IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HENRY HEATON, of San Lorenzo 11, Malaga, in the Kingdom of Spain,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM BOILERS " to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the construction of steam boilers, of spherical, or nearly
spherical, shape, having within a spherical, or nearly spherical, combustion chamber
or fire box as hereinafter described.
In constructing boilers according to my invention I make the outer shell of the
boiler itself spherical, or nearly spherical, and within a smaller spherical, or nearly
spherical, and approximately concentric combustion chamber or fire box.
I generally place the fire box under the boiler and connect it with the com-
bustion chamber by a large tubular opening through the bottom of the boiler, also
when desired by a series of tubular flues passing through the water space.
I prefer to place the combustion chamber rather below the position it would
occupy if it were concentric with the outer shell.
The intervening space between the combustion chamber or fire box and outer
shell, which forms the boiler, is traversed by a series of tubular flues through
which the products of combustion pass and assist in heating the surrounding
water, and I further increase the heating surface by a series of water tubes, placed
within the combustion chamber or fire box and opening into the water space of
the boiler.
I provide means for introducing heated air and mixing it with the products of
combustion at or near the entrance to the combustion chamber and for this purpose
I provide suitable inlets and air flues passing into the fire box and through over or
near the fire in such manner that the air in passing is raised to a high temperature
and such air passages or flues may be made to intercept the flames and protect the
bottom of the boiler at the part where any sediment in the inside would accumulate
and where also the boiler would without such protection be exposed to the greatest
heat
Over the upper part of the spherical shell of the boiler I attach a steam dome,
which may be surrounded or partly surrounded and covered by a smoke box
which covers the upper part of the boiler and steam dome or some part thereof,

page_text: Sometimes instead of placing the fire box under the boiler I place it within it in
the chamber hitherto described as a combustion chamber or fire box.
By the above described spherical construction I obtain a boiler of great strength
and with a very large proportion of heating surface and with other advantages
incident to the same.
NEWNHAM BROWNE,
Agent for the Petitioner.
I, HENRY HEATON, of San Lorenzo, 11, Malaga, in the Kingdom of Spain,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM BOILERS " to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the construction of steam boilers, of spherical or nearly
spherical shape, having within a spherical or nearly spherical combustion chamber
or firebox as hereinafter described.
.
In constructing boilers according to my invention, I make the outer shell of the
boiler itself spherical or nearly spherical, and within it a smaller spherical or
nearly spherical and approximately concentric combustion chamber or firebox.
I generally place the firebox under or partly under the boiler and connect it
with the combustion chamber by one or more large tubular openings through the
bottom part of the boiler, also when desired by a series of tubular flues passing
through the water space.
I prefer to place the combustion chamber rather below the position it would
occupy if it were concentric with the outer shell.
The intervening space between the combustion chamber or firebox and outer
shell, which forms the boiler, is traversed by a series of tubular smoke flues or
tubes through which the products of combustion pass and assist in heating the
surrounding water, and I further increase the heating surface by a series of water
tubes placed within the combustion chamber or firebox and opening into the
water space of the boiler.
I provide means for introducing heated air and mixing it with the products of
combustion at or near the entrance to the combustion chamber and for this purpose
I provide suitable inlets and air flues passing over and around the furnaces or
firebox in such a manner that the air in passing is raised to a high temperature.
Such air passages or flues may be made to intercept the flames and protect the
bottom of the boiler, at the part where any sediment in the inside would be apt to
accumulate and where the boiler would (particularly when fired directly underneath)
without such protection be exposed to the greatest heat.

