Improvements in Economizing Heat in Steam Engines and Steam Boilers and in Preventing the Corrosion of Steam Boilers.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in Economizing Heat in Steam Engines and Steam
Boilers and in Preventing the Corrosion of Steam Boilers.
I MATTHEW PRIOR, of 3 Cawley Road, South Hackney in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
ECONOMIZING HEAT IN STEAM ENGINES AND STEAM BOILERS AND IN PREVENTING
THE CORROSION OF STEAM BOILERS to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in arresting or preventing the escape of a
portion of the heat of the steam in its passage from the cylinders to the condensers
in condensing engines, generally termed the "eduction passages," and in the passage
of the steam from the cylinders to the atmosphere, or other medium, in non-condensing
engines, generally termed the "exhaust passages," and in preventing the direct radiation
of heat in such passages and in the flues of steam, and other, boilers, and in collecting
any, or a portion of any, electricity which may be contained in the exhaust steam from
the engines, in the boilers, and in the feed-water for the boilers, and for other similar
purposes.
*
27
For this invention I use one or more series of plates-either plain or having holes
or slits in them,-rods, wires-either woven or plain,-tubes, strips, or blades, or
other like substances, hereinafter referred to as Plates, wires, or blades &c.," of any
kind of material, metallic being preferred, and I place them in any convenient part
of the eduction or exhaust passages so that they will oppose a minimum amount of
resistance to the passage of the steam consistant with the retention of a portion of
the heat from such steam, and to prevent the direct radiation of heat from the
cylinders to the condensers in the one case, and to the atmosphere, or other medium,
in the other case. I do not confine myself to any particular position, or place, in the
aforesaid passages in which to fix, or place, the "refractors as they may, in all cases,
be fixed, or placed, in the most convenient part or parts of the same, but by preference
I place them as near to the cylinders as convenient, and where necessary I increase
the size of the said passages so as to make the area for the passage of the steam the
same, or nearly the same, as it was before the "refractors"
were applied. Neither do
I confine myself to any size or shape of the "plates, wires, or blades &c.," or other
like substances, as they may be varied to meet or suit the requirements of each case,
but where convenient I prefer to make one or more frames containing a series of
plates, wires or blades &c." and to place them in the passages so that the steam will
pass between each of the plates, or through the holes or slits in the plates, where such
plates are used, or between each of the wires, blades &c. in the series.
*
And where

page_text: **
more than one frame, or set of "plates wires, or blades &c." are used I prefer so to
place each set that the spaces in one set come opposite to the " plates, wires, or
blades &c. in the former set, leaving sufficient space, or distance, between each set or
frame to avoid the too great obstruction of the passage of the steam, and also to
prevent the direct radiation of heat from the cylinders through such passages. I do
not confine myself to this particular manner of fixing or placing the "plates, wires,
or blades &c., as they may be set in a line with each other, or placed diagonally,
horizontally, or upright in relation to the passage of the steam, or they may be plain,
or bent, or corrugated, or coiled, or spiral, as I do not confine myself to any particular
form, nor to having them in every case fixed in frames. But where frames are used
to hold the "plates, wires, or blades &c.," suitable slides or ledges to hold the frames
are made in the passages, and I prefer to make a movable lid, cover, or door so that
by removing the same the "refractors" may be examined at any suitable time, and
any of the frames or plates, wires, or blades &c." examined, cleaned, or changed as
occasion may require. Although I do not confine myself to any kind of material of
which to make the "plates, wires or blades &c.," in some instances, more especially in
engines having surface condensers, I prefer to make a pari, or the whole of them of
zine or copper and where only a part of them are made of zinc or copper I place
them in any position in relation to those made of any other kind of material, and
where frames are used, and the "plates, wires, or blades &c." are made of copper, I
prefer to insulate the frames, or the "plates, wires, or blades &c.," from contact with
the cases, pipes, or passages, and to connect them together by means of any kind of
good conductor, or conductors, of electricity, and to pass such conductor, or con-
ductors, in an insulated condition, by means of a stuffing box, or other suitable
means, through the casing, passage or pipe containing the refractor," so that any
electricity contained in the conductors may be conveyed away, or collected for any
useful purpose. I do not confine myself to the number of conductors, but by
preference I use two, one brought through the casing. passage, or pipe, from one end
of the "refractor," and the other conductor from the other end of the same.
also place a similar arrangement of "plates wires, or blades &c." in the water-passages
between the surface condensers and the boilers, in surface condensing engines, except
that I prefer to make all the "plates, wires, or blades &c." of zinc or copper either
seperate or in combination in each case, always reserving the option to alter the posi-
tion according to the various circumstances existing in each case, as the "plates,
wires, or blades &c." may be placed in the water-passages either before the water
passes to the feed pumps of the boilers, or after the water has passed through the said
pumps, or they may be placed in the receivers or hot wells of the air-pumps; by pre-
ference, where convenient, I place them in the water-passages between the condensers
and the air-pumps, or between the air-pumps and the feed-pumps of the boilers, that
is before the water enters the feed-pumps. In other respects I use them in the same
or a similar manner as before stated when used in the eduction passages.
