose of bringing to a
welding heat the scarf joint of the shell through the whole of its length. This
forge or hearth is mounted on wheels so that it can be drawn back when the joint
has been raised to a welding heat in order not to interfere with the operation of the
rolls. The lifting of the shell onto the upper roll and onto the forge or hearth is
effected by an overhead crane. The joint of the partly made shell having been
brought to a welding heat the forge is drawn back, the shell is lifted by the crane
and the joint part of the shell brought onto the lower roll. The upper roll within
the shell is now lowered in its bearings so as to bring it in contact with the joint
part of the shell. The joint part of the shell is thus situated between the two rolls,
one roll being outside the shell and the other roll being inside the shell, and by
operating the rolls backwards and forwards through a small angle the edges of the
joint are welded together and a cylindrical or oval shell open at its ends formed.
The front and rear ends of the partly made boiler are each made from a circular
or oval steel plate or disc of the required diameter which is treated in the following
manner. The disc or plate is placed in a lathe and by a turning operation a portion
of its edge is removed so as to leave a fin or projecting piece which fin or projecting
piece is by a forging operation bent at right angles to the disc. There is thus
formed on one face of the disc a projecting or scarf piece, bevilled on its inner
edge. The scarf or projecting piece of each disc forms with the edge of the disc
a large surface by which the disc can be securely welded to the inside of the
thickened end of the cylindrical or oval shell for completing the boiler. The
welding of the circular or oval disc in the end of the shell may be conveniently
effected by means of electrical forges but we do not limit ourselves to their use.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings
the manner in which the said invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents the steel plate from which the shell of the boiler is to be
made, the ends of the said steel plate having scarf or bevilled edges marked a, a.
Figure 2 represents the cylindrical shell of a marine boiler made from the
bevilled edged plate Figure 1 by plate bending rolls, the scarf joint of the shell
being marked b.
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 represent the machinery or apparatus which we use for
heating the joint of the boiler shell and for welding the said joint.
Figure 3 represents the machinery in end elevation exhibiting the boiler shell
arranged in the machine for heating the joint to a welding heat and Figure 4
represents in end elevation and Figure 5 in side elevation the said machinery in the
act of welding the joint of the boiler shell by the welding rolls of the machinery,
one of the cheeks of the rolls being indicated in its folded back position.
Figure 6 represents in end elevation, the divided cheek or standard or housing of
the rolls detached.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 3, 4, 5
and 6.
In conjunction with the apparatus represented in Figure 3, we have shown a
movable forge or hearth which is provided with the required number of blast
pipes for bringing to a welding heat the scarf joint of the boiler shell, but we do not
limit ourselves to the heating of the joint by a forge or hearth as it may be heated
by gaseous fuel or by an electrical welding apparatus.
The joint welding rolls are marked c and d, the upper roll c being carried in the
movable bearings or journals d', d sliding in the slots ff in the standards or
housings 9, 9
and raised and lowered by the screws h and hand wheels i or by

page_text: a crane so that the upper roll can be separated vertically a considerable distance
from the lower roll as represented in Figure 3 or depressed to the lower roll as
represented in Figures 4 and 5.
One of the cheeks g of the rolls is made in two parts, the division between the
two parts being marked 2 in Figure 6. The divided parts of the cheek are
fastened together by the two bolts ³, on each side of the cheek, the upper
bolts constituting joint pins on which the upper part of the cheek can be lowered
or folded back as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 5. When the boiler shell is to
be put between or taken from between the rolls, the lower bolts at each side of
the cheek are removed and the upper part of the cheek lowered or folded back on
the upper bolts g³.
The boiler shell is lifted by means of the roller n placed within it, the said roller
being furnished with hangers p, p which are connected to an overhead crane so that
the said boiler shell can be moved into the required positions for bringing the joint
to a welding heat and for welding the joint. The bottom of the boiler shell may
rest during the welding of the joint upon the side rollers represented in Figure 4
and during the heating of the joint upon the single roller 7 represented in
Figure 3.
The steel plate having been bent into a hollow cylinder with an open joint is
transferred to the machinery represented in Figures 3, 4, and 6. That is, the
supporting roller n being passed into the shell, the said roller is connected to the
crane and the upper part of the divided cheek of the rolls being folded back on
the lower part of the cheek as indicated in Figure 5 and the upper roll raised from
the lower roll d the boiler shell is passed by a side motion onto the separated upper
roll c so that the latter is situated within the shell and the said shell supported on
the roller q.
The forge or hearth or other heating apparatus being brought into use the joint
of the shell is raised to a welding heat. The forge or other heating apparatus is
then withdrawn or disconnected and the shell is again lifted so as to bring the
heated joint over the bottom roll d and the top roll is lowered and brought in
contact with the joint part of the shell. The joint part of the shell is thus situated
between the two rolls c and d as represented in Figures 4 and 5, the upper roll c
being inside the shell and the lower roll d outside the shell. By the operation of
the two rolls c, d the edges of the joint are welded together and a cylindrical shell
open at its ends formed.
The ends of the cylindrical shell may be closed by steel discs in the manner
represented in Figure 7.
One of the steel discs is represented separately in Figure 8. The discs are
marked and are welded inside the open ends of the boiler shell m by the scarf or
bevilled ring piece of the discs. The welding of the discs in the ends of the
shell may be conveniently effected by means of electrical forges, but we do not
limit ourselves to their use.
In making a boiler oval in cross section according to our invention we proceed
in the manner hereinbefore described with respect to a cylindrical boiler.
Although both the circular or oval ends may be secured in the ends of the shell
in the manner described and illustrated, yet the fore end disc may be secured in its
place in other ways. And although we have described the use of a plate and discs
of steel yet wrought iron or other hard and durable metals or alloys capable of
being welded or brazed may be used in place of steel.
Our improvements are applicable to the manufacture of steam boilers of various
shapes and sizes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed we declare that we claim as
our invention of "Improvements in and machinery or apparatus for the manufacture
of marine and other steam boilers :-
"
The combination of processes in conjunction with the machinery or apparatus

page_text: hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings for making
the shells or bodies of boilers; that is to say first bending a steel or wrought iron
plate or other hard metal plate into an open jointed shell; afterwards welding
together the edges of the joint and finally closing the open ended shell by welded
discs so as practically to form a boiler consisting of a solid shell or body substan-
tially as described and illustrated.
Dated the Twentieth day of May 1892.
HENRY PERSHOUSE PARKES.
JOHN MCALPINE.