page_text: Upon the upper part of the spherical shell of the Boiler, I attach one or more
steam domes or chests, which may be partly surrounded or covered by the smoke
box on the upper: part of the boiler.
Sometimes instead of placing the firebox or furnace under or partly under the
boiler I place it within it in the chamber previously described as a combustion
chamber or firebox.
By the above described spherical and tubular construction I obtain a Boiler of
great strength and lightness suitable either for marine or land purposes-Such a
boiler is of simple construction, the expansion and contraction of its parts is
equalized and the boiler is not liable to become bulged in the firebox or combustion
chamber. The said construction also allows stays to be dispensed with whilst all
portions of the boiler are readily accessible for cleaning or repairs. The heating
surface is also large and very perfect combustion of the fuel used is attainable.
A boiler embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying_drawings
wherein Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section on line Y Y, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, is a
plan of the same partly in section on line X X Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are details.
The outer shell A of the boiler is spherical or nearly so, being composed of
suitably shaped plates preferably placed flush with each other and fastened by
means of a belt rivetted on the outside.
Within this outer shell is placed a smaller inner shell B forming a spherical com-
bustion chamber C as shewn in Fig. 1, rather below the position it would occupy
if it were concentric with the outer shell.
This combustion chamber is connected with the outer shell at the lower part by
means of six large preferably oval tubes D flanged and rivetted to both, see Fig. 3.
These tubes may either be round or oval, or by placing a larger number of them,
to give the necessary cross sectional area, they may be made small in diameter and
simply expanded by the tube expander as will readily be understood.
I prefer the large openings as shewn as they give a better draught and readier
access to the interior of the chamber C.
At the upper part the combustion chamber C is connected with A by the tubes E,
through which the gases pass on their way to the smoke box F.
I also shew the two Furnaces G. G. placed partly below the Boiler and extending
frontwards, each having a Fireclay arch H, (see Figs. 1 and. 4) similar to that of a
gas retort. This serves for causing the perfect ignition of the gases before they
come in contact with the Boiler, and to insure more perfect combustion, I cause
the hot air from the spaces I around the furnace arches to be discharged through
small openings in the bridge J.
The spaces I are also very useful for supplying forced air to the ashpit and the
opening I shown in Fig. 4 is so arranged that it can easily be connected either to
the downward pipe of a wind sail, on board a vessel or to the exhaust of a fan or
blower. Fig. 3, is a sectional plan taken on the line Z. Z. in Fig. 1, and shows
the large tubular openings D through which the products of combustion pass on
entering the chamber C.
K. K. are a series of water tubes placed inside the combustion chamber C as
shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
These water tubes I place either parallel or otherwise and they may be of a much
larger diameter in proportion than appears in the drawings and with flanges
rivetted to the shell of the combustion chamber. The series of smoke tubes
marked E I prefer placing as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2; the clearance between one.
cluster and another is preferably so arranged that a man may be able to get down
between them, to clean the lower part of the boiler, and to expand the lower ends
of the water tubes K above the large tubular openings.
The lower ends of the central water tubes K. are expanded from the mud
collector L, which also contains the circulating tube L'. M, is the steam dome with
manhole on the top. N. N. are the pipes connecting the dome to the steam
chests O. O. which may be arranged in any convenient manner.

page_text: F is the smoke box for conducting the smoke to the funnels or smoke
stacks Q. Q.
It will be seen that the products of combustion after passing from the furnaces
G. G. impinge against the lower part of the boiler shell, then pass through the
large tubular openings D. D. into the combustion chamber C, and there come in
contact with the water tubes marked K. K. having to pass by these before reaching
the smoke tubes E. E through which they then pass, then along the smoke box F
to the funnels or smoke stacks Q. Q.
The inside of the casing R which also serves as a stand for the Boiler, may be
lined either with Asbestos or Firebrick.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :
1. A boiler or generator consisting of two spherical shells or casings placed one
within another and connected with one another and with one or more furnaces and
smoke stacks by means of flues or tubes all arranged and combined substantially as
set forth and shown in the accompanying drawings.
2. A spherical boiler within which is placed a spherical combustion chamber into
which pass the heated gases generated by a furnace placed under or partly under
the boiler, the products of combustion passing from the said combustion chamber
into a smoke box or casing surrounding the steam dome or domes and thence to
one or more smoke-stacks, substantially as set forth and shown in the drawings.
3. In combination with a spherical boiler enclosing a spherical combustion
chamber a furnace surrounded by or provided with a chamber or space in which
air is heated, the air thus heated being introduced into the combustion chamber
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.