20
L
I also use one or more series of "plates, wires, or blades &c.," as before stated, in
any convenient part of the flues, the uptakes, or the smoke-boxes, of the various kinds
of boilers, or wherever it is necessary to prevent the direct escape of heat from the
furnaces or boilers. I do not confine myself to any particular part, or parts, of such
flues, uptakes, smoke-boxes, furnaces, or boilers; by preference I fix, or place, them
as near to the parts where it is wished to retain the heat as is consistant with the
durability and the convenience of the "refractors," and so that they may oppose a
minimum amount of resistance to the passage of the air, or the products of combus-
tion, consistant with the retention of a portion of the heat, in the same or a similar
manner as when the "refractors" are used in the eduction or exhaust passages, except,
where it is found necessary, 1 use brushes or scrapers to pass over or between the
"plates, wires, or blades &c.," to remove the soot, or other matter. In locomotive or
portable engines and boilers, the "refractors," may be used either seperately for the
engines, as before stated, and for the boilers, or one
" refractor may be placed in any
convenient part of the smoke-box or the funnel, to prevent the direct radiation of
heat from both the cylinders and the boilers, or furnaces.
";

page_text: I also use in connection with the boilers, either inside or outside the same, or partly
inside and partly outside the boilers, "plates, wires, strips, or balls," either separate or
in combination, of any suitable shape or form, and of any kind of material, preference
being given to such kinds of material as are either good conductors or good
absorbants of electricity; or the two kinds of material may be used together, or in
combination with each other. By preference I use copper, zinc, or lead in material,
or any preperation of copper, zinc, or lead, and I prefer to use wires or strips, or
wires and strips and plates or balls in form or shape. I do not confine myself to any
position or part, or parts, of any boiler in which to place them either inside or outside
the boilers, but by preference I place the absorbants, in the shape of plates, slabs, rods,
strips, or balls, inside the boilers, and connect them by means of a conductor or con-
ductors; and where it is found necessary I place conductors in the shape of wires,
rods, or strips on the outside of the boilers, either separate from, or in combination
with the absorbants and conductors inside the boilers. The number of absorbants
and conductors, and the places or parts to fix the same may be varied to suit the
various kinds of boilers, and the various circumstances requiring them, or the number
and the positions may be changed from time to time as occasion may require. In
ordinary boilers I prefer to place one or more wires, rods, or strips, at or near to the
water line inside the boilers, and also one or more wires, rods, or strips, near to the
level of the grate bars inside the boilers. These conductors may or may not have
absorbants attached to them at intervals, or the conductors may be in contact, or be
insulated from the shell or plates of which the boilers are made, but where absorbants
are used I prefer to place them in contact with the shells or plates, or tubes, or stays,
or with all of them, and to connect each absorbant by means of a conductor, or con-
ductors, either insulated or not insulated; or one or more conductor or conductors
may be placed in contact with the whole or a part of the shells, plates, tubes, or
stays of the boilers, and one or more conductor, or conductors may be insulated from
the shells, plates, tubes, or stays.
The conductors may be supported, or attached to the various parts of the boilers by
any convenient means such as studs, hangers, brackets, or stays, or any other such like
supports or bearers; and those supports, or bearers, which support or bear the con-
ductors which require to be insulated from contact with the various parts of the
boilers, may have any kind of insulators attached to them, such as porcelain, glass,
india-rubber &c. I do not confine myself to any position, or shape, or size of the
conductors either inside or outside of the boilers, as they may be either straight,
curved, zig-zag, coiled, or spiral, and they may be placed in a line with relation to the
length of the boilers, or at any angle; or they may be placed round the boilers either
inside or outside of the same. In all cases I prefer to pass the conductors from the
inside of the boilers, in an insulated condition, through the boiler plates or shells by
means of an insulated stuffing box, so that any electricity contained in the conductors
may be conveyed away or collected for any useful purpose. I do not confine myself
to any part or parts of the boilers from which to take off, or to bring through, the
conductors, as they may be taken off, or brought through any convenient part only by
preference I bring one conductor from one end of the boilers, and another from the
opposite end in each case where two conductors only are used. And where it is
required, as in marine engines and boilers, to convey any electricity contained in the
conductors, away clear of the ship, I prefer to pass the conductor or conductors through
or over the side, or end, of the ship, in any convenient part of the same, into the
water.
Each or any of the modifications of this invention may be used separately for the
various kinds of steam engines and boilers for which they are adapted, or the whole,
or any combination of them may be used collectively for any.one engine or boiler
requiring it, or them.

