IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS OR GENERATORS."
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Shepherd, of the City of Manchester, Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILERS OR GENERATORS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Shepherd at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st May 1877.
JAMES SHEPHERD, of the City of Manchester, Engineer.
STEAM BOILERS OR GENERATORS.”
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
My Invention relates to sectional steam boilers or generators, and consists of
improvements on my Patent No. 1849, A.D. 1873, for "Improvements in Steam
Boilers or Generators," and which may be used for various other purposes, such as
heating by hot-water circulation.
•
In carrying my improvements into effect I construct one or more vessels, each of
conical form and placed vertically, the largest diameter when in position being
upwards. To this upward part I connect a parallel belt, the top of the belt being
enclosed by another cone or dome-shaped cover or lid. The lower and upper ends
of the section thus formed are provided with flanges, for the purpose of connecting
thereto the required water-supply cylinders and steam delivery pipes.
The entire section may be made of wrought iron welded at the seams, or rivetted
together in the usual manner of connecting plates, or the top cover may be made of
cast or malleable iron, but in any case the top cover is provided with a suitable
opening and lid known as a sight or hand hole, to facilitate internal cleansing or
examination.
In the arrangement of a boiler containing more than one section of the aforesaid
conical description such sections are connected at their lower flanges to wrought-
iron horizontal tubes or cylinders, or to a cylinder or cylinders baving an inner flue
running through its or their length. These cylinders form the lower portion of the.
boiler, and are fixed on cast or other bearers.
The front end of each horizontal cylinder may be coned and flanged, or have
flanges attached thereto, and also may be arranged to receive an internal bed with

page_text: a loose cover or lid forming a man-hole, to facilitate entrance for cleansing and
inspection. The cylinders, according to the number employed for any given power
of boiler, are ranged in parallel rows, side by side, and connected at their lower levels
by a main pipe, through which the feed water enters to supply the cylinders, and
they in turn supply the various conical sections which are connected to them on the
upper side.
The conical sections may be arranged in parallel or rectangular groups, according
to circumstances, but for hand-fired boilers I prefer the parallel arrangement. I
cause a series of plates of cast iron, fire-clay, or other suitable material to rest upon
the upper portion of the bottom flanges of the sections, thus forming a firing floor
or division between the sections and the lower cylinders. I fix a similar arrange
ment of plates at the top portion of the several sections (by preference dividing
into two halves the parallel belt portion of the sections), so as to form a roof to the
furnace or firing portion of the boiler. The whole of these plates, top and bottom,
are like other parts of the boiler, strictly interchangeable, so as to give great facility
for the cleaning and inspection of the parts, and for carriage, and also to provide a
cheap and expeditious method of renewal.
The several sections are joined at the top flanges one to another by steam pipes
placed in parallel rows, and the several pipes are connected to one large main or
trunk pipe, which may run along either side or over the centre portion of the boiler,
from end to end, so as to afford ample means for carrying off the steam generated in
the various sections or cones. On this main steam pipe I fix the safety valves and the
stop or junction valve. The entire boiler is encased in brickwork, in a manner
similar to ordinary internally-fired boilers, and may be fitted with all the usual or
desired mountings.
The fire-bars are placed between the front rows or sections rather higher than
the bottom firing floor or division plates, and are separated from them by the fire-
bridge or bridges, thus forming an internally-fired boiler.
The gases from the furnace pass first directly amongst the sections to the back
end, thence through openings in the fire-brick wall or screen plate to the lower
cylinders, returning by one or more runs to the damper. Or when the cylinders
contain an inner flue, then the gases are arranged to pass, after leaving the furnace
or sections, through the inner flue, and back underneath the cylinders to the damper,
thus utilizing the gases as much as desirable.
In working, the water in the boiler should stand about half way up the before-
mentioned parallel belt portion of the sections.
The upper parts of the belts form steam spaces or reservoirs, thus dispensing
with the necessity of the steam chambers described by me in my former Speci-
.fication.
These various steam-receiving portions of the sections are shielded from the
action of the furnace by the top roofing plates, but receive sufficient heat to prevent
the steam suffering loss from radiation and exposed surface.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Shepherd in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st October
1877.
JAMES SHEPHERD, of the City of Manchester, Engineer.
STEAM BOILERS OR GENERATORS."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
My Invention relates to sectional steam boilers or generators, and consists of
improvements upon my Patent Numbered 1849 of the year One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-three, and also entitled "Improvements in Steam Boilers or
Generators," which improvements may be applied to various other purposes, such
as heating by hot-water circulation.

