CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS, AND IN THE MODE OF SUPPORTING STEAM BOILERS ON THEIR SEATINGS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Goodfellow, of Hyde, in the County of
Chester, Engineer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS, AND IN THE MODE OF SUPPORTING STEAM
BOILERS ON THEIR SEATINGS."
Sealed the 20th February 1857, and dated the 81st October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Goodfellow at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st October 1856.
I, BENJAMIN GOODFELLOW, of Hyde, in the County of Chester, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS, AND IN THE MODE OF SUPPORTING STEAM
BOILERS ON THEIR SEATINGS," to be as follows:-
In cylindrical boilers of the ordinary construction, and supported in the
usual manner by brick seatings, it frequently happens that the unequal
expansion of the lower plates and the friction of the boiler on the seating
cause the rivets connecting the lower plates near the centre of the boiler to
work loose, or the plates themselves to be injured. Now my Invention consists
in remedying these evils, either by slinging one end of the boiler so that the
unequal strain on the lower plates is avoided, or by fixing longitudinal stays to
the bottom of the boiler, or by connecting the lower part of the ends of the

page_text: boiler by through stays, so as to render the said lower part sufficiently strong
to resist the injurious effects of the unequal expansion and the friction of the
boiler on the seating. The slinging of the boiler at one end is effected by
rivetting or otherwise attaching brackets to the boiler, which brackets are
suspended by rods and fixings attached to any suitable supports, the other end
of the boiler being supported on the seating in the usual manner permits the
expansion and contraction to take place without injury to the plates.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Goodfellow in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
GOODFELLOW, of Hyde, in the County of Chester, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Benjamin Goodfellow, Her special license that 1, the said Benjamin
Goodfellow, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Benjamin Goodfellow, 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
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM BOILERS, AND IN THE
MODE OF SUPPORTING STEAM BOILERS ON THEIR SEATINGS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Benjamin Goodfellow, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 Benjamin Goodfellow, 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 (that is to say):-
In cylindrical o'lers of the ordinary construction, and supported in the

page_text: usual manner by brick seatings, it frequently happens that the unequal
expansion of the lower plates and the friction of the boiler on the seating
cause the rivets connecting the lower plates near the centre of the boiler to
work loose, or the plates themselves to be injured. Now my Invention consists
in remedying these evils, either by slinging one end of the boiler so that the
unequal strain on the lower plates is avoided, or by fixing longitudinal stays to
the bottom of the boiler, or by connecting the lower part of the ends of the
boiler by through stays, so as to render the said lower part sufficiently strong
to resist the injurious effects of the unequal expansion and the friction of the
boiler on the scating.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me, reference being
had to the accompanying Drawing, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon.
Fig. 1 is a transverse section, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section, of an
ordinary cylindrical boiler, to which my improvements are applied. a is the
outer shell of the boiler; b, b, are the two cylindrical flues; and c, c, the outer
walls or brickwork of the seating. The longitudinal stays d and e arc rivetted
or otherwise attached to the bottom of the boiler, and they extend about two-
thirds of the length thereof, as shewn in Fig. 2, or they may extend the whole
length, if preferred. The stay d is shewn of ordinary angle iron, and the stay e
of ordinary T iron; either of these shaped stays may be used, or iron of any
other suitable section may be employed, or through stays placed near the bottom
of the boiler for connecting the lower part of the ends thereof, or in the positions
of the stays d and e, may be substituted in lieu of the said stays d and c. The
object of these stays is to render the said lower part of the boiler sufficiently
strong to resist the injurious effects of unequal expansion, and consequently to
prevent the friction of the boiler on the seating when the boiler is supported
on seatings of the usual construction.
When my improved mode of supporting boilers on their seatings is adopted,
the stays above described are not absolutely requisite, inasmuch as the slinging
of one end of the boiler prevents the friction of the boiler on its seating. The
brackets 9, 9, are rivetted or otherwise connected to the boiler; these brackets,
and consequently the end of the boiler to which they are attached, is suspended
by the rods h, h, to the beam i, which bears on the side walls c', c', of the boiler
scating; the other end of the boiler is supported on the seating j, in the usual
manner; by this means the expansion and contraction of the boiler is at liberty
to take place without injury to the plates.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that when boilers are con

page_text: structed with my improved mode of staying them at the lower part, as shewn
and as described, they may be supported on seatings of the usual construction
without injury, as tho stays render the lower part of the boiler sufficiently
strong to resist the injurious effects of unequal expansion and the friction of
the boiler on the seating; and that when my improved mode of slinging or
supporting steam boilers is adopted, the stays may be dispensed with, as only
one end of the boiler is then supported on stationary seating, and the other end
is free to move in the suspending rods or sling. I wish however to remark
that my improvements may be used combined, if desirable.
Having thus particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I declare that I claim,-
First, the stays marked d and e, or the through stays described, or any
modification thereof for staying the bottoms of boilers.
And, secondly, supporting and slinging steam boilers in such wise that the
injurious effects of expansion and friction are avoided, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Goodfellow, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
H. B. BARLOW,
Manchester.
B. GOODFELLOW. (L.B.)