page_text: Improvements in Economizing Heat in Steam Engines and Steam
Boilers and in Preventing the Corrosion of Steam Boilers.
I MATTHEW PRIOR of 3 Cawley Road, South Hackney in the County of Middlesex
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
This invention relates to improvements in arresting or preventing the escape of
a portion of the heat of the steam in its passage from the cylinders to the con-
densers in condensing engines, generally termed the "eduction passages," and
in the passage of the steam from the cylinders to the atmosphere, or other medium,
in non condensing engines, generally termed the "exhaust passages," and in collecting
any, or a portion of any electricity which may be in the steam in such passages, or
in the boilers, or in the feed water for the boilers, and for other similar purposes.
22
For this invention I use one or more series of plates-either plain or having holes
or slits in them-rods, wires-either woven or plain-tubes, strips, or blades, or
other like substances, hereinafter referred to as "plates, wires, or blades &c.," of any
kind of material, metallic being preferred, and I place them in any convenient part
of the eduction or exhaust passages so that they will oppose a minimum amount of
resistance to the passage of the steam consistant with the retention of a portion of the
heat from such steam, and to prevent the direct radiation of heat from the cylinders
to the condensers in the one case, and to the atmosphere, or other medium, in the
other case. I do not confine myself to any particular position, or place, in the
aforsaid passages in which to fix, or place, the "refractors as they may in all cases
be fixed, or placed, in the most convenient part or parts of the same, but by preference
I place them as near to the cylinders as convenient, and where necessary I increase
the size of the said passages so as to make the area for the passage of the steam the
same, or nearly the same, as it was before the "refractors
were applied. Neither
do I confine myself to any size or shape of the said passages, nor the size or shape of
the "
plates, wires, or blades &c.," or other like substances, as they may be varied to
meet or suit the requirements of each case. But where convenient I prefer to make
one or more frames containing a series of " plates, wires, or blades &c." and to place
them in the passages so that the steam will pass between each of the plates, or
through the holes or slits in the plates, where such plates are used, or between the
wires, blades, &c., in the series, substantially as shown in the accompanying drawings
Sheet 1. Fig. 2. and where more than one frame or set of "plates, wires, or blades &c.,
are used, I prefer to so place each set that the spaces in one set come opposite to the
plates, wires, or blades &c." in the former set, leaving sufficient space, or distance,
between each set or frame, to avoid the too great obstruction of the passage of the
steam, (A, B, Fig. 1.) and also to prevent the direct radiation of heat from the
cylinders through the passages. I do not confine myself to this particular manner
of fixing or placing the "plates, wires, or blades &c." as they may be set in a line
with each other, or placed diagonally, horizontally, or upright, in relation to the
passage of the steam, or they may be plain, or bent, or corrugated, or coiled, or spiral,
as I do not confine myself to any particular form, nor to having them in every case
"

page_text: "
fixed in frames. But where frames are used to hold the "plates, wires, or blades &c.,"
suitable slides, or ledges, as shown in Sheet 1. Fig. 1. to hold the frames are made
in the passages, and I prefer to make a moveable lid, cover, or door, so that by
removing the samo the " refractors may be examined at any suitable time, and any
of the frames, or "plates, wires, or blades &c." examined, cleaned, or changed, as
occasion may require. Although I do not restrict myself to any kind of material of
which to make the "plates, wires, or blades &c." in some instances, more especially
in engines having surface condensers, I prefer to make a part, or the whole of them,
of zinc or copper, and when frames are used I prefer to insulate the frames, or the
plates, wires, or blades &c." from contact with the cases, pipes, or passages, and to
connect to them or the frames, any kind of good conductor, or conductors, of
electricity, and to pass such conductors, in an insulated condition, by means of stuffing
boxes, or other suitable means, through the casings, passages, or pipes containing the
"refractors," substantially as shown in Sheet 4 Fig. 5, at G. G. I do not confine
myself to the number of conductors but by preference 1 use two, one brought through
the casing, passage, or pipe, from one end of the "refractor" and the other conductor
from the other end of the same, substantially as shown in Sheet 4. Fig. 5. I also
place the like, or a similar arrangement as last stated in any of the water passages
between the surface condensers and the boilers in surface condensing engines, except
that I prefer to make all the "plates, wires, or blades &c." of zine or copper, and
they may be placed in the water passages either before the water passes through the
feed pumps of the boilers, or after it has passed through the same, the conductors being
placed in a like or similar manner. The Plates, wires, or blades &c.," and the con-
ductors, are not for the purpose of generating electricity, but to take. any electricity
from the steam and water that they may contain and to convoy the same away, or to
be collected for any purpose.