page_text: In carrying my improvements into effect I construct one or more vessels, each of
conical form and placed vertically, the largest diameter when in position being
upwards. To this upward part I connect a parallel belt, and the top of this belt
I enclose by another cone or dome-shaped cover or lid. The lower and upper ends
of the section thus formed are provided with flanges, for the purpose of connecting
thereto the required water-supply cylinders and steam delivery pipes.
The entire section may be made of wrought iron welded at the seams, or rivetted
together in the usual manner of connecting plates, or the top cover may be made of
cast or malleable iron, but in any case the top cover should be provided with a
suitable opening and lid known as a sight or hand hole, to facilitate internal
cleansing and examination. I provide for this purpose a loose internal guide plate
and adjusting screw, whereby the bolt and cross bar is prevented falling down the
section.
In the arrangement of a boiler containing more than one section of the foregoing
conical description such sections are connected at their lower flanges to wrought-
iron horizontal tubes or cylinders, or it may be to a cylinder or cylinders having an
inner flue running through its length. These cylinders form the lower portion of the
boiler, and are fixed on cast metal or other bearers.
The front end of each of the horizontal cylinders may be coned and flanged, or
have flanges attached thereto, and also may be arranged to receive an internal bed
with a loose cover or lid forming a man-hole, to facilitate entrance for cleaning and
inspection. The cylinders, according to the number employed for any given power
of boiler, are arranged in parallel rows side by side, and connected at their lower
levels by a main pipe, through which the feed water enters to supply the cylinders,
and they in turn supply the various conical sections which are connected to them on
the upper side.
The conical sections may be arranged in parallel or rectangular groups, according
to circumstances, but for hand-fired boilers I prefer the parallel arrangement.
cause a series of plates of cast iron, fire-clay, or other suitable material, to rest upon
the upper portion of the bottom flanges of the sections, thus forming a firing floor
or division between the sections and the lower cylinders. I fix a similar arrange-
ment of plates at the top portion of the several sections (by preference dividing
into two halves the parallel belt portion of the sections), so as to form a roof to the
furnace or firing portion of the boiler. The whole of these plates (top and bottom),
like other parts of the boiler, are preferred to be constructed in such a manner as to
be strictly interchangeable, so as to give great facility for the cleaning and inspection
of the parts, and for carriage, and also to provide cheap and expeditious means of
renewal.
The several sections are joined together at their top flanges one to another by
steam pipes placed in parallel rows, and the several pipes are connected to one large
main or trunk pipe, which may run along either side, or over the centre portion of
the boiler, from end to end, so as to afford ample means for carrying off the steam
generated in the various sections or cones. On this main steam pipe I fix the safety
valves and the stop or junction valve. The entire boiler is encased in brickwork,
in a manner similar to ordinary internally-fired boilers, and may be fitted with all
the usual or desired mountings.
The fire-bars are placed between the front rows of sections rather higher than the
bottom firing floor or division plates, and are separated from them by the fire-bridge
or bridges, thus forming an internally-fired boiler.
The gases from the furnace pass first directly amongst the sections to the back.
end thereof, thence through openings in a fire-brick wall or screen plate to the lower
cylinders, returning by one or more runs to the damper. Or when the cylinders
contain an inner flue, then the gases are caused to pass, after leaving the furnace or
sections, through the inner flue or flues, and back underneath the cylinders to the
damper, thus utilizing the gases as much as desirable.
In working, the water in the boiler should stand about half way up the before-
mentioned parallel belt portion of the sections,

page_text: But that the invention may be ruuу understood, I win, by the aid of the accom
panying Drawings, proceed to describe means pursued by me in carrying the same
into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a boiler constructed according to my
Invention, and with the parallel arrangement of the sections, and Figure 2 shows a
longitudinal section of the same; Figure 3 shows a transverse section on line C, D,
and Fig. 4 shows an end elevation on line F, F; Figure 5 shows a plan on line A, B ;
and Figure 6 a transverse section of the modified arrangement with a cylinder
containing an inner flue; Figure 7 shows a vertical section of various details
enlarged.
In each of these views the same letters indicate corresponding parts wherever
they occur.
a, a, are the conical vessels; a', a¹, are the parallel belts; and a³, a³, are the coned
or dome-shaped covers to the same. At the lower end of a, a, are flanges, which
enable the sections formed of the foregoing portions to be connected to the water-
supply cylinders b, b. In like manner the dome-shaped covers are provided at their
upper ends with flanges, which enable them to be connected to the steam delivery
pipes c, c, which in turn are connected to the trunk pipe c', c'. The top covers a³, a²,
are provided with suitable openings and lids, known as sight or hand holes, for cleansing
purposes, and for internal examination; one of these lids is shewn in Figure 7, and
marked d, d; d, d¹, is the loose internal guide plate; d, d, the adjusting screw,
whereby the cross bar d³, d³, is prevented falling down the section. The horizontal
tubes or water-supply cylinders b, b, are made of wrought iron, and are fixed on the
bearers e, e.
The cylinders b, b, are arranged side by side, and are connected at
their upper or lower levels, or both, by a main pipe or pipes f¹, f¹, through which
(by preference the upper one) the feed water enters to supply the cylinders; these
in turn supply the various sections a, a, which are connected to the cylinders b,.b,
on their upper sides; g,g, are the plates forming the firing floor or division between
the sections and lower cylinders, and h, h, are the plates forming the roof of the
furnace or firing portion of the boiler; j, j, are the fire-bars, and k, k, is the bridge
which separates the same from the plates g, g, forming the firing floor; 1, 1, in
Fig. 6, is a cylinder with an internal flue, to which the various sections are attached,
and which forms a modification of my Invention.
Having thus described my improvements, and the means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the exact details shewn and described, as variations may be made in
them without departing from the peculiar character of my Invention, but what I do
claim is,―
First. The constructing for steam boilers or generators conical sections formed
with broad, parallel, or other belts, whereby each section is made to form a steam
chamber for itself, and thereby dispensing with the special steam chambers described
in my Patent Numbered 1849, of the year One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three, substantially as described.
Secondly. The combining with such or other conical sections at their lower
extremities (horizontal cylinders, with or without internal flues, such cylinders
carrying the feed water, and being so arranged as to be heated by the gases from
the furnaces before such gases shall have passed to the damper, substantially as
described.
Thirdly. The so arranging the sections in combination or connection with the
furnace or firing space in sectional boilers that they shall form an internally-fired
boiler, in manner substantially as described.

page_text: And, Fourthly. The construction of hand or sight holes in sections for sectional
boilers with a loose internal guide plate and adjusting screw, in manner substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Shepherd, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day September, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
W. GADD.
Consulting Engineer,
64, Barton Arcade,
Manchester,
JAMES SHEPHERD. (L.S.)