I also use, in connection with the boilers, to prevent corrosion, plates, wires, strips,
or slabs, or other like substances of any kind of material, preference being given to
such kinds of material as are either good conductors or good absorbants of electricity--
or the two kinds may be used together or in combination with each other. By
preference I use copper, zinc, or lead, or any preparation of copper, zinc, or lead, and
I prefer to use wires, or strips as conductors-and plates, or slabs, or balls in form or
shape, as absorbants. I do not restrict myself to any position or part, or parts of any
boiler in which to place them, but by preference I place them as shown in one
modification in Sheet 2, Fig. 3, where C represents the absorbants and D the con-
ductors connecting them and when it is found necessary I place conductors in the
shape of wires, rods, or strips, on the outside of the boilers, either seperate from, or
in combination with the absorbants and conductors inside the boilers, substantially as
shown in Sheet 5. Fig. 6 and 7, at F. F. the conductors on the outside not being in
connection with those inside the boiler.
The number of absorbants and conductors, and the places, and parts of the boilers
to fix the same may be varied to suit the various kinds of boilers, and the various
circumstances, or the number and the positions may be changed from time to time as
occasion inay require. In ordinary boilers I prefer to place one or more conductors,
at or near to the water line inside the boilers, and also one or more conductors at or
near to the level of the grate-bars inside the boilers, these conductors may or may not
have absorbants attached to them at intervals as shown at C. Figs. 3 and 4-or the
conductors may be in contact, or may be insulated from the shell or plates of which
the boilers are made, but where absorbants are used I prefer to place them in contact
with part of the shells, or plates, or tubes, or stays of the boilers, or with all of them,
and to connect each absorbant by means of a conductor, or conductors, either insulated
or not insulated; or one or more conductors may be placed in contact with the whole
or a part of the shells, plates, tubes, or stays of the boilers, and one or more con-
ductors may be insulated from contact with the shells, plates, tubes, or stays. The
conductors may be supported or attached to the various parts of the boilers by any
convenient means, such as studs, hangers, bracketts or stays, or any other such like
supports or bearers, and those supports or bearers which support or bear the

page_text: conductors which require to be insulated from contact with the various parts of the
boilers, may have any kind of insulating material attached to them, such as porcelain,
glass, india-rubber &c. I do not confine myself to any position, or shape, or size of
the conductors either inside or outside of the boilers, as they may be either straight,
curved, zig-zag, coiled, or spiral, and they may be placed in a line with relation to the
length of the boilers, or at any angle, or they may be placed round the boilers either
inside or outside the same.
In all cases I prefer to pass the conductors from the inside of the boilers in an
insulated condition through the boiler plates, or shells, or other convenient part, by
means of an insulated stuffing box, or similar arrangement, so that any electricity
contained in the conductors may be conveyed away or collected for any purpose.
I do not confine myself to any part or parts of the boilers from which to take off, or
to bring through, the conductors, as they may be brought through any convenient
part of the boiler, and only by preference I bring one conductor, or more, from one
end of the boilers, and one conductor, or more, from the other end of the boilers, after
which the conductors may be passed to earth or water, as the case may be, in the
most convenient manner, or any electricity contained in them collected for any
purpose.
On the accompanying drawings, Sheet 1 represents the application of the present.
improvements to the eduction passage of a steam engine, without conductors being
attached, and having two frames, each containing a series of "Plates, wires, or
blades, &c." as shown at A-B, Fig. 1. One of such frames being shown in Fig. 2.
Sheet 4. Fig. 5. shows the mode of application of the frames either for steam or water
passages with conductors attached, and the manner of bringing the same through the
casing, passage, or pipe, as shown at G. G. Sheet 2. Fig. 3. shows one modification
of the manner of fixing the conductors and absorbants to a steam boiler, where C.
represents the absorbants, D the conductors, and E the outlets. Sheet 3 is a longi-
tudinal view of Sheet 2, the same letters applying in each. Sheet 5 is an end and
side view of a boiler as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, showing the conductors applied
to the outside of the boiler. These conductors are not connected with the conductors
and absorbants inside the boiler, but are in contact with the shell, as shown at F. F;
but the insulated conductors at the outlets E. E. are in connection with the absorbants
inside the boiler.
Each or any of the modifications of these improvements may be applied separately
to the various kinds of steam engines and boilers, or the whole or any combination of
them may be applied to the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is―
1. The manufacture or construction and the application of plates, rods, wires, tubes,
strips, blades or slabs, or other like substances, to the exhaust and the eduction
passages of the steam, in steam engines, to retain or refract a portion of the heat of
the steam, and to conduct or absorb any, or a portion of any, electricity that may be
in the steam or water passages, or in the boilers, and the particular application of
conductors either with or without absorbants and the bringing them through the
casings or passages, and through the boilers, and boiler-shells substantially as herein-
before described.
Dated this 7th day of September 1887.